THE LAND BILL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2213, 17 October 1907, Page 3

THE LAND BILL.

amendments in committee

Press Association. avbllixotox, Oct 10. I'l'i,,, House resumed at ‘ •go--’ At Clause 50, .which a.squahhes a who haring been suecisslul at a ballot under tlio l-UKupal Act or Land for Settlement Act, disposes of h!« land or portion, thereof for a period of five Years from Dart in any lwnil ballot. t f;V moved an amendment to extern, d *- oualifieation to tenyears Tl.o amendment was negatived on the 'one*. Cliuse do provides foi a limit- ot the area of land to bo acquired of 000 acres, and that in calculating the area evorv acre of first class land is reckoned‘as 7-i acres and every acre of second class is cqual to i, acies of third class land. Mr McXab moved a now clause “for the purpose of this Section the interests of a Maori on anv land that lias not been partitioned shall not be deemed to be land held, owned, or occupied by Mr. Massey objected that this would give an advantage to natives who decline to have their interest in blocks of land defined, over natives who had had their. lands partitioned. Me added that in the ease of a Maori owning in common with ton other Maoris a block of 10,000 acres they would be allowing the native to go to the ballot on the same terms as a European who had no land at all. The clause was a greed to on the voices. . . Mr. Massey said he did not. believe in classification of land by price, and considered it would be better to classify land under the system of hue Maori Land Settlement Act. Mr. McXab said the system proposed was sufficient until a more detailed system was prepared by the Department. Replying to a question, he said the position was fraught with difficulties until all lands of the colony were classified. Clause 55 was passed with the following amendment: —“Unimproved value •of £-1 per acre or upwards, first-class; unimproved value ltss th.ni £l, but not less than £2. see ond-class; unimproved value of not less than £2, third-class.” Clause 56 provided that in any case where, in the opinion of the Board, land held by a selector ig insufficient for the maintenance of himself and family, the Board may. subject to approval of the Minister, permit him to acquire any land whether contiguous or not without such land being first opened for public selection ; notwithstanding any. restriction Contained in the principal teas to the number of sections which anv selector may hold. Mr. Massey moved an amendment to provide that the clause should be operative subject to the area limitation clause of the Bill. This was negatived by 47 to IS. Clause 56 was passed unamended. Clause 58 r may ides that on the death of the’owner of any lease or license, his executors or administrators shall have power to assign thelease or license to any qualified person, but the consent of the Boar d shall be necessary . for any such assignment. Mr. McXab then moved an amendment to provide that the consent of the Board shall be necessary in cise of assignment to any.person named in a will. . . ■Mr. Massey pointed out that this did not cover a case where no will was made.- He urged that a man s family should be entitled to iillicit the goodwill of the lease. Amendmenta greed to on the voiCCS- AVELLINGTON, Oot, 16. After midnight, clauses 59, 60, and Gl, machinery clauses, were passed unamended. . . Clause 61 provides that in order to aid in tho establishment of the wood-pulp industry for paper-mak-ing, the Governor may from time tr time set apart land not suitable for close settlement or for leasing under the small grazing run system, of a total area not exceeding 50,000 acres. Mr. McXab said the Government had been approached by persons who said they were prepared to introduce the wood-pulp industry. A portion of high country on the AVest Coast if the South Island had been set apart for this purpose, but no contract had been entered i/to u\til tin.: Legislature granted that power. The timber on these high lands had beet stated as suitable for the industry and only trees over a certain size would be used. Also, the bush would not he cut out but allowed to groy. until mature, as in the case of tin? industry in Canada, so that the bush would be permanent. The timber he added, was not suitable for milling purposes. , „ 1 Clause 618 provides that the Government may deem it expedient m the public interest to exchange Crown lands for private lands which in hi; opinion are of approximately equal value, all lands so acquired to become Crown lands and subject to the provisions of the principal Act. The clause was passed unamended. Progress was reported, and the House rose at 12.30. Clause 61C was reiected by 36 tc 25.