CLOSER SETTLEMENT.

Wairarapa Age, 22 August 1929, Page 5

CLOSER SETTLEMENT.

FOUR PROPERTIES OFFERED TO GOVERNMENT. LANDOWNEBS AND SUPEB-TAX. “A GOOD SPIRIT.” (By Telegraph—The “Age” Special.); WELLINGTON, Augiut 21. Giving his strong approval of the Prime Minister'a land taxation proposals, but advising him to include a hardship clause to meet special cases, Mr. B. F. Healy (Wairau) told, members in the House of Representatives today that within three days of Sir Joseph Ward announcing that a land settlement banner had been again unfurled he was asked to place four Marlborough properties before the Government for purchase. One estate, 9 miles from Blenheim, had been in the same family since it was first settled. Two of the estates comprised 18,000 acres of beautiful downs country, which so far had not been half stocked and the area included throe thousand acres of good fist country alongside a river. The prices named by these owners were not of the high order mentioned recently by the Minister of Lands, but were submitted at a figure which would enable the Government to negotiate. The owners were wealthy men who were valuable citizens of Marlborough and they looked on the super-tax as just. He trusted that the Government would burry ap and take these properties which had been offered for closer settlement in such a good spirit. Two other properties were also available, showing that the Prime Minister ’• splendid land policy was being well supported. Thus, New Zealand would, as Sir Joseph Ward had stated, benefit from the super-tax. A million *aores of Crown land leases, a good portion of which were shortly falling in, could be made available for closer settlement. All this country would be improved by sub-division, as it was of good class and without noxious weeds. There might be a rabbit or two, “but nowadays, concluded Mr. Healy, “they are valuable.”