LABOUR LAND POLICY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1242, 26 September 1911, Page 5

LABOUR LAND POLICY.

NEW SOUTH WALES MINISTERS VIEWS.

By Telegraph—Press Association-Copyright Sydney, .September 25. Mr. Beeby, who has succeeded Mr..Neilsen as Minister for Lauds in tho State Labour Cabinet, has delivered a policy speech. lie said the confiscation bogy raised by the opponents of the Labour party's land policy was too disreputable for use. The real issue was ready and clAap access to the land against the maintenance of the old system of monopoly and privilege. Within throe months 300,000 acres, taken ,as reserves and improvement leases, would be offered for settlement in living area blocks, under perpetual lease. No rent would be charged during tho first five years, provided 2i per cent, of the valuo was spent yearly on improvements. After five years tho rent at 21 per cent, on the capital value would be charged. The rent would be appraised every twenty years. Absolutely the' only restriction would be that the tenant could not sell or hold for speculative purposes. Xo country in the world, said Mr. Beeby, offers a better system of land tenure. No man in a closer settlement district would be allowed to hold more than a living area. He urged that all districts near towns and railways bo proclaimed closer settlement districts. Tho holding of large areas out of use in these districts would be made more and more irksome. , •

He proposed to add a clause to the Act'empowering tho Government to resume the improvement leases under which at present 8,000,000 acres were held. Two million acres of this area were suitable for closer settlement. Tho valuation for resumption would bo done by a board, whose decision would bfl final. The Government would adopt the New ' Zealand method of valuation, which prices land for taxation, plus 10 per cent. This would bo the maximum valuo for resumption. Referring to combines, Mr. Beeby declared that wherever people were , being exploited tho .Government would enter into competition.

STATE CHILDREN AS FARMERS. (Rec. September 26, 0.15 a.m.) Sydney, September 25. Mr. Carmichael, Minister for Education and Labour, proposes to establish a special fund to assist State reformatory children to go on tho land on tho completion of their education.