THE PARIHAKA BLOCK.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 April 1926, Page 11

THE PARIHAKA BLOCK.

CHECKING THE DETERIORATION. THE QUESTION OF TENURE. The deterioration of the Parihaka block, due to soldiers- having been unable to make their sections pay and having abandoned them, was again before the Eginont County Council yesterday. The council is interested in the matter from two viewpoints, first, the growth of the weeds on the abandoned sections is a menace to the rest of the district, and, secondly, the sections are not contributing their quota to the council’s rates. The council has been in communication with the Lands Department over the subject and at its last meeting passed a resolution to the effect that the Lands Department, in re-letting the sections, should let them on a tenure that would make the occupier liable for rates. At present, it was stated, they were being let for grazing on a monthly tenancy, which did not entail the payment of rates. Acknowledging the resolution, Mr. \V. D. Armitt, the Commissioner of Crown Lands, notified the council yesterday that the grazing fees received by the department were usually purely nominal. If a condition were inserted in grazing rights requiring the grazier to accept immediate responsibility for rates, it was probable that extreme difficulty would be found in securing graziers at all. In any case, the six months certain tenancy conditions defining occupancy, would nullify any provision of that sort in the gracing right. The main concern of the department was to prevent deterioration, through nonstocking, and the letting of grazing rights presented a means to that end. In connection with Parihaka, the Crown had received little or nothing by way of grazing fees. Wherever a grazing right had been given it was considered as a temporary expedient only, pending the re-selection of the land on a permanent tenure. If any specific case was mentioned, he would be pleased to furnish further particulars. Cr. Toeland thought it was time the matter of the Parihaka block was settled up. It was drifting on and the weeds were increasing. The council should ask the Lands Department to meet them with a view to some settlement being arrived at. It should be planted with trees, if nothing else. If it were vested in the council they could find tenants.

Cr. Gibson said that he knew of one specific case where the land had been let to a grazier for over a year. The council should certainly have an investigation made into the block. In some eases, men were going out earning money cutting weeds on other places and letting them flourish on tßeir own land.

The chairman (Mr. Green) did not think they would get much further with the Lands. Department. They should apply to the Minister of Lands to have fhe land let on terms that would make the rates payable by the occupier.

Cr. Tosland said the residents of the district had a right in the matter, as the block was a menace to them. He moved 'that the council draw the attention of the Minister of Lands to the matter, stating that it wished to confer with him as to the best method of placing the matter on a better basis. Cr. Young, in seconding, thought the council had been too lenient with the soldiers in the early stages. It was no advantage giving the land to the soldiers free of rates, because if the land -would not pay rates it would be no good to the soldiers, and so it had proved.

Cr. Tosland' said the whole matter wanted readjusting. If the land could not be made to pay, it should be taken over from the soldiers and let on a fresh basis, the soldiers being compensated. The land eould be turned into grass, though he recognised that it would be difficult. The chairman said that some of the land on the block was equal to the best along the coast, but some was very poor. The Minister, on a previous occasion, bad refused to pay rates on the property, stating that they had given it to the soldiers for nothing. He doubted if the Minister would visit Taranaki in the matter. It might be necessary to send a deputation to Wellington. Cr. Donald thought the members of the council should first thoroughly inspect the block. The resolution was then carried.