LAND TENURES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 17 October 1907, Page 2

LAND TENURES.

DISCUSSION IN THE HOUSE,

Per l'rcss Association.

Wellington, Tuesday. Tlie Land Laws Amendment Bill was further considered by the House of Kcpresentatives in committee this afternoon.

I'ItEJMJUEXC'Ji AT Ilili JAALLOT. Clause 4S \v;im taken. This provides tliat ill eases of ballot, preference Sliall be given to the landless lir.st, (he Hoards decision as to un applicant's claim to be called landless ta be linal . An applicant is deemed to be luidless within tlie meaning of tlie section if lie dues not hold, under any tenure, such area as in the Board's opinion is suflicient I for the maintenance of himself and I family; in the case of the husband and 1 "wife (except where judicially separated) 1 if either is not landless, neither shall be ! deemed landless. | Mr McXab said it would not lie possible to frame a regulation for tlie absolute guidance of tlie Board. Mr Massey urged that preference should be given under the Land for Sct- , tlement Act to men with small capital ' and a family, rather than, as was (lone at present, to men with a large amount of capital. . . 3 . j • I Tlie ilnusw iia.s passed without amendment. Clause 4!) gives preference to (a) married men with children, (b) widowers with children, (c) widows with children, (d) married women with children and jud'cially separated from their husbands. Mr Malcolm moved an amendment to : make preference contingent 011 the applicants having a practical knowledge of farming. The amendment was lost on the voices. . IsS isi Mr Lang contended that under the .clause they were cutting out the most suitable class. He urged tnat encouragement should be given to .single men and the newly married men. Mr McNab contended that every single man who got on the land excluded a family from so doing, and as a large number of applications were being made by married men who had been subjected to disappointment in their efforts to secure land, it was advisable to reduce their disappointments, even if tliey did so at the expense of the single men. Ife added that the clause would prevent dummyism, as it was usually me single man who was used for this purpose by speculators. He would be prepared to strike out the words "with children" after married men. This would meet Mr Lang's view. I Mr Witty hoped the House would not agree to Mr Mci Sab's suggestion. Mr Massey urged tnat ; preference should be given to applicants who had been previously unsuccessful, then to married and single men who should be placed on the same oasis. He contended that we should give every encouragement to young men, Mr McJN'ab said it was not intended to abandon the clause altogether, but g.ving preference to married men in lace of the large number of applicants that were coming forward, would have the eilcct of excluding single men. Jne clause was struck out. Clause 50 provides, 'Preference to former applicants wno, within the previous two years, have competed at least twice unsuccessfully' at any other land ballots." Mr Ilornsby moved to strike out the words "at least twice." Mr Hornaby withdrew his amendment, and the minister amended the clause to give preference to persons who have applied unsuccessfully for an allotment open for public seleeeiou - • ,0 Mr McNab said that during the adjournment lie had looked into the question of preference and deemed it advisable to strike out clause 50, with a view to introducing, another clause at a later stage, 'xhe clause was accordingly struck out. CLASSIFICATION OF LAND.

Clause 55, which provides for the I classification of land into first, second and third class, and the limitation of area, was passed w.tii the following amendment to the classification:— Land of an unimproved value of £4 per acre or upwards to be first class; unimproved value less that £4, but not less than £3, second class; unimproved value less than £2, third class. ADDJ.NU TO SELECTIONS, Clause oU proviues Uiat, in any case where, in tne opinion of the Board, the land held by a selector is inaullicient lor the maintenance of himself and his iauiuy ike Board may, subject to the approval of the Minister, permit h.in to acquire any laud whetner contiguous or not wiuiout such l.ind being first opened for public selection, notwithstanding any restriction contained in the principal Act as to tlie number of aecuuiis » men any selector may lioid. Mr Masscy moved an amendment to provide that the clause should operate subject to the area limitation clause of tlie Bill, This w.is negatived by' 47 to IS. Clause 50 was passed uiiair.endeifc 1 BIiIJUEATJtIINU LEASEHOLDS.

Uause uo pro v lues Uiau 011 me ueatii oi tUe uwuer oi any; lease or license, nis uiccuiuis ur a.u.uunisauiur» snau uu\e power to assign uie lease or iieeu t e lo any (jualiiicd person; t»ut tiie consent of tiic iioara blunl be necessary ior any such, as.sjgmnent. Air -liexNab moted an amendment to l'l'uvidc LUilt Ulu consent of tlie lfoarj ul Uut bu necessary iu tlxu case oi assignment to any person in tlie will. voices. llU ' CUtlmellt was a = rl ' uetl t0 on the

WOOD PULP TSDWOYf night? dobatU WaS Colltillui ' d inij.

J*"" 6 ' 3 ' 00 and C 1 clascb) were passed unamended. Clause Ola provides:—'\L U order to i d nUustry'io l i StablisllmWlt of a WUuJ l ,ul P inuustij lor paper-making, the Governj» way from time to i set In rt o'rior°itr itablU /° r dOSU run sv«J • under % M«all gra/.m* »»«««* .All iUeiS r ab said the Government Irul llshaEtHß'i: sgWKatattS tm , fc ' riUUud l'owcr. out, but, the young trees allowed to [glow until mature as in the case of th's industry in Canada. The timber. Jie per es Waß aot suitable for milling purJiXCIIANGIXO CBOWN LANDS.' '

Clause 01b provides that the Governor may, when he deems it expedient in the public interest, exchange Crown hinds for private lands which in his opinion are of approximately equal value. All hinds so acquired are to become Crown lands and subject to the provisions of the principal Act. The clause was passed unamended. Progress was reported, and the House rose at 12.30 a.m.

Wellington, Last ."Night. Hie House, on resuming at 7.30 went into committee on the Land 'taws Amendment Bill, , g. GIFT LANDS. " ' At 01c, "The Board may from time to time, subject to the approval of the Minister, set apart areas of rural land and declare the same available for occupation without payment, but subject to conditions as to cultivation and re- | sidence. It is provided that the Board shall publicly notify the opening of such lands; it is also provided that the area allowed to be selected by each person of the age of 18 years and upwards shall not exceed 200 acres, and for persons under 18 years, 50 acres, provided also that the total quantity selected by any one family or number of persons forming one household shall not exceed 500 acres, residence to bo compulsory and shall commence, in the case of bush lands within one year, and in the case of open lands within six months after the application is approved by the Board; such residence to be continuous lor seven years; a dwelling of a permanent nature to be erected within 18 months; one-fourteenth of the area, if open land, and one twenty-eighth, if bush land, to be cultivated each year, so that at the end of seven years onehalf of the open land, and one-fourth of tho bush land, shall be under cultivation; selections to be forfeited if tho conditions are not complied with, and selectors Jo pay the cost" o'f sum^"—<

Mr Mills would not support tho clause. He thought the Ktate has been very generous in the past, but could not all'ord to give lands away at jthis stage. It was not ns if-we had such large tracts of land as there were in Australia.

ill- McNab, in reply to Mr Farala, said the clause applie 1 to Maoris as weH as Europeans. Tlierj was no dstinction made.

Jir Marnier, in supporting the clause, said it would encourage settlers to apply for the poorer l-u.ds in the ISoriii and East of Auckland, which could not profitably be worked if large prices lu I |to be paid for such, lands. Mr Duncan, in support ng til - clause, of which he is author, said it would be better to have the poor lands taken up | than to let them run to waste and noxious weeds. •

Mr Lang generally supported Iho clause. He said the only thing he did not care about was tint the operation was subject to the Minister's approval, I who, at the moment, did not appear to regard it favorably. Mr Thomson asked if the Minister objected to the clause as it included the granting of the freehold, and gave it Vor nothing. , . : Mr Massey said the clause was the best proposal the late Min : ster for

Lands had ever made. It was a proposal that lie (Mr Massey) had advocat-

Ed for a long time. It would enable the poor gnmdiggcrs to take up lands which were practically given over to noxious weeds, and (he country would benefit by getting good settlers who would be able to make a portion of their living by guind gging on the lands in the North of Auckland.

Mr Mills said he had seen gum lands in the North, and he doubted very much whether they could get men to take up these lands and fulfil the conditions imposed. It was true we needed settlers, but lie advocated men taking up smaller sections, than large sections of poor lands. lie knew of men in his electorate who had never had more than 150 acres of land and who were now able to -write their cheques for twenty or thirty thousand. This was 'due to their" having good land on which to raise crops. Mr Flatman contended that poor laird was not the place to put poor people on. He oould not support the clause in its present form, Mr Bollard said there were hundreds of thousands of acres in the North island peculiarly suitable for settling poor gumduggers 011, who would carry on digging until they got grass paddocks. Mr Witty, in supporting the clause, said there were thousands of acres in the North which lie would not have as a gift if he had to reside there. However, they were, he thought, suitable for gumdiggers to settle on. He added there were roads passing through these lands, so that it would not cost much for roading. Mr Hogg said he should imagine tli,ey could not offer anything worse to the poor man than poor land. He tliougn that those who managed to survive seven years, until they got the freehold, would find themselves 111 the moneylenders' hands—a case of out of the fry-

ing pan into the fire. In his opinion, the arid lands of the North of Auckland were not fit for settlement. Mr Duncan said i£ some such clause were not agreed to, certain lands would be idle for ever. Mr Hcrries said Sir George Grey, the late Mr John Ballance, and the late Mr SeJdon had advocated this system, and the Land Boards should be given the opportunity to try these lands by throwing them open for selection. Mr Massey said members appeared to think that lauds to be dealt with under the clause would all be poor lands, but this was not necessarily so, as the clause provided for the Board, with the Minister's approval, setting areas apirt. The clause was rejected by 30 to 25. TEEMS OF LEASE. •

Clause 02, which provides that the second part of the BiU shall be deemed part of the Land for Settlements Consolidation Act, passed unamended. Clause 03 provides that no Land for Settlement Lands shall be disposed of by way of lease-in-pcrpetuity, and that all such lands are to be offered for selection under llencwable Lease. Mr Massey moved to include optional tenure iu the clause.—Negatived by 3? to 20. t , ] j t j Sub-clause 2 of clause 03 provides that the term of lease be 33 years, with a perpetual right of renewal foi: further successive terms of 33 years. Mr Massey moved to make the term 00 years. He urged that leases under the Land for Settlement Act should be brought into line with leases of ordinary Crown lauds. Mr McNab said in tie majority of eases the Land for Settlement lands were well improved, and the conditions were riot at all similar to ordinary Crown lands where bush had to be cleared. After due consideration, it had been decided by the Government that 33 years was a reasonable time for these leases.

Mr Hogg contended that 33 years was too long. In tile case of educational endowments lands, they were only leased for periods of 21 years, and 14 years, and in the case of exceptionally well improved lands, such as in the Marlon district, the leases were only for seven years.

Mr Lang, in supporting the amendment, said the shorter leases were against men going on the land. He would support an oven longer term. Mr Kulherford considered 33 years was long enough for settlement lands, and it was absurd to seek to make the leases longer. He was disposed to support Mr Hogg's suggestion for a lower term iu tile case of lands weU broken-in.

Mr Matmau could not see any necessity for extending the term over 33 years, as the leases were renewable, and the term was only for the purpose 'of adjusting the rent.

The amendment was negatived by 39 to 23. .' i , 1 ' J-LrJl jjk) REDUCTION OF RENTAL. Sub-section 3 provides that no lease shall bo granted at a lower rental than a pounds per cent of the capital value of the land as 'determined by the Minister in accordance jvith section 51 of the principal Act.

Mr McNab moved an amendment to reduce to per cent. Replying to Mr Massey, he said it was intended to apply this reduction to the 009 years* lease.

Mr Laurenson expressed regret at the intention to reduce the renta], as it Juft tlie State only one-quarter per cent to pay working expenses.

The Premier said the matter had to he carefully considered, and he did not agree with Mr Laurenson. lie contended that on high lands whore short leases applied, this was a desirable thing to do. ITc added that the money required by the eountiy would not cost more than 4 per cent There was 110 hvl'cation to the contrary at present, 'i lu- Government was justified in what it was doing, and it would pay the Doininion to do so at even a leaser cost. The amendment was carried 011 the voices.

Mr Laurenson protested that it was unwise to reduce the rental. | Mr Italian said, like Mr Lauronson, lie had misgivings on the auvis.iblity of reducing the rental. He urged that they- should first liave Been whether 1 they could settle the lands under the original proposal of 5 per cent. . Mr McNab said it was not expeeted that when they reduced the 999 years to 33 years that the land would lie rushed, and on that account it was ne-

cessary that they should provide some inducement to get men to take up land. He strongly defended the reduction of rrtSital, and stated that lie was convinced no member in the House would have opposed the reduction when informed it could be done without losa to the colony.