THE LAND BILL

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 17 October 1912, Page 5

THE LAND BILL

SECOND READING PROPOSED. ITS PROVISIONS EXPLAINED. (By Telegravn — irress Association.) WELLINGTON, Last Night. The Hon W. F. Massey, in moving the second reading of the Land Amendment Bill iii. tho House of Representatives to-night, stated that members on his side of the House had no objection to a man having a leasehold if lie desired it. It was impossible to include the. whole of the party's policy in the present Bill, and another just as. important would be brought down next session. The people had come to the conclusion that the holders of leases-in-perpe-tuity should be enabled to acquire the freehold. The State was losing money every day on the 1.i.p., for if they only received 3J per cent for money invested in that way, and had to pay over 4 per cent for it, it stood to reason they were losing money. They would still borrow money, but not to the same extent as heretofore. He was asking for a great deal, of power in connection with subdivision of lands, but not more than was necessary. A land-owner wishing to dispose of (his,estate could, handyit over to tho Government, and it would be cut up, subdivided, roaded, and disposed of. The cost would be a first charge on the proceeds. A most important clause provided for native owners having similar' rights. It might take years to bring It into operation, but he believed they had. in embryo a solution of the native land question. The Bill would-give, the small man every opportunity of going on the land, and .would have the effect of bringing back to New Zealand many of our-young' meh who had left because they could not get land. The administration of the land laws in the past had been far. from satisfactory. He had received hundreds of letters asking for remission of rent, and he. "believed-if these men were given a square deaf they would give a good account of themselves. What was : ., proposed in tho Bill on the subject of small grazing runs would probably not give . universal satisfaction'- hut it was an honest attempt at reform. The grazing run leases would be undei: the l.i.p. ton-: ure with a. 21 years' term. Another' proposal was for town planning:■ Any person cutting up land for subdivision must produce plans for the approval of the Governor-in-Council. ■ The payment to Land Board members was to be increased from 10s to 15s per day. Provision was made for the postponement of-payment of rent by Crown tenants in case of a .settlor meeting with a natural disaster, or showing other :sufficient cause. The Bill proposed; to .place-the man who took up land under the l.i.p. in the same position as o.r.p. tenants, providing the former paid the same money as. the latter. A man desiring to purchase land could do so either for cash at 8 months, or.on deferred pnvment. it was provided that th? Minister had power to reduce the capital value of a seotjon in order to induce a settler to take, up the section. With regard +o renewable leases of land for settlement, it was proposed to give the fee simple at the present value, less present'-value of the lessee's interest in the unexpired term of the lease and his interest in the value of the improvements effected by him. In regard to gum lands, he proposed to give single men 25 acres free of rent for five years. Afterwhich they would be required to pay interest on the nominal value. A married man could- .have more land. Mr Macdonald congratulated the Premier on introducing his Bill, hut was somewhat disappointed at the measure. The Bill would do some good, but for a broad national scheme it would be a disappointment to those who were starving to get on the land. He was going to move in the direction, of putting a ll tenants on settlement land on the same basis regarding the freehold tenure. Mr Hino expressed pleasure that the Government was reintroducing the old deferred payment system, which was the best ever introduced. Mr Sidey contended that if the State parted with the freehold of all Crown lands there would he nono left for the renewable leases for a man of small means. The trend of the Bill was to favour/the individual against the State. The conditions governing the scheme of leases was. "heads T win, tails you lose," for the tenant against the State.