THE LAND LAWS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXVII, Issue LXXVII, 5 August 1918, Page 6

THE LAND LAWS.

'— * > FARMERS' VIEWS. VARIOUS AMENDMENTS SUGGESTED. Various sides of the land laws of New , Zealand were discussed by the NewZealand Farmers' Union Conference on Thursday. Mr W. B. Matheson (Eketahuna) moved: "That the Government be urged to extend the time granted to L.I.P. settlers in which to make their land freehold."—Carried. The subject of national endowment lands was introduced by Mr R. D. Dusfield (Horotiu), who moved: "Thatoccupiers of national endowment land be granted the option of purchasing the freehold, and all land to be thrown i open on those terms as required; the j proceeds from the sale of such lands to ] oe reinvested for the benefit of the en- j dowment for which they are intended." ' "With this was coupled.the following remit from Taranaki: "That the Government be asked to legislate that the occupiers of national endowment lands be granted the option of purchasing the freehold of the holdings, and all to be thrown open on these terms as required, the union being of the'opinion | that the proceeds can be reinvested to I much greater advantage for the pur- j poses of the endowment." | Mr F. "Whitwell (Wakapuaka) moved to strike out all the words after "reinvested" in the Taranaki remit, and to substitute for the portion deleted the following words: "In the*acquisition and development of land suitable for »ational forestry." The amendment was defeated, and the motion was carried by ' a large majority. The following Hawke's Bay motion was carried: ''Tlmt this conference of farmers desires to impress upon the Government the urgent necessity of appointing two qualified farmers, to act in conjunction with the Commissioner, or two members of the Land Board, in selecting and approving of land for settlement' within their own farming district. This practice to be adopted in all parts of the Dominion." On the subject of royalties, the conference resolved: "That* this union is strongly of opinion that tlje Minister of Lands should amend the* Land Act to enable local bodies to receive halfroyalties on timber? in all cases whore the value of the timber has been added to the value of the land." It was resolved t^ adopt the following remit from Pelorus: "That a. strong recommendation be made to the Minister of Lands that before completing the purchase of any lands,, either for returned soldiers or land for settlement, that the local land board, in whoso district s^eh purchase is contemplated, be referred to for their opinion."