PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 31, 31 October 1919, Page 8

PARLIAMENT

LAND BILL PASSED

AGGREGATION AGAIN DISCUSSED

The Council met at 2.30 li.iii. vcsterdav. Silt WA.VCrS BELL introduced Hie Industrial and Provident Societies .Amendment Bill, which was read a first time. In moving the second rending. Sir Francis Bell said flint Hie measure was so purely a technical one that lie did not think the Council would want time to consider if. A provision fllrcadv existed to permit a. socieiv registered under Hi" Industrial and Provident Societies Act to convert itself into a company, but lliere was no power here, as there was in England, for company to transform itself into a society. The Bill sunnlied tli.it want.'

The Hill w-.'i.* rend a second time. It will be coi-isiderrd in committee today. BILLS PASSED. The Electric Pa«-ev Works T.onn Bill and the Eailwai" Authorisation Bill were put through their final stages and passed. MINING AMENDMENT BILL. In moving the committal nf Hie M'ning Amendment Bill, Sir Francis Bell explained the eToct of an imcidmcn l, made by the Mines Committee in lh" clause referring to forfeiture of wnt»" ritflils. "The. amendment." he Mated, "first deals wiHi the general nrineinb' and provides that if the miniuT privilege lie water then it shall not be neeewsarv that 'special circumstances' exist, but that the Court may in every ea=e of water privilege decree a fi"c insipid of n forfeiture if in tho oninion of Hie Warden it is in the public interest or just and equitable to do so. I do nod 'loubt that there will b" no mie-I'mi n r > to the nroprietv of that anic'dment. but, the committee lias sore furHipi- n-ul pronoses in a sub-section that that provision shall nnnlv as well In cas nc pevdin? in Ihe Warden's Court e« fn cc.'" .wihioh may he commenced afterwards."

The linn. ,T. 'Maeßvpfor desired to have time (o consider the aicndmenii. Kir TTrpneis Bell said tW bproposed, in view of Mr. MacGrcgor's objection, not to deal at once with the clause -i'i question. The Bill was commiH-d. but aftc- n fi-in nmi»<ws win retried, nil" or two clauses beine postponed for consideration at a later sitting. LOCAL BILLS, Tho following local Bills .received from the Lower Houso were read - a first time and referred to committees:—Victory Park Bill, Whangarei Harbour Board Vesting and Empowering Bill, Gisnovne Harbour Board Enablim; Bill. Wellington Citv Milk Sunnly Bill, l'almerslon North Abattoir Bill. HAWKE'S BAY RIVERS. A message from tho House informed the Council that tho House disagreed with an amendment) made in thollawko's Bav Rivers Bill.

Tito reason for the • <lisasrcpnipnt wax staled to ho: "That the amendment is inconsistent with, the principle thai, a Doll of the ratepayers should be taken ))efore expenditure of tho nature contemplated by the Bill is made; unci Ulvat the holding of such poll -is in tho best interest.? of tho district concerned." The Council resolved to insist on its »—lp«"it. and 'ipnoinlcd the irons. W. J. Gcddis, J. 13. Gow. and W. Earnfihaw ns managers 15" confer with' the managers appointed by. the House. The reasons drawn up by tho Council's managers to support the amendment were, in effect, as follow: (1) The, principle had already been' recognised In the, Rivera Amendment Act, 1917. t'fiat money for river protective works should be raised without thp noccssitv for a poll: (2) the Hawke's Bay Hirers Board had been set up for tho express purpose of carrying nut these protective works, and conliPnot 'Ho so without being fully financed; (3) a majority of tile ratepayers, thoiigih they paid flic minimum of taxation, wore hostile to inclusion in the rafin? area, and had it in their power to defeat a poll; (i) a competent Pnyal Commission, after malnntt investigations regarding tho Hawke's Bay rivers, had included in ito> renort a clause recommending that the loan should bo rated without tho necessity for a poll. iTho Council adjourned at 0.20 p.m. THE HOUSE LOCAL BILLS. The following local Bills were put through all stages and passed :—"VictoryPark Bill. Whangam Harbour Board Vesting and Empowering Bill, Gisborne Harbour Board Enabling Bill, Palmerston North Abattoir Bill. WELLINGTON MILK SUPPLY. The Wellington City Milk Supply Bill (Mr. Wright) was read a second time. Mr. W. H. FIELD (Otaki) said the Bill had features which were hostile to the interests of small farmers on the outskirts of the city. The most damaging clause had been struck out. but there remained reason for protesting that farmers were being compelled to sell milk to the city at unfair prices. He hoped the Bill would bo amended in the future in order to do justice to the farmers.

The Bill was put through all stages and passed. NATIVE LAND BILL. , Tho Native Lnnd Amendment Bill was introduced by Governor's Message. The Minister of Nalivo Affairs (the Hon. AV. H. Herries) said tho Bill was the usual Maori "AVnshing-up" Bill. It authorised the land boards to -administer lands set aside for landless Natives. The Bill was read a first time and referred to the Native Affairs Committee.

THE LAND BILL. SECOND BEADING DEBATE.' Tho debate-on the second reading of the Land Laws Amendment Bill was resumed. Mr. T. M. AYILFORD (Hum said the Bill would hurt nobody. The land monopolist and tho land aggregator could proceed undisturbed. Legal subdivision was no proof of increased settlement, nny more than the purchase of a farm for a returned soldier was proof that production had been increased. Tho Government had introduced a Bill representing the considered opinion of Cabinet, and tlien before the House had time to deal with the proposal it produced amendments that represented a complete volte face as far as the anti-nggrosntion clauses were concerned. Tho Bill as amended was not going to stop aggregation. Tho large landowners, as a matter of fact, had been provided with the moans of evading the law. since they could fix their own valuations in the subsidiary valuation roll. n« believed Hint the proper course was to limit area of holdings according to the finality of the land. He suggested that the period allowed returned soldiers for purchasing Hie freehold of lease in perpetuity lands should be extended from ono year .to five venrs. ' Mr. .T. A. YOUNG (AVnikato) said he did not aaree that the Bill was a "dud." The new clause dealing with aggregation empowered the Government to acquire abrogated land at tho Government valuation" plus ten per cent, and nlus improvements. He had no sympathy with the land aggregator, but no man should be robbed. The clause gave the Government power lo take land at. a price Hint would be miiusf to Hie owner. Air. Voiiiv pointed nut that the proposed increase of Hie limit of valuo under the iii'tfial settlement scheme from .C2M(t to .'MOO would not meet the difficulties of ii'ipn who would not get a transfer because their holding! had grown m value b:-ond the limit. The Hon. I). H. Guthrie said he promised in Committee In inereus? the limit In IStlfl. Air. t\". T. JKNNTNGS (Taumaninni) quoted ei aggregation m the neiglibaurhood .'; AVnngiinui. The bind laws ought. In lie revised, on the Viclorhri nindel. to prevnt aggregation. • There ivoiv ton nnmy lnnd tenures in »w '/.en- ] land. wilh I he result thai lawyers benefited and sett'.ers suffered. The tie-

forred payment tenure was a good one, He objected to the endowment system as applied to baekh'oek lands. Land did nut propelly belong to tho State. It belonged to tiie man who could make the best use of it.

Sir. J. ANSTEV: (Wailaki) believed (hat Hie proposed local land boards would do goud and useful work. The present system of taxation was largely responsible for tho inflated values of land, and he urged the Government to force land into tiio market at fair prices l:v means of the graduated V-ix. He did not, think 'thjere was any land in New Zealand worth nothing; yet t nder the homestead clauses the Government proposed to give a way certain land without imynient or condition. This was not reasonable. . Some safeguards should be provided. The income tax and Hie had tax should lioth lie graduated to check land monopoly. Mr. C. 3. PARI?. (Kd«n) said that the settlement of waste lands ..onld never be 'iccomplishcd except under such a scheme as that proposed in the Bill. He believed that the scheme proposed would bn a succor, and lie congratulated the Government on having introduced such * liberal set of proposals. 11 r. F. MAX OKI! (Mirsden) aiso approved of Hie scheme of homestead settlements for populating the waste lands of the north.

Mr. H, G. ELL (Christclnr.-eh South) expressed doubts ~s (o t i lo cßioill , T oj , f])n clauses to prevent re-aggregation, lie advocated a heavier tax on transfers to prevent traffiekinsr in land as Hie be*t method of checking inflation of land values.

Minister in' Reply. The Hon. I), ii. GUTHRIE, in rep'.;, said that there had been general noproval of the clause in Hie Bill providing for v...ic appointment of local land purchase boards, lie bad long- recognised the need for such boards, and would have long a-to apimint».:l them but for the fact that legislative a.uthoritv was necessary. He was glad also to note that members npnrovi-d nf Mm to bring unproductive lands into productivity. In spite of criticism to the contrary, he assured the House tln-ii the aggregation clauses were the result of holiest endeavour to stop the practice which everybody agreed was aii evil. He believed that the clauses would be ctTeeVve, and, if not, other clauses would be introduced. Tiie Bill was read a second time, and was committed forthwith. ,\ suggestion wm mmle, chiotiy In- M r Witty and Mr. .Parr, (dint the interest of the tenant in lands settled under the homestead scheme should be protected by making it po'sjhle under certain circumstances to transfer hjs interest. The instances cited wer» tliat in cases the tenant might oufw broken health or even death, and it wa« argued thai dhe ri-iht of Hie tenant to that portion of improvements created by his own expenditure of caniiial r ;r effort should be conserved to niui, Ifinister said that he would consn.er Hie question before the clause passed into law. 'An amendment was adopted by the Minister and agreed to by the Committee to provide that the term within which returned soldiers shall be permitted to buy up the freehold of lease-in-perpstuity sections, the ordinary legal term having "xpired while the soldier has been absent en active sen-ice, should be extended from ono year to five years. On Aggregation. The Minister moved the new clause regarding aggregated lands, proposing that the Government should have the right to acquire aggregated land at the Government valuation plus 10 per cent. Mr. G. V. Pearco moved an amend-' nie.nt that the Government valuation should have been made within twelve months of tho Government's purchase Mr. J. Anstey (Wailaki) suid the Minister s scheme would never work fairly. Tho Government valuation would not tako consideration of crops and other improvements.

'Mr. Massoy said the valuations would not bo more than two years old. Crops would count as improvements, and were provided for in tiio schema cf m<v* chase.

Mr. G. J. Anderson said the clause would not check aggregation. 'J'l ero was no penally attaching to the compulsory purcha.se of land at high valuations. Xhe sole way to prevent aggregation v. as to require every man. to live on his holding.

Mr. G. "Witty said ho thought the addition of 10 per cent, lo Hie Government valuation should be removed. Speculation in land ought to be prevented. The Slate should have the right to take aggregated land at the actual Government valuation The men who were going -to work the land ought not to be penalised.

Mr. Pearce's amendment was defeated by 33 votes to 15. The Minister then moved to make the 'term two years—tho valuation to bo made two years before the time'of.acquisition by the Government. Tlw amendment was agreed to by "3 votes to 13. The ntfxt question discussed at length was tho Minister's clause to provide that the special clauses relating to the resumption of Jniul aggregated should not »I'P'}' to aggregations made prior to the passing of tho Act. The clause was rejeeted by 23 votes to 22. The Bill was reported witli amendments, and passed. HAWKE'S BAY RIVERS BILL. fiensons for insisting upon amendments in this Bill were submitted by the Legislative Council. It was agreed that these reasons he considered next sitting day. MINOR BILLS. Tho Maori Representation Bill, tho Statutes liepoal and Expiring Laws C:>ntiniMiice Bill, tho Shearers' Accommodation Bill, were read a second t : me, committed, and read a third time. (Left sitting.)