THE NEW LAND BILL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81858, 5 October 1906, Page 2

THE NEW LAND BILL.

THE CAPITALISATION PROPOSALS. EXTENDED TO LEASE-IN-I'ERI'ETUITY. PROVISION FOR EXISTING MORTGAGES. PAYMENTS TO LOCAL UOLHES TO CONTINUE. Wc arc indebted lu Iho Premier for the foiluwnig lOlcgraphcd report of th"> changes in the Land Bill: — The new Land UilJ, as it emerged from tlio Committee, contains several very important amendment. Taking the Bill as a whole, the position is as follows:

In regard to the setting aside of National Endowments, the area set aside includes all Crown lands remaining unsold or unselected under the deferred payment occupation with right of purchase, lease-in-per-petuily 01 perpetual lease systems, at the time of the coming into operation of the Act. Land for Se.tlements lands, however, are noc included. The only laaids which will remain outside of the endowments will be the Lands lor Settlement lands, and lands hereafter to be purchased from the Natives. No alterations have been made in the former provisions dealing with the setting' aside of the land for educational, hospital, and charitable aid and old age pensions. All payments in the way of royalties, license fees, and other sums of I money, which have been fixed by Act of Parliament to be paid to local au thorities or public authorities from Crown land, still require to be paid, although the land becomes an endowment, and provision is also made for the Local Bodies Loans Act, iqoi, to apply so that they may be obtained for roading and bridging the blocks that are being opened up. "Thirds" are paid to local bodies as in the case of former leases, and foi tho same length of time. AU endowments, pastoral country .lands, and all Land for Settlement lands are to be disposed of under the Renewable Leases. The other Crown Lands, such as purchased Native lands, are to be disposed of under the optional system, but they will no longer be open for cash, occupation with right of purchase, and lease-in-perpe uity, but merely on option between occupation with right of purchase, and renewable lease.

The provisions regarding tho Renewable Lease being for 66 years, with renewal for another 66 years, remains as before.

The machinery clauses dealing with the c-nd of the first term remain practically as before, as also does the provision relaiing' io the surrender of lease-in psrpetuity, perpetual and defi'rred payment licenses. Practically any of the tenancies may be converted into Renewable Leases. The former provisions, which allowed renewable leaseholders to pay off from so per cent to qo per cent is now ox.ended io the lease-in-pcrpetu-ity. The lease in-perpotuity holders of ihe colony will, whether under the Land for Settlements Act or on ordinary Crown Lands, now bo able to pay off up to <)0 per cent of the capital vakie, and thereby reduce the rent to one-tenth. When this reduction takes place the lease-in-perpelu-iiy holder will hold for qqq years free of all covenants and conditions of the lease, excepting th-~ old conditions of residence, for the whole period of the leases. This practically creates the IJOO years into freehold at the original value. The provisions of the Bill, which were devised co enab'e residents of towns to take up land without having to reside thereon during the first few years, require to be a.tended to by Parliament before they become law. Lxtensive additions have been made to ihe conditions providing for the limitation of private estates in land. A list of holders owning or being lessees of Xso ,000 worth of land is to be gazetted. 1 The following exceptions arc made : 1 rustics. persona, or corporations j holding for public, local government, educational, charitable, or religious ! purposes; the Public Trustee and the Official Assignee. Only land out- j side cities and boroughs is taken into j consideration. The list when fixed remains for ten years, at tho end of which time, if the owner is still on the list, a portion of his -property is sold by the Minister, sufficient to reduce the value of the balance to a sum of less than £50,000. Any person on the list who sells the excess portion of his property can gee his name taken off the list.

Provisions are introduced to prevent evasions of the law. Every person whose name is on the list, selling land, has to make a declaration that he is not retaining any beneficial interest in it, but he is allowed to retain a mortgage for two-thirds of the purchase money. This mortgage, however, does not allow him to buy in under the Registrar of the Supreme Court.

If the Minister at the end of tile 10 years has to enter and sell, the sale has to be by public auction, and on the deferred payment principle, covering a period of ten years. The property having been sold, the proceeds are to be paid by the Minister to the Public Trustee to the credit of the owner. Where the excess is a lease, the tenant's interests alone are to be sold.

Passing from the provisions, there follow provisions which prevent anyone accumulating large estates. The old area limit of 1000 acres i s abolished, and its plaee is taken by a limit of ,£15,000 unimproved value. livery person buying land or leasing land or receiving land by way of a gift must make a declaration that with the land 110 buvs, leases or receives as a gift, he does not posses! nrne than ,£15,01x1 worth. It does not, however, relate to bequests. These can be accepted, The Bill exempts lessees or licensees of Crown lands, being pastoral land or small grazing runs, and mortgages, where the morgage was ex.'cuted before the coming into operation of the Act. Mortgagees may purchase through the Registrar of the Supreme Court, without making the above value declaration, but in the ease of mortgages made after the coming into operation of the Act, the mortgagee, if la- purchases a pro. perty and legisteis his title, must dispose .of it within two years. |f | K . does no, do .so, the registration of his title is cancelled.

AH contracts for the purchase or ease of land, made before the Act °amc into operation, are exempted, if approved of by the Supreme Coipt. Small grazing runs and pastoral Lands ivc to In 1 disposed of formerly. The provisions regarding the ieguialions remain unchanged, except that those relating io classification are struck mil. In the repeal clau-e, piovisions are added to protect die New PlynvHilh Harbour Hoard Endowment Aet, The old schedule, which set out the acreage limits, is now struck out. J DISCUSSION IN T||K HOUSE, (Pet J'ress Association.) Wellington, October 4. When the House me, this afternoon ' the Chaitman of the Lands Committee (the lion. T. Y. Duncan) brought : up the repori of the Committee on the 1 Land Bill. He said the Committee had considered the Bill and taken ' evidence, and had come to the con- 1 elusion that it bo allowed to proceed | wu.i amendments made by them. He 1 moved that the report li c on the tab'e , and be printed. '

MrMassey would, in view of the impora.ic? of the measure and the general interest iaken in its provisions, "U' to se" a;i ;: arly dale fixed f or (he Kifcpncl u c that ihn usual half hour limit wou'd be found quiU> inadequate for the proper discussion of the measure in the see; nd leading debate.

I lie Hon. the Premier, with regard O t'le first point, fixed 7.30 on Tuesday evening next for the second leading- Willi icgard to the suggestion 10 have the time limit in the Standing Orders suspended for the debate !i-> though' it wou'd lie ncecstinry to have some a-sis'ance from the hon. griiv'eman (hat the concession would not bo used by anv of his party for the purpose of oljbtructiQn,

Mr Maasey intimated that to be impossible, as well as unlikely. 1 lie Pi emier said there were a great many rumours of intentions to stonewall. and preparations, aft for th<> purpose of destroying the Bill. Mr Massey said he had n o knowledge whatever of any preparation* for obstruction. He could say there would not be anything but fair dis eussion from his side of the House. He lepo.atfd tluu the half-hour would be (juite insufficient. How could he reply to the Minister of Lands, wht would have an Jiour? It would bi unfair to confine him to the lessci ■Unit.

The Premier pointed out that extension of the speaking time for tin second reading" debate would proportionately delay the committee work, and so take too much of ihe time at their disposal, which was not too long as it was for the work. He would, however, be glad to suspend the Standing Orders so as to give the Leader of the Opposition an hour for his speech. (Applause.) The motion was agreed co.