“REGINA (CP) — Saskatchewan's land. bank scheme to put farm land into ae hands of ang can t current prices ich find out this year if one of eir major complaints is Crities of on ‘New Democratic government started ! ram in 1972, It oro at that time that those who leased farm land from the land bank for five years would be free to buy it, or a portion of it, after that Hime until their leases ex- .. ‘The first lease to pass the ‘five-year mark did 50 in January. Critics are waiting to see if the land indeed will he'sold or if the program is really what some describe as Mclatia, lot to nationalize That 1 notion, and other criticisms, draw a smile a at the rate ihe com: labuying land, it will @ better than 250 years to bay salt the farms in the pro GOVERNMENT WOULD Agriculure Minister Higa ture ater ‘ar Qeding announced land bank lessees could buy the he they were renting for uy. “homestead quarter,” the 160 acres of and where . the farm iiidings are located; veihose buying the home ex will be refunded 20 ¢ cent of the market price a limit of $5,000. The rn will be spread aver years. “percentage of . Saskat-. Teiace lessees buy farm f 8 buildings through their leases, the chance to buy the land on which those buildings sit will offer more security and appeal to some, Kaeding said. Liberal and Progressive Conservative spokesmen say the $5,000 refund is not enough ‘to encourage much buying and will mean only the home quarter will be ‘pought. Liberal Leader Ted Malone said he is afraid the land bank is creating a class of tenant farmers § in Saskatchewan. programe put, the land bank gram is & process: of the yovernment ” uying farm land and leasing it to people who could not afford to buy it themselves. . The goal was to give older farmers some place to sel] their land, other than the conventional market, and younger ones some way to get on the land without having to lay out lots of * money, It also allows ‘small farmers to expand. — - MAY DICTATE LEASES . Those selling the land can specify that it be leased to a direct descendant and those who lease the land can do so until they reach the age of 65... Miner said the idea of a land bank dates back to the 19208 in Canada and has been * surfacing and submerging ever since, By the late 1960s the Saskatchewan NDP decided there were too many old farmers in the province because it was too difficult ‘for yoling people to get enough money to buy"iand. - That, coupled with tighter. moneylending. policies from’: conventional sources - resultedin a land bank plank in the NDP platform. Miner's ‘figures show that between 1961 and. 1971 the; farms dropped to 25.2 from 33. The number of farms dropped ; 29 per cenl to 71,553 ‘arm ‘size increased and by 197t the average age of re province's farmers was diner said he expected the land bank to show that it had bought ‘total. of about 0,000 acres in the province to the end of 1977 hich it rented to about 2,000 lessees -holding 2,250 leases. The five-year peice tag will run between $45 million and $70 -million. The commission al-. locates 56 pet cent of ita land to those with either no land of , their own or less than a half section SEEKS MORE MONEY The commission has to go | back to the provincial legislature for more money once it. has spent $100 million. Miner said this means it is limited in how © “much land it can take over without approval. - Tf a la - Bpeclly his land is to go to a descendant the land goes up for competition | among those who want to lease it. The number of - competitors can vary from one to 60 but Miner said the commission likes minimum of | prospective lessees for any one farm, All applicants are in- vestigated and assigned points on a system that takes into account such items as - the ability to farm, age,:. family size and. financial resources. There are limits. to: how much money an applicant can have. ‘There has also been eriticiam that NDP | sup- porters have an edge in getting leases from the Miner said it commission. ~ simply is not factual. He said if there are three or four owner does not . almost equally qualified applicants for land and only one can be chosen, the others are bound to wonder why. ‘COUNSELLORS © DECIDE A variety of factors come into play when choosing applicants, including ‘the intention to .use facilities already in place on the farm, access to machinery, money to buy livestock and 89 on. A team of two- counsellors decides on the allocation, the commission reviews .it- ‘and other applicants can take it to an appeal board. Once a lessee has been chosen, the lease is his until age 65. Unlike the farmer who sold lo the land bank, the lessee must make his own relirement arrangements, using money he normally would have used | to buy land. The lessees too can direct that their leased land be passed un to a direct descendent. Of the approximately 350 lessees who were eligible tu buy land frum the land bank — at the beginning of the year, | about 50 wrote tu the com- _ mission inquiring about’ a- > bank, | wouldn't be farming the 40-year-old. purchase, FEEL COMFORTABLE One of the early lessees, Alvin Ermel of Bethune, Sask., isn't interested in buying. Miner said most Tessees feel comfortable about tot’ owning the land they farm, it's the older generation af farmers who feel threatened. In 1972 Ermel made only $1,-600 fram his hall-section farm and he was thinking about selling his land und taking his wife and four children to the city to live. Instead, he sold the Land to the land bank and tovk out a lease un it. “IC 1 was nut for the land teday,'” farmer said in an inlerview, » As far as he is concerned, “the rent un his land is lower than the morigage payments would be and he is conlent. CHE HERAT DD, Cussilay; March Z, 12/8, PAGE a, ~ Sask. Land Bank Critics Wait to See If Tenants Can - Bay Gr Whether Government Program is just a “Socialist Plot” The ren, up until this year, was based an a per centage of market value, As af Jus, it will he ted te the productive rapacity of the land und the price of grain. Ermel's rent) has in- creased to $1,200 from $6 five years ago on the half section he leases. Since the lessees have until age 65 lu buy the land, sume muy wail to see if land values drop oor at least stabilize before making any muves to purchase. REACHES GOAL Miner said the commission has accomplished its goal of staying in the middle of the land market. It only con- siders land offerert to it and dies not aggressively seek - those wishing ta sell It won't buy Jand if dhe current market value is so high iW is beyond the laad’s abifity ty produce a corredponeling in Cunt, The taxpayer is barking the venture, bul laking little risk, Miner said. The province guarantees the ecommission’s loans < which are taken eut ta buy land. Unless land values nosedive, the taxpayer won't lone This is your chance to save on... - Furniture & Appliances enn ne INTEREST ae chewan’s. population on: ~ ROYAL COMMISSION ON ~ ELECTORAL REFORM, 1978 ; ‘The first Public Hearing will be held by the Royal Corimisaion on’ Electoral Reform, 1978 In the Province of British Colu nblaappointed under authority of Order-In-Council 82, approved .! nuary 42, 1978, commencing at 9:30 am, Thursday, March 16, 1978, atthe B.C. Energy . a *Coifimission Hearing Room, 2ist Floor, N77 West Heatings Street, Nanieolver, B.C. ~The Commission will makei inquiry into and concerning the rieed, if any, “for ‘amendment of the Constitution Act and the Provincial Elections “Actin order: -@). to secure, by whatever redefinition’ of electoral districts i is raquired, "pro per and effective representation of the people of all parts of the Province in the Legislative Assembly and that in. formulating the — recommendations to be contained in the report the Conimissioner -take into account where feasible historical and regional claims for representation. — ‘(o) to give consideration to alternative methods of voting t to those ‘presently used within the Province and elsewhere, wg (¢} ta. give consideration to eligibility requirements for voters in pro--- vincial elections, -(d) to make inquiry into and concerning the deslrability of assembling ’") ~ suitable guidelines regarding the collection and expenditure of . “, funds by provincial political parties and by candidates In Provincial ’ elections, e) to make inquiry into and concerning the desirability of an income "tax deduction related to contributions ta- provincial political funds, 2 and - a) to make inquiry into and concerning the need or advisablity, if any, = of proposing legislative: provisions.to prescribe. requirements far the designation of political parties for the purposes of stalusinthe | : _ Legislative Assembly. : 7 . Alt persons desiring to be heard by tha Commision are requesied to ~ “forthwith send to the Commission at the below noted addressa Notice of Intention to Appear stating ihe nature of their interest. Evidence for the first hearing is to be delivered to the Commission by way of written submission and such: ubmission should be delivered “fo the ; = :.- Royal Commission on Electoral Reform, 1978,» fe, | “Box 11568, Vancouver Contre, Sb ted caf tues Meu eae _,650 Weat Georgla Street,” os ye OE “Vancouver, B.C. V6B4N7 5° 2. "4 not later. than Monday, March 13, 1978, -. ile and hear submissions'as fo the procedures to beadopted for prev“: 7 ~ sentation of briefs, avidence arid examination of witnesses. Wy order.of the Commission. udge L. S. Eckardt me Commissioner... vince: Please send enquiries t to The Royal Commission on Electoral Reform. 1978 at the didress indicated above. - PUBL ( i EARIN g as mm ee tts sting thé Comission willannicuncétsintalheeringschéd- ve mlasions: are » invited tor. information ‘and: ‘seheduting ‘of. Hearings - ‘aroighoot, ‘the ; MARCH Ist to 31 st 1978 with approved ag tuet mas o& site Aa 7 _ entitles anyone. meson noipeott Sh ROE ten athe Bangi? pb epaeidls eran to pay for their purchase with 12 equal. monthly payments, WITHOUT ANY INTEREST CHARGES — Moffat Home Laundry =. 459.95 tovebie 280,95 Y | opt 749.90 x 52,49 802.39 or 12 equal ent of $66.88 | wn ee Foams gues Se ei amen tiig - momma Trae cea ee eT OE er og spelins cd gO w, ane!