ROTORUA LEASES

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 32, 2 November 1920, Page 8

ROTORUA LEASES

FREEHOLD FOR THE TENANTS

ANOTHER FIGHT ON THE BILL

Iho Minister of Lands (tho Hon. D TI. Guthrie), in moving the second reading of the Itotorua Town Lands Bill in the Houso last, night, assured members that the Stato would be in a better position after the passing of tho Bill than it was at present. Tho people of tho town wore paying rents, but they could not be rated. All the rental revenue, and much additional money, was spoilt on the maintenance of the town. When the tonants had the freehold tliey would have to pay rates and manage their own affairs. _ Tho State would retain possession of' the thermal springs, baths, and recreation reserves. The community would lose, nothing by the change that was proposed. Explaining the clauses of the Bill, the Minister said that tho Stato was to he paid the full value of its interest in the holdings. Certain sections that had not been allotted wero to be sold at public auction. Provision, was being made for the purchase of land by sub-lessees, and for purchase of sections on the deferred payment system, subject to a section intended to .prevent aggregation. He was aware that there were differences of opinion regarding the Bill. But the sentiment of the country undoubtedly was in favour of the froohold and he hoped that no unnecessary time was going to be spent on the Bill. Mr. T. K. Sidev (Bunedin South} said that members on his side of the House had raadS a protest against the Bill already, and ho proposed to content himself on the present occasion with calling for a division. He would 6imply ask why the Government, if it tvo3 sincere, did not at once give tho freehold to every Crown tenant in New Zealand, including tenants of educational endowments. ... , L, T Mr. H. E. Holland, leader of the Labour Party, declared his opposition _to the Bill, which he proposed to resist. He had received the following telegram from an AuckTand citizen: 'VlnvoDcg<red out claim in Albert P" r ' t - Pl e "se assist Mr. Massey to get me tho freehold." (Laughter) He did i»t ww ft -comply with that request. But theic was no difference in principle between that requost and tho Itotorua tenants request. Hotorua was a. great, national St and' the Government was propostr. all teivmts of private land in J>ew 7° f'id? Mr. Holland proceed to discuss the evils of land monopoly and land A Hearty Supporter. Mr. F. V. Hockly fßotornn) supported the 13ill henrtily. He va« firmly ot opinion, he said, that the granting ot the option of the fivehold to Botorua tenants was in the best interests of tho people of New Zealand. Nobody had sug"rst»d tSat the thermal springs, which "vera a great national asset, should pass out' of the hands of -the Government. The curative value of the springs was extraordinarily great, and the Govemniont ought to continue to spread knowMge of this fact. The people of Botorua were anxious to assist. But the municipal conditions in Botorua were very bad, and the reason for this was that the people had not boen a lowed to run • tl"pir own affairs. The weds of the town were growing, but the revenue was stationary. The people of Botorua felt that the town "wns falling back, and they prepared to spend their own money on i-nhds ainl other improvements. But as business men they asked that first they should have the freehold of their ho din»9. Mr.Mlrekly denied that the Botorua tenants nad received special concessions from tho Government. The tenants had been charged for water supply, lighting, and other facilities. The Government was going to receive more than .EHO.OOO fori the Botorua sections • It would gain (.nothing by waiting till the (19 years' leases run out. "We shall find in the futuTO that wo have committed tt|. crime that other young countries have committed—tlie crime of not looking ahead,' said IfiT, J A. Ilnnnn (Invercargill). National assets were being turned into private monopolies, and tlv children of the next generation were being left without rights in their own country. Mr. ITanan proceeded to assert that the Itotorua tenants wero bl'ing given a great advantage at the public expense. Last year tlie bo\ornment spent in Rotoriia. .Mr. Massey: And they want n Mr. 3 Ha'nan lamented the "utter indifference" of the people of New: Zealand to theiir own liberties and privileges. Freehold the Proper Policy. The Prime Minister (Mr. Massey) said tlie people of Now Zealand luxd made up their minds that the frochold policy was the proper policv. Tlie freehold was the policy of the Government to-day, and would remain so. The State did not part with any of the land. It parte! with the ri"ht to charge rent, but it retained an unlimited right to tax land and to resume land. It had even a right to confiscate land. There need be no talk about parting with national assets" The land was not going out of tho Dominion. Mr. Massey proceeded to ?ay thail Botorua at present was a decaying town. The place was not going ahead bccauso the tenants had not tho heart to improve their leaseholds, financial institutions would not: lend money on the leaseholds. Some people talked n3 though the freehold policy meant the re-creation of largo estates. That wa.s not tho case. Wiilhout the law of entail ami of primogeniture, tho growth of large estates was not possible. One man might build up an estate, but the nexl' generation scattered it. "ho Botorua people were willing fo relieve the GovI ernment of tho paymnts iti was now malc- ' in<- for th maintenance of their town, and undertake the development of the town themselves. He believed that _ i">q chnnse would enable Botorua to grow into a prosperous and beautiful town. Mr If A. Atmofo (Nelson) argued that the Botorua leaseholders, now to become freeholders, had no-! created any large, part of the value of their holdings. The value was due to the springs, and the freeholders were going to got the bcnofit of Ihe money spent 'by the Government, on developing and advertising the natural wonders of the thermal regaon. Mr. Hockly: And vice versa. Mr E,' Newman (Manawatul bore witness'to the failure of Botorua to make progress under the leasehold tenure The people who need Botorua would benefit by a change tlint would infuse a'spirrJ oi' enterprise into the .own. Mr. Newman mentioned that Sir Joseph Ward and the late Hon. W. D. S. MacDonnld had advocated the granting of t'he Trochoid ?o Botorua tenants. -This statement was challenged from the Opposition side ot the House, and Mr Newman read reports of speeches in proof of his asscT--11 Mr' T E V. Seddon (Westland), who opposed 'the Bill, suggested that the ten- . ,L of Native leaseholds at Greymou h tfere not being treated as woll as the I! n r e'Hon n W S 'H. Herries Muted that the Grevmoirli leases weic. In be dealt with in" the "Washing-up ' Bill. The second reading was carried by 37 ' The House went into Cwimittee on the Bill at 1.5 a.m. , The Bill was read a third tunc and passed without amendment worth noting. The debate was continued by otlier members, who presented the arguments on both sides in various forms. Panning members wore unanimous in supporting the freehold principle. The Labour meiiihors and a few of the Independents contended that file Government ought to hold Botorua as a valuable national possession. The debate on the. second readcontinued after midnight.