PATEA LAND FUND.

Patea Mail, Volume IV, Issue 358, 21 September 1878, Page 2

PATEA LAND FUND.

Under the heading of “ Parliamentary Gossip,” the Taranaki Herald publishes the following from its special correspondent, dated Wellington, 13th September ; To-day, on going into Committee of Supply, Mr Woolcock moved that section G of “ The Financial Arrangements Act, 1877,” be repealed. This section gives 20 per cent, of the land fund to Counties. A debate took place on the whole policy of the distribution of the land revenue. Major Atkinson complained bitterly of the proposal of the Government to take 15 per cent, of the 20 per cent, from the Patea County, for railway construction. Mr Kelly said that the 20 per cent, was allocated on a wrong basis in the Taranaki District by the existing arrangement. The County, where all the open land was situate, got the whole of the 20 per cent., and the adjoining County, which had larger and more numerous public works thrust upon it, was almost destitute of means to construct them, owing to the County basis of distribution. • The only tiling that would reconcile him to the present system

was the proposal of the Government to allocate 15 per cent, tc the constrnctionof a branch railway in the district. Saturday, September 14. —It is rumored that the Go\ eminent intend to apply the 15 per cent, of the local land r, venue to the main line of railway instead of to the branch line through the Waimate Plains as at first intimated. Such a prop >sal is not lively to be agreed to by the House, as it will endanger the South Idand land fund, and it is not probable that the Taranaki percentage will be treated in an exceptional manner. The proposal to repeal the sixth section of the Financial Arrange cents Ac f , moved by Mr Woolcock, was r -jeeted by a large m J city. The deba'c c. ntinue 1 till late in the evening.