LAND TENURES.

Northern Advocate, 20 October 1920, Page 4

LAND TENURES.

GRAZING RUN LEASES,

BIGHTS OP THE STATE

(Special Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, This Day,

The; Land Bill was under discussion fur an 'lour or two yesterday. The Lands Committee had considered it and recommended it should be allowed to proceed, with one amendment, providing that a single child was sufficient to admit a landless applicant to the preference class In. land ballots.

Several of the leaseholders took the opportunity to protest against, the •proposed sale of the national endowment lands. They contended that the public estate was being sold in the interests of a few favoured people.

Mr G. W. Forbes (Hurunui) charged the Government with a breach vf faith in its dealings with the lessees of small grazing runs. These tenants believed that they had a perpetual right of renewal, the rent to be on a 2-1 per cent, basis.- The Government said some years ago that such very good tPims 'had not been intended and that tlie leases were subject to revaluation, Hiereul after the first term to be assessed at '1 pr cent. One fenant appealed to the courts and established ibef'ore the Privy Council., his right to 'have the renewal on. the 2 J per cent, basis. Then the Government in 15)18 embodied its reading of the intention of Parliament in retrospective legislation, so that no other lessees have got the benefit of the Privy Council's decision. Mr Forbes said this amounted to repudiation of

a contract,

The Prime Minister and the Minis-' ter of Lands both replied that Parliament had never intended to let small

grazing runs on a perpetual 2-J per cent, basis. The law had been badly drafted, but the Government had been fully justified in having the mistake rectified and the leases put on a proper basis. Mr Guthrie added: . that itwould be absurd to contend that lease-

holds should enjoy greater- security than freeholds.! The Government had

the right to resume freeholds "if the public interest required this step,, and it must have a similar right -to-review leasehold arrangements. He \v*is willing to acknowledge the sincerity of the members who were opposing the proposed sale of the national endow■meni lands, but the majority of 'the House and of -the people believed in the freehold, tenure, and the majority

must rule,

The recommendation of the committee whs accepted on the voices.