THE SESSION OF 1907.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 55, 28 November 1907, Page 7

THE SESSION OF 1907.

NEW LAND: LAWS. • ' The land legislation of tho lato session is 1 of especial importance. It was embodied in several measures. The chief points of ono of them —that which increases the gradu--1 ated . land tax—wero given in theso columns . yesterday.' The others are treated below: — TENURE.OF CROWN LANDS. , By the passing of the Land Laws Amendment 1 Act the following now features have been .added to the land laws: — The 999 years' lease of Crown lands is abolished, and a 66 years' lease substituted. The rental is to be 4 per cenL of the capital value. A-holder has tho right of roncwnl. Tho renewed lease is to bo at tho present value of the land. A' lessee may liavo arbitrators called in to decide tho valtio of the land and tho improvements. Should ho deterinino not to renew, ho receives tho full amount of his improvements. ■ .Without a license, a lessee cannot extract minerals from his land. :Ey paying up to 90 per cent, of tho-capital value of his land a lessee may liavo tho rent . reducedi proportionally. When ho has paid 33-' per. cent, lie becomes free fi'om most of tile restrictive terms and conditipns of tho • lease. V; . A lessee, under the Lands for Settlement Act; may also havo a renewable lease. His rent then will bo 4} per cent, of the capital value.- *- • '' Every owner of a- loase-in-jierpctuity may . purchase - the foe simple of his land at tho prosent" value. Thbro are'special concessions to onconrage the settlement of-, lands not likely to be immediately reproductive, and modifications-of . , rosidonce conditions are made to those who . desire-jto,take,.up land but' cannot, 'owjng 'to their occupations,- nettle upon it immediately. ;-Crow'n. lessees are now to have ;.a 'representative on" tho Land Boards. The other three,:members of a-Board aro to-be 'ap-pointed'-,by-..'the Governor. No member iof . - Parliament'can sit on a Board;' : < A{,lcssoo can' J havo all his improvements . recorded, by thfl Land Office for.fntiiro even- " tualities.' ' ;The inaximum quantity'of • Crown land a person .Vfcnn tako. up (together with other land)yis"sooo.acres. This provision, however; doesj.hot take, account of.-land vested in • as a trustee, mortgagee, execu-tor,-or administrator only. l For purposes of computation, every acre'of first-class land is reckoned ; as 7} acres, and every aero of se,qbfid-clnss as 2J acres. Any land not classified .-"shall bo deemed, first-class .if. of an unimproved value of £4, second-class if of an unimproved value of,-less than £4, and third- ' clapS'if-'of less value than £2. ..... - V.-Town; suburban,, and village lands may bo held ~on leases of up to 33 years, or as renewable; lessees, for 33 years.. .In tho latter :: 'case. ' if.'the. leaso is not renewed, buildings ..• : ..- pn':tno lahd revert,to the Crown. Rural''lands' are now divided into throe . clqlsies*,instead: of. two, and the values aro '' altered accordingly. • On. the death of a lessee his oxecutors or administrators may, assign tho leaso to any ~}• qualified', persoil without tho consent of the >' Board if-such assignment, is made according to. will,,or to a'claimant tinder an intestacy. . Special provisions aro made in such cases as to;.'residence conditions.. - .-Leases for a-..ternr not, exceeding 14 years (with.certain rights of renewal) can bo oh-, tained over flax lands. The area of any ono lease"':miist' hot exceed 2000 acres. . A, feature of the Act is ' the provision giving preference at the ballot. Landless applicants (those who hold land insufficient forl'-tlie'-maintenance of themselves and • family)-,are to: have first chance; and .one? ■ third of'.the land-to be disposed of may bo- . set';, aside for such landless applicants who .= are'married men with children; (2) widowers . withVoliildron; (3) widows with .children; (4) -. married women with children judicially separ- !' atod-, from their hiisbands. : Land may also •i,. ■'be:,set:,apart for prior .Selection' by landless applicants who have'Competed-unsuccessfully atVany land ballot within the previous two ;years. ~ ' • -.The-'Board- now has power to reject an ap-.<-f plications. m' -•«- '■■■■ ' '-'Aysuccessful applicant'disposing of his allotment is disqualified from participation m ! other ballots for five years.' — To encourage the' wood-pulp industry, land ,-.. suitable for no other purpose, up to 50,000 : ■ acres;'may be sot apart; Ih'itho ftituro, -land acquired r under' thci Lands .for Settlement Act shall only be disposed of . under a lease of 33 years, with the righfcof. renowal. The. rent is to be 4} por cont:'6f the capital value. Old of tho original owner of lanci/acquired compulsoi'ily may bo granted a" lease of a of tlie land, without 'competition. ' . . ' ' ■The. basis of compensation for lands taken . conipulsorily. was a knotty point during tho debates. Now the valuo. of-the land taken ■will'bo,that at which it is assessed in tho district .valuation j-oll; plus 10; per cent, up "to £50,000, and 5 por cent, on the amount above/that, value. Two per cent, will bo addedby way'of compensation for inconi yenionce,' ,At any time, hottVsver, . a land owner can havo his valuation increased, but on/,that'.increased value his land-tax will bo assessed, andalso tho "death duties." Theso increased :valuations are to bo kept on a subsidiary- roll, which shall not be availablo for.pnrposes of local rates, etc. ; No land sold by the Crown in future can ' b« aggregated into estates "of a groater size . than .666 acres of, first-class land, or an equivalent ill second-class or third-class land. This £* au ® e . ..Hon- B- M'Nab (Minister for Lands)-Considers to bo tho most far-reachin<* in the Bill. •; • " pastoral land tenants, are givon .fair security . for improvoihonts. In place of 21 years lease these tenants get a 33 years' renewable lease. ' NATIONAL ENDOWMENT. An ■ uncertain area, described by ono authority as practically one-half of tho remaining. Crown lauds, is set. apart as an endowment for education and old ago pensions, and. is to remain for all time unsold Ihe acres scheduled in tho .Bill aro diatri.among the several land districts' as .Auckland ... :.. 900,00(f CrCS '' ■Haivko's Bay - ... 135,000 . Taranaki 90,000 .. Wellington ■ : ... 90,000 v; North Island ... 1,215,000 ' -Nelson 1,000,000 ..tV.Marlborough 330,000 . Westland - ... 770,000 ■ Canterbury ... 1,330,000 . , ■ Otago 1,685,000' ' Southland ... ... 670,000 . : , . South Island ... . ... 5,785,000 , ■'■.Total .... ... • ... 7,000,000 . te addition to these lands the endowments include all tho land to be neld under tho now renowablo leases, except that on reserved , estates,: and all land let or to be lot in . grazing runs .under the ; Land Act, 1872 area of existing small grazing runs which thus become endowment lands was Btatcd,by the Premier as follow:— •• --' Acres. North Island. ... 275,208 South Island ... ... 899,447 Total : ...1,174,715 The national endowment lands at the present timo thorol'Ore 'amount to 8,174,715 ocrcs. . If'tho area ever reaches nine million acres no' more small grazing runs or renowablo leftse lands are to become endowments. Seventy per cent, of the net revenue from ' the national endowment lands will bo devoted toicd'ucatfon (higher, secondary, or primary, genoral p'r technical) and .30 per ccnt. to the payment of . old age pensions. THROWING OPEN ;NATIVE LANDS.. The Native Land Settlement Act, which was passed during tho last days of tho \ session, is designed to give effect not only to the'reports already presented,, but to those - yet to. : bo mado by the Native Lands Com- -. mission, up to January 1, 1909. Land which is reported on by tho Commission as not required by the Maori owners for

their own use will bo vested in the Maori Land Board of tho district in trust for the owners. No Maori ov/ner of any of this land may disposo of his interest. Tho alienation of any specified area of Native land, whether reported .on by tho Commission or not,' may bo forbidden by tho Government for n period ot one year at tho request of the Commission. This will prevent individuals from forestalling tho operations contemplated by the. Act. The Maori Land Board will divide tho land vested in it into equal parts, one for sale ami one for leasing, and will survey it,, classify it, and lay off roads. : Land set apart for sale will bo sold ny tonder or public auction. Tho "purchaser may pay 10 per cent, cash, and' the -balance by instalments, with 5 per cent, intorost added. Residence and improvements aro compulsory, as on (jJrown lapds. Tho provisions of tho Land Lav,-s Amendment Act in regard to limitation of the area of holdings apply to Maori lands sold' or leased under this Act, and theso conditions attach for all timo to tho lands that arc sold. Leasing is to bo by public auction or tender, with or without right of renewal, ior any'term up to fifty years, but every lease, rcnowed or otherwise, must'terminate within fifty years. : The lessee is entitled to valuation of improvements. - Fifty years hence, the leased lands are to be re-vested in tho Maori owners, if cortain conditions are fulfilled. Purchasers and lessees may not assign their interest'within two years. " The I'ublic Works Funu may lend the Hoards up to £20,000 a year for roading, bridging, and surveying, and no land must bo thrown open until it is roaded and bridged. , Land sot apart on the recommendation jf the Commission for occupation by Maoris may be leased by the Hoard to any specified persons or by auction or tender open to Maoris only. These leases may not be assigned to a European without Ministerial approval. Maori lessees are enabled to borrow money from the Government.