PARLIAMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1247, 2 October 1911, Page 4

PARLIAMENTS.

■ THE COUNCIL. LAND SETTLEMENT. THE ASSOCIATION SYSTEM.

The debates on tho' Hon. J. D. Ormond's motioni that "Tho Council expresses its satisfaction with tho land settlement proposals outlined in the Financial Stat'o- j ment, especially that, in addition to tho . present systems for the disposal of Crown lands, settlement by . accoiations of intending settlers is to bo encouraged in eonjunv-'ion with the construction of pub- , lij- works," was concluded iu tho Legislative Council on aftea-noon• • The- lion. W. W. M CAUDLE (Auckland) reverted to tho early seveirties when li CW as a residont of Masterton, and traced what had. boon- dono under tk'o deterred payment system. Ho thought' it was worth . considering whether some of tho conditions of tho old days could not, with advantage, be embodied ill tho new 6cheme. The principle upon which tho intimately very .successful Wairarapa scheme was based was t'hat of 10 years' deferred payment.- In any schemo particular cava must bo taken to provide against aggrogation. Tlio Hon. J. M'GOWAN (Auckland) thought that wo were on tlva wrong lines, and wo'should lift tho lower strata of the community. We were providing for one section the birthright of tho whole of the people of New Zealand. ' He did not think tho Stato should sell a single acre of land. All tho arguments used by the previous speakers were interesting, but they did not touch the real foundation of tho trouble. Tho Hon. J. It. SINCLAIR (Otago) congratulated Mr. Ormond _on the interesting sketch he had given of tho early settlement the previous day. Tho propokils in the Budget wero really supplemental to the.land legislation already on tho Statute Book. This was legislation he took it which • would provide Bottlement to small settlers which would ensure success, viz., would provide labour to keep tho men while they were undertaking tho initial work and *expei'iehcing the early trials of settlement. What'was wonted was as close settlement as they could possibly get. If tho prcsont land tax did not break up undulv largo areas it would h&v© to do revised aiid amended. •Tho Poor Man. Tho Hon. J. T. PAUL (Otago) said there were land settlement proposals in • the Budget which could be supported but this did not mean that they could endorse tho whole. Hp thought it would liave been better had tho 'motion been delayed until tho full proposals ol the Government were; before them. It was very easy to bo misled by an outline, where, if one saw the full proposals, one might enaowo them. • there wore, said Mr. Paul, hardly any facilities for ths vsry poor man getting on tho land to-day. The peer man eould cot bo a successful settler if ths price of our'land w«s'going to increase ami increase as it is doing. ■ 'These .would-mean that the-poor man would bo under the heel of tho money-lender all his life. Th* prices -which w?re being asked to-day wero dangerously high. He thought that the whole of our efforts should bo concentrated to help tho man who .is going on tho. land to u«e . tho land.-' If ho had lus way ho would inako laud speculation a criminal ofience. They would have nothing approaching "'successful fland settlement until they framed'legislation to pro.-cnt land speculation. : Mr. Paul proceeded to. deal \vith tho graduated land tax at- some length. A scientific application, of • tho tax, he said, was what was wanted. Ho thought that tho Budget' proposals in regard, to the graduated land tax wero disappoint-lE'!%o'H-on. H. F.; WIGRAM (Canterbury) referred to tho position which arose in connection with tho Mackenzio Country runs. It was tauMyitiithat anyone who . drew ono of theso blocks could sell it for jolOOOi,'rasd peoplo flockcd...to the ballot from 'all parts; but" without'-any intention of going on tho land themselves. He did not object to tho ballot system, as the only alternative was tho auction and ha did"-.not believe in that. thought great'er-.care Should be taken in thevaluotion of the-sections and a stipulation as to residence should bo put in.: He did not' want to tio them on t'ho land, but ho did think they 1 should be quitoeuro that tho successful men ot ballots should "tak- up their residence there. iSome stril&sat regulation iu regard to, transfers .was also necessary. If a man had to give .up a holding because. of ill-health, etc., ho thought the Government should have' ■ the right to resume the section at a valuation, with compensation for improve-i mehts. If t'ho Government did not- exercise i the' opt:.on the A the man should bo allowed to transfer to any qualified per-; son. - Thero .should .also. bo a disqualifi-cation-oh'wealthy-men. Tho Hon. S. T. GEORGE (Auckland) ~ also.-spoke and urged the necessity for settling the Native lands and waste lands in tho North Island. •

flttorncy-General's Views. •; The ATTORNEY-GENERAL remarked on tho sonndners of thp opinion's expressed, by Mr. Ormond; The Government valued 'tho approval of so old and experienced a settlor as Mr. Ormond, and ' tho spirit' ih which ho had .treated :tho question was an exemplification of his strength l of r character, and impartiality. The schemo of' the Government •would bo most' useful and . would have permanent results. This system of associaiicd settlement's was to work side by side with all tho other agents of closer settlement which they had had fca- years. Tho object was"'to,seo men who' ha'd no means at all,'nothing but stout hearts and strong oa-ma; placed on tho land; Thsss men -would bo found employment to hrip them they could improve their-fu-ture homes, public works and settlement going on together. If they could give the men tho prospect of welkins on public works fot three or four, days a. woek and putting in then>alance of tlie time .on itiheii- holdings, good results must follow. The areas should not be.largo, but thero. ■was an immenso amount of good land north of Gjsborne, which could bo utilised find made accessible to the .seaboard until the railway service was available.' The. north of Auckland also contained an immense area which could bo made accessible. ;He believed .that the -Native must bo treated in tho sarno way as the European, after it had been seen that tlio Native's- own- needs-lutd been reasonably, provided for. (Hear, hear.) If neceissary tho Natives' land should be -taken ooinpulsorily, after tho provision ho had indicated' had boon made. With such provision made, tho .Native should not bo allowed to block European, progress. First they m.Ust sottlo. tho. land, secondly give employment on public works until tho holders could mako their farms productive, and thirdly assist tho settlers by the: co-operative banks. However, they must see that- tho people really wanted to go oh tho land, and that it was not the cry -of tho peoplo who had already got land. They wanted to check tho flow from the country to the centres, and seo if theycould not'take men from the towns and placo them in comfort on tho land. He did not think tho tenure should loom as larg-e as it did. Tho main consideration •was to get peoplo on the land and make tho waste lands productive. Ho personally would do his best to this end. In tho course of his roplv, tho Hon. J. D. ORMOND urged that in any schemo the Government might bring down- they Bhould provide an ample fund for tho purchase of land in advanco of tho railways. _ ' • The motion was- carried unanimously.