PARLIAMENT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3708, 6 September 1906, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

Mr John Stevens, member for Manawatu; speaking on the Landless Natives Bill; which passed its second reading yesterday, contended that certain areas of land which it was proposed to hand over to the natives Would not be worth fivepence to them, because each man’s title is undefined.. Reserves similarly made in the North Island had been worth nothing. Mr Carroll : It’s all allocated. Mr Stevens : Individualised ? Mr Carroll: Yes. Mr Stevens ; And pegged off on the ground ? What the Native Minister now calls allocation I call apportionment of interest. The ascertaining of proportionate _ interest is exactly the evil the natives have been subjected to during past years. The debate on the Financial Statement was opened by the leader of the Opposition, Mr Massey on Tuesday night. Mr McNab, Minister of Lands replied and was followed by Mr Herries. JOTTINGS. “We heartily congratulate Mr McNab upon his excellent speech, which in cogency, manner, clarity and dialetical force, was immeasureably above the average even of important Ministerial deliverances in the past, and we congratulate the Government and the party upon their asset in the new Minister for Lands. —N.Z. Times. The Minister for Lands declared in his speech on the Budget debate last night that during the ten years of ripening and reaping there will be made available for the appeasement of the land hunger a greater quantity of land than has been offered by the Crown under the optional system and the lease-in-perpetuity during the past ten years. It is apparent, therefore, that the land hunger is to be satisfied with the lands of the colonjq and not the lands of the State. Mr Wood complained of the Government system of valuation last night, and alleged that one valuer in the Manawatu, in reply to an owner’s question, said he had been instructed by the Government to value to the utmost. The Hon. R. McNab : What’s the valuer’s name ? Mr Wood gave it. He thought the people should understand fully what were the instructions of the Government to their valuers. He pointed out inconsistencies in the Government valuation of properties in Palmerston North, and asked for some system bylwhich the valuations would be made in a fair and equitable way. Also, that the time of making the valuations should be altered, so that the local bodies might have an opportunity of considering them when striking their rates. The debate on the Financial Statement \vas resumed by Mr Hogg yesterday afternoon. Sir Joseph Ward having replied, the House proceeded to consideration of the Estimates.