AUSTRALIAN POLITICS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 81, 26 September 1911, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN POLITICS

N.S.W. GOVERNMENT'S POLICY.

EASY LAND CONDITIONS. By Association—Copyright. Sydney, September 25. Mr. lleebv delivered :i policy speech, in which he said that the confiscation ljogcy was too disreputable for use. The real issue was ready ami cheap access to land against the maintenance of the old system of monopoly and privilege. Within three months 300,000 acres, taken from reserve and improvement leases, would lie offered for settlement in living area blocks under perpetual lease. No rent would be cliarged for the first five years, provided 2'/ 2 per cent, of the value was spent yearly on improvements. After live years « rent of 2% per cent, on the capital value would be charged, and it would be reapprised every twenty years. Absolutely the only restriction was that the tenant could not sell or hold for speculative purposes. No country in the world offered a better system of land tenure. No man, in a closer settlement district, could hold more than a living area. He urged that all districts near towns and railways lie proclaimed closer settlement districts. The holding of large areas out of use in these districts should be made more irksome. It was proposed to add a clause to the Act empowering the Government to resume improvement leases, under which at present eight million acres were held, two millions of which were suitable for closer settlement. The valuation for resumption would be done by a board, whose decision would be final.

The (Government would adopt the New Zealand method, and the value of places for taxation, plus 10 per cent., would be the maximum value for resumption. Referring to combines, he declared that wherever the people were being exploited the (Government would enter into competition. AVESTRALIAN ELECTIONS. Perth. September 25. Ten laborites were returned unopposed in three electorates. Labor candidates are cnntcNtieg every seat. PREFERENCE TO UNIONISTS. Sydney. September 25. A demonstration against the mandate of the Federal (Government for preference to unionists i- being organised.