NEWS AND NOTES

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 888, 6 August 1910, Page 3

NEWS AND NOTES

ADVANCES TO SETTLERS' ACT. i Great inconvenience is, being experienced by -'. farmers and others throughout thn Dominion owing to borrowers under: the Advances to Settlors Department being now unable to obtain I 'by progress-payment loans as improvements proceed. Mr.. Ross, the member for Pahiatua,'. recently brought this matter before the Government by notice of motion in Parliament,, and by personal representation: Yesterday ho informed a Dominion reporter that he had received, an assurance from the Government that necessai-y' amendment will bo .inserted, in. the Act' this session.

PREFERENCE TO CROWN TENANTS. The question of amending Section 4(1 of the" New Zealand Stato Guaranteed Advances Act, in the direction of giving - preference to Crown tenants as against other borrowers, has been urged on the Government by Mr. Ross, M.P. for Pahiatua. According, to Mr. Ross, holders of Government leases are placed at a disadvantage as compared with freeholders when borrowing from private lending institutions, and consequently matters should be .evened up by the State lending Department giving preference to its own tenants. Speaking to a Dominion reporter yesterday, Mr. Ross stated that he had just received an assurance from the Government, that' his suggestion is to. be adopted. A RISK THE STATE IS TAKING. "Tliero is an'estate in ray district," remarked Mr. Malcolm, M.P. for Clutlia, last night, "which has been" under offer to the State for a long-time, at a -less price than was paid for it some twenty years ago, in spite of the fact that since its acquisition a railway lias been constructed along its borders, and in spite of the fact that £1000 per annum has been spent on the'property in improvements." Mr. Carroll: Too much ■ must havo boon paid for'it originally. ' ' Mr. Malcolm: The same risk is being taken by the Government every timo it. acquires a property.

AN IMPASSIONED APPEAL. The agitation to'secure' the freehold for the leasees of. tho Greymouth Native reserves ivas referred to by Mr. ,T. Parata (Southern Jltiori member) in tho House yesterday. Mr. Parata I>ointod out that many years ago an area of 500 acres was 'set apart at Greymouth for the Natives. This session lie. understood a petiiiun would again bo. brought before the House]

with the object of seizing and taking away tho land from tho Ivativc owners; " "I say to- this House," continued* Mr. -, I'aratu, "if yon liiivu the interests' of *.!; tho Maori people at heart, don't listen to a word from tho local body or the people of Greymouth on the question." - Addressing himself specially to thel -!. Hon. the Speaker,,.lie. went on.;to .say.:;'.:' "Though you, Mr. Speaker, come;from"' that district, I say to you,. ''Lend- a- . deaf ear to the proposal. Don't allow yourself to be misled by those people,'; who seek to take from tho Natives the ~ property which rightly . belongs : to, them.'" ....... CITY MILK SUPPLY BILL. On behalf of. tlio Wellington City Council, Mr. D. M'Laren is again in- . troducing the Wellington City Milk Supply Bill.. When.the Bill camo.before theHouse last year the measure was referred to the Stock Committee. As a . result of a subsequent conference between" representatives of the Health ■ Department, the Agricultural Depart-:''"* merit, and tho Public Health Commit-, ■ tee of the City Council, many points';of'■ difference have been settled. Tho 1 pas-.' sage of the Bill will, it' is understood, now bo much easier than oould other-A wise have been the case. WHO lis ENTITLED TO THE INCRE-' MENT? "The State has a moral right.'to only' , a small portion of the increment upon Crown leaseholds," remarked Mr. Malcolm, M.P. for Clutha, in tho House.' last night. -Mr. Malcolm.went onl.t-o. say that it was utterly wrong for " ,a Government to claim tho increment on the ground that it was carrying out a , big public .works"- policy. . As; a rulethe. increase in. the value of a man's "land" was duo to his industry and other male . tcrs over which the State had 110 con- i. trol.' Why, he know of' some districts -V in which the Government had""doh'o ■" practically nothing.-"'One ' ,case'' :, was? ;: ' where settlers were induced to take up back-blocks land on a printed -promisd/i. that a railway would ■be constructed-u within the nest two or three years, but the line had not .'yet been surveyed. r Hon. J. A. Millar: That lias:, hap-'■'. pened all over New Zealand. . Mr. Malcolm: Undoubtedly these set ; ■ ■ tiers gave higher, prices owirig^toj.the, - promise than otherwise would have'beei;: the case. Can the .Government'then';'. claim'the increment'where it has given" • nothing in return? \ ■ ;»► I PRECEPT AND 1 PRACTICE;; ; :; r The Hon. J. A. Millar, in tllej course.of his speech last,evening," upheld;tho.;, principle of taxing, imported timber' to,' : protect the local industry. Nr. ' - Buchanan, member for 'Wairarapa, in-V I terposed that the Public -Works Do- ' : partment compelled;local bodies to' i Australian timber. Mr. Millar replied . that they did not do it generally. ~ V-V". i ' /' - - , . t "Tlio- member for • Masterton (Mr.- ■ ; Hogg) has- a large heart, but..';ho; is,-! : the' last mail I would go to for a cor-; , rect summing up of facts."—The Honi ; . James Carroll, in the course of his Na-, [ ,tive land '/speech. ;.' . . ' .