PARLIAMENTARY DAY

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26212, 8 September 1950, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY DAY

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, September 7. The Government’s intention to accelerate its land settlement policy by introducing a completely new method of acquiring land which would remove many of the objections to the present method was indicated by the Minister of Lands (Mr E. B. Corbett) during the Budget debate in the House of Representatives this evening. Mr • Corbett, who was the last speaker before the adjournment, devoted most of his speech to the land settlement of returned servicemen. Tne three speakers who preceded him were Mr W. T. Anderton (Opposition, Auckland Central), Mr R. G. Gerard (Government, Ashburton), and Mr R. McKeen (Opposition, Island Bay). Mr Gerard dealt mainly with the development and maintenance costs of irrigation schemes in Canterbury, but also defended the Budget as “a straight, honest, fair Budget for the good of the country.” The two Opposition members both referred to dairy produce prices and housing, Mr McKeen being particularly concerned with housing for elderly people. In the afternoon, the House dealt with amendments to three bills referred to it by the Legislative Council. It accepted those affecting the Land Transfer Amendment Bill and the Magistrate’s Courts Amendment Bill, but rejected amendments to the Tenancy Amendment Bill. The only paper presented was the annual report of the National Provident Fund.