PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2286, 21 October 1914, Page 8

PARLIAMENT.

WORKERS' DWELLINGS.

GARDEN SUBURB IN VIEW AT 1 ORAKEIi THE LAND LAWS. , ' The 'Legislative Council eat at 2.30 p.m. Tho Education Bill was received from the House of Representatives and read a first, time. Tho Bill was also read a second time pro forma and referred-to the Education Committee. . The Local Railways Bill was further considered in, Coyfliiittoe. • • On the questton of bank overdrafts, Clause' 44 of the Bill was struck out, and substituted by tho following clause: "44 (l). The board may, in anticipation of it,; income, from time to time borrow moneys from its bankers by way of overdraft. (2) The board may, for tho purpose of providing for the cost of survey and other preliminary works and tho expenses of administration; before borrowing inonoys by special loan pursuant,^,to Section .40 hereof, and notwithstanding that an Order-in-Council authorising the construction of the railway may notliave been granted, make and levy a uniform rate over the whole railway district without the • classification required by Section 43 hereof. (3) The board may pledge such rate as security; for moneys borrowed from its bankers." • • ' - ' To 74, which deals with the modo'of makiilg by-laws, the following was added: "All by-laws shall be gazetted, and a copy-shall be laid before Parliament. Also that a copy of all bylaws relating-to matters affecting the publio shall be painted or printed in black letters on a white ground, and bo fixed,iir'a conspicuous place at every station; at which tickets are sold." The third reading of the Bill will be taken to-day. The Council adjourned at 3 p.m. THE HOUSE The House of Representatives sat at 2.30 p.m. '• '■ • The Raukapuka County Bill (Mr. Nosworthy), and the Dargaville Borough 'Municipal Site Bill were read a first . time. . ■ The Publio Health Amendment Bill (Mr.: Wv A; 'Veitch), 'was introduced and read a first time.•• Mr. T. M. WILFORD moved to introduce the Horticultural Industries Bill. He said'that he, had been approached by certain nurserymen to ask the Government what their intentions were with regard to legislation of the sort. The Bill was; urgently necessary. On Mr. Massey pointing out that there was a Government Bill on the Order, Paper, which he 'thought had a ' chance of being proceeded with, Mr. Wilford Asked, leave to withdraw his Bill. A question of order was raiscd — as to whether a Bill could be withdrawn before it was introduced—and finally the motion to introduce the Bill was lost on;'the voices.

WORKERS' DWELLINCS. TALK OF MAKING A GARDEN SUBURB. The adjourned debate on the Workers' Dwellings Amendment Bill was resumed by Messrs. A. E. Glovei; (Christdrurch Ceiitral), A. M, Myers East), and D. Buddo (Kaiiipoi). The PRIME MINISTER 1 , replying to Mr. Myers', said that more land had been bought under this. Bill at Auck- ■ lwid than: anywhere else. Since coming | into office he had not found it necessary to' buy any land except at Palmerston. About Auckland, 40 acres had been'acquired at Penrose, 65J- acres at Ellerslio, 14 acres near Elderslie, and 26 acres at, Otahulm. He was not quite sure what he would do regarding the Orakei block, but it would probably bo surveyed at the beginning of next year. He desired to have it mado into a-gar-den suburb, and he did not think that .the member .for Auckland East would object to. that idea. Mr. Myers: I ivas the originator of that suggestion. The Prime Minister: Oh, yes, I will not detract anything from the; credit that is due to the honourable" member. The Prime Minister, added that arrangements had been' made' for' the erection of twenty-five dwellings in Auckland, and sixteen of them were now being built. A .great deal more would have to be done in the way of providing country workers' homes.. In most cases the cost of these homes would rim into .well over £600. The BiE was read a second time.

THE LAND LAV/S. IMPROVEMENTSOF THE LAST TWO YEARS. Tho PRIME MINISTER (the Right Hon. Vf. F. Massey)' moved the second reading of the Land Laws 'Amendment Bill.' Mr. Massey said that he did not' think it necessary to go into the -whole question of land policy. That had been settled for some time to come. ■ Ho.-.believed--that-tha great majority of the' people were: satisfied with the alterations' matlo in tho land laws in the last couple of years. Tho people -were perfectly satisfied with the freehold policy. He remarked that he would have liked to have brought down a more important measure,, but various circumstances made that impossible. In the future discrimination would have to be snack between land utilised to its fullest oxtenf and laud not utilised or not properly utilised. Then there would have to ;be discrimination between land capable of improvement and high cultivation o'nd land which might bo called merely poor sheep-country. Subdivision, ho'added, was going on satisfactorily. .It might'bo neccssary to v do ; 6omething more in the way of the graduated tax, and', if necessary, tho House would not shrink from doing it. As to tho Kill; • there might be some contentious waiter • in it, but it was mostly a machinery Bill: recommended by the Department .for;the 'Smoother running of.the Act. The most important clause m the Bill was that dealing with tho classification of land. This particular problem was a difficult one. It did not apply so much to Crown land as to settlomont land 'and privately-owned land. One of the difficulties to be faced was that uvder the present limitations it was impossible for men to make a living off somo holdings. An honest attempt, to remedy this •was. being .made. Provision was r'ade | to expedite tho opening up of ilie kauri gum lands, and it was propo3cd to give holders of small grazing runs authority to exchange their land for renewable leases. Mr. W. D. S. MACDONALD (Bay of Plenty), who declared in favour of the freehold, said that there were some clauses in tho Bill "which would assist in opening up the country, but he added that tho measure did not go far enough in that direction. ■ Mr. E. NEWMAN quoted figures to show that tho '.'oveniment liad a -record to bo proud of in the matter of bringing about closer settlement. He thought tho Bill a very good one that would bring about vettlemcnt. Mr. G. AV. FORBES (Hurunui) declared that the effects of tho Government's laud legislation would bo to reduco tho amount of settlement on the " land. He said that ho intended to move ? that land boards should be elected by tho members of Parliament whose elefr

torates are in tho land district concorned. . Mr. G. WITTY (Riccarton) said that the 'Government, had reduced settlement by granting the freehold, and lie stated that there was less settlement now than before Mr. Massey took office. Mr. L. M. ISITT (Christehurch North) saidthathe knew of cases which made it evident that there should bo some elected members of laud boards. Mr. J. G. COATES (Kaipara) said that - lie would vote for an increase in the graduated land tax, as ho desired to' see closer settlement. He thought that tho kauri gum lands be converted: into'very profitable holdings. As to the reclamation-of sand-ridden lands, he said .that it would bo better for the Government to give the land to settlers who "would reclaim it than to have it lving unenrcd for and the sand from it drifting on to other property. Tho debate was carried on until I a.m. when the Prime Minister rose to reply. Minister in Reply. The Right Hon. W. I'\ MASSEY said that tho member for tho Bay of Plonty had complained against the Government for having ; introduced 50 many Land Bills. But his own know*ledge of tho land question taught him that there could be no finality in land legislation. It must be from time to time to meet changing circumstances, and for this reason he had brought down a Land Bill every session to enable Parliament to deal with it. ' An- honourable member had declared that the duty of the Government was .to place as many people from the towns on to the land as possible. Yet when the Government liad put in its Land Bill of last sessßm a clause allowing artisans and people of that class to procure laud for themselves or their sons in the country and to improve it while carrying on their ordinary business in the town there had been indignant protests from Ihe Opposition. It was absurd to say that settlement was not progressing. In view of the fact that tho Crown lands were being rapidly settled and that those that were left we're of comparatively low value and difficult, to road, it was wonderful that the Government had been able to bring so much Orown land into profitable occupation. In regard to settlement land tho progress was much more remarkable. Last year the area ~of land for settlement purchased was 141,000 acres as compared with 14,000 acres purchased four yoars ago—fen times as much. An four years ago—ten times as much. Another form of settlement for which the Government was entitled to claim credit _ was that of' rural workers.. He -was more than ever certain that it was bad policy to borrow money abroad for the purpose of buying land for settlement, if the money was never to be returned to the Crown. It.was much better to allow the settlers to acquire the freehold, to pay the Government for the' land, and to use the money so returned for the purchase of more land. The Government had, he estimated, received a quarter of a million in this way up till March 31.' ■ The Bill was read a second time 'on the voices. • • ; NATIONAL PROVIDENT FUND. The National Provident Fund Amend--1 ment Bill (No. 3) was put through Com- ■ mittee without amendment and read a • third time. The House rose at 1.50 a.m. ,