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King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 609, 5 November 1913, Page 2

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rising to move ■HHHPMrof the Land bill. HB|^SHfl@Efreeho' d hill and like the ■HHHBt year, which was wclfrom one end of Now the other, he believed this BGP&ould be equally welcomed by those settlers to whom it would apply. A large part of ths 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 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 Massev then turned to the subdivision of land for settlement purposes in the last eighteen months. For the six months ended September 30th, 1912, the privately-owned areas subdivided totalled 1-18,971 acres, with 369 original holdings, and 657 subdivisions; 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 187.393 acres. In the following six months, original private holdings to the number of 468 were subdivided into 1824. with a total area of 251,50S acres,- which with subdivisions under the Finance and Land Settlement Acts, made an aggregate of 354,984 acres. For the half year, last quarter to March .'-list. 1913, a total of 426 privately-owned holdings were cut up into 1009 sub divisions, the area being 16:?, 409 acres, while the total subdivisions for the quarter were 111S, of a total area of 176,634 acres. For the eighteen months a total 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 stisfactorilyDuring 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 the result that between September 30th and March 30th, 384. holdings were subdivided, aggregating 3-34,000 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. Mistakes had in the -past bean made by placing men on sections of second end third class land too small for them to make a living. Hundreds of these men had hsd 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 holidngs. In such cajes 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 tin assessor representing the owipr. This process would act as a sort of terror, a danger signal, reminding him that private interests must give way to public good. Referring to the clause providing for ccmpuhory subdivision of large estates, the Prima Minister expressed the opinion that in r.ine cases 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 thafc 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 suctions had sometimes been so excessive that the tenants were unable to make enough to meet their obligations. A clause had been inserted providing for revaluation by the Valuer-General's staff. If this was not done hundred; 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 a3 well as roads. He had been astonished at the great interest shown in the proposal that city dwellers may hold Grown sections so long aa 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 quite a number of years been given to

men who \ mBHSR * different m--'!' anc!waa these appli- ',; of two sec- °£ two ballot.s. A serious dilncultv had arisen over the limitation clauses of the law. certain financial institutions refusing to lend 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 of the surplus. Me wna at raid it; would not be satisfactory, but it was the best that could be done. NATIONAL ENDOWMENT. Just as the Prime Minister was concluding, Mr Russell asked him what land it was proposed to retains leasehold The Prime Minister replied: "The whole of! tire endowment lands up to nine million acres, which we have not readied yet. Ordinary Crown lands will be opened under leasehold just as in the past, but when the tjP.Uler becomes able to possess the freehold, he can Ret ?t 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 Prims Minister recognised that the Sand 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, i although he had looked very carefully | through it, which wouid help land (settlement. (Opposition mnnhers: | Hear hear). There wse. however, a i proposal in the bill winch he thought | wouid be distinctly retrograde, the I proposal supposed to prevent j dummy ism. (Hear, heat.) The right j Lion. member remarked that the ! Prime Minister spoke of the exports i from the land reaching noo.non. ; He (the speaker) hoped to see it producing £100,000,0u0 of expons. According to the Valuer-General. 214:? additional settlers had been put on the land in the last eighteen months as the result of the land laws introduced by the Premier's predecessors. A BARREN HARVEST. What had happened as the result of the land legislation of !-JSt session? The Statute Boo!; had been tilled up, but the lands had not been tilled up. (Opposition members: H-ar. hear.) And what did that legislation superj sede? From i S9l to I'.MtZ there | were in all T.VTiUHO acres settled, | while the number of settlers unci jh- | creased from 23.0U0 odd in JjMifj i? |to 28,46(5 in 1911-12. an increase of j nearly 11,000 people placed on the ! land. (Applause.l "'The hen. gentle i man " continued Sir Joseph Ward, | "proposed in his legislation last year to | facilitate, the acquisition of the free- | hold to enable the settler to make i ten annual payments each of ten per ! cent, and what had resulted? Aecorrii ing to a return tallied the other day, I the whole value paid in ior converted I leaseholds during the rirst year was i £60,000. Now the iion. gentleman | proposed to give them twenty years lat 5 per cent, payments. Where, he i asked, would the present Government i stand when they realised that those S men were going to rake 20 year? to | pay back the money which the Go- ! vernmenE were relying upon tor the ; purchase of mora land? Mr Okey: They can pay quicker if they like. Sir Joseph Ward: Thoy will avail themselves of the time allowed them; and all this talk auout vhe lartre amount of money com inn into the coffers ox the Treasury for the. purcha.se of other lands leaves them 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 PEOPLE. Turning to the question of aggregation, Sir Joseph Ward commented vigorously on the fact that all the hill required towards checking reaggregation was that upon someone calling the attention of the Land .Board, action would be taken. Were people going round spying out to prevent; aggregation? An Hon. Member: They are doing it now. Sir Joseph Ward: The aggregation clauses in this bill are not 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 EOADiNG PROVISIONS. Coming to the clauses relating to the provisions for reading, the Leader of the Opposition asked what position the man making twenty annual paymerits of five per cent., for his freehold would find himself in. "Why." exclaimed Sir Joseph, "the present breadwinners will be dead and buried before this reading can be carried cut. J. believe it 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 of these lands." Mr Mrnsey: Over half a million a year ig paid for it now. as (.he hon. gentleman very well knows Sir Joseph Ward: Yes. but I am not talking about the ordinary reading under thn bill. I think it v&uld

be far better to iQHnHHHnH| the Land for S'sttTOHHHHHHB provide an lines I have stated. LIMITED FREEHOLD AND EXTENSION. Referring to the Government's land policy. Sir Joseph Ward said he agreed thai so important a question must be approached with care, but it should also be grappled resolutely. Ha contended that the true way of dealing with the land settlement question now was by an extension of graduated taxation. The time had come for limited freehold. He himself had always been an optional tenure man, though he believed it was right for those with leasehold views to be considered equally with believers in the freehold, but the bill berore them laid down, the freehold tenure. An Hon Member: It is optional. PENAL CLAUSES NECESSARY. Sir Joseph Ward : You can cail it what you like, but it is a freehold tenure. lam satisfied the only way of encouraging closer settlement is by increasing the graduated land tax, by the limitation of areas, and by a recognition of the fact that the freehold is to'bs limited freehold, and that an optional leasehold is to be provided for. Side by side with that there will have to be penal legislation preventing reaggregation. I am quite confident of that. (Hear, hear.) The clauses of this are only tinkering with the question.