THE COLONIST. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. MONDAY, AUGUST 25,. 1913. LAND PURCHASE.

Colonist, Volume LV, Issue 13809, 25 August 1913, Page 4

THE COLONIST. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. MONDAY, AUGUST 25,. 1913. LAND PURCHASE.

Remarks mad© in the' House last week by the Prime Minister, who is also Minister of Lands, indicate that the Government contemplates a further change in the enactments governing the acquisition by the State of land for close settlement. Mr Massey was asked by Mr Clark whether the Government would introduce this session an amendment to the Land Act, giving the Government power to compulsorily take large areas of privately owned land for closer settlement, the price to be arranged by arbitration. In explanation of his question, the member far Chalmers mentioned a case where a certain piece of land was valued by the Government valuer at £7 15s per acre, but when the block was purchased ~by the Land Purchase Board £20 per acre was given. Because of this the tenants ever since had been loaded to the extent of at least 200 per cent more than they should have been if the Government valuation of the land had been taken. He thought some change should be made in the present method of acquiring land. The case mentioned by Mr Clark is by no means unique. The inflated values placed upon land proposed to be purchased by the Government for closer settlement has always been the great Lar to freer employment of the Land for Settlements Act, and long ago pointed to the necessity for other measures for encouraging subdivision and settlement at prices which would give the settlers a reasonable prospect of sxiccess. The graduated land tax was accordingly brought into operation, at first on a very modest scale, its severity being afterwards increased as an additional incentive was found to be necessary. In his formal reply to the question the Minister pointed out that the Land for Settlements Act already gives power to take land compulsorily. Previous to 1907 it was provided that the price should be arranged by a Compensation Court presided over by a Supreme Court judge, but the process was found to be both tedious and expensive, and an alteration was made. At present, said Mr Massey, a number of blocks of land in different parts of the Dominion are under offer to the Government for settlement purposes, and suitable areas for small settlement are being purchased as finances permit. Mr Massey added that in his opinion the alteration made in 1907 was a mistake, as the position now was that the landowner practically fixed his own valuation. He was not at all sure that the law a3 it stood could not be bettered, for he had not changed his mind at all. Since the alteration of the Act in 1907 thero was an inquiry held into land matters, and it came out that the legal expenses in compulsorily taking the land were costing in nearly every case "thousands of pounds. These expenses were added to the value of the ground, and the unfortunate settlers were paying interost on them to-day. "If we go back to the original system," he said—"and I say even now I prefer the original system—l hope Tthat something .willvbe done to prevent the excessive cost of legal expenses." It rtmst be recognised, however, that however perfect the land purchase procedure Way. be made, it is a system that, does not lend itself id great «x----.parision. There are obvious reasons for this. By/means of the Land for Settlements Act operations of the greatest value to the Dominion have been carried on. and a great number of successful, settlers owe their start on the land to the opportunities it provided. Operations under it entail extensive borrowing, however, and though this money is directly and indirectly reproductive in more ways than one, there-must be a limit to borrowing for settlement purposes. The greatest refiance in promoting settlement must be placed iv the measures devised by the Liberal Government to induce the owners of large estates to subdivide. It is satisfactory to have Mr Massey's assurance that this object is being effected to an appreciable extent, and also his announcement that the Government contemplates legislation at an early date to deal with the question of improveable laud held in an unimproved condition