HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 83, 4 October 1895, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House met at 2.30. Ou the motion for the third reading of the Rating on Unimproved Values Bill Mr R. Thompson moved that the Bill be recommitted for the purpose of reconsidering the question whether tbis Bill should be brought into operation by the vote of one-third of the ratepayers instead of one half. The amendment was lost by 33 to 23. The debates on the third reading of the Bill occupied nearly the whole af teruoon. Eventually the motion was carried by 41 to 7 and the Bill passed. The Minister of Lands moved the second reading of the Land for Settlement Act Amendment Bill. He referred to the continued demand for land for settlement, and pointed out the delay and obstacles of taking land compulsorily, making special reference to the Ardgowan purchase. He defended the action ot tbe Board and Government from the charge that they had been doing nothing. The Bill would ratify the appointment of Mr McKerrow as Land Purchase Inspector, and it was intended to appoint bim Chairman of the Board. During the last year to March 31st Government were authorised to spend £250,000 in land purchase, but had not been able to spend all that sum, though the actual amount spent did not represent all the liabilities incurred. Up till December 31st Government had purchased nine properties containing 29,926 acres at a cost of £112,413. They had 17 properties under offer of 47,070 acres. By the end of March next between actual expenditure and liabilities tbe amount at the disposal of Government for land purchase would be nearly exhausted. Taking all things into consideration he thought it would be admitted his land policy had been successful. Captain Russell said so far as the Amendment Bill went he had no particular objection to it. He still thought the compulsory taking of the land most iniquitous, and had done more to injure the prosperity of the Colony than anything else. It had kept many desirable settlers from coming here. There was no bona fide demand for land, if it was meant by tbat that that men were prepared to invest their money in it. _ Of course men were prepared to enter into other men's labors with the assistance of Government. The regulations were most irritating, worrying and 'perplexicg. Instead of dispossessing present owners it would be far better to purchase estates from the Assets Realisation Board and thus help to relieve the Colony of a portion of its liabilities arising out of the recent Bank legislation. Men from whom land was taken compulsory had been treated more harshly by far than friends of Government, who were giving more than its value for their land. Captain Bussell congratulated the Government on the appointment of Mr McKerrow. Mr G. W. Russell contended that the demand for land had not fallen off, and that the land was not unsaleable. Sir Robert Stout admitted the State had a right to deal with the whole land of the country for the welfare of tbe people as a whole. It was wrong for the State to take the home away from one man simply for tbe purpose of giving it to another man. After further debate the second reading of the Land for Settlement Act Amendment Bill was agreed to on the voices. The House rose at 12.45.