LAND LEGISLATION OF THE FUTURE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1436, 20 December 1886, Page 3

LAND LEGISLATION OF THE FUTURE

RESUMPTION OF LARGE ESTATES Following U that portion of Mr Ballance’s speech on Thursday dealing with the Intentions of the Government ns to legislation calculated to benefit places, like Oamaru, which are “hemmed in, thrown back upon themselves, and h-ndi-eapped, locked up as by »he aef, ‘hro'gh the presence of large estates in their nelghborhcod. To begin with, they maat determine to do no injustice ti anyone, however inimical his vested interests might be <o the cerumen wra\, but they ■hoald start by assuming that those interests had resulted from the legislation of the past, legitimate in it* own time. ( Vpp’ais-.) But they must also reoogni-e the prii elp’e, that if the people re ded the land they should take it— hat was, on terms equitable to its present owners. First, then, he thought that in order to meet the necessities of a district like Oamarn, there should be legislation und< r which large owners could sell their land through the Government as was now the Case with the natives. Then, the same legislation should empower association of people to make private bargains with l*ndowners, the Government to fitd threefonrths of the purchase money at 5 per cent, interest, the associations to find the other fourth themselves ; and in that way the lav should provide for the taking of land for agricultural purposes on the same principle as it is no* taken for public jrotki. (Cheers.) As *o the prim, it abound tie based on the P.op-uty Tpx valuation, plus 10 per cent, and if the owners, to keep the land In the r own hands tenured excessive valuations, the State would get an immediate increase of revenue, and the associations need not buy la that case. Suiting that con' ingeocy on one aide, however, there would have to be Land Courts to settle judicially all matters appertaining to the purchase as they told {?oth for and avaiust both parties to the transaction. Ths area to be held by each person would be a matter for consideration, the object being to settle as many people as possible on the lands of the country ; bat once obtained and surveyed Into sections, the ballot would be used to decide the allottment of sections; and to the extent of three-fourths of the price the Government w u’d become the mortgagee at (say) 6 per cent in’erest, the money to be advanced oat of the public trust funds. Preference should be given to married m°D as settlers under.the scheme, facili'y of transfer shot;ld be amp'y provided for, ahd no person should be allowed to hold two sections Jn the machinery for ac qhlrtng the land the Governor nt should he kept out as far as possible, and payment should be made to the owners in cash —two tbines not provided for in Sir George Grey’s Bill, These, then, ware the principles of the 611 which the Government had decided to introduce next session.' The Legislature, be believed, was ready to admit that scmeihi.g of the kind was now necessary, and he could assure them that, acting In a spirit of justice to all. uo effort of his would be wanting to make the pleasure a success