WESTELLA SETTLEMENT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 72, Issue 106, 6 May 1929, Page 10

WESTELLA SETTLEMENT

CONDITIONS OF BALLOT EXPLAINED QUAL" Z’NG Ab PREFERENTIAL APPLICANT ADVOCATED (By H. BURNETT, Crown Tenants’ Representative on the Wellington Land Board.) In pursuance of its policy of land subdivision the Government has thrown open for selection, 833 acres of the Westella Estate, recently purchased from Mr R. L. Levin. The property has been subdivided into 12 sections of from 60 to 77 acres in area. The sections will be offered by lease on the following terms: —

The terms of the lease are as follows:—• Thirty-three years, with a perpetual right of renewal for further successive terms of thirty-three years, and a right to acquire the freehold. Rent:—s per cent, per annum on the capital value, payable in advance on January 1 and July 1 in each year Applicants to be twenty-one years of age and upwards. Applicants to furnish with applications statutory declaration, and, on being declared successful, deposit £1 Is (lease fee), and a half-year’s rent Rent for the broken period between date of lease and January 1 and July 1 following is also payable. Applications made on the same day are deemed to be simultaneous.

No person may hold more than one allotment. x Successful applicants to execute lease within thirty days after being notified that it is ready for signature. Lessee to reside continuously on the land, and pay all rates, taxes, and assessments.

Improvements.—Lessee is required to improve the land within one year to the value of 10 per cent, of the price; within two years, to the value of another 10 per cent, of the price; and thereafter, but within six years, to the value of another 10 per cent, of the price. In addition to the foregoing, and within six years, improvements are also to be effected to the value of £1 for every acre of firstclass land, 10s. for every acre of sec-ond-class land, and 2s 6d. for every acre of third-class land. Transfer not allowed until expiration of fifth year of lease, except under extraordinary circumstances, and then only with permission. Roads may be taken through the lands at any time within seven years; twice the original value to be allowed for area taken for such roads. Lease is Hable to forfeiture if conditions are violated.

Applicants can obtain information and forms by application direct to the Commissioner of Crown Lands Wellington, or from, the local Cr )wn Lands Ranger at Wanganui. All applications must reach the Crown Lanas Office before 4 p.m. on May. 15 next The following information in Tegiri to the ballot appear in. the conditions of lease: . Applications must appear personally before the Land Board for exanunation at the Drill Hall, Stafford Street, Feilding, on Thursday, May 16, 19-.. at 10 o’clock a.m. Applicants who so desire may be examined by the LonBoard of any other district. The b.y lot will be held at the Drill HUI. Feilding, at the conclusion of the ex amination of applicants. Preference at the ballot will be given to landless applicants who have one or more children dependent on them, to landless applicants who within tw years immediately preceding date ot the ballot have applied for land » least twice unsuccessfully; to app cants who have served beyond fcew Zealand as members of the Exie . ionary Force; to persons engaged on military service beyond New Zeala ' in connection with the late war, f such persons immediately prior to Ue war were bona fide residents of New Zealand; and to applicants who while domiciled in New Zealand have ed bevond New Zealand as members of any of His Majesty’s forces in conneetion with any war other than the war’ with Germany. . An application may include any number of sections shown on the sale plan, but no person will bo allo , e more than one holding. I have thoroughly inspected the block and do not hesitate to recommend any one anxious to secure » small dairy farm to inspect it. Ine property is almost within walking distance of Feilding. A g°?d description Of the land appears in the lobedule which ia as follows: Section. 1: Area, 66 acres 8 roods SI perches. Capital value £3,000. Re newablc lease: Half-yearly rent, £7a, £l3 16s 11. Interest and sinking fund on buildings valued at £355, payable in cash or by forty-turn half-yearly instalments of £l3 16s lid ?°‘ al yearly payment on lease £BB 16s 111. The buildings comprise dwelling, cow 2: Ares, 68 acres 1 rood 31 perches. Capital value £3,600 Renewable lease: Half-yearly rent, £9O, £ll 2s Id Interest aud sinking fund on buildings valued at £285, payable >n cash or by forty-two stalments of £ll 2s 4 . « - yearly payment on lease £lOl 2s 4c. The buildings comprise dwelling and ° U Be b cdonTArea, 70 acres 1 rood 2 perches. Capital value £4,000. Renewable lease: Half-yearly rent, £lOO. Section 4: Area, 77 acres 0 roods -6 perches. Capital value, £4,000. Renewable lease: Half-yearly rent SlCl. Section 5: Area, 62 acres 0 roods 10 perches. Capital value, £3,™o. Kt new-able lease: Half-yearly rent, £9. 6: Area, 63 acres 8 rood. Capital value, Renewable lease. Half-yearly rent, £9u. Section 7: Area, 74 acres> 1 « od 81 perches. Capital value £4,600- Be newable lease: Half-yearly rent, £1.6 ss; £lO 14s 6d.» Interest and silk ing fund on buildings valued at £-/», payable in cash or by forty-two halfyearly instalments of £lO 14s 6d. I tai half-yearly payment on lease 19s 6d. The buildings comprise dwedincr an ' shed. Section 8: Area, 75 acres 1 «n;lCapital value, £5,000. Renewable lease: Half-yearly rent, £125. Section 9: Area, 70 acres 0 roods 30 perches. Capital value, £4,300. Renewable lease: Half-yearly rent, £lO/ 10s. _ , Section 10: Area, 68 acres 3 roods 30 perches. Capital value, £3,700. Renewable lease: Half-yearly rent, £910s. . . Section 11: Area, 71 acres 1 rood

20 perches. Capital value, £3,850. Renewable lease: Half-yearly rent, £96 ss. Section 12: Area, 65 acres 0 roods 20 perches. Capital value, £.3,700. Renewable lease: Half-yearly rent, £92 10s. General Description The property offered comprises part of Mr R. L, Levin’s “Westella” Estate recently acquired by the Government for closer-settlement purposes. The block is situated on the Mam Trunk at the Taonui Railway-station about two miles and a half from Feilding, two miles from Bunnythorpe, and eight miles and a ralf from Palmerston North. Access by good metalied roads. There are several dairy companies operating in the vicinity. A school adjoins the estate. The settlement comprises practica’ly all level land, ploughable when stumped. Th" major portion has oeei: stumped and cultivated, and is now carrying a good sole of permanent grasses. The soil is of a rich loamv nature, varying from alluvial silt on shingle formation to a heavy clay subsoil. Efficient drainage is available, and has to a very large extent been completed both in main and subsidiary drains. Permanent water is available and for sections not already sufficiently served water is procurable by sinking to a depth of 12ft. to 14ft. The subdivisions are eminently .<nitable for dairy-farming. The formation and metalling of the new roads off Cameron’s Line and Roberts’ Line, and the culverting of the Taonui Stream to give access to Section 5 will be proceeded with as jarly as possible. All existing improvements, consisting of clearing and grassing, stumping, draining, fencing, gates, windmills, troughs, bridges, plantations, etc., are included in the capital va’ues of the sections. The buildings must - be paid for separately as above. In view of other blocks coming into

the market and the preferential conditions, persons unable to take part in this particular ballot should put themselves on-side, as it were, ready for future ballots, by qualifying as oreferential applicants, I would like to mention a point, that may not be generally known to applicants: A guarantee by a bank, or mercantile firm, a person or persons aeceptible to the board, will receive every consideration from the board, as the capital required, but this does not include the rental deposit in ensa in advance. Another point, and probably more important to the app icants, is that, subject to the board and Minister’s approval, the applicant can borrow by way of first charge, moneys in buildings and fences, the board to approve of the nature of the improvements, and the amount spent thereon. This provision is a valuable one to the applicant. The Land Law and Amendment -\ct of 1928 contains an amendment of the Land for Settlement Act of 1925, a:>J is w’ell worth reading. It will provide useful information, not only to tho-e who desire to assist the Government in the subdivision of their land, but »t will also assist those who desire to take up dairy land. Section 4 part JI. of the Land Laws Amendment Act of 1928 reads: “ A ,jy two or more persons qualified to acquire land (subject to the principal Act) may make application to the Dominion Land Purchase Board with a view to the acquisition by the Crown, on their behalf, of any private rural land. Then follows the sections deal'ng with the procedure to be taken by vendor and applicants which, in a few words, means that the parties submit the property to the Government at the agreed prices between the parties. A valuation is then submitted to the Minister and, if satisfactory, the ne gotiations are proceeded with. Tie obvious object of the Act is to enable any two or more persons to negotiate themselves with vendors of dairy land who are willing to sell their holdings for subdivision. Other blocks of land will, in the near future, be offered on this coast by the Government, but J am not in the position at the moment to give any definite information regarding same. As representative of the Crown tenants on the board, I am anxious that every intending settler offering on the coast should go forward to this ballot, as it will give some indication to the Minister of the demand existant for lands required for closer settlement throughout the Wellington Land Board’s jurisdiction.

This will be very helpful to th n Minister of Lands when he is considering further purchases in this district.