THE LAND BILL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2209, 12 October 1907, Page 3

THE LAND BILL.

- (Special to Timeß). WELLINGTON, Oct. 11. The House jins been for several hours in committee on the Land Bill, and as «tlie clauses dealt with were machinery clauses, the discussion was mainly technical and uninteresting. ■ln tlio evening the question of “dummyism” was again raised by Mr. -Witty in the first parngrapli_ of the Land Committee’s clause 27A, regarding assignments by lessees. This paragraph reads as follows: “A lessee or licensee shall not be entitled to assign or otherwise dispose of his interest in the land subject to the lease or license except by way of mortgage, or to sublet the land, unless in either case lie has resided continuously thereon for a period of not less than two years, and then onlv with the permission of the Board and the Minister.” 'Mr. Witty's proposition was to make the period of continuous residence four instead of two years. This, he held, would go a long way in the direction of stopping “dummyism.” Other members, however, thought the proposed/ amendment an unwise one. and. urged that any man who resided conl l jmousl.v on a section for rs Jjtfust be a bona fide settler. Tlmsfeeling of the House was againstyjf r . Witty, and his amendment rtfas lost by 47 votes to 18. Press Association. * I WELLINGTON, Oct. 11. After midnight last night sub-clause “IT of clause 19 was considered. Tlis sub-clause provides that the- provisions of this section shall not apply to land which is subject to the provisions of tlio Land for Settlements Consolidation Act, 1900. Mr. Massey moved to strike out tlio word “not’.’ with a view to inserting the word “also.” Ho contended that this would greatly assist in reducing borrowing for settlement. Ho ex? . plained that if it was right to grant the freehold to L.I.P. settlors at present value it was only logical and right to grant it to tenants under the Land for Settlements Act. The amendment was lost by 37 to 29. The division list was as follows: For the amendment: J. Allen, Bennet, Bollard, Dillon, Duncan, Field, Fisher, A. L. D. Fraser, W. Fraser, Greenslade, Hardy, Herries, Hornsby, Houston, Jennings, Lang, Lethbridge, Lewis, T. Mackenzie, Mncpherson, Major, Malcolm, Maiuler, Massey, Okey, Ross. Symes, Thomson, Wilford. Against the amendment : E. G. Allen, Arnold, Barber, Barclay, Buddo, Carroll, Colvin, Ell, Flatman, Fowlds, Graham, Gray, Guinness, Hanan, Hogan, Izard,'Kailiau, Kidd, Laurenson, Lawry, McGowan, McLachlan, McNab, Millar, Ngata, Parata, Poland, Toole, Ttemington, Seddon, Sidey, Stalhvortliy, Steward, Tanner, Ward, Witty, and Wood. Clause 19 as a whole was agreed to. Clause 21 provides for modification of residence conditions in the case ol town dwellers who desired to take up land for themselves and families. Mr. Tanner expressed unqualified disapproval of the clause, which would tend to keep the land unoccupied. What the country needed, he

tsuui, was ijuiui jiuc beiucis, iiziu. -ue intended to call for a divisiin on the clause. After discussion it was agreed, on the motion of Mr. McNab, to amend the clause by providing that regulations dealing with this class of selector be referred to each branch of the Legislature. Clause 21 as amended was passed by 52 to 9. . Progress was reported, and the House adjourned at 0.55 a.m. The whole afternoon was devoted to discussing machinery clauses. At. sub-kdause 30 of clause 26a (which provides that lessees shall pay costs and expenses incurred by the Commissioner in ascertaining and recording particulars of improvements) Mr, James Allen moved that the cost of ascertaining and recording improvements should not bo borno by the lessee, but should be defrayed by the Crown. The amendment was negatived by 40 to 20. , , (rm A Mr. Jas. Allen then moved: “That in estimating for the purposes of this Act the improvements tne fact that they have not been recorded under this section shall not be taken as evidence that improvements have not “ been made on the .land.” The amendment was negatived by 37 to 22. '. Mr Okey moved that the provisions of the clause should apply to the West Coast Native Reserves. This was negatived by 41 to 11. When the House resumed at / .3U p.m. Mr. Massey moved a new subclause: “In every year in which a census Is taken such settler holding land under L.I.P. or renewable lease shall be required by the Lands Department to furnish a return of permanent and substantial improvements placed upon the land during the previous five years.” . tv.o QiiWlinnse was negatived by

40 to 21. . , Mr. Herries moved a new clause: “Every such, record shall be available for and may be used as evidence m any Assessment Court under the government Valuation of Land Act, pressed the amendment, which was negatived on the voices, and at the instance of the Minister the subclause was extended to allow of the record being available to any person clause as amended was passed on the voices. „ + At .clause 27A (which provides that a lessee shall not be entitled to assign or otherwise dispose of his interest in the land unless he has resided continuously, thereon for not less than two years). Mr. M atty mov- *> ed to strike out the word two with a view to inserting “four. The amendment was negatived by 47 to 18, and the clause passed unamended. , , , i l Clause 28A provides that town and I suburban lands may, he let for any I time not exceeding 21 years at a rental, of not less than 5 per cent, on the upset price of the land, or on .*■ such lesser price as the Minister, on the recommendation of the .Board, directs, with right to compensate for Improvements at the expiration ot the lease. . • . . After some discussion an amendment by Mr. Herries, making it obJigatorv on the Minister to _ otter town lands at auction, was rejected ■by 44 to 19. , , . Tho clause a 3 amended was passed bv 49 to 17. , , , 'Clause 29 roads: “All rural lands • may be classified by the Board into first, second, and third class lands, and the capital value of these shall ho fixed at for first-class at capital value, not less than £1 per acre, second-class not less than 10s per acre, third-class not less than 2s 6d per acre. This section is in substitution of section 112 of the principal Act. which section is repealed. I Air. Massey moved an amendment that land bo divided into four clas3es; —Hirst, agriculture; second, inix- -*• oil agriculture* and pastoral; third, pastoral land that cannot bo profitably worked under 5000 acres; fourth, pastoral lands that cannot be profitably worked under 15,000 acres. <()n a division the votes were equal <3ll, and the Chairman gave his vote in favor of the Bill.