LABOUR'S LAND POLICY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 246, 17 October 1928, Page 11

LABOUR'S LAND POLICY.

MR. HOLLAND EXPLAINS.

.STEEPLY -GRADED TAXES.

CXXMPtTLSORY SALE, IF NEEDED.

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) • WESTPORT, Tuesday.

A feature of the address of Mr. H. E. Holland, Leader of the Opposition, this evening was his detailed statement of the Labour, party's land policy. He said they would aim at breaking up the larger estates, and would employ two methods to that end. Firstly, the land tax would be far more steeply graded against the larger estates than was now the case, and secondly, the Labour Government would take power to acquire either the whole or any portion of the larger estates for closer settlement.

i Wherever possible, land would be acquired on the basis of purchase by negotiation. Where this was not possible, the compulsory clauses of the legislation | would be put into operation. The valua- [ tion of properties acquired would be determined by the Valuer-General in the usual way. but the interests of the owner would be safeguarded by rights of appeal. ° Leasehold Tenure, Lapd so resumed would be settled on the leasehold tenure with the perpetual right of renewal, guaranteeing permanency of occupation. There would be periodic revaluations, and the tenant's absolute right to the .improvements would be provided for. Where heavilytimbered lands were found to be suitable for agricultural and pastoral settlement, the State would undertake the work of clearing it so that the far-mer-would be in a position to enter upon the "work of production immediIn the process of clearing, wherever timber could be economically milled this would be done, and timber values would be conserved to the State instead of being destroyed by fire, as was necessarily often the case now. In many cases it would be possible to make the timber milled assist in paying for the clearing of the land. Koads to Precede Settlement. They would lay it down as a foundation principle that in eve*y case where a uew district was to be settled a main road to the settlement must be formed and the streams bridged by the date the settlers entered into occupation. They regarded as uneconomic the method of placing families on the land and leaving them without access to the markets, to which they stood in the relation .of both pnrehasers and supplier?!. Intensive farming would be helped and encouraged. The resources of the State would be utilised to make possible the apnlication of the most scientific methods in farmin*» and the marketing of fertilisers would be organised so as to ensure adequate supplies

to the primary producers at the lowest possible cost. Furthermore, the State would give the maximum of assistance to organisations of farmers for cooperative production, purchasing, shipping, marketing and credit. Existing tenures would not be interfered with. Occupancy and Use. The Labour party's land platform declared for the full recognition of the owner's interest in all land, including tenure, right of sale, transfer and bequest, but, they stood for the fundamental principle of occupancy and use. The Labour party bad nothing whatever to offer to tbe speculator and gambler in land values. They would make it a condition that whoever desired to hold land in New Zealand must occupy and nse it. Mr. Holland then proceeded to deal with rural credits and State and agricultural banking.