CROWN SETTLERS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20784, 20 July 1937, Page 6

CROWN SETTLERS

ADJUSTMENT OF RENT MINISTER DEFENDS POLICY The Minister of Lands (the Hon. F. Langstone) submits the following statement In reply to a leading article In “The Timaru Herald” of 30th ultimo entitled “The Call of the Tenants of the Crown”: ‘The article," says the Minister, “comprises a hotch-potch of words which indicate two outstanding features: the political bias of the writer and a lamentable ignorance of his subject. Inter alia the writer refers to the special urgency associated with the problem of revaluing Crown lands, and states that the Crown tenants are looking to the Minister of Lands to make a move. “It is wellknown fact,” said Mr Langstone, “that for the period 1933-35, the right of revaluation provided in the Land Act, was suspended by the previous Administration, and that in the latter year, just prior to the General Election, which gave an overwhelming mandate to the present Government, it was resuscitated and the revaluation committees required by the legislation were

immediately appointed. “But it also a well-known fact that as soon as the present Government assumed office it investigated the position of the farmer and other classes of mortgagor, and enacted the Mortgagors and Lessees Rehabilitation Act, which provided not only for an adjustment of rents but also of mortgages end all other property charges. Therefore those Crown tenants who were in difficulty would naturally lodge applications under the new legislation, and thus have the whole of their charges reviewed and adjusted. Unnecessary Duplication "To have a revaluation committee operating in respect of rental charges only, and an adjustment commission considering all charges, would result in unnecessary duplication. Consequently I agreed to postpone consideration of applications for revaluation under the Land Act until after the close of the receipt of applications under the Mortgagors and Lessees Rehabilitation Act. Any unbiased person will agree that such an arrangement was dictated by common sense.

“The position at the moment is that any Crown tenant who has not lodged an application under the adjustment legislation may apply for a revaluation under the Land Act and have it considered without delay. I admit that to withhold from the Crown tenants for so long a period the right of revaluation was not in the interests of the settlers, but, as I have already explained, the responsibility for that position must lie with the previous Administration.

“Delays are irksome, and annoying, but in the circumstances I have referred to, no other course could have been followed but to leave the adjustments to the commissions appointed under the new legislation. In cases where the Crown only is concerned with the charges on a property an opportunity is being given to the settler to agree to a voluntary adjustment, and already this has resulted in the withdrawal of a number of applications under the Mortgagors and Lessees Rehabilitation Act.”

“In the artic : under review the editor of the “Timaru Herald’ runs true to type. It is generally accepted that an asse ibly of leader-writers would make the best Government possible, but unfortunately they cannot get into Parliament. In his appeal on behalf of the Crown tenant the editor refers’to my pamphlet ‘The First Step,’ and particularly to my advocacy of guaranteed prices, an exchange tax and the provision of money, and proceeds to questlo-1 the extent of my accomplishments in my capacity as Minister of Lands. I stand four square’by everything appearing in that pamphlet, but apparently my editor friend expects the Government to solve in one short Session of Parliament the difficulties and problems which have a-umulated during many years of faulty administration. He agrees that the problems exist and that the people are tired of talk and are looking to the present Government for a solution, but I am confident they are more than tired of reading the nonsense which appears in the leading articles of some of our daily newspapers. The result of last election is very definite proof of that assertion."