LAND LEGISLATION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 680, 3 December 1909, Page 5

LAND LEGISLATION.

BILL AMENDED:BY. THE,COMMITTEE. '!; .';; TACTICS.' ;, s ■.■':; ''■- The amendments ■ in' the Land' Bill as brought before; the House; yesterday by the: Chairman of: tho Lands Committee do not alter'the , general scope'of , the measure.'. : . '..■'■.-'V '■>',':.: 1 Sub-section 3 of Seotiqn 26 has; been amended by increasing the term, of imprisonment provided in connection with the acquisition of land' in. excess'of the provisions of the.Bill. The .fino of JJIOOOin the caso of a corporate body aud JESOO in other cases remains, but.the termr of two years' imprisonment has been increased to five years., ' ..■."•'■ - ■. •' / , In Section 41, regarding pastoral lands,, a new sub-section has .been added ~as follows:—

; "Tlio board may, in the case of any small grazing run or pastoral run, require the lessee or lieonseo'to divide by .-means of a sufficient fence the grazing area of the run into .three approximately even parts, and to so work: his t run. that lin each year stock shall not be allowed to depasture in ouo of such parts in rotation between September I'and the last day of February:, in the following .','■■/... : . : .' .-■■•' ' Theso are the only amendments. ':, V ■It is generally ■ agreed by membere that.the lliyely debate which took , "place yesterday •on ■the Government's■ land proposals, is' only a mild' prelude, to" the',discussions which will : Inks place before the Bill is disposed of for this-sessioh. The leaseholders insist that,it will not be" passed. •': The .discussion on' the Committee's report, which ; was , - interrupted yesterday, by" the adjournment - at. 5.30 p.m., •may be continued this afternoon. The\leasej kolders, aro quite' : prepared • to carry 'on the discussion of the report for several afternoons yet; Then when the Bill comes to its second reading theleasehold members intend , to speak ; their full halfrhour on it. When the Bill is in • Committee; if the Government decides ;to sit.long "hours with a view to forcing through .the Bill, it has been'determined that'2o of the'leaseholders shall "hold- the 'fort,'..in-re-lays; every four hours, each of them taking full.advantage of a member's privilege, in Committee, to'inake fonr ten minutes' speeches on each clause. If ,these - .formidable 'resolutions are persevered in, the House is likely to get very tired of the Land Bill, before-ff. has: done with it. '-.',-•'.•. "',/■ ••'■•"-".■■■•'w. 1 ;.;- ,•;•:'

'In. referring to a remark by an Opposition member last evening, 'the Prime Minister said':. "When the proper time comes I am. Suite prepared', to say .what took : place in tie Lands Committee,-and- to .say! it straight out. I'did not do anything that was not quite right and proper,, or anything' that .1 would not hesitate to do. again- under'similar ciroumstancos." ■'■'■•:'■'•'.' ; ' r ;^!J~f /'''.''