IN COMMITTEE ON THE LAND BILL.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12933, 12 October 1907, Page 10

IN COMMITTEE ON THE LAND BILL.

fl'BE*S ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) WELLINGTON, October 11. Tiio House resumed consideration of ' the Land Dill in Committee this • afternoon. Tlio whole afternoon was devoted to ' iliacufiJiinK machinery clause**. At enb-clauee 3 of clause 2G. which provides that lweeee shall pay the costs un<l exponscs incurred by tho Commissioner in ascertaining and r«»cording the particulars of improvements. Sir Jamce Allen moved that: "Tho cost of ascertaining and recording improvements should not lx> borne by tho Iceeeo but should bf defrayed by the Crown.'' The amendment was negativod by 40 votes to 20. Mr James Allen moved that: —"Tho "In. estimating for tho purpose* of thin Act tho improvements, thy tact that they havo not been recorded tinder this section shall not be taken a.i <«vkknco that improvements have not been made on tho land. ,, Tho amendment was negatived by 37 vote* to 22. Mr Okey moved that:—'The provisions <>f tho clttUM> ehall apply to the W«t Coast reeerves." Tliie was negatived by 41 you* to n. Mr Masaey moved the following now cub-clause: —"Iα ©very year in wJiicii a census ia taken, each settlor holding land under L.I.P. or a ronewablo loaso •hufl be required by the Land.* Department to furnish <i return ot all permanent and substantia 1 impro vomer, ta tolaced upon the land occupied by him during the previous five years. , ' Ho tfid this, ho eaid, in order that a tenant's improvements might bo justly and properly conserved. The sub-clause was thrown out by 40 vote* to 21. Mr Herries moved the following new clause>-"Every such record shall bo available for, and may be used as, evidence in any Assessment Court under the Government Valuation Land Act, - 1896." Mr Maasoy said Mr Herriw had praced hie finger on a very weak spot. What was desired was that a record should be token- and kept of every improvement that waa put on the. land, and hero was a ohanco of providing for this, co far an lands under the BiO were concerned. The amendment was negatived* on. tho voices. At the instance oP the Minister, tho eub-clanee waa extended to» allow of the record being available to any person interested.Tho clause as amended then passed on the voioes. At Clause- 27a, which provides that a lessee shell not bo entitled to assign or otherwise dispose of his interest in tho land unless he hae resided continuously thereon for not less than two '•year*, • Mr Witty moved , to strike out tfoo word "two" -with a view to inserting "four." This, he contended l , would prevent dummyism. Mr Flatman said the amendment would tend to enetiro that ban a fide settlers would go on tho land, and it would also prevent; gambling and ppooiiJatxHK ' . Mr Maesey contended 1 that in tho t ease of bueh or swamp lauds, a-man t *, would be on the land eight yearn beforo » Iβ could transfer, and in the case of Open lands, five yeans. He argued jtnat where the troublo arose was at the i « ballot—in oases where persons who 5 word attcccflsful, arid did not want the j* •eotions, were allowed to transfer to t other*, : ;; Tallin was; -the primary cause k , of the gambling that had ftone on, Mα it should be stopped. „ ' Mt MoNab sakl that the conditions imposed of continuous residence before * ii »Dowiag a transfer, would provent con- ,,* tfrMfar that were entered into at tho ; ballot, and to a largo extent would be J{ m barrier to dummyism, I' f The amendment was negatived by 47 i' TotM, to 18, end the clause passed un- / Clauso 28a provides that town and 1 % attburbah lands may be let for any I '■ tfmo not, exceeding twenty-one years, ' j at a rent' not less than 6 per cent, on v ,- ' the upsot price of the land, or on '. tuoh leaser price as tho Minister, on the ' recommendation of the Board, directs, 1 with right' to compensation for improve- • xn«nta at the oxpiration of the lease. ' - After some discission, an aniendment by Mr Ilerries to mako it obligatory on tho Minister to otfer town lands at auction, was rejected by 44 votoe to 10. > r Mr McNab moved an amendment to -- - entitle lvesees of town lauds to a renewal, which was agreed to on the TOicoe. Tlie clause as amended was passed by 10 rotes to 17. Clause 20 provides that all rural t lands may.be classified by the Board I 1 i>, into first, second and third-clae* lands, Fp , and the capital value thereof shall bo ffi&v fixed *tr—For .first-class lands, at a \{j capital value not lose than £1 per VX j Wroj eecond-clase lands, not less than *, • * Vk p*t acre; tliird-class lands, not less I v tiian , 2s-,ed per acre.; Tiie section is f'. i|'*tth*titution of section 112 of the , (ptittdPtll Act, which, section ie re€ftK»wil was raised to this clause f by Mr andi other members, who t l ttontundod that it was misleuding to , cl»s»lfj>landa in this way. >' j> Mr Batherford urged that it would ' be . better to divitfe tho lands into , / clawce—egricultnral arid pastoral. ' 'Mr Menab< stated that tho system ' i find not been objected to to any extent, aHhough it had been in operation J l *, for a long time. He recognised that the objections were not so much to the Crown's classification, but to wlw»t 1 "ecrorred subsequently. Ho would, ', however, be prepared to consider an ' Amendment covering the objections in a subsequent clause. Mr Maeeey. suggested that the pro-, vielone of the Maori Land for Settlement Aot, 1905, which provided for four claasos, enould" be adopted. Hβ moved •n amendment that:—'-The lands be divided into four classes—first, agncultural; second, mixed agricultural nnd pastoral; third, pastoral land that cannot bo profitably worked under 6000 acres; fourth..pastoral lands that cennot bt» profitably worked under 15,000 acres." On a division, the voting was equal —31 —and the Chairman gave his casting vote in favour of the clause «is printed. The amendment was thereforo rejected. >. Replying to Mr W. Frascr. Mr MoNab said he could not agree to postpone consideration of the clause. • but on reaching clause oo he would . endeavour to improve tho conditions, if possible. Clause 29 was then agreed to on the voices. Clauses 30 to 33, which ere machinery clauses, were agreed to without amendment. Progress wn.i then reported on the Bill, and , the House rose at 0.40 a.m.