PARLIAMENT

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10718, 31 October 1912, Page 5

PARLIAMENT

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

(By Telegraph—Tress Association.)

WELLINGTON', Last Night

LAND BILL,

The Legislative Council mot at 12.30 p.m. The. Lands Committee reported-on tho Lund Laws Amendment Bui, recommending that it be proceeded with with certain amendments. The Hon 11. 1). Bell explained t-o-.U----the amendments made by the Committee were merely tormal. He moved tho committal oi : the Bill, and proceeded to explain the provisions, a,, tho objects nought to be attained, thereby.

The Hon J. IJ. Ormoud contended that the Bill would be an absolute failure. Ho could not see that it would deal in any way satisfactorily with the great qutvition ot settlement. He held that tho subdivision proposals would bo inoperato, for ho had been unable to see what benefit the owner could gain from them. The native proposals, also, would not do a groat deal. Tho Maori had a great idea of sticking to his land, and the temptations held out. bv the Bill to induce him to hand it over to the Government would not be sufficient. Other provisions would have to be made. He

agreed that nothing should stuul in the way of genuine settlement-; lint he asked whore was the land that could bo acquired tor settlement? The promise made to Sir Joseph Ward by the Hawke's Bay owners of large estates to subdivide and dispose of their land liatl been carried out. The only districts where l.irge acreages were available were between Napier and T.suranga, between the rail-head beyond Stratford and the King Country, in the north of Auckland, and in the Waikato district. Ho asked tiio' Government to consider the question of native land. They could chtaln throe million acres over the North Island, after leaving the natives what land they needed, md this opened up . great possibilities. This would not interfere vnth the financial operations | of the country, for he had always held ■ that the debenture system should be J adapted. | The Hon Mr Aiistev said the Bill contained a clause dealing with the security of tenure for lease-in-perpe-1 tuity settlers. Fie himself had moved in this direction some years ago, and ! had been laughed at; but " now his views were being endorsed. The first care of the Government should not be towards ownership, but as to what is the best form of hire for land to enI sure the greatest possible production. The owners rights should rot be allowed to over-ride the ririht.s of the ■occupiers of the land. The Government's first care should be to frame laud laws 011 a sound and just principle.; next to encourage men o:i the land to obtain the fullest measures of production ; and thirdly, to cause large estates to be broken up to enable those willing to go on the land to got on to it. Many public leases were a disgrace to the Government of the country, and did not tend towards. enJ oouragino; productiveness. The clause jof the Bill dealing with preference gave a chance to landless people with a fa mil v; but the true preference would be to give one chance at the. ballot each to a man, his wife, and each child: After further discussion the Bill vns oonunitted, and the short tells having been read, progress v.as renortec?. OTHER MFw\ST'T?F : S. Amendments of the Defence Bill, dealing with drill halls, were brought down !>v Governor's Message, and agreed to. The Public ft evemies Bill was reported from Committee, without amendment. The Savings Bank Bill was reported from Committee with a new clause enabling the Bank to invest ninetenths of its total funds. The Marriage Amendment Bill passed through Committee without amendment. The Local Bodies Loans Amendment Bill and Cemeteries Amendment Bill were reported with minor amendments.

HOI'SF OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tho Houso met at 2.H0 p.m. Tho Public Accounts Committee was granted an extension of time in which to report on the allocation of loans under the Loans to Local Bodies Act. The extension takes the date to Tuesday next. Mr Mao Donald urged the disbanding of select committees and sitting in the morning to finish up the legislation which tho Government intended to put through this session. | THIRD READINGS. Tho Kaiapoi Reserve Bill and East Coast Native Trust Lands Amendment Bill were read a third time and passed. On the motion to agree to the amendments made to the Government Railways Amendment Bill, MrTsitt moved an amendment, recommending that the increase of pay for the first division should take effect immediately, instead of Ist April, 1913. Mr Anderson said the carrying of the amendment would kill the Bill. The amendment was lost by 41 votes to 20. Mr Poland moved an amendment to recommit tho Bill, for the purpose of inserting a clause providing for carrying children under five years of age freo of charge. The amendment was lost by 37 votes to 30. The Bill was read a third timo and passed.