STATE LAND PURCHASE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1255, 11 October 1911, Page 6

STATE LAND PURCHASE.

"THE COUNTRY SADDLED." LAW TO BE' AMENDED. Mr. A. E. DILLON (Ilawko's Bay) opened a discussion on land purchase. Ho stated that the Maraekakalio Estate, in Ilawko's Bay, owned by Mr. R. D. J). M'Lean, was under offer to a syndicalo, and asked the Prime Minister whether the Government would consider the purcliaso of the estate.

Sir Joseph WARD asked whether there a syndicate in the district proparcd to pay more than the land was worth. A case of this kind had occurred in Marlborough. In that provinco a syndicate purchased an cstato which they afterwards offered to the Government at a lower prico than Ihcy had paid. The Government declined to purchase on tho ground that ovon the rednced price was too high. Ho proposed to ask the House that session to givo effect to an alteration that would onablo the Government to obtain these estates without having the ooimtry swindled out of enormous price.* (Hear, hear.) An effort was being mado to obtain a prico for lands tfaronslaw*

tho country that was altogether in excess, of tho value of the lands. Previous attempts to get land at a fair price him failed. When tho plan was adopted ot taking over land at tho value; fixed by tho owners themselves, the latter haii to bo relieved of tho undue burden of rates which they had brought upon themselves by placing an excessive value upon their 10r,<13. Ho proposed to ask -the Houso for power to obtain these lands at a fair value, and where ncccssary to take them compulswrily. Gross misrepresentations were being made throughout tho country as to tlw attitudo of the Government towards tho purchase of estates, but legislation he would put before the Ilouie that session would enable thom to acquire lands for tho people. A member asked whether th© proposal would apply to both Native and European land. A Change in the Law. Sir Joseph WARD said he would aslc the House to take it generally. (Hear, hear.) It was a monstrous doctrine to find that, because the Government had not boon .able to acquire as much land as it desired' last year, some people said it was not prepared to do it. He would propose a changp in the law* which would assure to the people of New Zealand an opportunity of obtaining land at a fair price and preventunfair statements about the insincerity of the Government. .Mr. DILLON' repeated his question regarding Jlaraekakaho. Tho PRIME MINISTER stated that if Air. M'Lean offered the estate at a price that the Land' Purchase Board would recommend, tho Government would acoept the offer, but not otherwise. The fact that the Government was a largo operator in the liuul market—it had already spent over in land made it very difficult for the Government to acquire laud. Ho had hoard tlie'Leader of the Opposition state that he wouid t recommend his friends to ask tlireo timea the value of their land. ■ Mr. Massey: "That statement is not correct. I said that if the Government came to me and demanded my land, whether I liked it or not, I would demand three times tho value- of Iho land in order to retain it." Tho PRIME MINISTER said he did not desire to misrepresent, but ho remembered tho lion, gentleman making a statement in which ho referred to three times tho value of the land. Mr. MASSEY said he would claim the right to make a personal explanation. The PRIME MINISTER continued that even in a compulsory purchase, it would not be fair that anyone should ask three times the value of Iris land. Ho added that, as things stood, evidence required when tho purchase of an estate was contemplated could bo given only by interested parties. In the caso of the purchase of PlaxbourniG, Mr. Massey and his friends had found fault with the Government for getting evidence from a distance.

This was denied by Messrs. Massey and Allen. Sir Joseph Ward continued that at present the sons of farmers were expected to pay three times the value of land before they could, get upon it. Mr. Massey Explains. Mr. MASSEY, Leader of the Opposition, said ho had been somewhat misrepresented. Tho Prime Minister had referred to a statement supposed to have been mido by him last year. He (Mr. Massey) was referring on that occasion fo tho fact that there' was sometimes a sontimental value attached to property, and ho had said that if tho Government had tried to take • his farm and his homo from him by compulsory purchase, he would ask threo times its value, if he oould thereby save it, and he was prepared to repeat that statement. The alteration of the Act in 1907 was a mistake, and was bound to lead to peoplo putting up tho taxing value of their lands; in order to prevent them being taken by the Government. The system in operation before 1907 was very much better. The value was then determined by a Court, which consisted of a Judge, an assessor appointed by the Government, anil an assessor appointed by tho owner, a,nd -evidence, was given by valuers on both, sides, after wliich the Court fixed tho value. He wished tho Premier, would lay on the tablo a return of the estates which had been offered to the Government: and which the Government had not 'been able to purchase within the last two years. As to tho Government not being able to get land at a proper price, lie was prepared to say that ho could have gono into tho country, dis-. triets and bought four times the two million pounds' worth of land the Government had. been authorised to buy in each year, and lie could have bought it at such prices that tho settlers to- be placed on it could havo.mado a good;'living. Mr. G. WITTY (Rieearton) asked why the remark made by Mr. Massey at tho committee, as already referred to. had been cut out of the printed report by liinr.

Mr. MASSEY: If the hon. member asks whether I cut it out, my answer is a direct negative. It wa3 not evidence. It was merely an aside. - Mr. Witty: It was in.the.newspapers. Mr. Massey: That may _ be. The newspapers often print interjections aud remarks that never appear in the official report of the evidence. It was not evidence. Beating Down the Price. The PRIME MINISTER said ho wanted to know where all tho land was which Mr. Massey thought to. buy so easily. Would he spend the two millions in one locality? Mr. Massey: Certainly not. Tho Premier: Then I want to say, as emphatically as possible, that- lii s_ imagination must be carrying him off his feet. There was great difficulty in getting land under tho Land Settlement Finance Act at price-s that would not make it necessary to fall back on tho Government guarantee. Speaking from- memory, ha thought iho Government had nover purchased under tho Land for Settlement Act a single property at tho price asked by the owner. Mr. C. A. C. nARDY (Sclwyn) said thero was one in his district. Tho PRIME MINISTER said ho believed ho was right in stating that tho •work of the Government and tho board every timo had been to beat tho land down to a proper value. Ho would consider the question of -tabling the return asked for ,by Mr. Massey. Ho would remind Mr.'-Massey that under the Land for Settlement Act-a man's homo was excluded. ! Mr. Eraser: But his farm is his home. . Sir-Joseph Ward: WhatV tho use of talking liko that? Tho Government had been- very careful about putting into operation tho compulsory clauses of the Act. and he believed they had been found fault with for not using the-compulsory clauses more. An alternative method would bo provided in tho Bill to bo introduced this session, and they would then bo able to seo how much "sincerity there was' in the aspirations that were being voiced with such extraordinary unanimity on the other side of the House.

Mr. J. B. HIKE (Stratford) askod for an explanation of a 1 transaction mentioned in the Lands Report. It was stated there that an area of 1355 acres of Crown land adjoining "the Northbank Settlement, Marlborough, had been purchased as land for sottleqiont. He suggested that it was a dangerous precedent tbat borrowed money should be paid into the public funds for the purchase of Crown lands. The PRIME MINISTER said that whenever one Department took over land frcm another Department it had to pav for it. Ho would furnish particulars of the transaction referred to.