Advances to Settlers.

Woodville Examiner, Volume XIII, Issue 2404, 14 August 1895, Page 4

Advances to Settlers.

(Hansard). Mr G. Hutchison asked the Colonial Treasurer, If the Government will introduce an amendment to the Government Advances .to Settlers Act so as to include villagesettlement allotments among the securities on which advances may be made ? Mr Ward said no amendment of the Act was required. If such allotments did not consist of urban or suburban lands they formed securities on which advances might be made under the Act. Mr Massey asked the Government, Whether they are aware that certain solicitors under the Advances to Settlers Act are, in addition to those specified in the Act, charging fees for the searching of titles, and whether such changes are intended or authorised by the Act ? He had placed this question on the Order Paper because of communications he had received from settlers who wished to borrow under the Advances to Settlers Act, and who complained that, in addition to the valuationfees, they are charged fees for the searching of titles; and he wished to know whether such charges were authorised by the Government or the Governor in Council, and, if so, what was done with the moneys so collected. Mr J. McKenzie was advised by the Advances to Settlers Department that they were not aware of any fees being charged for the searching of titles. It seemed a fee of 2s was charged under the Land Transfer Act but not fcr titles under the Deeds Registration Act of 1868. That was all the information he had on the subject. Mr Hall asked the Premier (in the absence of the Colonial Treasurer), As suburban sections of land were excluded as securities under “ The Advances to Settlers Act, 1894,” and as many holders of suburban sections have, under a misapprehension, applied to the Lending Board for loans, and paid. thereto the amount of valuation-fees, and as the Lending Board has refused to lend to such applicants will then

return the fees ? There were some applicants under the Land for Settlements Act who were under the impression that they might receive advances on any sort of property. They had sent in their applications with their valuations several months ago, and they were informed hy the Lending Board that their applications had been declined; but the valuation-fees had never been returned to them. It was, of course, irritating to them that their applications should be declined in the first instance, and more irritating when the fees were retained. He thought they should get back their valuation-fees as soon an possible. Mr J. McKenzie said there had been a few cases of the sort referred to, where owners of suburban land had made application for advances, and the fact that they were debarred uuder the Act was not noticed by the Lending Board until the valuations were made. Then the Board was, as far as he could understand, very anxious to refund the valuation-fees, but it appeared that the law would not permit it to do so, and it would be necessary to get a vote passed through the House to enable the fees to be returned. Provision would therefore be made on the estimates.