LAND LAWS AMENDMENT BILL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8548, 4 October 1907, Page 5

LAND LAWS AMENDMENT BILL.

DEBATE IN THE HOUSE.

(By Te'egraph—Parliamentary Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, October 3. In the House this evening the Hon. R. McNab moved the second reading of the Land Laws Amendment Bill, which he admitted was very different from the Bill introduced last year. A feature worthy of especial attention was the abolition of the system of lease-in-perpetuity. During the currency of that system no fewer than 11,298 leases had been taken out, aggregating 2,283,765 acres, with a capital value of £5,528,547. In substitution of the perpetual lease it was proposed to have renewable leases with a currency of 66 years, which he considered would meet with approval. He went on to explain the details of the Bill, which have already been fully published. A feature of the measure, he said, was that preference was to be given to landless applicants. Mr McNab complimented the House on passing the Land and Income Assessment Bill, which he said contained the main proposals of last year's Bill, but went much further than them. Mr W. F. Massey, Leader of the Opposition, denied this statement, and "twitted" Mr McNab with having "climbed down," inasmuch as he now proposed to give the right to the leaseholder to acquire the freehold. He averred that there would be practically a confiscation of improvements when the valuer came along and assessed the rents for the new leases, and said that in his opinion the existing conditions were preferable. His contention was that it would be better for the country if the freehold was granted, and thus encourage settlers to do the best possible with their land. In his opinion vny few, if any, 991) years' leaseholders would convert to the 66 or 33 years, as the former was far preferable to the latter. The Government having inserted the "thin end of the wedge" of freehold, it was left to the Opposition to drive the wedge right home, so that the leasehold settlers might have the chance of acquiring the freehold at the original value. He maintained that it was the duty of the Government to encourage a class of small farmers, each cultivating their own property, and this was not being done by the present Bill. In regard to revaluation at the expiration of a lease it would be found that settlers would neglect fences and farms in order to get the lease renewed as cheaply as possible. It was evident that if Mr McNab was Minister of Lands he was not Minister for Settlement. Mr Massey preferred the ballot system to that of tendering, but he would like to see provision made to keep out the speculator. The Premier said the separating of part of las': year's Bill into three had proved advantageous, as was demonstrated by the passage of the Land Tax Bill last night. As to the freehold there were upwards of a million and a-half acres of Crown lands available for converting to this tenure, and the whole of the Crown lands held under the optional tenure would also be similarly available. Provision against aggregation was necessary, and with the assistance of members the Government hoped to do much in the matter of settling the land difficulties of the Dominion. Men placed on the land ten years ago without capital were now clamouring for the freehold, while there were landless men who had the same right to ask opportunities to get on the land as those of ten years ago. The debate is proceeding.