THE LAND BILL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 7 October 1907, Page 2

THE LAND BILL.

, SECOND BEADING CARRIED. , Per Press Association. ' Wellington; October 5. The debate continued after midnight. 1 Mr Ell said the Bill did not satisfy - him, as he held that all land should be \ held by the State. He thought the BiU I would bo generally acceptable to the country, but the leasehold system would , be better for the Dominion. ; Mr Sidey contended that the renewable lease was an old face with a new name. It was already on the Statute Book in the form of the provision for small grazing runs. Mr Hanan contended that if leaseholders were socialists, so also were private landlords who leased their lands recognising the advantages of leasehold over absolute sale. The Bill would prove whoiher the Crown leaseholders desired only the freehold or to socure the unearned increment. If they simply desired the freehold, they would obtain it at the present value. Otherwise it wag clear that they desired the unearned increment purely and simply. Mr Field thought the OG years' lease too long. Fortyj-two years was long onough to convert the leasoin-perpetuity to a 06 years' renewable lease would be availed of. , \ ■] Mr Rutherford anticipated that trouble would arise over improvements when re-valuation took place, Mr Wilford spofce in favor of the freehold. Mr Remington was favorable to grant* ing the freehold to Crown tenants sub* jeet to stringent restrictions of acreage and conditions of occupation. Mr Thomson believed that the trend of the times was towardß freehold with limitation. Mr McNab rose in reply at 3 o'clock. Ho said "he felt some confldenoe in approaching the committee stages. He

believed members of the House intended to approach the problem of settling land matters in the same spirit as members of the Lands Committee had exhibited. Confusion had arisen during the debate between the Land Bill proper and the Endowment Bill. Under section 3 of the Land Act applicants would

have the right of selecting upder the eash system occupation with right of purchase, or renewable lease. The Government were extending the opportunity for acquiring the freehold, and not reducing it, as was apparently thought by some members. There was no intention to dispose of the 9,000,000 acres of endowment land under the optional tenure. He hoped to be able to intimate to the House shortly what the Government proposed to do with regard to the leases of endowment lands.

The second reading was ajrrced to by 38 votes to 9. Messrs Hnrdy, Horries, Malcolm, Houston, Major, Mander, Okey, and Lang voted against the mo. ; tion. • ' The House adjourned at 8.30 a.m. •