THE LANDS COMMITTEE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 165, 12 July 1907, Page 7

THE LANDS COMMITTEE.

ITS CONSTITUTION CRITICISED. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WEIXnSTGTON r , Thursday. In view of the important work destined ' Jo .be carried out this session by the Jjands Committee, its constitution last night, upon the motion of the Hon. Ft. jMcNab, Minister for Land?, naturally -did not pass unchallenged. The Governjuent nominated Messrs. Ell (Christghurch.), Fraser (Xapier), Greenslade (Waikato), Hall (Wai pawa)., Hogan ( Wanganui), Lang (Manukau), Lawry (Parnell), Lewis (Courtenay), MePherion' (Mount Ida), Remington (Rangi-

tikei), Symes (Patea), Witty (Ricear

£on), the Hons. Mills (Wairau), Duncan (Oaasaru), and K. MeXab (Mataura). In moving the election of the committee,

fire Hon. R. McNab stated that the representation was as follows: —Otago 3, Canterbury 3, Marlborough. 1, Taranaki H, Wellington two, Hawke's Bay one and lackland three. Opposition members jrere three :n number, one each coming from Otago, Canterbury and Auckland. PThere were eight representatives of the South Island and seven from the Isortii. Mr Massey. Leader of the Opposition,

I aid he' -would' concede that the. commit"fe€ wa? an improvement upon last year, dbtft therewas- "still rooni for improvement. He did not suggest-that Auckland -€hould get another member, but thero T'gjon"l(l._be an extra representative for "tfaranaki or Ha-wke's Bay. The Premier remarked that if every i ffistriet had to receive proportionate representations, the committees -would Jiase to be enlarged and considerable deJay would result. Members should re.pollect that the matters always had to }ie referred' to the whole House before pnythiEg could be finally decided.. -The Hon. B- MeNab said, the great Brea of Crown lands was in the South Island. When they took out the area of s, JJ&tive land in the North, they would £nd three times the amount of Crown i Janii in, O'tago than there was in Auck•lfr''Jennings: "Waste lands."

ihe'Minister : "Five and a quarter milliffliacres in Otago and 1,800,000 acres in l&ackLiid.ajKl to hear some members talk ton'-wbnld think there was no land for (ettiement in the South Island. j£r Massey: "Not land.' . The Minister: 'Tx brings in as big a jevenne per acre as does this glorious Und the Leader of the Opposition talks about in Auckland." He concluded by suggesting that what was really wanted by sQme members was a lesson in geo-

The committee was elected without Bfria'cn. Regarding the constitution of the com-jnittefr-from the point of view of the leasehold, there are seven members with deMte tendencies in that direction. On the other hand there are five declared optional freeholders and three others who ere probably in the same position, though ...Bo donbt.the quantity of land proposed .. to he set aside as endowments upon the ■leasehold tenure will have an important tearing upon their attitude,