THE LAND BILL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13296, 1 October 1906, Page 6

THE LAND BILL.

1 GOVERNMENT PROPOSALS CONDEMNED. VIEWS OF THE FARMING COM- " MUNITY. 1 [BT TELZGRATH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Feilding, Saturday, l The Largest, meeting of farmers ever held 3 in this district took place yesterday, about 800 attending. The meeting was called to protest against the Government Land Bill, r and Colonel Gorton was voted to the chair. A number of speeches were made against the measure, and an amendment in favour of; the Bill only found three supporters. v The following resolution, moved by Mr. G. G. W. Wheeler, and seconded by Mr. E. - Newman, was carried amidst the utmost r enthusiasm: -" That this meeting, directly and indirectly representative of rural interests, enters its emphatic protest against the Land Bill introduced by the Government on the grounds: (1) That.it withdraws the optional system of disposing of . Crown lands, which was approved of at f last election; (2) that the rentable lease, as proposed in the Bill, will not, be a satisfactory way of settling much of the . Crown lands remaining; (3) that the proposed offer to lease-in-perpetuity tenants to allow them to surrender their leases and 3 have their land auctioned is neither equitable, just, or desirable; (4) that as the proposal to limit the area of land either 3 by way of freehold or lease has never been - before the country, and as the result of ' it will be to destroy credit, upset present contracts entered into in relation to freeholds and leases, depreciate the security t of rural lards for mortgage purposes, and • thus ruin many farmers, this meeting hopes that all % members who have the future welfare of the people at heart, and especially those who at last election support- ; ed the freehold tenure, will be unabating in their eiforts to prevent the measure from becoming law." Ashburton, Saturday. ! A meeting convened by the Farmers' Union, and held to-day, to consider the proposals in the Land Bill, passed the following resolution, with but few ' dissentients: —" That this meeting of | farmers and others desires to express its strong disapproval of the proposed alterations in the land laws of the colony, as . set out in the Land Bill, and is of opinion J that proposals of so drastic and far-reach--1 ing a nature should not be passed into '' law until the country has had fuller opportunity of considering the measure." I . Dunedin, Sunday. At a meeting of the Palmerston branch [ of the Farmers' Union the new Land Bill was adversely criticised, and it was resolved :—" (1) That this branch strongly pro--1 tests against the Land Bill, as drafted by the Minister for Lands, and considers that time should have been given to the farming community to thoroughly consider the matter before such an important and farreaching measure becomes law; and (2) that the Bill is strongly opposed to the evidence given by farmers before the Land 'Commission; ' It was resolved to ask Mr. T Mackenzie, M.H.R., to oppose the passing of the Bill this year. STATEMENT BY -MR JONES. [BY TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION.] ' Christchurch, Sunday. On Saturday afternoon the Hon W. Hall-Jones, Minister for Railways and Public Works, was entertained at a luncheon at Stoke. Touching on the question of the Land Bill, in response to the toast of the Governor and his advisers, the Minister said that the Government had to consider the youngest child in New Zealand, as well as the oldest, man, and the poorest person as well as the richest. With regard to the Bill being in trouble,' he relied that the common sense of the members of the House, and of the community as a, whole, to see that they would get such a law upon the Statute Book as would help New Zealand along its line of progress, arid thus enable the colony to retain that prosperity which it had enjoyed for so many years..