NEW LAND LAWS.

Northern Advocate, 18 October 1920, Page 1

NEW LAND LAWS.

SALE OF CROWN LANDS',

ENDOWMENT POLICY CHANGED.

(Special Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, Oct. J6. , The Land Amendment Bill, introduced in the House last night, provides that where Crown lands are sold on deferred payments the purchaser is to deposit 5 per cent, of the price., and will thereupon receive a license to.occupy. ' The balance, is to be , paid off in nineteen years, with interest at 5 per cent. A new order of preference for ballots under the Land-A'et is iixed. The following are to have preference: —(a) Landless applicants who have children dependent upon them; (bi landless applicants wiho within two ■ years have been unsuccessful at ballots under the Land Act or the Land for Settlements Act; (c) applicants, who have served abroad with the New Zealand' Expeditionary Force; (d) applicants- who were bona fide residents of New Zealand immediately prior to the war and served with some force* other'than the Nelw Zealaad Expeditionary Force. In the case of other applicants those who are landless shall have" preference, over thrfse who are not landless. The Bill no. land shall' hereafter become, ijatibiial endowment land. It is stated that jihe.GovernorGeneral may from tiind to time'by proclamation -declare that:—(a) Any imoccupied national ; endowment land not exceeding in the aggregate ,10,000 acres, or (b). any: national endowment land disposed of under the Discharged ■soldiers";.Settlement."Act, 1915, or (c) any national endowment land disposed of under the Land Act, 1908, and held under lease or license-by any person who is competent to acquire land under the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, shall as from a date to be. specified in the proclamation cease to be national endowment land. ..After the proclamation' has taken, effect the land shall ,if unoccupied, be set apart under the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, or under the homestead section of the Land Act of last session."; If such land, is held under the D.ischargedSol- ; ?- diers Settlement Act or under renewable lease by-iany person entitled to the benefits of. that Act the right to acquire the freehold is conferred. If such land is held under the same conditions by any tenure other than renewable lease the right to acquire the freehold as if the land were ordinary Croiwn land is conferred. All revenue obtained by the operations of these provisions is to be paid into the National Endowment Account for investment. The right of lease-in-perpetuity tenants of settlement land to the freehold is revived,