Evening Post. SATURDAY. JULY 20, 1907.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 18, 20 July 1907, Page 4

Evening Post. SATURDAY. JULY 20, 1907.

ENDOWMENT AND CROWN LANDS. . « The Government lias kept its promise to put the House in full possession of its views on the land question before the opening of the financial debate, and the result will be that that dobate should provide a comprehensive survey of its land policy from every point of view, instead of being practically limited to a single speech — ih3 speech of the Minister of Lands — as it was ltiso year. The circulation of the three Land Bills last night should certainly give a reality to the debate for which no recent session provides any parallel. There are a hundred and eight clauses in the three Bills combined, in comparison with which the nineteen clauses of the Bill of last session seem quite- a trifle. It is true that the most highly controversial matter of all — the provision for tho direct limitation of private estates — has disappeared in favour of a, much milder substitute, which spreads through tho twenty-three clauses of the Land and Income Assessment Bill. But even in the detuils of the graduated taxation there is ample room for wide differences of opinion, and olsewheve the fundament? 1 issue between State rights and private ownership will find scores of openings. The biiefest- of the new measures, and the least open to reasonable attack is tho National Endowment Bill, and the Opposition would be wise to reserve their fire for more vulnerable points, tnrj; thoro is no indication o[ any such intention on their part. Having iepeatcdly directed their criticism at the work of any permanent appropriation for Old Age Pensions, they are appaiently lirej)are<l to i'e=i*t tho first attempt/ lO mest this objection, and the ground taken by aornc, at any rate, of their numbers is that the provision is not laTge enough. But it is a very factious kind of logic which endeavours to reject an admittedly good tiling because there- is not more of itr, and it is difficult to see how any reasonable man can pi of ess to regard tho nine million acres by which old age pensions and education arc to benefit in the proportion of three to seven, as a nsgli-, gible quantity. The Land Laws Amendment Bill is divided into two parts, which deal with Crown hinds and land for settlements respectively.' Under both these headings comes ths repeal of a provision which, after having disgraced the statute book for fifteen years, is now nob likely to find friends enough to divide the Houso in its defence. The 999 years' leaso is to be abolished with regard to both classes of land, and few will be tho tears shed ovor its dishonoured grav,e. This result will be very satisfactory, but it is poor in comparison with the proraiso of clause 4 of last year's Bill :— "From and after the coming into operation of the Act no Crown land shall be selected under part 111. or part IV. of tho principal Act «n tho cash, occupation with right of purchase, or tho lease-in-per-petuity system." Not only are both the immediate and the deferred methods of sale retained by tho present Bill, but the leesee-in-perpetuity is also given the option of securing the freehold. Jlo will not bo allowed to purchase now on the valuation of ten or fifteen years ago, on which he took up .the land, as has been unblushingly demanded by' the Farmers' Union, but he v.'ill have to give, liko any purchaser of private land, "the capital value of tho said land at the time of the purchase thereof." This value will, however, be assessed by arbitration instead of being fixed by public competition according to- the proposal of last year's Bill. The option of converting to a renewable lease is also to bo given to tho holder of a lease-in-perpetuity, but of what use will this be to the State in getting rid of a most noxious tenure when the niain benefit of the renewable lease — the right to put an end to all restrictive covenants by paying up not less than fifty per cent, of the capital — . is conceded to the tenant whether lie converts or not? This blot was not in the original measure, and wo much regret to Bee that tho Government should now be prepared to follow tho vicious lead of the Lands Committee of laet session. The term of tho renewable lease is to be left as before, at the excessive length of eixty-six years in the case of ordinary Crown lands, but there is one decided improvement in what is otherwis6 an eminently unsatisfactory part of the Bill, viz.. that the right of renewal is to be .made perpetual. This accords with the original announcement of tho Minister of Lands, that ho would-follow tho lines of the Glasgow lease — an. intention which was not carried out by the right of renewal for a single term provided by the Bill of 1906.