LAND BILL CONDEMNED.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 949, 17 October 1910, Page 4

LAND BILL CONDEMNED.

(By Telegraph.—Press . Association.)

Auckland, Octobor 14,

, At.; a meeting of .the . Executive of the Auckland Agricultural and Pastoral Association .this afternooi), _ the , Land : Bill, now. before..the...House,'was discussed. : ; .

. The, president - (Mr. Gray) .criticised the; Bill at • length. 'He thought that there was a tendency in. tho .Dominion to restrict the,, size of. tho holdings, and, ho made, a, strong plea .for: the freehold. Ho did not think that the Bill was introduced, seriously, or that it would go through.. He'moved ,'the- following motion"That, in. the. opinion of this association, no : Land Bill,'is likely to be satisfactory to "the farming community which fails to confer upon those taking up Crown lands' the optional' right ..to . purchase. This'.' associdtion, moreover, views'with, grave concern.the tendency, displayed, in the;. Land Laws. Amendment Bill, ,: introduced ' this' session, to make' the holding .of. rural land a criminal offence, and. protests against the application., of the principle of the -compulsory, leasehold to lauds at present. held privately. It desires, further, to place on record its deliberate opinion that .the disabilities proposed to be placed on holdcrs 'of lands (the unimproved value of which amounts to £40,000 or more)'are "unnecessary and unjustifiable ill. view of the powers al- ; .ready possessed by the Crown of reserv'ing: such lands, under the .' Lands 'for Settlement Act." . .

Mr.: G. J.'Garland, .in seconding the motion, said that .the.Bill was' a half-and-half measure, with a sop to the leaseholders and a sop to the freeholders. Ho considered that the Bill. Jivas simply .an. attempt to placate' some of the people in ...tho towns, and so got some more votes.... Dr. Stopford also supported tho resolution, and spoke strongly in favour, of tho■ freehold. ! He. advocated; settle-, ment on the Queensland . system. Tho motion was carried unanimously. • Mr.".' John- Masscy moved:—"That this association considers that legislation of tho : character contemplated must tend. to-, destroy the confidence of the. better class-of. settlers who might otherwiso be. attracted to. this country, and respectfully suggests that tho : Government should substitute, for such compulsory leaseholds, the resumption and salo of the larger estates necessary for closer • settlementj purposes -, on • a system of deferred payments." This motion was seconded by Mr. Henderson, and carried unanimous!}'.