LANDS COMMITTEE (REPORTS OF THE). (Mr. E. NEWMAN, Chairman.)

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1916 Session I, I-05

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1916. NEW ZEALAND.

LANDS COMMITTEE (REPORTS OF THE). (Mr. E. NEWMAN, Chairman.)

Presented to the House of Representatives, and ordered to be printed.

ORDER OF REFERENCE. Extract from the Journals of the House of Representatives. Friday, the 19th Day of May, 1916. Ordered, " That Standing Order No. 21.9 be suspended, and that a Committee be appointed, consisting of fourteen members, to whom shall stand referred, after the first reading, all Bills affecting or in any way relating to the lands of the Crown or educational or other public reserves ; the Committee to have power to make such amendments therein as they think proper, and to report generally when necessary upon the principles and provisions of the Bill; the Committee to have power to call for persons, papers, and records ;. three to be a quorum : the Committee to consist of Mr. Anderson, Mr. Anstey, Hon. Mr. Buddo, Mr. Coates, Mr. Forbes, Mr. Guthrie, Mr. E. Newman, Mr. Nosworthy, the Hon. Mr. R. H. Rhodes.yVlr. T. W. Rhodes, Mr. Smith, Mr. Statham, Mr. Witty, and the mover."—(Right Hon. Mr. Massey.)

INDEX.

No. Petition or Bill. Page. No. Petition or Bill. Pago. Auckland City Parks Improvement and Empowering Bill 4 201 Morgan, Thomas 3 217 195 135 250 3 3 2 4 Napier Harbour Board Empowering and Vesting Bill Napier High School Amendment Bill .. Norrell, W., and 319 others 4 Campion, James Carrigan, E., and 2 others Cheal, Peter, and 4 others Colvin, James, and another 53 4 2 4 128 Pearson, J., and 369 others 2 Pinal report Reserves and other Lands Disposal and Public Bodios Empowering Bill Rountree, John 3 198 55 206 Hamilton, J., and 11 others Henry, Matthew Hunt, W. J. 2 2 4 54 2 399/15 Kennedy, James, and 26 others .2 Special report (re Chairman) Special report (re Clerk of Committee) .. 4 4 59 244 McChosney, John, and 15 others McLachlan, A. D., and 55 others Macdonald, John 2 4 3 U9 Wairoa Harbour Board Endowment Bill Wolls, Herbert, and 10 others Whakatane Harbour Amendment Bill .. 3 3 4

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EEPOKTS. No. 54. —Petition of John Rountree. Praying that he be granted relief in connection with loss sustained by fire of standing timber on his leasehold land at Whangarei. I am directed to report that the Committee recommends that this petition be referred to the Government for favourable consideration, and is of opinion that petitioner should be refunded the actual amount received by the Government for the timber, 10th July, 1916.

No. 55. —Petition of Matthew Henry. Praying for compensation for alleged loss through wrongful valuation of property known us Ballaohraggan Settlement. 1 am directed to report that the Committee recommends that this petition be referred to the Government for favourable consideration, and is of opinion that petitioner should receive a portion of the profits, if any, made by the Government on the sale of the petitioner's land, owing to the special circumstances surrounding the case. 10th July, 1916.

No. 128.—Petition of J. Pearson and 369 Others. Praying that gum-digging licenses held by alien subjects on the northern gitrnfielils be cancelled. I am directed to report that in the opinion of the Committee this petition should be referred to the Government for consideration and inquiry. 12th July, 1916.

No. .'199 (191.5).— Petition of James Kennedy and 20 Others. Praying that the Government acquire land for closer-settlement purposes for benefit of Christchurch Meat Company's employees at Pukeuri. 1 am directed to report that in the opinion of the Committee this petition should be referred to the Government for consideration. 12th July, 1916.

No. 59. —Petition of John McChesney and 15 Others. Prayino that certain rights be granted to them under the Land Act in. respect of land situate at Seaward Bush, South Invercargill, enabling them, to acquire the freehold of their sections at a reasonable valuation. 1 am directed to report, that in the opinion of the Committee a question of policy is involved, but the Committee recommend that the petition be referred to the Government for consideration. 12th July, 1916.

No. 135. —Petition of Peter Cheal and 1 Others. Praying for relief and redress in connection with their business dealings as licensed surveyors with the Native Branch of the Auckland Survey District. I am directed to report that, having heard the evidence of Mr. Cheal and the SurveyorCcneral, the Committee is of opinion that the petitioners' remedy apparently lies with the Surveyors' Institute, and has therefore no recommendation to make. 14th July, 1916.

No. 53.—Petition of W. NOBRJSLL and 319 Others. Praying that legislation be passed enabling business and residential site holders of Te Aroha to acquire the freehold of their sections. I am directed to report that, as a question of is involved, this Committee has no recommendation to make. 14th July, 1916.

No. 198.—Petition of J. Hamilton and 11 Others. Praying that the Government take over their Thames High School endowment leases, in orderthat they may be granted the right of renewal as Crown tenants. 1 am directed to report that, as the leases referred to in the petition are issued for endowment land under the control of the Thames High School Board of Governors, the Committee has no recommendation to make; but, in the opinion of the Committee, as educational leases throughout the Dominion are not considered satisfactory, the Government should consider the desirability of laying down a uniform system of lease for all such endowments, 19th July, 1916.

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No. 101.—Petition of John Maodonald. Praying for compensation for loss sustained through forfeiture of Government lease of Section 23a, Martimaru Parish, Auckland Land District. 1 am directed to report that, owing to the increased value placed on the petitioner's section by the Land Board delaying the taking-up of it after its forfeiture, the improvements deteriorated, and the petitioner thereby received a smaller sum than lie would have been entitled to if this delay had not occurred. The Committee is of opinion that the petitioner is entitled to a sum of £100 to recompense him for his loss. 19th July, 1916.

No. 201.—Petition of Thomas Morgan. Praying that he be awarded as compensation the sum of .£495 for alleged loss of land at Akaroa through erroneous surveying by Government surveyor. I am directed to report that the Committee is of opinion that Surveyor Walsh made an error in the survey of the land under dispute; as a consequence of this error in survey petitioner has suffered loss : that therefore the petitioner is entitled to receive from the State the amount he originally paid to Luke Webb for the land in 1866; and the Committee recommends the Government to have Sections 5909, 11155, 11438, 1276, 17398, and 34404 resurvcyed and titles adjusted accordingly under the Land Transfer Act free of cost to the present holders. 27th July, 1916.

No. 119. —Petition of Herbert Wells and 10 Others. Praying that the White Cliffs Estate, Pukearuhe, be acquired by the Government for closersettlement purposes. 1 am directed to report that in the opinion of the Committee this petition should be referred to the Government for favourable consideration. 27th July, 1916.

No. 217. —Petition of James Campion. Praying for compensation for loss sustained by reason of shortage in survey of land held under Land Transfer Act, situated near Fordell, Provincial District of Wellington. I am directed to report that the Lands Committee is of opinion that the petitioner was misled when purchasing the block of land referred to in his petition on account of an inaccurate area having been stated on his Land Transfer title. The Committee therefore recommend that he be afforded means of securing compensation for his loss by special legislation being passed to enable petitioner to make a claim upon the Land Transfer Assurance I'uiiil; and, further, that the Government be recommended to bring in legislation preventing registration of titles to land unless the survey is at such dates and the title issued under such authority as will give the right to any purchaser of land who finds later that he has a shortage in area to claim against the Land Transfer Assurance Fund. 27th July, 1916.

No. 195.—Petition of K. Carrigan and 2 Others. Praying for compensation for loss sustained in connection with land taken under the Wellington Harbour Board Reclamation and Empowering Act, 1908. I am directed to report that, owing to the evidence having disclosed the fact that petitioner was advised to appeal through Private Bills which he was unable to proceed with, the Committee recommend that the Government grant the petitioner the sum of .£lOO. 27th July, 1916.

Reserves ano other Lands Disposal and Public Bodies Empowering Bill. The Lands Committee, to which was referred the above Bill, has the honour to report that it has carefully considered the same, and recommends that clauses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 8 9 It) 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37,' 38, 39, 40, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 48, 50, 51, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 61, 62, 63, 64 65 66 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 85, 86, and 86a be allowed to proceed as amended. 29th July, 1916.

Wairoa Harbour Boaud Endowment Bill I HAVE the honour to report, that, the member in charge of the above Bill having intimated his desire to withdraw same, the Committee recommends that the Bill be allowed to be withdrawn accordingly. 31st July, 1916.

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Auckland City Parks Improvement and Empowering Bill. The Lands Committee, to which was referred the above Bill, litis the honour to report that it has carefully considered same, and recommends that it be allowed to proceed as amended by the Local Bills Committee. 31st July, 1916.

No. 250. —Petition of James Colvin and. Another. Praying for the insertion of a clause in the Reserves and other Lands Disposal and Public Bodies Empowering Bill cancelling the forfeiture of pastoral license of Section 17, Block XI, Steeples Survey District, Nelson Land District. I am directed to report that, owing to the late period of the session making it impossible to obtain departmental evidence, the Government be recommended to prevent dealing with the land in any way till the next session of Parliament, when the petition will be further considered. Ist August, 1916.

No. 206.—Petition of W. J. Hunt. Praying that proper investigation be made into the facts and circumstances whereby he was deprived of timber rights of Native land at Waikanae under lease by reason of action of Land Purchase Board acquiring same. I am directed to report that the Committee has no recommendation to make. 2nd August, 1916.

Napier High School Amendment Bill. The Lands Committee, to which was referred the above Bill, has the honour to report that it has carefully considered same, and recommends that it be allowed to proceed as amended by the Local Bills Committee. 2nd August, 1916.

Napier Harbour Board Empowering and Vesting Bill. The Lands Committee,'to which was referred the above Bill, has the honour to report that it has carefully considered same, and recommends that it be allowed to proceed as amended. 2nd August, 1916.

Whakatane Harbour Amendment Bill. The Lands Committee, to which was referred the above Bill, has the honour to report that it has carefully considered same, and recommends that, it, be allowed to proceed as amended By the Local Bills Committee. 2nd August, 1916.

No. 244.—Petition of A. D. McLaoiilan and 55 Others. Praying that the Government acquire the Kuriwao Station, near Clinton, for subdivision into small grazing-runs for the benefit of returned soldiers and others. I am directed to report that the Committee has no recommendation to make. 2nd August, 1916.

Special Report. I have the honour to report that the Lands Committee desires to place on record its high appreciation of the capable and impartial manner in which the Chairman (Mr. E. Newman) has presided over its deliberations during the session. 2nd August, 1916.

Special Report. I am directed to report that the Lands Committee desires to place on record its appreciation of the good service rendered by the Clerk (Mr. S. T. Patterson), who Iras discharged his dirties with diligence and tact, and recommends to the Government that his services as a Committee Clerk be permanently retained. 2nd August, 1916.

Final Report. I have the honour to report that the Lands Committee has during the session held ten meetings, the average attendance being eight, members at each meeting. The number of petitions referred to the Committee was eighteen, of which seventeen have been reported to the House. Eight Bills have been referred to the Committee, six of which have been reported to the House. 2nd August, 1916.

Approximate Cost of Paper. —Preparation, not given ; printing (750 copies), £2 15s

Authority : Mabcus F. Marks, Government Printer, Wellington.—l9l6.

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