LAND TENURE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2855, 7 March 1925, Page 2

LAND TENURE.

AILYISTEP PA VOIPS EPEEHOLB LAfPOWEPLNG BfLL PPOMfSED. Christchurch, Last Night. An important statement on the question of land tenure was made by lire Minister for Lands (Mr A. D. McLeod) to a deputation of leaseholders in the Cheviot espate, who wailed on Him to seek his assistance in the direction of securing the right of the freehold. file Minister in replying, stated that his views on the question well-known. He had always been*a staunch supporter of the freehold, and n, was ins intention, during the

coming session of Parliament, to give Hie House an opportunity of say ing whether such tenants should have tire right- of freehold. With regard to these areas, he said that in the Cheviot estate, while he believed that in Lhese cases also the freehold would probably he the best tenure, as in the large estates in the North fsiand, he was not prepared without investigating tlie position as regards these leases, to say deiiniteiy whether they should be included.

flie Minister said that care would have to be taken to avoid excess land aggregation. The future policy of the country would have to be a small holding one. Without proper safeguards in this respect, he was not prepared to make a definite pronouncement on the question, but speaking as the Minister of Lands, he would say that he was strongly in favour of freehold tenure as being the best. The Minister added that the Bill to which he referred hud not yet been drafted.