LAND LAWS MADE PLAIN.

Western Star, 27 April 1920, Page 4

LAND LAWS MADE PLAIN.

j AS TO PURCHASING POWERS I ' *

! AX]) THIS HELP GIVEN TO i SOLDIEHS. Wo now pre-cut tiro third and final instalment of tlio compilation: — LAND LAWS AMENDMENT ACT, 1913. —Part VII.; Aggregation of Private Land. — In this section the: term “ owner ” means the legal owner of the land, and if owned conjointly by two or more persons each of themi shall be deemed the owner thereof. Laud shall be deemed to be acquired by way of aggregation when any person becomes the owner thereo’f who is already the owner of any other laud. When any person becomes the owner of two: pieces of land previously owned by two - different persons, each of those pieces shall be deemed to have been acquired by way of aggregation. After the commencement of this Act—i.e., after November 11, 1913 — any land acquired by way of aggregation shall be subject to the following provisions: (a) The Minister may require the Board of Laud Purchase Commissioners to report to him the circumstances of such aggregation and the suitability of the land for acquisi- i tion by the Crown for settlement. | (b) The board shall thereupon ' notify the owner of the land, give him a reasonable opportunity of being beard, andi then report to the Minister their opinion on the matter. (e) If the board report that such aggregation is contrary to the public interest in respect to close settlement, and that the land or any part thereof is suitable, for aqnisition, > the Minister may recommend the Governor-General by proclamation to take such land or (with the concurrence of the owner) take any part of the said land. No proclamation shall be made after the expiration of two years from the date of the registration of the transfer. Compensation shall be paid by the Crown for the land taken under the provisions of the Public Works Act, 1908: provided that the compensation shall not exceed the purchase money paid for the land by the owner, and in the case of land acquired otherwise than by purchase shall not exceed the sum at which the land was assessed for stamp duty. SECTION 20, LAND LAWS AMENDMENT ACT, 1919. —Modification of Provisions as to the Assessment of Compensation Payable by the Crown for Land Taken under Section Go of the Land k Laws Amendment Act ,1913 (Delating to Land Acquired by way

of Aggregation). — Sue!i compensation shall not exceed the Government valuation together with an additional almount equal to 10 per cent, thereof, together also with the value of improvements effected on the laud since the date of its acquisition hy way of aggregation. The Government of the land shall be the capital value as assessed in the district valuation roll in force under the Valuation of Laud Act, 1908, at the time of its acquisition hy way of aggregation; provided that if such valuation has been made earlier .than two years before the date of acquisition a /fresh valuation shall bo made by the Valuer-General as at that date, and) that valuation shall be deemed to be the Government valuation. If the land so taken is not separ- | ately valued in the valuation roll, but is part of a larger area, the ValuerGeneral shall determine the proportion of such capital value.. This section shall apply to land acquired by aggregation subsequent to the passing of the Land Laws Amendment Act, 1918. ASSISTANCE TO DISCHARGED SOLDIER SETTLERS. The' Land Board may in their discretion recommend the Minister of Lands to grant assistance to the settlers for the following purposes: (a) The clearing, fencing, draining, and general improvements of the land. (I)) The erection of buildings and (c) The purchase of implements, stock, seeds, plants, trees, and such °thor things as may be deemed 1 necessary for the successful occupation of the land. This assistance unay be given not only to discharged soldier settlers on land set apart under this Act and acquired by sale or lease, but to the holders of Crown leases, whether already held by discharged soldiers or acquired by transfer, or on private ■ leases approved by the board. | -ill moneys advanced for the- above purposes shall bear interest at 5 per cent., and shall be secured by mortgages over the said land or the set- I tiers’ interest therein, and in addition | by a bill of sale under the Chattels I Transfer Act. The Minister may in eases of hard- j ship dispense either wholly or in part with the payment of interest. ! The board may, with the Minister’s , consent, remit wholly or in part any rent payable by a discharged soldier on land held by him on lease under this Act, or may postpone the duo date for the payment of rent. Land required for the purpose of close, settlement by discharged soldiers which cannot be taken compulsorily under the provisions of Lin- Land for Settlement Act. 1908, may bo taken under tins Act according to the provisions of the Public Works Act, 1908. Any land that could be taken compulsorily under section I<> of tiro Land for Settlements Act, 1908, as sites for

workers’ homes • may be taken under this section for the general purposes of the Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Act. For the purposes of this section the j prescribed maximum that may be taken may be. reduced by the Minister of Lands in the case of land situated within live miles of the cities of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, or Dunedin to (a) One hundred acres of first class land; or (b) Two hundred and fifty acres of second class land; or (c) Six hundred and twenty-five acres of third class land; or (d) Six hundred and twenty-five acres of two or more such classes of land, hut without exceeding the limit of area fixed for each class. And in the case of land situated not more than five miles (from any of the aforesaid cities the prescribed maximum may be reduced to 50 acres of land. Also the Governor-General may by proclamation resume possession, of the whole or any portion of any Grown landi administered by a Land Board which is held under lease or license. , "Upon such resumption the rent payable by the lessee or licensee shall be reduced proportionately. In the event of any dispute as to the proportionate rent so assessed, the matter shall be referred to the Valuer-General, whose decision shall be subject to an appeal to a board consisting of a stipendiary magistrate and two assessors appointed by the Minister of Lands, and the other by the lessee or licensee, and their decision shall be final. The amount of compensation to be paid for any substantial improvements and the goodwill of the lease shall bo assessed- by arbitration in the manner prescribed by the Land Act, 1908.' If any person dies to whom financial assistance has been granted by a loan under this Act, and his interest in the land reverts to his widow or any of his children, or to his father or mother, further financial assistance may be granted to his successor in all respects as if such successor were a disharged soldier entitled to all the benefits of this Act. —A Correction. — The last paragraph of the first instalment of this article (printed on 13th iust.) was by (misadventure shorn of its effective clause. We reproduce it in its complete form: “ Where by proclamation under section 25 of the Reserve and Other Lands Disposal and Public Bodies’ Empowering Act, 1911, any laud has been declared (whether before or after the passing of this Act) to be subject to: section 127 of the Land Act, 1908, it shall be read and construed to 1 refer to the period: immediately succeeding the issue of such proclamation. ’