LAND LAWS

Southland Times, Issue 19656, 5 October 1922, Page 5

LAND LAWS

THE AGGREGATION QUESTION. STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER, (Per United Press Association.) WELLLNGTON, October 4. In the House of Representatives*to-day the Hon. D. H. Guthrie made a statement on the subject of land statistics and aggregation in reply to recent criticism in which it was rtated that the Dominion losing settlers because aggregation was- taking place. The Minister pointed out that the criticism apparently confused tbe statistics of the Agricultural Department with those of the Lands Department, and in consequence had drawn wrung concLusions. “Tbe agricultoral and pastoral stutisUca,* said the Minister, “give a very fair indication of how the occupied land of the Dominion is used, but it has never been claimed for them that they provide an accurate record of the number of holdings disjMised of by the Crown to private persons and held by them. Aggregation is a supposed evil in this country, and is very glibly spoken of by political opponents of the Government, but it is a significant fact that epecilic instances are very seldom brought under tbe notice of the Minister. In the Land Acts of 1912, 1918, 1919. and 1920 the Government made very comprehensive additions to the anti-aggregation legislation of the 1908 Act, and these provisions havd undoubtedly proved an effective check to undue aggregation.” As to the alleged land hunger, the Minister pointed out that since 1916 the Government always had ample land available and this year no less than 390,602 acres were awaiting settlers. On the subject of the subdivision of large estalCK, he quoted figures to show that they had since 1912 purchased for subdivision 400 estates in various parts of the Dominion of a total area of 682,283 acres and valued hl £6,983,801. Some 150,000 acres of Crown lands had been subdivided together with these properties, and the whole had been cut up into 3400 holdings. The land tax had also been responsible for the breaking up of estates, and was having a marked effect in keeping areas within reasonabi® bounds. »