THE LAND BILL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 251, 29 November 1909, Page 4

THE LAND BILL

STATE SHAKES IN UNEAILNLD IISUUSMEiNT.

BIG MAORI LAM) POiiwii-^ES.

LIMITATION OF AREA: MAE1!I! I'ENALTIKS FOR EVASION.

The Financial Statement has prepared tlie public for tbe important provisions of tbe Land Laws Amendment iiill enabling tbe lessee of land held on tbe lease-ill-perpetuity or renewable lease system, whether settlement land or ordinary Crown land, to at any time dur ing tbe currency of the lease acquire thi fee-simple. The purchase price is to be the on ginal value of tbe land, and it is provided that iu the case of renewal leases' llie value of tbe minerals as defined i;i section one hundred and ninety of fie Land Act (all of which were by virtus of that section excluded from the lease)' shall be ascertained by the board bv valuation, and be added to and included in the purchase price. 'fbe land may be purchased for cash, or one-fourth of the purchase, money may be lirst deposited ami flu* remainder pani ill half-yearly iiiMlalnii'iiU, in teres I of t per cent, per annum being charged on the unpaid balance, which, under ihe name of " purchase-charge," shall ,be a paramount charge on the land. SHAKING THE LSLKEASE. "In order Lnat the Crown ivvbicii is at present entitled in reversion lo I'ie whole value) may receive a reasonable proportion ol' t'iic increase in the unimproved value of the laud purcuased as aforesaid ihe following provisions s.iall apply," slates clause eleven. It provines for a valuation to ascertain me unimproved value of the land at the date of tlie lease, and at live recurring lutcrvals of thirty-three yearn each in ihe case of lease-in-perpeluity land, and perpetually recurring intervals of thinyturee years each in the case of renew-able-lease laud.

Where tbe valuation shows an increase upon the original unimproved value, one-tenth of the increase is to be paid to the state in the case of lease-in-perpetuity land; one-lifth in the case of renewable lease land if it is not settlement laud. *

These sums, with interest at the rate of 4 per cent., are to be added to tbe half-yearly instalments, and until paid shall be a charge on the land iu favor of the Crown, ranking after the " pur-chase-charge,and having priority over all other incumbrances, liens and interests whatsoever.

Irrespective of the foregoing previsions as to purchase, the lessee oi lease-ill-perpetuity laud, whether settlement laud or ordinary Crown land, may, ~t any time wiLkin two years' after the coming into operation of the Act, acquire the fee simple of the land tor cash.

The purchase price shall be the original unimproved value of Hie laud plus one-half of the sum (if any) by winch the unimproved value at the (lute ol the purchase exceeds the unimproved value at the date of the lease.

FREEHOLD FOR SETTLE.UEiNT LAND.

Land for Settlement land may also be disposed of by sale under the above conditions whenever it is opened for selection under -the renewable lease, the purchase price to be the capital value ul the land (including buildings and improvements') as fixed by the Minister for Lands. The purchase may be for cash or on the instalment sysieni.

IMPORTANT (JENitKAL PROVISIONS.

it is expressly stipulated tli.it uu clause relating to the acquisition of the fee simple shall apply to national endowment land.

The general clauses of the Act empower reference of valuation disputes to arbitration la uniform system of which is laid down), *nd enable the "purchase charge" and " recurring-charge" to be reduced by payments of i£o or multiples thereof, corresponding rebates of interest being allowed. No further advantage can be taken of section one hundred and ninety-one of the Land Act, giving the owner of a renewable lease or bf a lease-m-.perpetuily the right to pay up ninety per centum of the capital value of his land. One-lifth of the annual value lroin national endowment, lauds shall be applied by the .Minister of Finance for the benelit ol' university education in connection with the Auckland University College, the Victoria College, the Canterbury College, ami the Otngo I niversity in such manner as is approved by resolution of both Houses ot' Parliament. Selectors of Crown land must Le twenty-one years of age. in no caSJ shall any rebate of rent be granted to 1 Crown tenant, or to a lessee under tae Land for Settlements Act, unless the Commissioner and the Receiver arc sallied that the tenant or lessee, as tne case may be, has at least four children under the age of sixteen years.

LIMITATION OF PRIVATE LANDS.

A further drastic limitation proposal is embodied in a short clause wihich amends clause IMI I of the Land Act. This provided that no person could acquire any interest in Crown land which had been alienated it' thu area, together , with that already held by him, exceeded 5000 acres. For the latter figure is substituted 2500 acre*'. NATIOiNA L DEVJSLOP-MKNT ACCOUNT. All surplus moneys received in respect of the sale of the fee-simple of Crown lands (other thaii settlement lauds) shall be paid into Uie l'ublic Account to the credit of a separate account called the National Development Account, and tiie moneys in that account shall be applied in the development of the country b\ roads, bridges, telegraphs, telephones, and railways, subject in every cas'e to appropriation by Parliament. AUdKEGATION STRICTLY LIMITED.

The area of land which may be acquired under the Act by any person mint not exceed an area which, together with all other land (whemer Crown land or not) owned, held, or occupied under any tenure of more thin one year's duration, whether severally 01 jointly or in common with any other person:

Four hundred acres of first-class land, One thousand acres of second-class land. Two thousand five hundred acres of third-class laud. Two' thousand five hundred acres of two or more such classes.

Land shall be deemed to be occupied if it. is in fact used or cultivated, whether under, any tenure or not; and a person who occupies laud shall be deemed to have an interest in it. v

HEAVY I'KXALTIUS FOR EVASION.

If any person acquires any interest in any land ill bleach of the sections, tfie'J, irrespective of the proceedings to which he is liable under sections three hundred and forty-three and three hundred and forty-four of the Land Act he shall be guilty of a crime, punishable on indictment by ;i line not exceeding in the case of a corporate body JcMOOO, and ill any other case £3OO, or imprisonment for any term not exceeding two years. NATIVE LAND I'UK.'ll ASES. Tile Hill seeks to empower the purchase of native land in the North Island not exceeding in all two million acres. If. no agreement for purchase can be made with the native owners, the land 'may be taken compulsiirily under the provisions of the Lands for Settlement Act relating to t.lic compulsory acquisition of private land. The annual expenditure for purclias'es is limited to £,">00,000. All land so purchased shall lie deemed to be -ettlemeit land, anything in the Lands lor Settlement Act to the contrary notwithstanding. Provided that siicli of it as is classed by the board with the approval of the Minister of Lauds as undeveloped land shall be disposed of on the optional system under the Land Act iu like manner in all respects as if it were ordinary Crown' land, save that the proceeds shall I be paid into the Lands for Settlement Account. I