THE LAND BILL IN C.MMITTEE

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12936, 16 October 1907, Page 8

THE LAND BILL IN C.MMITTEE

"" trnsss association tklkoimm.) ' WELLINGTON, October 15. The Hbnae of Representatives thie ■ afternoon resumed consideration of the "l*nd Bill in Committee. .T' ; Clause 48 wne tnkon. This provided that in oases of ballot preference shall 1» given to landless applicants, the Board's decision ac to landless being 'final. An applicant is deemed to be landlesa within the manning of tho section if he does not hold under any , tenuro euch area as in the Board's opinion is sufficient for the maintenanco of himself and family. In tho caso of n husband and wife (except •where judicially separated) if either ie not laudless neither shall bo deemed landless.

Mr McXab said it would not bo possible to frame regulations for the absolute guidance of tho Board.

Mr Masserjr urged that preference should bo given to applicants under the Land for .Settlements Act to men •with small capital and a family rather than, oa waa done at present, to men with a lurgo amount of capital. Mr Hogg thought the clause would prevent tbo ballot bos being stuffed by .jyeoplo who merely required land for speculative pnn>osre>. It would not tfjrow out from the ballot box the man who had not sufficient land to maintain his family.

The clause .passed unamended. Clan*© 49 g:rp.3 preference to (a) marri-ed men with children, (b) widowers with chil.lre'i. (c) widows with children, irorried wmi'ii with c ildren and judicially tie pu in ted from their bu-3ban:!s

Mr M«l"olm moved im amendment to mrcke t!'e pri forrnce o.i the npplicnnt bnvinc ji prartu-al kr.ov. I«Jge of fanning Mr H<ip:g, in opposing tbp amendment, eaid ho knew «l shfwmakcrs. tailors, and boilennakers who had never hnd any previous experience on the land who wore now amongst tlio mo»t successful farmers in the North Island. Mr Laureiwon quoted a number ot inetancee of trodcemeu, clerks, and

labourers who had achieved Guccess as faimers on tho Cheviot estate. Mr McNab asked, if the amendment was carried, how were they to get tho jf :p'f out of tho towns. He was surprised to hear the amendment propc -a :l by a town representative. He ii(!:lr<l th*t if tho hon. member for Clatha investigated, he would not find I. 1 -") per cent, of tho farmers who had nl.vaye \wn on the land. Ho further contended that there wu no necessity for the amendment, as not one per rent, of tho applications came from the cities.

Mr Bonnet, in opposing th© amondinrrt, sail the most successful settler in his electorate was a sailor who had never had any previous experience on the land.

.Ur .\l<i!<-olm mid tliat whilst there Refined to bo i detire to eet men from cities on to the Innd, the desire of kfi'piMjr nirn in the country who were already 0:1 the land must not be lost hijlit of. Owing to the difficulty in o* tuning land, men from the country

(■:. •<.'? inti- the towns, and were on'y Kin■■-ov-i'ii! in obtaining employment in t!;i> lowe-n walkt of life, mainly labourl'ii(!er tho torins of his amendment n Hnnre would be given to men with :: i>r;uti«ul knowledge of farming.

Tln> amendment was lo6t on the

Mr F.inc contended that under the cl n-ii , iln'.v wr>ro rutting out a most snitaVo 01.-i.-js. j-nrtirulirlv in regard to Imsli !;»i!!.'>. ulnTo hard*work had to 1h» iloi:r- ti>r vcjirc, «inrl it wne not edto t.-i Iso women there for come tiiiK'. Ho nri£o<l tliat shoui<! \><> trivc!) to single men, md the r.owlj'-nmrricfl nun. As it was, a man iniizht have a grown-up family, and as ho rnmo within tho mpnninp: of A, ho would bo given pn- ,- fpi'Micv, fvoii though his children inish*: not intend to po on the land, but might l:e .'oatterod all over the country.

Mr Fisher urrH th.it the effect of the clause lvmld bo to hor single men, who at prr«ent constituted over 50 per cent. <f the npp'ioant.s for land.

Mr Mo.V'iK contended thit for every single uion who r.ot on the Kind, he exrliidcd a family from to doing, and :ie a 1« r?e number of jipplieatirvns were brills nrtdo by n:nrri<yl men, who hat! Hoen fiiibjected to disinnointment in th"ir efforts to secure lflnd, it wae <idvisablp to rod'toe the disappointment, even if they did co ot the expense of men. He added th.it the clotiAp would prevent dummyism, ac it was usually tho fiinglo man who was ufi«l for this purpose by specuhtore. Ho would be prepared to strike out the words "with children," after "married men." This would meet Mr Lang's views. Mr Witty said he hoped the Houee would not ogree to Mr McNnb's suggestion. Mr Massoy urged that preference should he given to applicants who hed been previously unsuccessful, then to married iiid single iuon, who should br> plcceJ on the same basis. He contended that they should give every encouragpmont to young single men, not altogether nt the expense of married men, because much of the Crown lands remaining wee of such a character that it was positively cruel to send women there. He urged thot the clause should be struck out altogether, tie it wee not possible to amend it satisfactorily.

Mr Laureneon contended thit encouragement ahould be given to married men. If they were to keep out the black and yellow men, it -would be by populating the coitntry_, end the best means of doing so was by giving preference to mnrried men with a large crop of children. The Promier said he hid suggested to the Minister that the clause should be.struck out and another one drafted. Provision ehould be made for caeee in which the land was not suitable for married men with children, and to encourage mirried men to go upon it. CMr Maseey said there seemed to be an impression in countries outside of New Zealand, that it wae possible to get our young men out of the Dominion. He cited instances from Queensland, in which preference was being given, according to nn advertisement which wie appearing in the current issues of the Brisbane "Courier," to New Zealanders. The Argentine >w<ae oleo endeavouring to attrect New Zealanders, nnd to counteract these movements it was advisable to encourage our young men to remain in the Dominion.

Mr Thomson said he had lately been consulting statistics, and had ascertained that 25,000 persons had left Victoria, the majority of whom had come to New Zealand.

The Promier eaid the Government were fully alive to tho necessity of retnining the young men in the colony, and the desire of tho Government ires to coo that married men with children hnd better chances for going on the land than there had been in the past. Mr T. Mackenzio urged that the Government 6hould take authority for acquiring more land, in order to meet the demand that was being made for land. Estates were going into tho hands of speculators every week, and being cub-divided. lie thought the House -would agree to an expenditure of two millions for the purpose of making land available. lie urged that tho Government should acquire estates, whilst there wan a desire on the part of peoplo to leave tho cities for the country. This would enable eettlera to take np land at a price that would enable them to make a living. Mr Ell, contended that the greater part of the-single men who went on the land did not intend to stick to it, but merely to hold it for speculative purposes. Preference should be given to married men, and he hoped the Minister would stick to the clause. Mr Mc Nab said it was not intended to abandon the clause altogether, but in giving the preference to married men, in the face of the largre number of applications that were coming forward, it would have the effect of excluding the chances of single men. The new clause, whilst giving preference to married men, would not exclude single men. Tlk> clause wee struck out. Clause 50—"Preference to former applicants who, within the previous two years have competed at least twice uneuoceswfnlly at any other hnd ballot." Mr Hornsby moved to strike out the words "At leaet twice."

Mr McNab said he tvas prepared to accept the amendnient. Mr Herrice pointed out that there wer<* thousniids who had been unsuccessful at the ballot. Consequently, the effect of this would be to limit the ballot to unsuccAsaful men. He urged that all should be allowed to po into the ballot.

Tho Minister contended that the claiw made provision for these contirgenciffi. A -first npplicrtnt could not obtain a section a former uneticrcssful applicnrit. but on the next oty«<!on. the applicant would obtain preference. Mr Metric* pointod out that under t>o clause a first apHicant could not go to the ballot in crent of fi'.l apn!r : ri5T. Mr withdrew the araendmpiit.

Th» Minister the cknse to g*>v preference t« who have npr>! ; o' ur.su•<w*» f -i , !y r T riny allotment nni>" for ~"i' l ; sol-rtk>n.

yi r V-A-r !••"<«' *'-t nt tlw ballot :», »So <-n-- " r •• -r- .".<>« ~ «•->:< rntc ~,. r \]~ .Krt t»-» »■ —t i~ for ».-r!i cHM X)>'s «rr»v.!'' rr : vo to T-arried •>'A- an , wnuM '.nit of single m«n havi"g a rhanee The disowwiip wne interrupted by the dinner adjournment. On tiie House resuming at i.30 p.m. Mr McNnb said that ouring the adjonrntnent ho hod looked into the question, aiwi drorood it advisable, to strike

out Clause 50. with a view to introducing another clause at a later stage. The clause was accordingly etracK out. . Clau.«e 51—"Regulation ac to conduct of ballote," Clause 52—"Decision or Board to be final,' and Clause o3— 'board may examine applicants before ballot," passed unamend«i. At Clause 54, which uisquahtoes a person who, having been successful at a ballot tinder the principal Act. or the Land tor Settlements Act, disposes of his land, or a portion thereof, for a period of five years, from takiiig part in any land ballot, .Mr Witty moved an amendment to extend the disqualification to ten years. i'ue amendment was negatived on the voices.

Clause 55 provides for a limit of area of land to be acquired of 0000 acres, and in calculating the area every acre of first-class land is reckoned as 7i acres, and every acre of eecoml-ela.ss >and equal to -\ acres, of third-class land.

.\lr McNab moved the following new sub-clause:—"For the purposes oi tins section, the interests or a Maori in an., land that has not been partitioned snail not be deemed to bo land held, owned, or occupied by such Maori."

Mr Massey objected that this would give an advantage to the natives wtio declined to have their interests in blocks of land denned, over natives who had had their lands partitioned. In the case of a .Maori owning in common with ten other Maoris a block ot 10,000 acres, they would bo allowing che native to go to the ballot on the same terms as an European who had no land at all.

The new clause was agreed to on the voices.

Mr Massey said he did not believe in classilication of land by price, and considered it would be better to classify land under tho system of the Maori Land Settlement Act.

Mr MfiXab said the system proposed wns sufficient until a more detailed system was prepared by the Department. Clause 55 passed with the following amendment: —"Any hind which sas not beon classified shall, if of an uniin/provtid value of £4 per aero or upwards be deemed to bo first-cla&s land; ana if of an unimproved vilur of less than £4 but not less than £2, ..hall be deemed to bo second-cla-s land; and if of an unimproved value of less than £2, shall be deemed to be third-class land." At clause 50, "selector may acquire additional -and,' Mr Massey moved an amendment to piovido that the clause should operate subject to the area limitation clause oi the Bill. The amendment was negatived by 47 votes to IS, and the clause passed. At clause 68, "Powers of executors, etc., on death of lessee or licensee," Mr Mc>ab moved an amendment to provide that the consent of the Boa-id shall not be necessary in the case ot assignment to aay person named in the will.

This was agreed to on the voices. Clauses 59, 60 and 61—machinery clauses—were passed uiuimended. Clause 61a provides:—"lv order to aid in the establishment of the wood pulp industry for paper-making, the Governor-in-Council may from tune to time set apart land not suitable for close settlement, or for leasing under the small grazing run system, of a totnl area not exceeding 50,lKacres."

Mr McNab said the Government had been approached by persons who said they were prepared to introduce the wood pulp industry, and a portion of the high country on the West Coast of the South Island had been set apart for this purpose, but no contract hnd been entered into, until tho Legislature granted that power. The timber on these high lande hnd been stated aa suitable for the industry, and only trees over a certain size would be used, and the bush would not be cut out. The timber, he added, was not suitable for milling purposes. The clause wae adopted. Several machinery clauses passed unaltered.

Progress was then reported on the Bill, and the House rose at 0.30 a.m.