NATIONAL ENDOWMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 25 October 1907, Page 2

NATIONAL ENDOWMENTS.

AN ANIMATED J,i£UATIi. OWOSmO-X fi.' tiuViiUNMENT SUTUiUt.lt*. THE SECOND it; ;AD, Nti AUKEED TO. l'tr i'/ess Association. Wellington, Wednesday. The debate on the second, reading of the Natioiul Endowments JSill was continued in the llouse of Representatives this evening. Air James Allen argued that the I'cst lands of the youth island remaining for nettleuunt were being restricted to leasehold (tenure, and the , only lands available for selection under o.r.p. were tiie hilltops One Island had to find practically all the lands for the endowment scheme. The South Island was finding over seven and a-half million acres and the North island only one million and aquarter acres. 'the differentiation between the two Islands was most unfair. The real purpose of the Bill was con- ] taincd in clause 3, which provided that no land could be taken up except under leasehold tenure. Ho deprecated the propusal in regard to old-age pensions, and quote from the late Premier's re- ! marks to show that Mr Weddon was in l.'.vi.r o 1 providing lor old-age pensions from the consolidated funds. it was not in the interests of education and old-age to allow the funds to depend on a speculative system.

Mr Duncan expressed regret that ho I had to criticise the proposals. It was well known 'that he had intended to set aside certain lands as endowments, but his proposals were mild in comparison with the present proposals, lie had intended to set aside about three million acres. If the proposals had been more moderate, tho Lands Committee would not have rejected the schedule. He could not agree to O.unaru being robbed of the lands from which £3200 was received by the Oamaru Harbor Board and which were pledged to money-lenders in London. tie did not think the proposals would benefit education by n single copper, tie believed the Premier would fait as the result of these proposals. ill' WiU'ord said he believed in endowments, but when the Bill was in committee he intended to move an

amendment, as much of the nine million acres was waste land, and would cost thousands of pounds tor road-making before a penny revenue could be derived. He instanced the case of a i'aranaki property set apart for hospital a.,d charitable aid, from which tie years' rent would not be sufficient to make any sort of a road. He intended to move that the Government by proclamation should be empowered to sell portions of endowment land and have the money :-o derived invested in other lands, if possible within ten miles of towns. He ' would move this, as he desired to have immediate revenue lor puiposos of education and old-age pensions. Mr Rutherford saia it was admitted on all hands that teachers were under-

paid, and there must be an improvement in educating children m the b-ickbioclcs. h'or that misoii there would be no decrease in the education vote nor m tne old-age pension vote. He characterised the Bill as a wretched proposal. All freeholders should fight against the proposal, as it was tlic beginning of land nationalisation.

Mr Ell said that 30 years ago the Te Aute endowments were not worth more than a halfpenny per acre; now tiiey brought in a revenue of £2200 a He pointed oat Wellington city by holding ou its lands and acquiring others had secured a rental of £ll),U00. Ue pointed out that from ISW2 to lOOli tho value of rural lauds bad increased »f "early JJIS,UUU,IH)O, and that increase was still going on. These ligjres, he argued, were quite MilUeient lo show the value that would ultimately ar.se from the endowments.

Mr. i'latman, in supporting the Bill, said, it was right that they should have enuowments. They should preserve stflne of the land for the people of the iuture.

Mr Lewis contended that town lands should be devoted to the purpose. Mr Fisher regretted lliat the Minister had not act aside the whole of the Crown lands remaining. lie urged that city lands should be utilised lor endowments and suggested that on new railway, routes every township should be set apart as an endowment.

ihe debate continued alter midnignt. Mr Graham said that, while lie udd given his support to the first two Bdis dealing with land, he could not support the Hill which came before the House under the alluring title of National Endowments. He was opposed to tiie Hill because of the apportionment of the nine million acres.

Mr Witty said there should be some land left for endowment. If ou.y little would be derived from that source, it would increase. Mi Seddon, while in favor of endow meats, protested against the large area set apart in VVestiand.

i Mr Ngata defended Maori members in supporting the Uoveriimcnt on the • ground that the Uovernnient reprcsent- ! Ed the will of the people. The Maoris themselves said, •■jet apart endow- ; wonts for education." He instanced , Uie Te Aute College Trust, now worm £35,0110, and the Porirua, YVaikato, Mouiviva, alio it aiuu'apa cliuowiuluu. • Mi it. .Wcivo;,2;o sum iew people 1 iu Luc eolony would be satislieu tuat Lite pjowsiou 101' eiuieauon aim old-ug t ■ pensions were the real objects ox the rLU. its policy was the poliey oi 1 what was Known as the Neiv L.beral | luny. No Cuinpnant h.,u ceen maue ui tile cost of education and old-age ' pensions, and consequently tnere was no •ii ea lor the proposals, J.llls wils no--1 thing but the p,acnce oi deception on tne people of the country. He added: it we are going to the passing of the > ways, let us! iam piepaied Lo go to my constituents.' Proceeding, he said ihiny members m the Bourn island suppui'ied the CuY\rninciu, out, if they supported the Lin, iwemy-live would not come back after next election, Mr Jennings, referring to me leasehold, said the i'arnelt diatr.Qt of Auckland was leasehold and was in the worst condition of any part of the the disuict. The same was the ease in Stratloid. On one side of the street were miserable shanties on leasehold properties, and on the other side good substantial buildings on freehold land. He po.ntid out that the Stout- Vogel Uoveminent had set apart 20U,UW acres loi charitable aid wnieh had never been Used, and predicted that, if the Hill were platen on the Mamie Hook it would l'rovo ii dead letter. Mr Syincs, m opposing the Hill, said U shoum be called tile Crown Leasing or Ulu Ami-Freehold ISiIJ, as Hs present name was a sham. The Premier rose to reply at 4 0 clock. He reiterated that he had not asked any member to give an underlying as to how lie would vote on the hiM i " 1 5 a3 '-' hold ' He ~° 1" ostjoa of 'tenure was not bcTlnt r, + Us f 111 tho Bill. lai d mi 7 , ad bem settlei ■ ■ dy I,asseJ) wUw,e by the "gut was given to l.i.p. tenants to condiOfiiinn Hc 110iuU ' d out that anUUm Was CQmi,l S fpaa lcntals of leases; yet members had endca,vored to depreciate the value of the endowment proposal. He pointed out tli,at in the year 1878 the United States nil! i,(t iipart tor educational p m lmv .nent 0 000,000 acres. He contradicted , ' cn/ie s statement, and added ! bed 'in fl 1 !! a ? minißtral;io,l was stab-

Imu m tic back by one of its members io lesonfod it. The hon. member could .lo as he pleased so far as he (the PreT Cn, , C ,' 1 ' Il( ' 'tuoted from «l,n l ? n , s s P C(,cl > » 1898 to menu J ' avorab ''' to endowi , wmmded members that fnn l % made on the luud.-, by ap|)lieatiens for increased reof tliT'on" ° f loa<,!,ovs an(l extension n!., a , ',""B° I'fusiou privileges. He j tho Government had not tho"l 1 f fairly during the course of the debate by its own members. votes" lo°22 n<l Mding WW e^,n ' ie,l 44 TI-TE DIVISION LIST.

I'm 110 second rending (44)—Aitken, i' n""' nnl,1 ' Barclay w" w r?. '' f!olvi ' , < Mlim ' 'tt m!m ' Pow,tlR ' GroensWi r T ,n ' Ho W. TTornsliy. Ar^ 1 11f KiiW, Tjaiironßon, Lawrv, McNal,, MncPhcv.on, MM-.v. V-nln. Y-.n-nU, Pnbnfl, p nnK Ivuiington, Ross, Seddnn, Sidov, Stalli V \v^ tPW ?J.u T am,ov - Tlionifon, iWiiv.], With'. Wilford, Won,! Am-mt (221-rJ. Allen, Bennett, Boiled. Dmicin, Field, A. L. I). Fraser, \\. lwer, Cirahnm. J-Tardv. Hcrries, Houston, jMintnfp, Lan?, ' Tjewis, R. MoKenz'e, Major, Malcolm, Mnnder, Massey. Okey, Koid, Tho Houso aJjournea at '4,60' a.irf.'