PRESS OPINIONS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 918, 10 September 1910, Page 3

PRESS OPINIONS.

COMPULSORY LEASING CLAUSES; 'IS ANYTHING SACKED ABOUT A- '■,'.•' CONTItACT?'"; i : (Rs Teleerftpli.-Bpecinl Correspondent.). Christchuroli, September 9. The ."Press," in commenting on the Land Bill, remarks that it lias confounded the leasehold prophets;' who believed, or affected to do so, that the Prime Minister would get off on their sido of tho fence on which he has sut for so .tog. ' The Bill would not satisfy tho freeholders, but it will be still less to tho tasto of the leaseholders, and as Sir Joseph Ward cannot possibly secure the passage of tho measure unless he receives the support, of the extreme leasehold section of hia party, or failing that of the Opposition, it may be taken for granted that the.

Bill will Hot reach the statute-book in its present shape. ■■-.-'Whether the Government will agree to the Bill being so altered as to make it acceptable to ono or other of ,tlio parties;, whether indeed, they have any serious intention of: passing laud' legislation' at all;'this" session; are. questions on which . more light may : be thrown as the debate on the Bill proceeds. In. the meantime wo must treat it as a serious legisla-. tiye effort,' and must recognise itho ingenuity with which it is drawn, ' ingenuity which suggests that the Attor-ney-General, who seems to' have, nob merely a finger, but his whole hand in most of the' Government's'..legislative pies, had a good deal to'do-with-drafting the measure.' The. : Govern-, mont's policy, like'that of the -Commonwealth Government; is apparently inspired by the desire to drive; the large land-owner' out of Now Zealand, or at least to make him so uniomlortable in the occupation of his land that ■he wjll be forced to get.rid of it. The now Land'Bill carries on this policy to a greater degree 1 ' than. the. legislation at present in force, /uiid, to .Iliac. extent it fulfils the Government's purpose admirably. ~..'■■

Regarding.the offer of .the freehold to Crown-. tenants,; the i'Press" does not think, that freeholders generally 'will jump at the Government's offer, which is, a much less valuable concession: than it looks, .considering.;, that .in- -many cases leaae-in-perpetuity -tenants '- have already. paid; as much for '■ the goodwill' of their leases.: as uuder tliis provision they would have to pay for the freehold. The proposal to pay the pro-' cceds of sales :of .laiul. lor. settlement lands into ~ a fund to be devoted \ to' the ■; "acquisition ■',' 0f... 'more' ':'•' Land' •is an ■; excellent... one.: : It:.' has" been .one of:tho-chief. planks in the Oppo'si. tion s land policy for years, and it would only have been''Courtesy on the'-. Primo Minister's part, if ho hail acknowledged tho .source of- 'tbo! iclou. J :, Nov Aoraeli: fanlt'.'.ciin be found in' the .diminution of ,the.; areas-,' which'. ,:may : ,be;■. held by;. Crown tenants, or sold by,the Crown to one..man;, for,'., as it :is ; now,, tho owner of '-van :cstato.' taken i'f or , settlement • may.: only: retain' 400 acres' of. first-class'.land, ,ilud j may. thereto™ have a smaller, area ; ;than' some of. the tenants. ■ Closer; .settlement'-/does:' not mean .'setting';;iip-well-to-do'-'men/as squatters, .butthat'is what'th'o.fiovern■ment has been doihg.'i'nj some-cases;; But if.tlie.'limit.of 2500' acres of third-class land ; is -to apply:generally, iherev.will not be many; applicants, for 'sections :df that quality, for that,' area > of imich of tlio"'-land.' iii Now Zealand, Janrl officially known as--not support a family after/the rontv was 'paid.,-- . . i :-:'.',r' : . iJ .Vv:.': : -.' : >..':.:l;:::;^'\:'-';,.;; ; !

.'..■'.■ As to. the- compulsory 'leasing:proposals, ■; tho ; paper says:.:'"TU'e;.policy of: the compulsory'..acquisition,'-. of ..esta'to's: .'for. settlement'purposes has ''Mono', much' to' 'tlisabuse;us,all/of,.itho'..;idearthat there is anything sacred, in property, inlNew Zealand. \lii iri'osticountries'.-.:the -fact •that, ayhan -has%aid;;the- full;-ou'rrent : •market price : for/an estate.is regarded as ■ giving '/hiin alright' to 'it;- arid'-to the fruits;, of 'his-' enterprise!.:. : Tn "New ■Zealand . ;wp; ;haye:/ got ■; far ■ past ;that. , dreadfully • old-fashioned idea., which\ /involves.'.recognition 1 ; of 'the-, absurd'idea that- there is/anything ■ sacred, jabqufr'; a. contract,.;' and Y being 1 : familiarised /with: the,, compulsory/; acquisition >;6f ■ 'esiites by ..the ; -tolerably. Well, /prepared;: for'tho/proposal! -that: .they .shall,now..be' given-power pel''laiid-owners/,to' 'lease..their:'land : to'' .them. - .It is scheme: that .we seem : ; toii recognise :the';mind: of the-: At-.' torney-General./'-.iTh'e;, plan "frill-; 'obviate; :bprrowing'f6r":the/.purchaso'' bf ; land;for" .settlement,:- :f or vthff" Government/);/ will ! 'take/.thp.'/mucli; le,s's''cxponsiye:'"w'ay/,' ; bf ipaying. the'ofrners:'of^estates.'reiit> for their subleasing it"'to/itenantsVahrenewahle;': leaso. A .mant-.whoso' 'land, is /worth' but, £35,000: is/safci so' far;./from] ;tliis compulsory.;, leasing'.: ft-'/HisV: jieiglibdiif,' who^owiis/ £45j000 /worth; yto! be,; 1 selected/? as' ■ the Government's ; ' hew.,' methodr/pfvdis-: couragihg '. land-owners!/; ':If;f:asr/:seems". to', be: the; case,f£4o,ooo'worth:/of.;land' is which Ik/man 1 : inay:-frort6/pr6fifebly-.yin.-|:N(!ff/--Zealaha;- : it] .would, be.fairer'if- inen owning mora/ than this to /have;\ the/ oxcess/'bver./that.']limit :takeh:from*:them; for not onlyrto.'bejdjs'iMssesSed'of.'liis-larid'.'fo'r .thirtyrthree; :years;' : Vaud;/perhaps',] .Government] hayo;to/Za'cceptj.fprVit; aii: amount a's/reiit' :which':may';!yery/easily.: be ;less; than ;.th©/incbmo'.he 'has /been/ mak-/.. !ing"--in.--Nw.'^Zealand/are/'not' quite/so' oiiormousVas,/.maZhy/ ; ;/people .think, but]- it■ is ;.a/pooi' 'property /that/ hm- with'any.business/ knowledge would' buy' 'land for. tlie purpose" of. leasing/ it. .at'>less'.thaJii;s".p'Br..'(!e'ht.| i . : eveii'' : .if;.'.]i6'. : were satlslied/ivith'/that fairly 'moderate i return! : \NbiMng/is!said/ ; as; to/tho'/liability,' of;/thb;.landowner .//whose!/; pro-; 'perty yis/ieompulsorily/'leased: 'fromi.Jiim]' tof pay. tho' .ordinary: land • tax '.and-.the. 'super-tax; .but if; he has.to-pay. the';full' Jand.ta'xon a/propcrty.i'from whicli!;t'h'o; Government-willhot] allow/him.to'/makb" jmoro than 4iZ.pc.r A :deou:,be,hard!--.. There/woul.d.bo uo'.sem-:; blahce!of justice.' in/such /a/policy." WH

j '.The/''Times"; is;eulogistic I .in it's, 'fences ;to : ; ttie : ; Bill, wij'ch'.'.it" says /is/a' : vast improvement,; .traduced'(' > ; 'Th<i/'^tter/leai; •'bilres of tlie'liiJl .'all seem to 'tend 'iti' tie' directioii;6'l gi7ingjtifo^easy ; and, 'security ./of. tenure', for.; which"/'tJiel .Opposition'. ;has:/ been; -'clamouring//; and' to this extent we 'can 'congratulatei.'jVlr: Massey ■ and [his "■ i rieiids ./uipoii,. the/ assistance .thSy//have given >m- remouljl-; ing; the JIJM. article'concludes;.-py. '"■■ s:tata'i* :iiat : :':tJio: Prime .Mmister,lias, laic! /dowii /a/ clear'. !aridv'iveUT,defified\p'olipy.^Vith..;^ioli.:; ; ihi! : . 'Goyoriiuioiitinay /confidently : appeal ;;'to/ ■tho country.'' 7;/'-;•.>//; : :/^;<},-j'^::h,.