ENDOWMENT BILL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 30, 30 October 1907, Page 8

ENDOWMENT BILL.

FURTHER CONSIDERATION IN COM- . MITTJCK. Tho House then went into committee to further discuss the Endowment Bill. The Schedule. - Consideration was given to tho schedule. Mr. Massey moved to reduce the area of the endowments to 4,500,000, which was half the total proposed to be set aside by the/ Government.' The Premier objected that the amendment was virtually a new sub-clause to the Bill, and was not merely an amendment to the schedule. The Chairman ruled that tho amendment could he taken. The Premier then moved to take the Speaker's ruling.. On'the question being referred to the Speaker, he ruled that the Chairman's decision was correct. A Huge Mistake. The House again going into committee, Mr. Massey said that during the previous debutes several old members of the House, including tho Hons. C. H. Mills and T. Y. Duncan and Mr. Graham, had declared that nine million acres was too large an area and quito unnecessary. With this he agreed. Tl>n innl'ision of large areas of second-class lands ths a huge mistake. The Premier said that Mr. Massoy on the. previous night had endeavoured to have no endowments at all. Mr. Massoy: No: He said his amendment was permissive in regard to tho sale of endowments under the optional tenure.

The Premier continued that Mr. Massey new proposed to reduce the amount to such an extent that it would bo impossible to include the small grazing runs. It would also necessitate the re-casting of the whole of tho schedule. He hoped the amendment would be rejected. The amendment was rejected by 33 votes to 21. Objections to items. Mr. Houston (Bay of Islands) objected to the quantity of endowments allocated to his district. He moved to strike out' 54 items which came into his electorate. Mr. Marnier supported the amendment, explaining that Auckland ' second and thirdclass 'amis were unsuitablo for endowment leases and would novor be settled.

Mr. liaume, in supporting the amendment, remarked that some South Island-members had become loss strenuous in their opposition to tho ■ Bill and he could only assunvo that it was because the areas in their diitricts had been reduced. He thought similar concessions should bo made in the North Island.

The amendment was lost by 39 votes to 22, and the items were retained. Mr. Mandor moved to strike out eight items comprising the endowments in his district. Lo'st by 39 to 21. Mr. Massey .moved to strike out 33 items comprising sections in his own and Mr. Alison's electorate. —Lost by 39 to 21. Mr. Massey.then proposed to omit 24,850 acres in the Waihou and Waitoa districts. — Lost by 37 to 19.

Mr. Herries .(Bay of Plenty) said his electorate was tho worst treated of all, some 600,000 acres being apportioned there. Ho moved to strike out nine items, comprising that area—Lost by 39 to 21. . Mr. Horrics moved to striko out twentyone items in the Auckland district.—Lost by 35 to 17. _ This concluded the items in.the Auckland district, all of which, a total area of 900,000 acres, were passed unaltered. Taranaki Lands. ' Mr. 'Jennings (Egmont) .moved that tho whole of the- schedule relating to Taranaki lands (90,000 acres) be struck out. Mr. Jennings pointed to one-block of land in tho Mokair district which it was proposed to rescrvo, and said that there was at present the Makau Jones Estate already locked up. If these! two blocks were to bo kept from the freehold market, serious retardment of tho progress of tho district would result. Ho spoke as one who knew every inch of thohigh Papa lands. • People would not settle here unless thov wore given-tho o.r.p. Motion lost by .36 to 21. Discussing further tho Taranaki schedule, 1 Mr. W. Eraser made a ■ reference to the Southland lands that called some remarks from the Premier. Southland Education Reserves. The Premier said that in Southland for the past thirty years an area of 405,800 acres of land had been held as an educational reserve, '• and ho had never heard a complaint'from the settlers. .. Mr. W. Eraser.: Oh, oh I , The Premier: Well, I said.that I heard no complaints. Ho proceeded that no protest cither had come from Southland regarding tho. 1,174,000 acres which were to bo reserved there for endowments. .

Mr. Frascr: How nnicli of this is fit for settlement? ... i ( The Premier: Yon go over it and show me how much is not lit for settlement!. iMr.. Eraser said the Premier must have been asleep if ho had not heard complaints, regarding the Southland School Commis-, sionor's reserves. ,-i The Premier: I was not referring to the School Commissioners' reserves. Present Reserves. The Premier, replying to the Hon. T. Y. Duncan, said the educational reserves' already set apart in the Dominion were as follows: — ! Auckland district, 147,514 acres; Hawko's Bay, 95,728' acres; Ta.ranaki, 57,663 acres; Wellington, 135,930 acres. This gave a total to the North Island of 437,035 acres. In ■ tlio South Island'the areas were:. Nelson, 4095 acres; Marlborough, 2169 acres;... West-land, 19,320 acres; Canterbury,'•'. 378,369 acres; Otago, 245,516 acres; Southland, 504;555 acres, or a total of 1,104,324 acres., Mr. Graham made olio more appeal to the Premier on behalf of the Nelson .district. . A reduction of 350,000 acres .had been made on the-original proposals, but that would do little good. .-;.■!■ Wellington Endowments. . •. Mr. Remington ■ (Itangitikoi) said the schedule showed that three-fifths of the,endowments in the Wellington district were set. aside in the Eangitikei. There had been no reduction of the original ninety thousand acres in the Wellington district. .In addition there would now bo added the small grazing runs, which would'amount to about 35,001) acres. Tho Government :wcro welcome to the sand hills on tho coast, and.to the tops of tho, Ruahino ranges,: but- not to the lands on tho upper Main Trunk line. . Mr. Symes (Patea) hero' moved a prior amendment to strike out' several sections in bis electorate.—Lost by. 40 to'2l. t Mr. Remington then moved to liavo a number of sections on the Main Trunk liiie and' in the Raugitikei district excluded.—Lost by 30 to 24. * ..... . ;."

Mclean Lands. -Mr. Graham moved to liavo tho. greater portion of tiny hinds in tho Nelson district struck out. ' : ' . , . Mr. Hardy twitted Mr. Graham with inconsistency,'stating, ho had voted against all the amendments to reduce, except tho preceding oije, and then ho had only gono'into the Opposition''lobby heoauso ho found the vote coiniii" nearer home—ho was, in short, afraid of not getting any support. (Laughter.) The amendment was lost by. 39 to s,'a number cf the' Opposition members having left the Chamber before the vote was taken. The result, was'announced amidst laughter. YV Gotland Lands. Mr. Seddon moved' to liavo the proposed 'Went land endowments •reduced by half. Tho amendment was lost by 38 to 11. Otago Endowments. The Hon. Duncan moved to reduce the area of. the Otago endowments (2,6W,GC0 acres, by 500,000 acres—liost Dy 37 to 22. the Opposition voted with-Mr. Duncan. The remaining portion of the schedule was disposed of without'further amendments, and the motion to'adopt the complete schedule as part of the Bill was carried by 36 to 22. The Premier's.Proviso., The Premier moved to report progress, with tho object of adding to Clause 2 a pro-

vise that viiicii the area of national endowment lands reaches nine, million acres no other lands shall become endowment lands.

Mr. Massoy said lie considered the maximum area too large, hut after the divisions of the evening lie could see it would he idle, to take p. further vote. The. amendment was adopted on the voices. The Bill, with the schedule, was then reported from committee, and set down for the third reading. LAND AND INCOME TAX. The Land Tax and Income Tax Bill was put through committee stages, and was read a third time. The House then (10.35 p.m.) adjourned.