The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1920 LAND LEGISLATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 October 1920, Page 4

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1920 LAND LEGISLATION.

When considering the proposals contained in the Lands Laws Amendment Bill, the second reading of which was carried on Thursday night, it is necessary to bear in mind the fact that the present Government is pledged to the freehold tenure. The Government majority is now sufficiently large to enable an extension of the freehold principle to be carried out. The leaseholders, who are now greatly in the minority in the House, argued that when the State parts with the fee simple it loses the future increments of value. The Slate, however, has already parted with its interests in the land. Much better is it for the State to get out the money held in the land and use it for more profitable purposes. The freeholder, generally speaking, is a much more contented and valuable settler, he carries a bigger share of the burden of taxation, and puts his heart into producing more. The State as nominal owner does not get a fair return from its property, and tied up for indefinite periods the land is not worth holding. The leasehold tenure has its uses as encouraging settlement, and as a stepping -stone to the freehold. Fair and just terms, however, under the optional system should be obtained, so that all men of ability and determination may have their chances of success, and that they are not forced before they are ready financially, into obtaining the freehold because of the arbitrary action of State and other lending institutions. The two features of the present Bill that are likely io meet with strong opposition in committee are the order of preference at land ballots,* and the machinery clauses relating to national endowment land funds. In relation to preference at the ballot, it will be noticed that returned soldiers come third on the list. It should be a point of honor, if not op the part of the Government, certainly on the part of Parliament, that not the slightest injustice should be done to any of the returned soldiers, and it would be perpetrating a great wrong to place any of the returned men who have not yet been able to obtain land on a less favorable footing than those "who have already secured holdings, hence they should take precedence over others at all ballots for land. The clauses relating to national endowment laud need to be closely and carefully considered before becoming law. It is no longer a question of nine million acres being set apart for this purpose, nor of what is to be done with the surplus land over that limit. It may just as well be utilised for homestead settlements as for any other suitable purpose. The important phase of this new legislation is the re-investment of the cash received for the freehold. In the first place it is obvious that though the Government may today intend to purchase suburban land with the sale proceeds of national endowment and homestead land, it may next session be in need of money and bbtain authority to use such sale proceeds, for by abolishing the endowments the way has been opened to disregard the best of intentions whenever their observance is inconvenient. It but emphasises the necessity for stringent, provisions being made to place these funds in the hands of a board entirely free from Government or political control. An additional reason for such a step is that the present Bill provides for town and suburban Crown lands being disposed of either for cash or deferred payment, so that the possibility of a gamble in suburban land in the near future is bj* £lo means chimerical, 1

THE PARK CURATOR. j It would be a distinct loss to the com-1 munity if, as the result of the rather | summary action of the Pnkekura Park j Board, the 1 services of the curator, Mr. W. W. Smith, were not to be available to -Yew Plymouth in the near future. In many respects he is an unusually talented man, who is capable of rendering I still greater service to New Plymouth. No one can deny thait lie has been largely responsible for the unique position en- ( joyed by the Park to-day; he has developed the natural, scenic, and botanical resources of the grounds, and made them perhaps the best and most interesting of their kind in Australasia to-day. He has given of his best without and without hope of reward, as is the way with all true scientists, and now he ia to be jettisoned because, presumably, he is not as young and active as ho-used to be. It is, of course, 'the way of the world, but, nevertheless, one cannot but feel regret that such a true and faithful servant of the people should be dealt with in a way so hard and summarily. We have felt for many years that the best use was not being made of the services of this gifted scientist and student of Nature. For him to be employed in manual work for so much of his time was to I our mind a waste of talent. New Plymouth is naturally a beautiful town, but it could be made much more beautiful if a man like Mr. Smith could be emi ployed in directing the work at the I various reserves, including the Park (a i working foreman being all that would be required for the latter), and, in effect, to aot generally as a town planner and beautifier. Mr. Smith is a keen entomologist and ethnologist. Now that the position of librarian and curator of the museum is vacant, could he not also be given charge of the museum part of it? He is also doing good work at the local meteorological station. Surely a position congenial to himself and valuable to the community can be created for him on the lines we have suggested. One thing is certain—the public appreoiate his scientific and practical work too much to think of losing his services if it can be avoided.