LAND TENURES.

Northern Advocate, 22 October 1920, Page 2

LAND TENURES.

ENDOWMENTS AS FREEHOLD.

AN IMPORTANT BILL,

(Special Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, This Day.

In moving the second reading of the Land Bill last night the Minister of Lands said that the proposal to apply the deferred payment system to Crown und settlement lands sold at auction was in the interests of small men who were not in a position to pay cash. This was particularly the ease when the land carried considerable improvements. He believed' the deferred payment system would be of great assistance to many people. Returned soldiers would continue to have preference in land settlement under the repatriation scheme, but in other land settlement they were being placed equal with landless applicants witlt child/en and landless applicants wiho had been twice unsuccessful at ballots. The Government recognised that landless, men with children were entitled to consideration.

The Minister added that the Bill proposed to give any returned soldier occupying national endowment land the right to the freehold. This was in addition to the provision for the settlement of some unoccupied endowment land on the homestead system. He would move in committee that the right of the freehold should be extended also to all other* tenants of National endowment land. Hβ emphasised that he did not believe the State would lose anything by parting with the endowment land. Much of this land was idle now, and anything that would secure its profitable occupation was a good tiling for the country. The money secured by the sale of this land would be invested and would give a better return than the land was now giving. The debate on the second reading of the Bill extended until after midnight. M(any members had something to say about tenures and production. The advocates of the leasehold made their protest against the sale of the national endowments, but it was obvious that they were in a minority.

The Rotorua Town Lands Bill was reported from committee last night without further opposition from the leaseholders. It now awaits further discussion in the House.