THE LAND COMMISSION.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 12868, 29 May 1905, Page 7

THE LAND COMMISSION.

'Jin ouder that' the report of the Lantl Commission may be available at an early stage of the coming session, the Commission has been form ad into two sections, 'the one section finishing the Auckland province and the otfher making- a commencement in the Tarane^ki district. The idea ernanatdd from the Minister for Lands, and was favourably received by members of the Commission. It is expecteid that, under the circumstances, the Comfmiss'ion will be afole to commence its sittings in Wellington province in about a fortnight's time. SITTING IN TARANAKI. The Commission now touring the country gathering information on tlie land questio* opened . its sitting at \ the CoimcirChambers, New Plymouth, on Monday morning. The members of the Commission included Messrs J. M'cKerrow (chairman), J. Anstey, W. A. McCutchan, and J. T. Paul. There were some forty persons present, including Messrs W. T. Jennings and E. M. Smith, M's.H.R., H. Okey (chairman County Council), F. Simpson (Land Commissioner), J. ( Foreman (chairman Clifton County), J. Burgess (Egpnont; Road / Board), Were (chairm'art Oakaru Boa^d), Trimble i (chairman Moa Road Boatfd), and 'others. | Mr Okcy said on behalf of the Ta.ranaki County he 'desired to make a ! protest against, the division o^ the [Commission in taking evidence in this one of the principal land districts in the colony. The full Commission had I sat in the South Island. and every hamlet / was , visiWd, but in TaranaTu only a portion of the Commission were sitting, and the evidence taken Would lie read over to tho 'other tnottrbecs. Such a course, howJever, was not satisfactory, a« the reading of evidence did not haVe the same effect, as lnoaving it dirpctly from, <v th<> . witnesses .' In Taianald thoro was a lot' of back country, and the

settlers wore subjected to the greatest inco»venieiKv ; therefore it would have been achisable for th» full Commission to sit in this district.

The Chairman expressed regret, but stated the di\ Moll of the Commission had been determined by certain circumstances ) over vhich they had no control.

James Burgess, a freeholder of Warea, of twenty-four years' , standing. [was the first ( witness. He stated ho represented the Warea branch ofj- the iFarmei's' Union, which had a memberLship of on<« hi; wired. IHe mentioned that the settlers had not been given sufficient notice of the sitting of the Commission in the district.; ati(d two 'members of the Union were unable to be present. The Chairman stated that circumstances had arisen which the Commission was unable to control.

Mr Burgess said thaf settlers he represented were unanimously in favor of freohold, which was generally regarded as to be in the best interests of tho advancement •of j the district. There was no reason why freehold should not be encouraged. That system tended to create independent; men, who could give their vote as their consciences dictated, without fear or favour. Leaseholders could do the same, but sometimes things worked against them and they were not in the same independent position as the freeholder. He objected to the system of valuation. He did not favour landlordism, private or otherwise, but every, farmer should be given an opportunity to secure the freehold. In replying to questions by the Chairman, Mr Burgess admitted there were settlers imder the lease in perpetuity system in the Warea district, amd they would all like to get the option of the freehold. Mr Paul questioned Mr Burgess on many] (points. The witness stated that the 'freehold land was increasing in value. He had no opinion to offer in respect to the constitution of Land Boards, with which he had had no previous; connection. Systems without the option of- freehold he opposed. The principal objection to the L.I.P. was the question of raising money on, the land and the uncertainty! of the. 999 years clause being observed. He was of opinion that under unsettled conditions that clause would not be observed. Further questioned, tlio witness admitted that under the deferred payment system roads were enabled to bo made years before they would be under another tenure. In regard to loadin-e blocks for road making, he would be in favour of giving the settlers the necessary monoy at 5 percent instead of loading for :)90: )90 years. He was in favour of a third of the annual value of cash sales going to looal bodies. Safeguards, he believed. Rerc necessary to prevent the aggregation of land. Taxation was the simplest method of attaining the object, while legislation would probably produce duimfmyism, and not be detected. Ho was of the opinion that everybody would have an opportunity of getting on the land with the general granting of the freehold. ,Ejdward M. , Murley, who occu.pie.l ■ 19G acres at Uruti under the O.R.P.' said he was q;uite satisfied with the. tenure he held, only because he had" the option to purchase. Ue had no complaint to make in respect to his. transactions with the Land Board, jbliit considered the Board being totally' [elective by the tenants was the most ! just. 'He did not advocate breaking ! existing contracts except so far as it would be justified where a contract of a pernicious kind had been iiade. The division of land districts into wards' hedidjiot support; the existing principle was preferable. At least three members should be made elective. The land should be sold outright to enable * the farmer to carry out his work without harassing restrictions, was suoli a thing as being over governed. Land settlement in the country was in ; opposition to that in other countries. Freehold tavpfh't thrift and encoura/.>)nJ< commercial instincts. Limitation should be placed on the amount of land to be held based on area and value. H. Okey (chairman of the County Council) said he had HOO acres freehold and 500 under the 0.R.P., with 12s 6cl an aero right of purchase. Ho considered any tenure with 0.R.P., tending towards freehold, was the' best for the country. His dealings, with the Land Board had been satisfactory, but he was of opinion that the constitution should be partially elective. {While the Government should have fair representation, the tenants should also have representation, and that was the only franchise he approved. The g-eneral experience with the Advances to Settlers was that sufficient money could not be obtained. The loan« given by the Government coukl bet increased with safety. The estates in the district were mnall, and he was not aware of any aggregation gr.ing on. The value of leasehold was not increasing in proportion with tho fnvhold. In one instance wluiw hunl whs taken up improvements vvero eftV/tt-d, but now with 1<» or V 2 years of 'the lease gone drainage- va.« fofcnid

necessary, wilt as it wojwkl taJvC £2 or £."> an acre; to do the woek, the occupiers do not I eel justified in doing it, and the land was not carrying its full capacity. Owing to the nature of the drahiago the valuer "would not detect this as an improvement. Jf there was something to aliow the condition of the land when taken up it would get over tho present difficulty. So far as this district was coneomojd there was not much to complain about in reference to valuation. At Opunake some lands required drainage, out occupiers would not do it, with tho result that bush land was being overrun with rushes. He thought in connection with Advances to Settlees that in cases of men requiring money to effect further improvement a larger amount should be given to them, io the extent of say SO per cent. In borrowing the Government should exercise some. supervision. Valuation, with invisible improvement, would be a farce. He agreed with the principle of loading lands for roads, but there should be some assistance. Finance of local bodies he believed could be placed on a more satisfactory basis !by subsidies and helping thorn who helped themselves. He did not think grants could be entirely dispensed with, even by increased subsidies. There were some cases \\ here sufficient money could not be raised, and back block settlers would suffer. The Government should take charge cf ail roads till metalled. With an improved system of roading much land would be made productive, and settlors imprisoned for years would be released. Some people on the land had no roads, and they weie worse than slaves and worse than prisoners. Replying to Mr Ans'tey, the witne?.? said the people in the South weie well looked after in regard to roads, and they did not require a heavy late. He did not think grants could L-o altogether abolished, particularly in newly settled districts. Native and Crown lands should contribute rites. The Government should open up new districts, and not put settlers there without providing roads. Every settler should have a road. He did not advocate the Government metalling them entirely, but the roads <hould be metalled and bridged before Wing handed over to local bodies. The'time had come, he thought, when there should be one moderately large author ity to administer affairs ; dual authority was objectxonbble. Had he been a leaseholder he was satisfied he could not have got on. In this district there did not appear to be sufficient money to -create a fund to help fellow settlers. Edward Stevenson, an ex-occupier of land in the Pomnhaka estate, now a builder, considered that the, T.and Board should be elective and -he Parliamentary franchise should apply. He was in favour of universal freehold, and the Government collecting the whole of the unimproved values valuation taking place periodically, at no slated periods. A tenant wanted security of possession. Ho objected to the unearned increment going into the pockets of the landlord. To Mr Paul, witness admitted that he did not have a section in Pom ahaka in his own name, but was there with a relative. Pomahaka was not at that time a success. Spots Wood in this district was not in a good position for the purpose required, and there was a lot of the land unoccupied, and likely to be. The principle of re-vahmtion was objectionable. To re-value every twenty-one years was too long a period in many cases. The remaining Crown lands should be leased with the removal of certain restrictions in I order that the occupier can farm the land to his own inclinations and knowledge. Immediate inducement should be given to' men to o-o on the land instead of giving advantages when 1 , the man ' was on the brink of the grave. Richard Price, who holds 320 acres under freehold and leasehold, favoured L.I.P. without re-valuation, believing that improvements should be conserved to the man who made them. He thought the constitution of the Land Boards was satisfactory, i ' Questioned by members, the witness said the valuation should be based on the producing value of the land. The Advances to Settlers had been of great benefit to settlers in this district, and saved many of them, and so far as he was aware the monpy advanced had been sufficient according to the security offering. He could not imagine a tenure with more advantageous causes than the L.I.P.

John Brown, who owns 500 acres of freehold at Mangorei, .said he represented the Carrington Road branch of tho Farmers' Union. The members were in favour of the freehold all through, and making- tho settlement on tho land as attractive a* j:>ossiblo. The best tenure possible was essential in order to compete with the marTMs of the world. A bonus, in the way of Customs, was being given to , young men io leave the country and coiigrci/ntf in ihe towns, und this should lie abolished. Everyone should be made to be producers on the land or producer:: of income. He agreed with the

Customs revenue, but at present the colony was getting the" population"?!! the cities. His idea was to lbolc- after the country, -and the town would look after itself. ' . :

Tho witness said he did not actually say, the farmer was not being looked after, but he j was not ( .getting the treatment requisite for the good of tho country. The bargain contracted in connection with the existing leases he was not in favour of breaking unless an alteration suited both parties. The Government, he thought, should (ix the value, and ( then it did not matter whether the land was leased or freehold granted. ' All the original settlers of block 6, Egmont. under optional leasehold had since quitted, and the land was nowj held under) freehold and leasehold.

William B. Davies, a Crown tenant, who holds 760 acres under both L.I.P. and 0.R.P. , and preferred the latter, although he was satisfied with either so long as the Government} did not break their contract. Re-valuation he opposed. 'He had no fault .to find with the Land Board excepting that too miicli leniency had been allowed to people in regard to residence. His experience with the Advances to Settlers was J satisfactory. ', He favoured the Government providing good roads and increasing- tlie rent of land if necessary.

John W. Foreman, who has 400 acres freehold, and 600 native land frotm the P,tvblic Trustee, favoured a cash purchase or any lease with R.O.P. for the class of land available. L.I.P. system should not be abolished, but the R.O.P. should be given to anyone deserving it, and oven to the extent of purchasing by instalments at any fcijne. He would then have some incentive to save money. The Public Trustee he found a satisfactory landlord, although certain circumstances had arisen which were hardly acceptable. On the whole he had gathered that the Advances to Settlers Office had been of benefit to this district. Rather than the aggregation of estates in this district, the tendency w T as in the opposite direction. The conditions of residence on,/ Crown lands on rough broken country and difficult to road, was rather cruel if enforced, [t necessitated' taking a mother and family into tho back country with all its disadvantages, particularly whon cases of sickness occurred. The condition of the children bad also to be considered. In some of the v backblocks the children were growing up without education owing to lack of facilities and great difficulties under which the parents struggled. The practice of loading land £or roads was unsatisfactory. Tenants were not given information as to how or when the money was spent' on the roads, or what loading existed. A tenant was charged for it for all time under the L.T.P., but with a loan raised to do similar work it was wiped off in a certain number of years. He contended that a man who went into the back districts was fully entitled to any increased \*alue in- his holding, above that of improvement -lue to his industry. Unless the Government g-ave further assistance to settlers' ho was sun| that further progress in settlement in this, district was hopeless. The task devolving on settlers of constructing and ■maintaining roads was too great' / without assistance from the Government, He certainly advocated relaxing residence conditions in such cases as ho liaid mentioned, send a rigid law could be passed to deal with the matter. Questioned byj Mr McOutcKan, tho witnessed admitted that a settler Jmd to reside on the land in order to work it properly, and the solution was for the Government to properly road the country before putting settlers on the land. The Cottitinission ! adjourned ; at one o'clock till two p.m.