PARLIAMENTARY.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4499, 4 December 1909, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY.

LOWER HOUSE. Wellington, December 2. The McLean Institute Bill was read a third time. The report of the committee on the Land Law Amendment Bill was brought down. It recommended that the Bill be allowed to proceed with amendments as attachedThe Chairman of the Committee moved that the report be laid on the , table. Mr Taylor remarked that if as has been said the Bill had been shorn of all its freehold clauses in committee, things had come to a pretty pass. The Liberal party was practically a coalition party, and its policy only maintained by combination of votes an both sides. Mr Taylor proceeded to denounce the filching away of private members rights and reticieDce on the land question shown by the Premier. Members were being treated with absolute contempt with regard to contemplated legislation and personnel of the Cabinet. Ten days ago only the Almighty and the Premier knew what the land policy was. The Dominion should at least have two months to understand the position. Men who were holding for freehold were influenced by selfishness begotten of veil doing founded on State aid. leasehold was the only system under which the poor man could

•ecome a farmer. The whole Liberal

principles on the land question, which were absolutely sound, were being sacrificed to the exigencies of party warfare. He hoped the Bill would meet with such protest from die Government would be forced to ?ive the people six months to con < uder it. Mr Herries moved as an amendment that the minutes of the Comnittee’s proceedings lie on the table md be printed. Mr McLaren supported the amendnent.

Mr Massey said his party believed n freehold, and also in giving free lold to tenure to leaseholders when ible to pay for fee simple. In 19 3ases out of 20 country lands became valuable not only on account of public expenditure, but owing to the energy and labour of settlers. Sir Joseph Ward said it was extraordinary that leaseholders were ready to grasp at any straw in order to prove sinister designs against the Government. He repelled the bulldoging by Mr Taylor and Mr McLaren, and denied the Opposition’s statement that he drove his followers. He asserted that

very [measure introduced by the

Government had been before the people, and every opportunity given to discuss it. He asked how many leaseholders recognised the position of the land tenure. Since the last 30 years it had been one of endeavouring to hold on to a portion of Crown lands. Critics of the Government proposals did not realise the position. The great majority of leaseholders*on Crown Lands had turned right round in favour of freehold, though they could never have got on the land but for the leasehold system financed by the Stalo. Tne will of the majority of the people must prevail. Leaseholders lost sight of the fact that under the Land Bill freehold was only granted under conditions that conserved the right of the State to share the increased value of lands