FOR CLOSER SETTLEMENT

Evening Star, Issue 15268, 21 August 1913, Page 6

FOR CLOSER SETTLEMENT

LAND COMPULSOPJLY TAKEN.

[From Our Parliamentary. Reporter.]

WELLINGTON, August 21. The question of compulsory taking of land for closer settlement was referred to by the Hon. Mr Massey, Minister of Lands. The system as to the compulsory taking of land had been in operation for many years, but the law was altered in 1907. Prior to that year the value of tha land was arrived at by the Compensation Court, presided over by the Supremo Court. That law seemed' to him to hava been very satisfactory. Ho was opposed "to the change introduced in 1907 by Mr M'Nab, then Minister of Lands. "Now, under the present system the owner fixed tho value of tho hind, and if the Crown required to take the land the purchase price was the owner's price plus 12 pel cent. The value of improvements is arrived at in the same way that the capital value was fixed prior to 1908. Sine* tho alteration of the Act in 1907 an inquiry had been held, and it.came out that the legal expenses and costs in connection with the compulsory taking of certain bloclcs amounted in several cases to thousands of pounds. That cost wa6 apart from all comparison to tin value of tho land, and the unfortunate setters are still paying interest on that go back to the original system," continued the Prime Minister, "tnen something will bo done to prevent a repetition of th« costly business an the past. I shall no! ask Parliament, however, to go back to the old system, but some check will bo made towards preventing wastage of public money as in past vears." Ho went on to speak of the effects of tho different Acts touching land settlement, and expressed belief that there had been a better division of land than man* members thought. He personally did r- know of a single, large estate in the Auckland Province, nor was there ji. single large estate in the TaranaKi district. He believed that within ten years from now there would not be one large estate left in New Zealand. Such was his honest opinion. Aa far as further alteration of the law vraj concerned, he thought that something would have to be done in the direction ol discriminating between the man who held unoccupied land and the man who was making the most- of his land, irrespective of area. (Hear, hear.) They would havo to make the man who held unoccupied land pay for the luxury ho enioyed.

An Opposition Member : "We'll help von."

Tho Prime Minister : "I einccrelv hope von will."