N.Z. FARMERS' UNION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 268, 20 December 1909, Page 4

N.Z. FARMERS' UNION.

TALIANAKI PBO\ IXCIAL TiVE.

The usual monthly meeting of the | Tarunuki Provincial Kxecutive of the j New Zealand Fanners' I'nion was held, at Hawera on Thursday. Present: Messrs. J. W. Jones (president), in the chair, A. Allhusen, K. Lambic, W. llogers, E. Maxwell, F. J. Virgin, J. Davidson, and J. Thomson. Apologies for absence were received from Messrs. S. Forsyth, A. Voullaire, aud J. U. Murray. NEW MEMBKII. The Toko branch wrote statiug that Mr. E. Marfell would accept nomination for the vacant seat on the executive. Mr. .Maxwell proposed, and Mr. Thomson seconded, that Mr. Marfell be elected. LAND I/A'WS AMENDMENT BJLL The Dominion Secretary wrote enclos-, ing two copies of the Lamt Laws Amendment Bill, and stated that the Advisory Committee asked the executive t<j consider the provisions of the Bill, that the various executives would enter a strong protest against the measure.

ihc executive went into committee to consider the Bill, and oil resuming Mr. Maxwell moved: 'That as the supposed freehold provisions in the Laud Laws Amendment Bill do not meet the principle for which the Union has lrom the start been striving, this executive rely on the pledges given by the members of the House, and hope that the Bill will be defeated, and that those members of Parliament of this province •who pledged themselves to the freehold be written to to that effect, and that a copy of this resolution be sent to other executives."

In speaking to the motion Mrr Maxwell said that he did not propose to Miggesl any amendment to the liill, as that woulii be futile, lie believed the principle of the liill was wrong, tt was neither freehold nor leasehold. The Govermucut had tried to please both parties, and in his opinion had signally failed. A freehold is where you get a clear title irrespective of restrictions. ; The Bill provided that the State appropriated certain proportions of the ui!crement under the different tenures, and in so doing the originator of the Bill had not contemplated a decrement, for such was not provided for. Now, he contended that the Uovernment were not entitled to any of the increment. Nay. more, its whole declaration when purchasing large estates was to encourage larger settlement—they had no idea of making money over it. They have ! not on any occasion claimed that they 1 have the right to make money in this I way.

Mr. Lambie, in seconding the motion

.-.'aid that lie had come to the conclusion, after reading the Bill, that it wa> past all hope of amendment. Jt was simply a ha«h which tried to satisfy freeholders on the one hand and lease holders on the other. Mr. Virgin took a different view. ]t had been snid that the Bill contained no principle. He thought differently. It provided that LLP. tenants acquire the freehold at the original value, plus hall of the unimproved value. His opinion was that the I'nion would never succeed in getting it at the original value, plus the one per cent, interest. Mr. Thomson yaid that the Union

should not deviate from its original principle. If they were to admit that llil' State were entitled to increment in land—to half the increment in this case —they were admitting; a principle which was wrong and was far-reaching. Mr. Allhuscn thought the motion a bit too strong. In bus opinion the Bill in short-dated leases was in the right directum, lie thought that the Statv was entitled to certain increment in the case uf short-dated leases; he also fliruigjit it fair to make provision in ease of decrement, fn the 999 years lease the Slate had no interest, and the provision that it should get half the uuinipi'oml value under this (%nu|re was wrong,

Mr. Maxwell, in reply, said the Government was making an offer which it knew would not he taken advantage of. Very few of the original L.I.P. tenants were newoceupiers. The land had changed hands several times in many instances, and the present occupier* had paid the full market value for it. The increment in these cas'es hail gone to the former occupiers, and now the Government proposed to take the balance. It was rather an anomalous position. The motion was carried.