Land Act Amendment Bill.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4256, 22 August 1882, Page 2

Land Act Amendment Bill.

[Bt Telegraph.] (from our.own correspondent.) Wellington, Last night. The Waste Lands Committee, to whom this Bill was referred, have made some important alterations, as shown in the fresh pieces to the Bill. They are mainly as follows:—The first leases are to be for 30 years, in place of 21, and are to be renewable from time to time in periods of 21 years. In estimating the value of substantial improvements of a permanent character, arbitrators are to be guided by the following definition thereof—• Reclamation from swamp, clearing of bush or sorub, cultivation or planting with trees or live hedges, the laying-out and cuitii vating of gardens, fencing, draining, and making roads, sinking wells or erecting water-tanks, constructing water-races, or j in any way improving the character or i the fertility of the soil, or the erection of ! any buildings.' The provisions for the relief of deferred-payment settlers have, instead of the option of exchange for leases nnder the Act, been altered to what will be a more acceptable form to the persons concerned, to wit—" That those who have complied with the conditions of their purchase for at least three years will be enabled to arrange with the Com* missioner of Crown Lands to capitalisetheir unpaid payments at five per cent, per annum, and in paying punctually five per cent, on such capitalised value by way of yearly rent, and ultimately discharging the whole of such capitalised amount, they shall become the owners of the freehold." /