THE LAND BOARD.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13679, 22 August 1908, Page 2

THE LAND BOARD.

CROWN TENANT'S ADDRESS. The Land Act of last session granted to Crown tenants the right to elect, a member of the Land Board, and on, Wednesday one of the candidates for the settlers' suffrages, (Mr. Joseph Gibson, of Cheviot), addressed the tenants on Waikakihi, at- Morven. Mr. Gibson said that he was pleased to make this, his first, visit to Waikakihi, for that estate, the second important settlement to be constituted after Cheviot was always viewed in the North as a sort of sister estate to Cheviot. He had always held that the Crown tenants -ought to be represented.on the Land Board, and he felt there were times when the ■ members of the Board did not fully realise the position of the sett lens, arid they didnot. take too lunch trouble to make thenW selves acquainted with them. He. had no personal grievance against the Canterbury Board, except that perhaps they were too "srringent- in their, view when a settler made application to them for permission' to add to his holding. The Board usually said, when such cases - came before (hem, that, in view of (he paucity of Jand in. the Dominion, they-muse keep Rie holdings down to as small an area as possible. This; -the "speaker agreed "■ with to a certain extent; ' He.' realised that if New Zealand was to flourish, it would be

through placing on the land,as many people as could make a living thereon, hut the Land Board shonld, he thought, take ■lha trouble to ascertain .for themselves whether the holdings of the applicants were really sufficient for their requirements. They would then have found that 250 oJcres off comparatively poor land would not yield a competency.- In respects such as this, the speaker said, the. Canterbury Land Board carried their -discretionary powen> too far. There was another matter in which the Board in. particular was very arbitary; they ex? peel, the applicant* for land to hold a large capital. This was, quite opposed to the purpose of Sir John M'lCenzie's policy which had in view the assisting of men of small means and great experience. On the lines followed during the Culverden examination, the Canterbury Board was catering for capitalists, men with" £6OOO or .CBOOQ who were able to buy freeholds. tip to the last year or two the policy worked quite admirably in settling the poorer people on the bind, but there had crept in lately an element of conservatism. The safe man, who did not require help, was being placed on sections which

should really have gone to those who only needed some little assistance to become successful farmers. The Land Board did not make the. laws; the laws were-laid down ; for them, to. administer, but they had very considerable discretionary power, giving them, an opportunity, if they so desired, to help the" settlers. Mr. Gibson- said he had been a crown tenant for" over ;14 years/arid be. felt that his interests were identical with the interests of' his audience arid all'tenants' of the Crown. He invited questions relative to the attitude.he would: adopt if. returned as a member of the Board. Mr W. Wrathall asked; whether " the, candidate would, under certain conditions, : favour applications requesting" p'erm'isßioii to take oft ai- third -crop. Mr. Gibson said .there ,could be no, doubt, whatever that in certain cases such' liberty should be allowed. The Board should have discretion to grant such re-' quests where they deemed it advisable. It was his experience that-settlers did not desire to impoverish their land by overworking it. It was absurd that the samerestrictions should govern land of various qualities. Land at 12s 6d an acre should carry more crop than land at Ss, and the man paying the higher rent should be allowed greater freedom. If he became a member of the Board he would use his endeavour© to have every such request inquired into and decided on its merits. The experience at Cheviot was that the ranger had not interfered imich with the cropping conditions, but there'the laud was nob of the kind that would carry three crops. Mr. Beer pointed out that if a man had

the money to pay off 33 per cent, of his lease he could go scot free of the restrictions; so that the moneyed man could crop as he liked, while the pooz'er settler had to crop as he was told. Mr. Barnett pointed put that in cases where mitigation of the restrictions was asked for the Board occupied an absurdly long time in considering the request. ' The business, he thought, should be conducted more expeditiously and with more consideration for the tenants.

Mr. Wrathall said he had experienced similar trouble, and asked whether Mr Gibson would be in favour of the Board meeting once a quarter in Timaru, so than tenants would 1 not require to go all the way to Christchurch to air their grievances.

Mr. Gibson said' he thought) ,the idea was a good one, and he would use. his endeavour to gain its consummation if the settlers generally desired the change. Mr. Callaghan said that the last of the cropping troubles would be laid if the

Board -would • only-- ignore the condition, limiting > white, crops, -■ safeguarding the land by restricting. cropping to half the holding at one time. . ■ Mr. Gibson said ib appeared to . him an excellent plan to take the ballot by prrat. This decision had obviated the ne-cessity-a of tenants . travelling , long distances to !rfhe poll. He, hoped that settlem. would take a. great-interest, in the opportunity conceded ithem. of gaining direct representation on the Board, and that all ■. would. vote. It had struck him as strange'that anybody was eligible to represent, the Crown tenants. It, -would have appeared- more reasonable that tenanis should be represented by one of themselves. He was speaking quite impersonally without knowledge of the other candidates.

After a, brief discussion, on the Land Laws Amendment Act of last session, Mr. Wrathall propoced ft, Hearty vote of thanks to Mr. - Gibson for coming so far to ..place his views before the settlers of Waikakihi. Mr. Hay seconded the motion, remarking that it, would appear that Air. Gibson was a very suitable man to represent, the: Crown tenants.

Mr. Gibson lhanked Iho mating for their kindly altitude, and promised that, if he became a member of the Board 1 , he would use his, experience both as a business man and as a, farmer to further the interests of the settlers of Canterbury.