A MARCH FORWARD.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIV, Issue 2, 4 January 1910, Page 2

A MARCH FORWARD.

MILITARY AND FINANCIAL

PRIME MINISTER ON THE

SESSIONS WORK

. THE MONEY SIDE OF LAND SETTLEMENT.

(N.Z. Times Special.) CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 3. " Interviewed during his brief stay liere en route for lnvercargill, the ' ; Prime Minister (Sir J. G. Ward) gave -' an interesting resume of the work of the session' and, his impressions us to its importance tq the Dominion.

.. ' A.WORKING SESSION. '. •'* '-We, have'^iist completed the work of the firsV session after the general election," said Sir Joseph. "The ;.rspecial short s^ssionijtield in June last '" was for brie purpose of a' distinctlynational character;- namely j; to deal with the "olfeY of :the Dreadribiight by New Zealand. The only, other work 1 was ari extension. of the authorisations of the previous session until the beginning ofc the sessibri which has 'just been" completed. It was anticipated by ;some people that the holdirig of a session so late in the year would v" result in- comparatively little work '^' being accomplished, but in the light " of results I thirik the most fastidious 1 critio. must recognise 'that^ this has not been the case. In my opinion the work carried out during the first ■ wprking* «feSsion after the general. , election easily estabHsh.es a record in l rihis cbuntryv - Generally speaking, the I Second;session of Parliariient has beeri which the bulk ;of the work r{,has been;^ acobiriplished. import^ ■^ ance rot jfce legislation carried •through this Parliamerit may not he except; by? i of Parlia- ; ment arid-the cbinparatively few whosa business it is';fej;»''clbsely; analyse our n'laws, biit i.his;;sessibri's legislation, in 1 my judgnient. is of far-reaching con-" sequence-a^d^ importance." ■ ; FINANCIAL- SYSTEMS^ RECAST.'

"The recasting of the whole system of financeu'ridefwhich advantages to. •-Isettlerisi 'arid-"advances to j workers, ~ l<>^n^.t«6..localvb<^iesj moneysvfor pur■fc«:ciiase Jot land under the Land for |^Settlei^ien| Act, the fund required for '**^ip!foijl& pi lands,', advices fbr purposes, arid for the Hauraki .Estate, is > revolution that will add I materially to the strength arid utility all interests that...will be dealt wjthvby the several departments. New ..Zealand is admittedly in many rs;;spect"s ahead of any other country in the worlds in what might be termed work of a social or domestic character. Qur people require, eoixcurrent(fj[y with ithe'carrying out of the financial requu^ under the several ■ headings I have indicated, provision >*to< be made for developmental purposes, to provide railways, additional "roads, and other public utility ser- ■ vices. This runs into large sums, and /fchis year' #ie ariiount is £2,190,024. ;^lt has; appeared to ■ me, for some time to successfully" ;. c^rry'onf the' important social branches ■ "of the irbr&'as well as public.necessi-, ~ tiesvlwb^h; are distincifrbni those of* /',. 5 a social"character, a revolution was practically .essential in our financial, arrangements to enable both those 'j, from whom we borrow bur zribney, and .< the people in orir country,* to have" «, clear'and distinct,separation under ; i>he various headings so as to ensure. .success in obtaining the money in the :, first! insjbance arid also secure proper; i facilities for: the purpose for, which the money is to be provided. This has - -now , Been doney and it is something, ■-.i that at least our cburitry can be proud1 .» of that this system is unique, and has /■not been established in any other VSeountry in the world. Without being egotistical, I may express the opinion that before many years pass by the tefnciericy and advantages of the system will impress other countries, and, like inariy other advanced laws vvhich f liave been termed experimental, but **which have long since passed that fetage/ will i>e adopted by them. Had we succeeded in accomplishing aoth].ririg else than establishing, a greatly a Improved'system upon a strong basis iiov financial requirements, the I': session would have Ijeen a memorable ■-■brie. ■/•• •.'■•■■ i UNIVERSAL TRAINING. "This, however,, is only a small portion of the work done," Sir Joseph continued. "Can one not in the important reform of internal der fence point with pride to the work of Parliament this session, when I say that though the system of uni- , versal training has been spoken of and advocated in other parts of the .Empire for several years past, New Zealand is, the first to pass legislation which provides the reality We ' have put the Work of internal defence far ahead 6f the position of talking pbout, as universal -training is now the 'Jaw of the land. In connection with this matter we have in the Defance Act incorpbrated boy scouts, who are now a wofld-wide organisation as far as the British Empire is concerned. No other portion of the Empire has fiven them the status New Zealand as conferred by Act of Parliament, and I believe that this recognition will be the soil which will cause the:novement to grow in strength and visefulr ness. The regulations which are necessary to give effect to the establishment of a system of uriivar&il training in the Dominion will be put in hand without delay. Necessarily it will take a little time to have the Whole of the machinery created, but liothing will be left undone to ensure Jt being completed as soon as it is pos./fiible to do so. A committee will be appointed after the holidays to visit • both islands, in order to select a suitable area of land upon which the ■nermanent structures are to be orect*d, and where general training will be continuously in operation. LAND FOR SETTLEMENT. "The Land for Settlement Finance' Act is also a very important measure, j JPhder ft. priyate people will be able |

to sell farms limited in area to associations of five or more persons. That must help forward that much-desired desideratum, the closer settlement of our lands. The 'financing, both for those who acquire the land. and those who,sell it, will be carried out comparatively easily, as the result of the State^guaranteed debentures. 'I look forward to this important branch of land' settlement being largely availed of as soon as it becomes familiar to the people, and it will confer great benefits upon large numbers of people throughout the Dominion. '' In connection with the purchase, of native lands, one of the greatest difficulties for many years past has been the want of a legalised system by which large areas of land, in many cases lying, idle, could be acquired by the 'Government and placed at the disposal of settlers. It has been carried on from year to year to some extent, but it was limited very greatly on account of the necessary financial machinery'not being in operation;"

FACILITATING PURCHASES.

"The acquisition of native, land formed part of the general administrative work of the country, a"nd had to take its chance whether an amount of money in the ordinary way could be spared for that purpose.' We now! have power to spend £500,000 a year,, and on the face of it that means great activity, compared with anything we have' Had m'the past in the .acquiring ansy cutting up of native lands., It is also in'the* interests of closer settlement. We have not in any way weakened <or decreased the power unled p the Lands for'"Settlement Act of acquiring landed estates, and this will be carried on as usual* One oi the difficulties of recent times, .however*, that has to some extent checked the" usefulness of this important' branch^, has been the high values that have been placed; on "estates by owners oii the ground that-this* protected them against acquisi,tion of their estates by the><xbvjernment. 1 can .understand the motive which prompted them, "but rfevhas riot been the practice of the Government to acquire; estates comp'ulSorily eiteept in comparatively few instances, where they stood in the jyay of the progress of a district or part of a district. In' fact, up till riowj'less than twelve estates .have been acquired,conipulsorily since the Act has been in force. Th.is: speaks more eloquently than I can in. ijustificatio^i of the statemerit'that the Government does riotj, ruthlessly f orcei people to sell'their land whether they like it or not. As a matter :of ..factjj-: there is comparatively no'■nec'ess'ity'for1 the compulsory clauses of the Act Heing used, as experience has demonstrated that more land i£ offered' all over the country than the full* mnltf of finance provided by Parlianlent' would admit of being acquired in any one year." HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID REFORM. "The altered provisions contained in the Hospitals and Charitable Aid Act are a, distinct improvement upon that usefulj^d^.iiepessary branch of the social work of the Dominion,'' continued Sir Jciseph. '^The law is now in jßvery respeptr avmore •'equitable one in the matter of imposing rates ' an&" placing the'contributory system froriv the executive Government upon a: metbodic^l and fair basis: Many of the dimculttes of the past will be greatly minimised, and I believe that in future there will be less fighting for independent districts. Ah examination of the law will show that where contentions arose under the old Act about the overlapping of districts and the necessity for new ones, these difficulties are met in such a way that they will be capable of settlement without the heart-burnings engendered by the natural desire of the people miyarious localities to have the disposition and control of the money raised for charitable purposes." (In regard to.the Friendly Societies Act, Sir Joseph said that its provisions went in the direction of ensuring that their operations would be carried on on a sound basis. He hoped that in time all the societies would . conic under the Act. ... DEATH DUTIES. "The amendments in the death duties are of a most important character," said Sir Joseph. "It is beyond all question that for many years we have been behind in this respect, and ! we have not had such up-to-date death duty and succession laws in operation in New Zealand as exist in other countries. No doubt some individuals will not like the new law, but so long as the principle is recognised (and it has to be in this world) that the recipients of great wealth who have done little or nothing to create it should be called upon to give a larger proportion of that which has been left [to them to the State than the people ■ who are in receipt of comparatively ' small legacies, the law must remain on that basis. Looking at theamend--led law without prejudice,, I consider

it a fair adjustment of what was hot satisfactory so far as the repealed law w,as concerned.''

THE DREADNOUGHT,

"The coftftrmation by Parliament by legislation of the offer of a Dreadnought to the British Navy, and provision jof authority by which the undertaking is to be financed completes the work that was commenced some months ago, and gives New Zealand a small attachment to that great Navy of which we are all so proud, and which, wherever it is, is helping to fly the British flag independently and supremely. . ,It is a matter for gratification that there was no division called, for in the House on this important matter, and it shows to the world that whatever we may have in minor or even major political, matters, we are at one-when, it comes to a question of helping to protect the great British Empire aiid its widely-distributed interests. I think with pride of a Parliament that has shown no dissension or petty political feeling o.n that important question. I consider that in matters of defence we stand to-day pre-emi-nently on a more satisfactory basis than ever before. It is true that we could have had the protection of the British Navy without taking the course we have taken, but it would have been poor consolation that the British taxpayer was paying for what our clear duty demanded we should undertake. With our improved position in regard to the Navy, and a new basis for our improved internal defence in New Zealand, I think I am right in saying that the march forward in this respect has been very, striking indeed.''