THE LAND QUESTION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13480, 3 July 1907, Page 8

THE LAND QUESTION.

FARMERS INSIST ON THE OPTIONAL TENURE. OPPOSITION TO ENDOWMENTS. '• [BY TELEGRAPH. — OWN CORRESPONDENT.] , I ■ ! - Wellington*, Tuesday. ,|Thk Land Bill was fully discussed at the >Farmers' Union Conference to-day. j Mr. A. Knight (Kaikoura) moved a [HawkeV Bay remit (slightly amended) as follows: ' - i ! That this Council, having I'considered1'considered the .'Land Act Amendment Bill, lately before the I country, is of the opinion that no'form of tenure will give satisfaction to the farming community unless it includes the option 01 'freehold.'- The- income from this source I yearly would enable the Government to purchase considerable ureas for settlement, and ! obviate further borrowing. If the object of ! the Bill is the reduction of large estates, a |very much better remedy is already provided lin the Land for Settlement Act, provided j tenants were given the right to purchase the i freehold. i ■■::.:.' | Carried. | Captain Bell (Auckland) moved: — i '"--' j • That Crown tenants'on lease in perpetuity ! tenure be siven the right to acquire the freehold of their holdings-on payment by the 'leasee of the original value, and the payment of the difference on the lease in perpetuity land the b per cent, chargeu to tenants with 'right of purchase; and. also, that tenants. I under the Laud for Settlement Act lie alI lowed to purchase at the original valuation, I provided that all the conditions imposed 'have been complied with. ; I The mover said the period within which ju tenant. might do so .should not be a hard i and fast one. J The motion was carried. •■, . ! :- NATIONAL ENDOWMENTS. j Mr. Forsyth (Pihania) moved:— •" "■ i That in any future setting aside of lands 'by way of endowment for education or any j other purpose lessees of such lands shall I have the option of obtaining the freehold, I the purchase money to be placed as principal in the endowment .fund. j Mr. Birch thought the endowment system was a bad one, particularly State enidowments. He moved as an amendment:— i ...-. ■ , ; ! That this Conference is opposed to tho pro-: posal to set aside all remaining Crown lands as endowments in the hands of the Government for any specific purpose, with the exception of purely pastoral lands. \- Mr. Cooper said the present leasehold •endowments for education and other purIposes were already proving a loss to the i country. j Mr. Jones (Canterbury): Oh, no. I Mr. Cooper: Yes. He believed they jwcre, because they were going down in lvalue. i Mr. Jones entered a protest against uniconditional opposition to the endowment [proposals of the Minister for Lands. I Mr. Birch's amendment was carried by a ■small majority. . | RIGHT TO THE FREEHOLD. | Mr. Maxwell (Taranaki) moved: — i_ : . j That, a further endeavour be made to sejcure on equitable terms the right to leaseholders to secure tho freehold under the West Coast Settlement Reserve's Act." I Carried.

DEFERRED PAYMENTS. It was further resolved: — i That in the opinion of the Conference it is I desirable that the deferred payment system lof land occupation should again bo put on j the Statute Book. I NATIVE LANDS. • I A number of remits on native land matters were grouped and passed in the folj lowing form : — That the Farmers' Union Bhould express to the Government its appreciation of the action [taken in setting up a Commission on the 'subject of native lands, and its hope that this action may be speedily followed by the opening up of the native lands to European I settlement under the optional system; thatall native lands he made to pay rates. But the union is strongly opposed to the disposal of any surplus native lands which would tend to set up any Maori landlordism. 1 OTHER MATTERS. - An Auckland suggestion, that at least half the members of land boards be elected by the settlers, was rejected. Wellington's proposal that Crown tenants should have the right to elect one member of each board was agreed to. It was also resolved that the Government's attention be called to the present system of rating for local purposes on small grazing runs, with the object of placing these lands on the same footing as others as regards local rating.

A TIMARU DECISION. [IJT TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION".] Timaru, Tuesday. Mr. G. W. Leadley addressed a well-at-tended meeting at Pleasant Point last night on the Land Bill, when the following motion was carried by a narrow majority: — "That no Land Bill will be satisfactory which did not include the option of the freehold."