THE LAND BILL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 17 October 1913, Page 5

THE LAND BILL.

MOTION FOR RE-COMMITTAL. A CLOSE DIVISION. . {By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Last Night. In, the House of Representatives to-night, the Prime Minister moved that the Land Laws Amendment Pill be re-committed, for the .purpose of amending clause 25. ' Sir Joseph Ward moved as an amendment that the clause be recommitted for the purpose pf reconsidering It. He wanted to vote against the whole clause, and the motion of the Premier would not al- . low him to do that. The Hon W. F. Massey said he had 1 a lively recollection of some ten hours obstruction on. this clause. He was not disposed to re-open it to permit of a repetition of that proceeding; Sir Joseph -Ward denied that there had been obstruction* The bqstf prppf ; 'of that, fact ; ,watf that' the" Preinier : was bringing dow'n his :amendment. , 'He objected; to the; clause, bec®use it . proceeded. to j£;;; He" wanted to know why the special tenure was not being'applied to all v v other parts of the Dominion. If it was right for Haur&ki, it must be equally right for Nelson, Marlborough, the West Coast, and similar districts. It raised the question of the right of prospectors going on to mining laads to prospect. It was admitted that the land was coal-bear- V ing. If the, clause passed, the same position might arise a£ was fought out in committee between the miners and the Kauri Timber Company,* the company successfully, resisting a claim pf the prospectors. The clause negatived everything contained m the Land Report. It was undesirable and was sectional legislation. He * was glad of the opportunity of voting v against it. ' ' The Hon Mr Massey said Sir Joseph Wiard had shown an astounding wantydf knowledge of whajfr was in : the Bill, and of the nature pf , the country. ' He did notj deny that there were minerals there, but bis desire was that mining aid agriculture should go hand ip hand. The minerals were reserved to'the Crown, and , the surface was placed at the disposal of the farmers, on the best kind ot , tenure that given. 'The; mtK©.sJjate, 'were;, all.safeguarded in his ,present .amendment* He quoted the Lands Report" of- 1912» to show I that thousand of acres were being '"covered .with, blackberries, abd the position was : even stronger to-day . than, last year. Representative menfrom "the Thames had waited on him and asked for legislation of this character. What was being done he approved in that district. The national , l l v endowment would not suffer, because other land would be substituted for this. He was ©ot prepared to apply the system to all other districts, because he wanted to go slowly, 'iut i safety. He asked the leader < ' he Opposition to say whether he wj ;rc- ' pared to, let the 200,000 acres eted lie idle and rapidly deteriorate. Mr G., W. Russell contended thui the real point at issue between the Opposition and Government wasthatv . the .premier was going togive the present holders of leapeg tlie freehold' 'as against all othtei 1 ' people i& "' the Dominion. He ®pppsed the clause because it was special legislation. The total area held under these tenures in the Dominion was 95,000 acres; but a few people at Hauraki would be given '& favour over the holders of ; similar leases in Auckland, Nelson, arid Westland. The clause was being , pushed forward to assist the member for the Thames to get votes. The v amendment moved by Mr ißhodes was of a most sinister character, as lie f (Mr Rhodes) "had a personal interest in 1000 acres of'the land affested. Mr Rhodes defended his' position sk owner of a Jjlauraki lease. ..He had got the land at a ballot, and had been returned to Parliament pledged, to get i the freehold for his (fellow-lease-holders, as that was the only tenure that would suit the; settlers and 'promote settlement.- - ' . ] - - 1 ' The debate - was continued .by ; Messrs Payne,. Harris, Webb and Young, and at the division bn Sir , Joseph Ward's amendment was taken, when thel amendment was' lost by 36" votes to 33/ , • ; DIVISION LIST. The division list on "Sir. Joseph Ward's amendment Was as follow: for the amendment (33).—Atmore, Buddo, Brown, Boston, Colvin, draigie, Davey, Dickie, Glover, Hindmarsh, Isitt, Laurenson, MSGallum, Mao Donald, MoKensjie, Myers, Ngata, Parata, Payne, Poland, Rangiiurda, ey R. W. Smith, J. C> Thomson, Veitch, Ward, Webb, Wilford, Witty. Against the Amendment (36): Allen, Bell, Bollard (2), Bradney, Buchanan, Buick, Campbell, Coates, Dickson, Fraser, Guthrie, Harris, Herd- < man, Herries, Hine, Hunter, Lee, Malcolm, Mander, Massey, E. New- . man, Nosworthy, Okey, Pearce, Pomare, Reed, Rhodes (2), Scoti\ F. H. South, Sykes, G. M. Thomson, Wilkinson, Wilson, Young. , . ' Pairs against Amendment s,.Relief. • Escott, Statham and Anderson. Pairs for the Amendment: Carroll, Dr. Newman, Ell and Forbes.