C—4

XXIX

In the opinion of your Commissioners such encouragement should take the form of an absolutely secure tenure —a lease for a term of twenty-one years, with valuation at the end of the term for improvements, including grassing— necessary for the economic working of the run —and right of renewal at arbitration rental. MINING DISTRICTS. In mining districts where this industry has hitherto been paramount, it has been considered necessary to protect mining interests often to the extent of withholding all protection from the interests of farming occupiers. On most of this land it is now quite possible, and we think it necessary, to give the tenants a secure tenure as to conservation of his improvements and continous occupation, subject to ndning rights, on payment of fair compensation for actual damage done or resumption where necessary. George William Forbes. Donald McLennan. J. T. Paul. Jno. Anstey. * J. L. Johnston. *My views are expressed in this report on tenures, except wherein it refers to the further selling of ordinary Crown lands, as I am of opinion a Crown tenant is entitled to obtain his freehold when he has completed improvements on his property representing three times the original upset value of the land when taken up by him; improvements not to include buildings of any kind, dip, stockyards, or garden, but to include main draining, fencing, bushfelling, stumping, irrigation, planting, and private roading where necessary to give access to a portion of the property; no extravagant improvement not covered herein to count. I differ in length of lease, believing it should be only revalued at end of not less than fifty years, and 1 think a tenant should have a preference at time of revaluation to the extent of a 2| per cent, reduction in his annual rental. As the following points were not acceptable to the r*»t of the. Commission, I beg to emphasize them : — "Reference No. 1: Land Boards. If the Board consists of four nominated members, three should be farmers ; if five or six nominated members, it should consist of four farmers. The services of a good business man with some knowledge of land or settlement would be of advantage to the Boards. Reference No. 7: Ballot. That the Land Board, when examining applicants for ballot, should accept a certificate from the manager of any bank or reputed financial institution trading in the colony in proof of his financial position. That the name, address, and particulars of any Crown tenant disposing of his property on any settlement should be circularised to each land district, and a record kept for future reference in case of such ex-tenant wishing to ballot again. Reference No. 10 : Advances to Settlers. To enable settlers to borrow to advantage privately, and to give the mortgagee sufficient security to insure a low rate of interest, I would make the following suggestions :— (a.) The fact of the Land Board consenting to a mortgage to protect the mortgagee against forfeiture, in other words, responsibility should be thrown oil the shoulders of the Land Board when they consent to a mortgage, and when once they have consented, this should be an absolute guarantee to the mortgagee against forfeiture. (b.) The mortgagee to be responsible for rents, and to be called upon to pay the rent whenever overdue. (c.) The mortgagee to be advised whenever the tenant is not keeping the covenants of his lease, and when the Land Board consider the tenant's interest in the lease should be forfeited, this to be done so far as the tenant is concerned, the mortgagee then taking the place of the tenant, and being called upon to put a man into possession to properly carry out all the covenants of the lease within, say, three months, pending a sale of the lease to another tenant (within two or three years) who can make the necessary declaration, and who will be accepted by the Land Board. (d.) The mortgagee only to be permitted to recover from the sale of the lease sufficient to cover the amount of his debt as well as any reasonable expenses incurred, together, of course, with interest to date of recovery. (e.) Providing the mortgagee is as fully and fairly protected as possible, it will not be unreasonable to limit the rate of interest on mortgages to be consented to by the Land Board, but it must be remembered that leases merit a higher rate. There is more trouble in connection with them, especially in the consideration of the loan in the first instance in arriving at a proper valuation, and afterwards a mortgagee must see that the tenant is fulfilling the conditions of his lease, and paying his rent, rates, &c. Amending legislation might also provide that any time within, say, two years of the mortgagee entering into possession, the lessee or the Land Board at any time, upon finding a suitable purchaser, can pay the mortgagee his principal, interest, and costs, and the mortgagee must then give up possession.