AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12145, 3 September 1908, Page 4

AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW.

REMISSION OF RENT ASKED FOR.

MINISTER'S STRAIGHT ANSWER.

(Per Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, September 2. The Minister of Lands (the Hon. R. CVloNab) this afternoon received a deputation representing twenty-five settlers, who have taken up land in the Retaruke, Kaitieke, Kirikau, and part of the North Waimarino blocks on theupper reaches of the Wanganui River _" Messrs P. J. Murphy, W. Norreil, and: J. Kobson were the deputation. They were accompanied by iMessrs Remington, Ross, Jennings, Major, Hornsby^ and Hogan,3l.'e P. The deputation. asked for the remission of one year's rent, payable by them in respect to their leases. They pointed out that owing to want of access to their sections they find it, "very difficult to let contracts for bush, falling for the present season, and that they would get little or no return from their land until about August or September, 1910.

Mr McNab said in regard to the remission of rent that this was a matterthat would have to l>e dealt vrith by the? Land Board, to whom he would forward: tho deputation's petition. He would ask the Board to look into the matter and make a recommendation. It would be a fallacy on his part to disgiiisj^he*. aspect of the present case, where' land was disposed of and held for fourteen months and the holders asked- for the-. > remission of a year's rent and a reduction of S3 per cent, on the capital value.. It was a serious position. If what had. happened in this case was going to happen all over the Dominion, chaos would result, for settlers only had to come after twelve months' occupation and make an application for remission. It might result in men going in for land who were not otherwise able to farm itThat was a position they had to guard against, remembering that what was done to-day was taken as a precedents I he law would not allow them to com© underlie Bush and Swamp Lands Act. They had found that that Act was bei nS ~u* lllsed in a way far" from the intentions of the original promoter, and wholesale, dummyism and speculation in the,-past in its very worst form had taken/place. It was to get over tho difficulties they had experienced that a clause was put in last year's Land Bill making provision for paying the rent, for a_ number of years. He did not fcnow^hether there was power to convert-; from occupation with right of purchase to occupancy under another form, but he would send on the deputa-> tion s petition to the Land Bo.ard, and" W i j H^ rewm™endatioH cime hewould seeif there was any conversion* scheme under which the present difficulties could be met in a way-in which they could meet similar difficulties fromall over New Zealand without civinirpreference.to anyone