PROCEEDINGS IN COMMITTEE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12937, 17 October 1907, Page 8

PROCEEDINGS IN COMMITTEE.

(ABBIDCED FROM FMSB ASSOCIATION.) WELLINGTON, October 16. The House, on resuming at 7.30 p.m., immediately went into Committee for further consideration of the Land BiU. Tho first clause taken wae 61 C, providing that blocks of land may be s*t apart under the homestead eystoni, without payment, but subject to certain conditions ac to cultivation and residence. In tho course of a lengthy discussion Mr Mills said he could not support the clause. He thought the •State had been very generous hi the l,a.it, but it could not afford to give lands away on this condition. Mr Mander, in supporting the clause, said it would encourage settlers to appb- for the poorer lauds m th« North of Auckland, which could not bo profitably worked if a large price had to be paid for such lands. Mr Duncan, in supporting the clause (of which he was tho author), eaid it would be Utter to havo poor lands taken up, than let them run to waste and noxious weedsMr ilassey said tho clause was the best proposal that the ex-Minister for Lands had ever made. It was a proposal that ho (Mr Maraey) had advocate*! for a long time. It would enable the poor gumdiggem to take up lands which were practically given over to noxious weeds, and the country would benefit by getting good settlers who would bo able to make a portion of their living by gumdigging on the lands in the north of Auckland. Mr Mills said ho had seen the gum lends in the north, and be doubted very much whether tlioy could get men to take up these lends and fulfil the conditions imposed. It wae true Now Zealand needwl settlers, but he advocated men taking up smaller sections of good land than large sections of poor land. Mr Flatman contended that poor land was not the place to put poor people on. He could not support the clause in its present form. Mr Witty, in supporting the clause, »aid there were thousands of acres in the north which he would not have ac a gift if he had to reside there. However, tliev were, he thought, suitable for gumdifjgers to settle on. There wore roads passing through these lands, so that it would not cost much for roading. Mr Hogg expressed the opinion that the lands of NoTth Auckland were not fit for close settlement. Mr Duncan said that if some such olauso was not agreed to, certain lands would be idle for ever. Mr Herries pointed out that Sir George Grey, Mr John Ballance, and Mr Seddon had advocated this system, and land boards should be given an opportunity to try these lands by throwing them open for selection. The clause was rejected by 36 votes to 25. At clause 63, which provides that no land for settlement lands shall be disposed of by lease-in-perpetuity, Mr Massey moved to include the option tenure in the clause. This was negatived by 37 votes to Sub-clause 2 of clause 63 provides that the term of tho lease shall be .33 years, with a perpetual right of renewal for further successive terms of 33 years. . -Mr Massey moved to make the term 66 years. He urged that leases under the Land for Settlements Act should be brought into line with leases of ordinary Crown lands. Mr MoNab said that in the majority of cases the land for settlement lands were well improved, and the conditions were not at all similar to ordinary Crown lands, where bush had to be cleared. , Mr Rutherford eaid he considered that 33 years was long enough for land for settlement lands, and it was absurd to seek to moke the leases longer. The amendment was negatived by 39 votes to, 23. Subsection 3 provides that no lease shall be granted «t a lower rental than £5 per cent, of the capital value of the land, as dftfermined by the Minister m accordance with section 51 of the principal Act. ;• Mr, McNab moved an amendment to reduce the rental to <f J per cent. Replying to Jlr Messoy, Mr McNab said it was not intended to apply this reduction to the 999 years' lease. The amendment was agreed to on the voices. CJaiwe 63 passed as emended. Clause 65a provides that tho Board may grant a lease without competition to any person who has been employed on the land by the hte owner for at least five years, previous, at « rental not less than 5 per cent, on the capital value. On Mr McNab's motion the (rent was reduced to 4} per cent. The clause as amended passed. Progress was reported on the Bill, and the House rose at 0.60 a.m. CONSTITUTION OF LAN!) BOARDS (SPKCTAt, TO *THK PBBSS.") WELLINGTON, October 16. A proposal to completely alter the method of constituting Crown Land Boards in the Dominion hae been brought forward by the Opposition, Mr Hemes having given notice of a large number of amendments with the object of attaching to the Land Laws Amendment Bill a provision for a complete system of elective Lend Boards, comprising one member nominated by the Government, one nominated by the County Councils jn the area covered by the Board's operations, and two members elected by lessees or licensees of Crown hnds. It is suggested that the members should hold office for two years.