THE COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1586, 1 November 1912, Page 6

THE COUNCIL.

pVf AND. BALANCE-SHEET. fe- ;i : ? WLegislative Council .met .at 2.30 £,'i'-- vpjn.' yesterday.: :/. ; ;. <'.•.,■ ' ;,;; ; ;, ISc .;..-■ The report and.balance-sheet ofthe'East|W"; '■':' Coast: Native Trust Lands 'Trust was laid' y:■.wi the. table* by. the: Hon. ;H/ D. He 11,.'..•,.'" : : :■ ..LEAVE Of!aBSENCE. .-' .-;:;■'■■::■-Leave of 'absence: was granted .to the >;!■;■ ■$(». A,' ( Louissoni- 7 .!';■ ■','■ "■<'■■■ fefe'i^V 1 "-. THE; LAND bVll;~ 7 ... M-' } : Debate ijt committee. ;i ;:.:.;,/:'. 'The Land Act Amendment Bill was fur- .'.■ v !hcr'.considered.in committee. ■ ■'' ' j.V,:jV:.On-Clause .3, referring to the eub-divi- • ~~i *ion ;of lands.for sale, lease, or-disposi- '»'■;-•; "V : tioii: I:-.'.:-:' , '" ■.■■".':• f '■ r-" "The; HonV;JOHN/ BAR-E. proposed ;..to , : ; :;. ,>ti'ike'.;out:the lasVph'rase in tho proviso;' '•S;..'; that nq:right-ofiway in any subdivision of J.; , :'. land-lor- a town .shall, be'.of less width' ;:, ' than 66.feet:-"except _with the consent of / :..- .iheGovernor-in-Cuuncil.". Hβ said that' j. iy'xthe' Legislature' , should lay .it down that |';i;j'<j£eft;sh'ould:b'e:thbunalterabl6 : minim'iim.-* |...;,; . ?.15ELL-:.said-that the '; Legislature; lad already ■ arrogated .to the ■ :.[..'■ Governbr-in-Gouncil a discretionary power regard-.'to- streets , , less than 66 feet. , ,'',i> ■: where.the configuration of thb'groiind pre-< ;...;. ieented difficulties, in .tho'. way: of niain-,v';;.":.-Itainihg the 66ft. minimum; Uyw :: : The-:Hon.:.Mr.?Barr> replied that the K , ;?-' •ilinister.'s reply.'wasViiO; defence. The K:";-: , . 'principle'; to 'be maintained, :wasthjvt 66 fc:.'. : feet "snoulcl bo the' permanent-and~iire-r:v>. : ducible minimum. He pointed to \\'elj\!i'i . lington.'/as.an example -of-'what >Va3 pos- (.■ '-ttf,:. siblb when 'the , ;enterprise •of; the" land iii;"■-' epeculat'o'r was not sufficiently restrained. \:<u:, r_ ■.■The Hon. J. , E! JENKINSON said' that Sj;';•;•;'the proviso sh'Quld^■,applx : :to futiire cases |\!p;vL'<«lly.' ; ;- '- '•".■".-:".. ■■'■■. :%' 'V ■■- -.■'.''. : P^:;--. , :The';Hpn; H. D. BELL.'euggested 'thatUt.y ;tho Council should the clause'as it jVJ , . , rstood.. Sootier than, turn the town-plan- [;;:,: :iing sectibn'of the Bill "loose' upon, the f;; ■.-■.': Houso" again, he would prefer to drop f:;:';: it out of the;Bill altogether. , ■■ ■V, . .The Hon. O: SAMUEL hoped that the f : '. ■■'■-. moverof the amendment didnot propose 1,. : ; 'to interfere 1 with private rights-oJ-way ;..':■;,; created'only for tho convenience of neigh- \-'~ z '.'■'■. • b6uring.,owners, and uot for tao purpose • ;•.•:. •. of giving'access to further subdivisions. ; •;:; ;^ , : The; Hon. W; BEEHAN'pointed out that ! ! .v;; : yasyrecently ago as four or five years a j ■'.';:;■■ row of - houses had ■•been: bujlt bohind an ;.V;.:; existing row.in : Pip'itea Streot,; and this ;•■ ■.-, second tow faced a ri),'htof-way ~of three l'.;>; '\- or four.feet wide. : '.: . •-.'., •.'■■'• , '■ "Vv vThe.amendment was.lost on the voices, !'.■'■:.'■•:'' 'and.the'clause passed. '".'■:■' E.p. BELL said he intended ;■■'. ■-'■ /to.intrbdacea flew clause (4a); providing ;■; ior the of a'deputy in place J; :.™ ■of the'.'Surveyor-General,; in addition' to ; p';■■;,.'... .the' provision. already made for the' np- , (■ r ■ poiiitmenf of:ft, deputy .in .place, of: the' i ... ' .Lands Commissioner (Clause i, Sub-section: ! *.;. • ]),. the.;duties of:the.. Surveyor-General's 1:./. deputy; to be as,6tated:for the Commist ,y.;:«ione'r's.;deputy.-;....,-: ~\-. -,; ; ' ' : .'-.■ ; :,:■■.•'■. ; t , .' x l A. nmy; clause '.was. added, further airendfe.■-' ing Section 41 of r the principal Act, to [:■'.:. include. iu>, the;; definition-, of-"Crown (.;,. ■■'■;',3ande , ', referred to in the clause: "Nat;-;:■': . tional Endowment land, and land vested [.:'.■- ;in tho Crown , under the Education JRetyr. ;;6erves-Amendment :Act, 1910.",. .. .' j-.-i; '.'JLandless.Applicants, : ; f: On Clause■ ID-providing for preference [:,. ■.; to landless applicants—the Minister said !j; ;,:.,:*hat it was- proposed to strike out '■■ the' £:? . c l a «s<?. as -briginallj; iframed, -which, \ i o cx- [ ' jplained," had been inserted to meet a sug- ,..■ '■ ... gestion hy an honourable member- ; (Mr. [• i ißuxton),- in another with the api :,'. ..;.• "proval -.of the Prime -and sub-" ;,:/' etitute, .in order to givomoro adequate !,; ; - >'.':; effect. tb Mr. Buxtcn's suggestion, some- '■■ ithingsliglvtly different. The new clause ;. 'prbyided tnat "an applicant is landless '...•■; ' .within the meahing;'of this section -if he " :■■■ 'does .not ,Md...,under..'.-,ariy,,.'..ten- • • . ,'ure such area .''of ;;''land' : whether-Crownj i / land or, : not, .of; tl\o i '■■.•■.- board is sufficient. for 'the- ni aintenanco of : I :■[';. himself and his family; :■. ' . .'-■ ;.' ' • ... "Provided ' that ■tho, ; board'.:niay, as , a ■ : .eondition' precedent- an , apv , iplication for land, a'n.vsuch ab- ■•'.-' ; .: jjlicant to divest' .himself , ■within •'■-'.sii f'-. ..-."•■ months from tho date';.bf the approval of '$..'■:, V the application, bf-":-any-\ihtere.st' ■wh'ieh ;" ..'■■■ no may have' in any' , other' ;,,.•: ; the applicant has so :d,iyeste'd:himsclf of, ; - : .;,.,; such" interest he . sliall riqtf he '/deemed to ■,'■ ;;,'.,have .any interesti'in. the land' to which !.;':,; lis application rdlates, and' if he fails • •'.' so to flivest himself, his deposit shall be \i ■','■■. forfeited." . .; • v •;.■-..- : '■ ■ •;'. .This was agreed .to, the' Hon. J. An- , ■::. ptby dissenting on , the ground that the iv.-.-■'..-.'clanso-'dicl not effectively'secure the atJ ■-.-'.' :. lainnlont of its professed object.. : !';■;■'•': :: : ■.-.- On Clause' 23, sub-section-2, relating to '-_. * ne classification of small grazing runs, i-M-vv?/ Tha'-Hon, J. AXSTEY moved to strike (.;. ; ;. «ut tli#'words.fliing the maximum- area of >■:■■* J subdivision!;' of "land into grazing runs f:-.," (20.000 acre?). ■'.-• •;. •;■,'.' The motion H-as lost, and the clause I: ; ..passed. ■■; ■;■ '.. . ].;.' -.-. .On -fliiusp'- 43. relating to the agreeL , .'... . ; :went« for subdivision o£ private land for. !."• ■ • : settlement "purposes: ■'-..' . ;■ ■:. .The Hon. J. .T. PAUL moved t<s insert p -,'.. M' a'tnehdment siifctit-iitins for an asrreef..' ■'■ jnenl /.o " ?n!:divide, a .imindatory obliga- [::■'■':■■ tioii t-jii-ulifliviilc'""' .. I:'' , .' ' Thr , "irtti'ioii 'was lost and , the clause t: ■■■ : ' i:- . , ■-''—fin execution of. an agree|V : : . ineiit to subdivitk , the'-.Minister may adi';'. ■ t vane? t 1, ." cost of .subdivision, etc.—was i' '.'■■' amonfel In- the T;mifl?;C<sinTnittce--t'o-se- ':■.' -oiire !-"! tlw , ,O'n-jrmi'eilt the. ropaymc.nt ,-... ndvanccd by , -niakine such reI ■■': .paymorif n nr«!- i-haw-oh. thp land. 1■; , The; daii?c .ns apicmlpiVwa? agreed to. j. , 'Oil Claii'f Sfl, --lilj-f-ption IS. providing '- : : ■■ tllnt n not cxci-ttlin.? niip-Hiinl of tlip ! •"-;■':■■•'.'■' net prbcpfd? of thn ?.nlc of . Native land. i: ■' , shall l:<?.Ii:iml<".l over to the Native owner :,--.'■ ' " cr nwnt'i's Hiprp'if: j; '■-. Th« TTon. T. '.T'AriAT.A jiskril for some \. . , jntti'il'-i.tioii. IVliat could the Native dp ■ , wtli flip money? i ■■-. TliP Miiii*t?r: TTp can iio anything he --■•' •" life'frith it—take it.to the ppblie-house ;'" /if he lilcps. . -■'.■•' . •■-■• .vTlip Hon. Jrr, PAHATA snsecsted that '. ■ ■ it"might i? paid ov?r coixlitionally—|or '■■ '■' , improvement "expenditure upon.' bis pro* i:. , '■''■ .. pprty. '■■■•'■:■ ■■•■••■ .-.■:■'-- '■■:■ ' ■"'■• "•.• ' TH? Minister: In that case we might as I. ■■•' well hand over the other 33 1-3. How- >:■ . ever, he oo.n't improve his land if h» has ! ■-..-. 6oM it. . ; '•-. :.:.-' . '.'':■ The clause pa39ed, ■ .-.. • r : 'At this stage—4.ss p.m.—progress was ■. ' . reported. -~ • , '■ t ■ ■ |/ ■: , FIRST READINGS. |.' The folloTvijiK Bills, Thioh have, passed i the Honib of Keprosentatives, were introi-.-:;;: dnced and lead a ftrat time:—Railways ■■.:' : ■ let Amenament Bill, 1912; Pnblip 'Bev- '■■ '' !, ' 'Kski lot Amendment Bill, 1912; Bavin?e ■' ' : «uu3Jb&

Local Bodies' Aot Amendment Bill, 1812. The Cemeteries Act Amendment Bill and the Aged and Infirm Protection Act Amendment Bill n-ere reported witli amendments, and consideration deferred, as also wero the reported amendments to the Defence Act Amendment Bill. Tho Council adjourned at fl o'clock, as a mark of respect to the memory of the Jnte Sir Wm. 'Steward, M.L.C.