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King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 609, 8 October 1913, Page 2

ply. A large part of the attractiveness of country life was the security of tenure which the bill before the House provided. Mr Russell: They already had that, "I cannot agree that State leasehold gives the requisite security," replied the Premier, who went or. to say that, as a matter of fact, the State never parted with ths ownership of the land, but with the fee simple of it. INCREASSED SECURITY AND PRODUCTIVITY. Coming to the question of the country production, the Prime Minister expressed the opinion that within a very short time our primal products would reach a total of over £30,000,000 in value. The great object and policy of the Government was to give security of tenure to our settlers, increased production of our land, and increased exports of our primary products. Mr Massey then turned to the subdivision of iancl for settlement purposes in the last eighteen months. For the si:; months ended September 30th, 1932, the privately-owned areas subdivided totalled 148,971 acres, with 36!) original holdings, and (if) 7 sabdiviaions; added to that was the land subdivided under the Land Finance and Land Settlement Acts, bringing the total area subdivided in the six months to 187,"93 acres. In the following six months, original private holdings to the number of 468 were subdivided into 1324. with a total area of 251,50S acres,, which with subdivisions under the Finance and Land Settlement Acts, made an aggregate of 354,984 acre.". For the j half year, last quarter to March 31st. 1913, a total of 426 privately-owned holdings were cut up into 1009 sub divisions, the area being 1 (53,409 acres, while the total subdivisions for the quarter were 11 IS, of a total area cf 176,634 acres. For the eighteen months a tutal of 1304 holdings were subdivided into 3447 sections. In addition to this, the State acquired 13,000 acres, which would be opened for close settlement at an early date. Who could say that subdivision was not going on stisfaetorily ? During the year before the Government's policy came into operation, the area subdivided was 187,393 acres. Then the new policy came into operation, with ths result that between September 30th and March 30th, 354 holdings were subdivided, aggregating 354,000 acres.

Mr Macdonald: Your Land Bill was not operating then. The Prime Minister: Just about that time anyway. AGGREGATION. He went on to say that nothing had given him greater thought than the aggregation clauses in the bill. Mistake? had in the past bean made by placing men on sections of second and third class land too small for them to make a living. Hundreds of these men had had to forfeit their section, and reaggregation had taken place. Under such circumstances reaggregation was not a mistake. What he wished to stop was the operation of man who originally had enough land to give him a good living, but was not satisfied, and went on acquiring adjoining holidnga. In such cases the land acquired could be secured by the State at a price assessed by a Court over which a judge of the Supreme Court would preside, and including an assessor representing the owner. This rjrocess would act'as a sort of terror, a danger signal, reminding him that private interests must give way to public good. Kef erring to the clause providing for compulsory subdivision of large estates, the Prime Minister expressed the opinion that in nine eases out of ten the owner would avail himself of the opportunity and cut up the land himself.

THE PREMIER'S FORECASTS. He believed that in ten years there would not be a large estate suitable for close settlement left. Explaining clause 6, the Prime Minister said that a principle of the land policy relating to pastoral lands had been one man one run, but certain knowing individuals in the South had discovered a way out. By forming a private company they were able to hold quite a number of run?, but the clause would reassert the principle he had mentioned. There was also provision to stop the practice of taking up Crown land merely to sell upon an early rise. Valuations of some sections had sometimes been. so excessive that the tenants were unable to make enough to meet their obligations. A ciause had been inserted providing for revaluation by the Valuer-General's staff. If this was not dona hundred i of the country's best settlers would have to give up their holdings. He did not think this clause applied to land for settlement lands. Thirds and fourths would in future be available for .wharves ag well as roads. He had been antonished at the great interest shown in the proposal that city dwellers may hold Crown sections so long as someone resided on the section and certain improvements were undertaken. The clause providing for exchange of national endowment land for Crown land was simply to meet the case of small pieces of endowment land being mixed up with ordinary Crown land. A process of exchange would enable the Crown tenants to have one uniform tenure. Preference at the ballot had for qwite a number of years been given to

A serious difficulty had arisen over the limitation clauses of the lnw. certain financial institutions refusing to Send upon lands subiect to the limitation, because if they had to foreclose they could not buy the porpcrty, as they already held the limit. The bill proposed to give them two years to get rid o£ the surplus. He wss afraid it would not be satisfactory, but it was the best that could be done. NATIONAL ENDOW MEN T. Just as the Prime Minister was concluding, Mr Russell asked him what land it was proposed to retains leasehold. The Prime Minister replied: "The whoie of tire endowment lands up to nine million acres, which we have not readied yet. Ordinary Crown land's will be opened under leasehold just as in the past, but when the snttler becomes able to possQ»s the freehold, he can get it Members: Not the endowment. The Prime Minister: No. it bar been found necessary to provide for exchanges, but we don't wish to interfere in the slightest with the national endowment. Opposition Memncrs: What about the thermal springs and Education Board Reserves? The Prime Minister: No; absolutely no. SIR JOSEPH WARD'S CRITICISM. Sir Joseph Ward, who followed the Prime Minister, said that he was pleased to see that the Prime Minister recognised that the land question was still unsolved. "I realise that all the land in the country, except the endowments. education and local

bodies reserves, are now under the freehold system'', said Sir Joseph. who went on to declare that he could not find a single proposal in the bill, although he had looked very carefully through it, which would help land settlement. (Opposition member?: Hear hear). There vas. however, a proposal in the bill which ho thought would be distinctly retrograde, the proposal supposed to prevent dummyism. (Hear, hear.) The right hon. member remarked that the Prime Minister spoke of the- exports from the land reaehine .l'3<i.<nio,noo. He (the speaker) hoped to see it producing £l»0,000,0(i0 of exports. According to the Valuer-General. 2143 additional settlers bad been put on the land in the last eighteen months as the result of the land laws in (reduced bv the Premier's predecessors.

A BARREN HARVEST

What had happened as the resuit of the laud legislation of P.st session? The Statute Boo!: had been tilled up, but the lands had not been filled up. (Opposition members: H--ar. hear.) ; And what did that legislation super- | seda" From 1891 to 1912 there | were in all acres settled,

j while the number o!' settlers hud in- | creased from 2e.00f) odd in liHifiti !to 28,46(1 in 1011-12. an increase of j nearly 11,000 people piaced or. the | land, (Applause.) "'The hen. gentle - i man " continued Sir Joseph Ward, ! "proposed in his legslation last year to | facilitate, the acquisition of the freej hold to enable the settler to make i ten annual payments each of ten per | cent, and what had resulted? Accord- ! ing to a return tabled the oUier day. j the whole value paid in for converted I leaseholds during the first year was I £60,000. Now the hon. gentleman ! proposed to giv= them twenty years iat 5 per cent, payments. Where, he ! asked, would the present Government i stand when they realised that those 1 men were going to rake 20 year;? to

pay back the money which the Government were relying upon for the purchase of mora land? Mr Okey: They can pay quicker if they like.

Sir Joseph Ward: They will avail themselves of the time allowed them; and all this talk about the large amount of money coming into the coffers of the Treasury for the pureha.se of other lands leaves (hem at the very initiation of the system up against the financial problem like a skeleton in. the cupboard, and they have to fa.ee if. (Derisive Ministerial laughter and Opposition applause).

FOOLING THE PEOt'LE

Turning to the question of aggravation, Sir Joseph Ward commented vigorously on the fact that nil the bill required towards checking reaggrogation was that upon someone call in;; the attention of the Lano Bonvn. action would be taken. Were peopln going round spying; out to proven:; aggregation? An Hon. Member: They arc 1 doing it now. Sir Joseph Ward: The aggregation clauses in this bill are noi worth the paper they are printed on. either directly or indirectly. (Liberals: Hear, * hear, and loud Government protests.) I think the people will discover before very long that they are being fooled by the suggestions in this portion of the bill. (Government laughter.) THE ROADING PROVISIONS. Coming to the clauses relating to the provisions for reading, the Leader of the Opposition asked what position the man making twenty annual payments of live per cent., for his freehold would find himself in. "Why.'' exclaimed Sir Joseph, "the present breadwinners will be dead and buried before this roading can be carried cut. I believe if would be incomparably better for the Government to make a straight-out annual provision of, say, half a million pounds if you like, for the roading gE these lands." Mr Mrnsey : Over half a million a year is paid for it now, as (.he hon. gentleman very well knows Sir Joseph Ward: Yes. but I am not talking about the ordinary reading undet thi? bill. 1 think it would