THE LAND BILL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 171, 19 July 1907, Page 2

THE LAND BILL.

WRONG IMPRESSION ABROAD.

WAIT FOB, THE BXEX. (3y Telegraph.—PdrUarr.ents.ry Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. " Opinion in the House is changing rapidly in regard to the Government land proposals. The bald statements of the Budget made it appear that Ministers had backed down badly, and the leaseholders became as gloomy as the freeholders were jubilant. Subsequent explanations and hints regarding what is to come, however, have put a new aspect on the position. " Wrong impressions have got abroad;" said the Minister to mc. "It comes of trying to summarise lengthy proposals in a few lines." The Land Bill will be circulated today, and the public will then have an opportunity of judging for themselves. In the meantime it can be said that the land reform element in the House will not have cause for much complaint with the bill while the freeholders are getting more shadow than substance. The limitation proposals have not yet been completely explained, but the lease under the Land for Settlement Act will satisfy the most advanced leaseholders.

LABOUR AND THE GOVERNMENT.

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

DUNEDIN, this day.

The attitude of the Government in the matter of the recant Land Bill was warmly criticised by members of the Dtmedin Trades and Labour Council last evening. The executive was instructed to frame a resolution expressing the Council's strong disapproval of the attitude taken up by the Government. Mr. Barclay's motion as to State socialism was also considered, and a reSolution passed expressing sympathy with the mover in his effort to get Parliament to affirm the principle of the State control of the necessaries of life and strong disapproval of the methods adopted by the Premier and the Minister for Labour.

The Council also protested against the granting of shooting licenses for game.