FREEHOLD OR LEASEHOLD?

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 298, 10 September 1920, Page 8

FREEHOLD OR LEASEHOLD?

"THE NATIONAL, ENDOWMENT » J LANDS

nil 1 " AN INTERESTING DIVISION

■ r,,n Tiie freehold versus leasehold issue was 1 .nj-a.ised in the House of ltepresentatives ; -iyesterday on the. presentation of a rei port of ihe Lands Committee. Certain S of national endowment land liad ; ptiilioncd the House for tho right to ac--1 quiire the freehold of their sections, and tiio chairman of tihe committee (Mr. E. Newman) reported that as the pettion ! ' "involved a question of policy it should be dealt' with by tho Government. He wadded that ilho committeo was of opinion i>iifchati provided the proceeds Of the sale : r.ipfiithe land were invested in Government 1 ..isepurities and tho revenue reserved for , the purposes to which the rentals were -ijioiv; applied, lie committee considered ; "flithat the leg elation, desired by the peti- : .[.tionera would be in the interests of the Dominion. The. petition, therefore, Uiiihouid be referred to Government ..j'fOr favourable consideration. .-itfMr. G. Witty (Riccarton) stated that .■iqnly four members of the committeo „ had been present when the vote was Jrthken and the-:recommendation, had been [i approved by three votes to, one. He : - considered that a larger attendance ■ should have been secured before 60 important a recommendation was made, i He objected entirely to the nat ional endowment being turned into private freeI hold. If this courso was to bo followed in dealing with the jmblic estate, why should not tenants ot educational reserves, church endowments and even privately owned lands lyive the right to "dhe . freehold? Future generations had an interest in the national endowments. The tenants had security of tenure and good conditions, and they were seeking the freehold merely in order to traffio with the lands. Mr. Newman indicated that moro than four members of the committee had been present during the discussion- of i!ie Bill. Public interest would be fully protected if the money realised by the sale of the land were invested, sinco tho revenue 'so secured would actually bo greater than the rentals now being re- >■ ceiveil. . The petitioners were returned toldiers, who had found ilhat they could not' finance their operations owing to the nature of their tenure. Their position would be greatly improved if they had the freehold. Mr. Newman mentioned that ilhe area of the national endowments was now within 65,000 acres of tho statutory limit of/9,000,000 acres. _ ; Leasehold members called for ft division on the motion that the' report should bo referred i(o the Government for favourable consideration. The motion was adopted by 36 votes to 20, the division list being as follows;— Ayes (30): Bollard, Coates, J. M. Dickson, J. S. Dickson. Glenn, Guthrie, A. Hamilton, J. R. Hamilton, Harris, Hawken, Henare, Horries, Hudson, Hun- ' ter. Jones, Lee, Lysnar, M'Callum, . M'> T icol, Malcolm, Masscy, Masters, E. Newman, Nosworthy, Parr, Poland, Poluare, Poster, Powdrel), Eeed, E. 11. Rhodes, T. W. Rhodes, Sykes, Young. Tellers: Hockly, Mander. Noes (20): Atmore, Forbes, Fraser, Holland, Horn, Howard. Isitt, Jennings, Ivcllett, A. K. Newman, Savage, Sidey, S. G. Smith, Statliam, Stewart, Sullivan, Veitch, Wright. Tellers: M'Combs, Witty. • A Forgotten "Pair."

Having inadvertently voted •on this division after he had arranged to "pair" with the Hon.- J. A. Hannn. Mr. E. Newman yesterday asked the House for permission to have the record of his vote bo altered -iiliat Mr. Hawaii's side should benefit. Tlio Prime Minister, while admitting that Mr. Newman proposed to follow an honourable course, urged that the llousb should not depart from its cus'nm of taking no official cognisance of "pairs." Tlilr was, i\ot, he observed, a case in which one vote was going to make all the difference. The Speaker said that the matter was in the hands of the House, but in .view of Mr. MasBey's remarks, the member for Jfanawahi did not press his request 1 . WOOUROWERS ' " THEI RI! EP RESENTAT lON IN T.ONDON. A question touching tlie representation nf New Zealand wool growers ih 'London was put to the Prime Minister by .Mr. A. D. M'Leod (Wairarapa) in tho House-of Representatives yesterday afternoon. Mr. M'Leod recalled that some twelve or fourteen days ago a meeting of wool growers- decided that certain appointments should lie mado and mentioned the names of a number of gentlemen at present in I/indon as being likely to fill the position. Recent developments appeared tc show that there was Rome doubt about the amount of wool in store in England and here 111 New Zealand. In view of these, circumstances lie would like to know from the Prime 'Minister whether those people in London had beon communicated with or whether of thorn had replied ACcepting appointment. Mr. Massey said that a cablegram had been sent to England, but so far lie had -received no icply. The qiiestion had better be placed on the Order Paper, and by next Wednesday it might be possible to answer it denmtvly. He would then bo able to communicate with London and ascertain the exact position. SHORTAGE'S CEMENT THE POSITION IMPROVING, Buildings were being <lelijl"cd and hundreds' of men were being thrown out of employment owing to the shortage of cement. Baid Mr. S. G. Smith (Tnrannki) in the .House of Representatives. The shortage of cement was due to lack 01 coal. Could not tho Government give some additional assistance to tho cement works in order to overcome this dilli-' culty? The Hon. E. P. Lee replied that everything -was <lono 1 001 11 done" to obtain supplies cf coal for the Cement works. One mine was supplying the cement works now, and he hoped that the position would be improved very soon' though it would be impossible to overtake the shortage for some time. Tho available supplies of cement would cuntinno to'be distributed throughout the Dominion. The Local Bills Committee, to which wis referred the New Plymouth Race"reported 6 the™ BUI proceed.