THE HOUSE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1557, 28 September 1912, Page 6

THE HOUSE.

. THE LAND BILL. . The Hons© met at 2.30 p.m. The Hon. W..F. MASSEY (Prime Ministo) gave notice that when the Land Bill was m Committee he would move certain new clauses. LEAVE OF ABSENCE, . On the mqfcion.of Mr. T. K.' Sidey (Dunedin South) the Hon. J. A. Millar (Dunedin West) was granted one month's leave of absence on account of ill-health. ' GAOLED STRIKERS. Mr. A. E. GLOVER (Auckland Central) gave, notice to ask the Minister for Justico whether he would immediately release tile Nairn strikers now in prison, on the •ground that their conduct did not justify their detention. .

INFORMATION WANTED. „ -V r - G. W. RUSSELL (Avon) asked the "wme Minister,/ without notice, when he proposed to take the second reading of the Land Bill, and whether he would assist members by providing: returns of the leasehold lands to be affectcd bv the Bill. . Ihe Hon.. W. P. JIASSEY (Prime Minister) said he would.bo pleased to give % House all the information possible with regard to the proposals'iii< the Bill. He would endeavour to have the returns ready before the Bill was brought on for second reading. The date of the second reading would depend -upon the progress made by the Lands Committee with the Bill. It would probably occupy the committee for several days, and perhaps for two weeks, but so soon as'it was reprinted, if.reprinting should be necessary, it would bo brought up for second reading.

" . THE NEW MEMBER. Mr; C. A. WILKINSON, the recentlyelected member-, for Egmont, was sworn in, his sponsors being Messrs. H. J. H. Okey. and J. B. Hine.' - WANGANUI RIVER LANDS. A LEASING BILL. .The .Hon. W. F. MASSEY (Prime Minister) moved the second reading of the Wanganui River Trust Amendment Bill. The Bill, ho said, needed little or no explanation. It was introduced at the request of the Wanganui River Trust Board, which controlled comparatively large areas of land on the upper reaches of the Wanganui River, not tar from Taumaranuii Under tho present law, the board could give leases of no longer term than 21 yearsi Settlers would not take up the land in this district on those terms, and consequently tho board derived no rovonue from the land. The Bill gave the board an opportunity of leasing their land for a term not exceeding 42 years. Messrs. W. A. Veitch and G. Y. Pearoe supported the Bill. . Sir. G. J. ANDERSON (Mataura) 6aid that it would be unwise to tinker with those lands by giving a 21 years' lease with right of renewal. It would be better to given renewable lease with, short periods for revaluation. ,' Mr. G. W. FORBES (Hurunui) agreed with-Mr. Anderson. Mr. H. G. ELL, (Christchurch South) asked why the Trust. should not bo allowed to lease these; lands, under the Public Bodies' Leasing, Act. The Trust would then be' in a position to confer right of renewal.. " Mr: G. W. RUSSELL (Avon) congratulated tho Prime Minister on. introducing, a genuine leasehold Bill. Hon. Dr. Pomare: You are a freeholder yourself. Mr._ Russell said that he was not complaining. He was glad that the Prime Minister; in this Bill had recognised the value of; conserving endowments. The Hon. Dr. POMARE attacked the perpetual right of renewal as a pernicious system. It had five thousand Natives in Taranaki to the position ,of mere rent-receivers. Tho Maori owners had been compelled to lease back at from 30s. to ,£3 per aero land that had been taken from them and leased for a few shillings an, acre. ■ Tho Hon. W. F. MASSEY said that anyone would think to hear some of tl : .e speeches that tho Bill dealt with Crown lands. This was not. so. It dealt with lands held by the Wanganni River Trust, the revenues from which were devoted to the improvement"of the river. He agreed with Mr. Young that the tenant should be compensated at the end of tho lease if compelled'to go' out, and hd sympathised with what had. been said about improving the conditions granted to the tenant. Before accepting any amendments of this nature, however, lie would consult tho Wanganui River Trust. lie was not free to deal with theso lands as ho would like, but ho hoped to obtain, the uinsent of tho-Trust to tho insertion cf a clause giving the tonant compensation for improvements at the end of the lease. The Bill affected about 10,000 acres of socondclass sheep country, The second reading was agreed to on the voices.