LAND LAWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 October 1920, Page 5

LAND LAWS.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL DEBATE. THE MEASURE PASSED. By Telejrraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. In the Legislative Council this afternoon, Sir Francis Bell moved the committal of the Bill. He said there was no i national endowments except for the benefit of discharged soldiers, without whom there would now have been no endowments. He dealt briefly with the homestead settlement proposal, and the grievances of holders of leases of small grazing runs.

The Hon. J. B, Gow said small grazing leases had been taken up in the wilderness by pioneers, who were given a special tenure to induce them to go there. The lessees had been upheld by the Courts in tho view that they had a right to a renewal at 2% per cent., while Land Boards insisted on four per cent. The Government should have abided by tiie Courts' decision, instead of overcoming the contract by the 1918 Act. The Hon. 0. Samuel said the incident referred to by the previous speaker was most regrettable. The Government was hot justified in sgtting aside the decision of the Privy Council by retrospective legislation.

The Hon. W. Earnshaw maintained that the squatters of HajvUe's Bay held enough land to meet all tty; requirements of soldiers. The Hon. J. Barr said the Bill was an indication of the future policy of the wholesale distribution of national endowments. That wouß not matter, however, as long as the power was retained to tax land properly. He agreed wit ii Mr. Gow's remarks concerning grazing leases. The Hon. Sir William Hall-Jones said he would prefer to see the endowments retained, but it could not be said that the people were behind the Government's policy.

The Hon. E. W. Alison supported the Bill. Men not go into the backblockfl unless they could get the freehold, and this was essential'f^tf. the progress of the Dominion. •

The Hon. O. J. Garland said the Government was deserving credit for doing a courageous thing, and he would support the Bill. He defended the Government's attitude in regard to grazing leases, seeing there was ample provision for compensation. \ : Tlie Hon. W. J. Geddis contrasted the treatment of, lessees at Rotoruai and Te Arolia with {hat accorded to lepsees of small grazing runs. In tho first case lessees were getting more flian contracted for, and the latter were getting less. Sir Francis Bell said Mr. Oow had made an excellent showing in a poor case. The words governing rental in the 1882 Act were "equal to 2J per cent." That was amended in the 1892 Act to '•'equal to not less than 2J per cent," and somebody by mistake left in, in another place, the old words "equal to 2% per cent." The Court having ruled against the Government on a technical mistake, it was the duty of the Government as the trustees of the people's property, to amend the Act and carry out the intention of the legislature of 1802. The Bill was reported without amendment, read a third time, and passed.