PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 259, 8 December 1909, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

»■&• * TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7. i By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, December 7. lAfter midnight the Lands for Settl ment Administration Bill passed its se ond reading. The Premier moved tl third reading of the Land Settlemei Finance Bill, which was agreed to c the voices and passed. The Souse rose at 12.45 a.m. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL Wellington, Last Night. The Council met at 2.30. The Magistrate's Court Amendmei Bill was put through the committc stage, read a third time, and pas&ei The Shipping and Seamen, Designation t Districts, and Land Settlements Financ Bills were read a first time, and th Council adjourned at 2.45. i HOUSE OF REPHESEKTATIVES THE LAND QUESTION. In the House of Representatives ii the afternoon, on the resumption of th interrupted debate on the question tha ithe report of the Lands Committee oi the Land Laws Amendment Bill do 11 on the table, Mr. Fisher moved to adi ••that in the opinion of the House tin land proposals of the Government, an Unsatisfactory." The amendment wa: Pot seconded,'and lapsed. The House went into committee oi the Land for Settlement Administrattoi Bill. At clause 3, providing that al settlement land and moneys shall b< ivested in the Superintendent, Mr. Arnold and Mr. Herries expressec flisapproval of lands being so vested. Mr. Hogg thought the land should be rested in local bodies', a view that was supported by Mr. McLaren. Mr. Allen contended that we were landing over our Crown lands to the money-lender in England. Mr. Hogg moved that the word * Superintendent" be struck out of the Clause, with a view to adding othei words. This was lost on a division by 63 to 4, and the clause passed as printed. At clause 9, providing means of raising funds' for the purposes of the Act, Mr. Massey moved to add the following new sub-clause: "To provide further lunds, the Minister is hereby empowered to sell to any lessee of land held under this Act the fee simple of the land held by such lessee, subject to the following conditions: (1) The purchase price shall be 'the original value of the land; (2) any lessee of the aforesaid land, on any day appointed for the payment of the land, may pay to the Superintendent any sum not being less than one tenth of the capital value in part payment of the purchase money for the freehold of the hind, and his future rent shall henceforth be proportionately reduced. The debate was interrupted by toe 5.30 adjournment. On the House resuming, the interrupted debate on- clause 7 of the Lands for . Settlement Administration Bill and Mr. Maasey's amendment thereon was resumed. - Mr. Massey contended that lessees who had , taken up land on lease-in-perpetuity should be allowed the freehold of their lands on the same terms as those having the optional tenure on paying a difference of one per cent, between their rental and the rental on the optional system. Mr. T. E. Taylor described the Government's land proposals as nebulous and 'unsatisfactory, and declared that Mr. Massey's amendment was not an hone it proposal. After much further discussion, Mr. Massey's amendment was lost by 42 to »• Mr. Massey then moved a new sub- ' clause to provide funds so that an owner Of a lease under lands for settlement may purchase the fee simple of the lands occupied by him at the original valuation. The chairman said the amendment was substantially the same as the previous one. Mr. Massey then moved to report profress hi order that the Speaker's ruling e taken on the point. This -was rejected by 33 to 30. Following is the division list on Mr. Massey's amendment to clause 9:— \ For the amendment (21): Messrs. A"derson, Bollard, Buchanan, Dive, J. Duncan, - Greenslade, Guthrie, Hardy, Her- . ries, Hine, Laing, .Mander, Massey, Newman, Nosworthy, Okev, Pearce, Phillips, Scott, Smith, G. M. Thomson. Against the amendment (42): Messrs. Arnold, Brown, Buxton, Carroll, Clark, Colvin, Craigie, Davey, Dillon, T. Duncan. Ell, Field, Forbes, Fowlds, lllover, Ball) Hanan, Hogan, Hogg, Laurenson, Lawry, Macdonald, R. MvKenzie, T. Mackenzie, McLaren, Millar, Ngata. Parata, Poland, Poole, Beed, Ross, Russell, Seddon, Stall- . worthy, Steward, T. E. Taylor, T. E. Kangihiroa, J. C. Thompson, Ward, .Witty, Wright. Clause 19 (which provides for classifies. tion and limit of area according to section 07 of the Land Act, 1908) was amended, on the motion of the Premier, | by the omission of the words " and the j / limit of area in the case of each class,' and the substituting of a sub-clause pro- j vidin'g that for the purposes' of the Act one acre of first-class lie deemed equi-1 valent to 2% acres of-third-class land. Mr. Newman moved a new sub clause that the owner whose land had been taken may, in addition to the ar a mentioned in sub-clause (a) retain 100 acres of first-class land or its equivalent on account of each adult son, providing lie can satisfy the board that such son intends to follow agricultural or pastoral pursuits. i fill* .Tnapnh VJatA refused f« annax\l

< err Josepn ward relused. to accept lar the amendment. be Mr- Newman's amendment was laat co] by 39 to 25. otl CLAIMS OF OLD SOLDIERS. # \ Replying to Mr. Thomson (Wallace), ™ 3 Che Prime Minister said the Government .^ intended' to issue instructions to magis- m] trates throughout the dominion about the beginning of February to inquire into and report on the claims of old i eoidiers, (Left Sitting).