THE LAND BILL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15132, 24 October 1912, Page 8

THE LAND BILL.

. ,—;— '■ ■—- ~ DEBATE "IN, THE HOUSE. TOWN-PLANNING .QUESTION., . : SOME MINOR AMENDMENTS, -'tBT ■ TEt,EGIUTH.--3P7iraS ASSOCIAnOX.] ' ; ;;;'.;^WELIJNGTONV :: W«dn«-sday.-The Land Bill -Was considered by the House of.RepresentatrpßS : in committee this evening. . ;■'.'■••• ." '- : ""'-■ '. ':'":•; '; -On clause 3 {dealing' with , town-plto-flin|)j Dr.;Newman^ (Wellington .East) contended that sharp corners to ■ streets : should not be allowed i?»; ®®k: towns,;?® pointed out ; the ■ cost to which some; ci.to had ' been put to in* rounding off corners ; ' for tramway track purpose®. ■~ -;V :; "-,^\ ■ Mr. A.. Myers (Auckland East), advised I the bringing out of'.«, town-planning «x----[pert from England, even if the appoint- ' ment were only temporary. - I • ' Hon. W. F. iMassey ; said the Bill was not a Townrpiaiining Bffl. . They were simply making a commencement with the subject. If advantage wore taken Of the provisions 'in the. Bill, .predicted a large savjihg to tile country in tho future.. . ,• ; : - Et. Newman said that the 'Prima-Minisr ter Icbuld not possibly th» pressiw that would bo brought to bear on. the authorities to lessen the width of streets.. :; - Hon. W. P. Massey: considered that the Bill : fully dealt with, ciretunstaace? fljafe might arise. ,1 It did ■ not propose;- to deal with existing. cases.: " ~ ' , • Mr. Witty (Riccarton) contended « that in the laying off of: towns, full provision should be made for the laying off of rer ■ serves'. ■; f . - Dr. Newman objeotedi to a -new subclause, which provided.that the Governor; ia-Gouncil may allow'.a, right«ofrW»y to' be less than 66ft wide, and moved that the power conferred on.the Gbvernor-m.-Counr oil be maMng it obligatory'ithat all rig*ts-of-way-shall 'be 66ft .wide.;. 'i The 'Prime Minister said ho, OouTd not accept the amendment. The:, adoption of such a scheme would mean the placing ot difficulties in. the way of those who desired to cut up their land. ' , % The amendment was lost by 48i ; vo.testd 19, and the clause was. passed unamended. • : : : : '"At: 1 the Land Ballots. ■;■'.': Later on Mr. Davoy (Christchnrch East) : urged that: something should übe dOQfi 'to; prevent people with capital from going in to a land ballot;? and; thereby preventing poor applicants from getting oh the land. ';•: The Prime i Minister said -he ', had; a -good deal of sympathy with the proposal. .K possible a regulation would ;be drafted deal-, ing with thftj subject. .;:-'... - ; ; " ;■, -.Mr. Forbes; (Huruhui) ; nrged that -sped*. fie preference should bo given «3 landless applicants at the ballot. ' ; , _ The Prime Mmistersajd that the intention was that landless applicant,?, and those . who had been for two .years unsuccessful;' had to be fires satisfied. The details would have to be fixed by regulation. ; '..'; Mr. Forbes urged that preference should; be given to peiome jvho liad n« lahdfat^all.i The : Prime Minister They must he landless to be' in the ballot. 'He' added that there; would be threap classes ><tf applicants!! whose ' claims must first bo satisfied—peoplo who had m0..-land, people who : had children dependent on them;-and* 1 people : who !jiaa,.beer.v .unsuccessfully' competing .at. a; ! land ballot; during the previous two years., ': Those classes.; would,-' under the Bfilj, take precedence ;M other applicants. f ; ;. The clf.vsa giving preference "to landless applicants was passed without- amend* meat. :. ; :;,';-.; • /-;.---■-■-: ;, : ;v- *!.-"'• •>..-. '? : ; Teaajats and Their Rents,

Ac clause. 8, providing.,that .the Minister may postpone payment o"f rent by a- Crown : tenant when relief is deemed to be*-«eces-, ; sary on account of any; natural disaster or other sufficient cause, the Prime Jffiueto?/ said the, object of the clause was that every case should be considered on its merits. ' l " ' . r~ ■ Mr., R. W. Smith ' (Waimarino) moved to amend the clause so as to .provide, that /the amount'of rent postponed shali'nofc exceed four years', rent instead of three j years; as proposed in the Bill. 1 The amendment was challenged by ihs ! PrimE! Minister oh the ground that it was , an appropriation claus 5 , l" Mi'. 1 Speaker ruled that the amendhtant I did $ob;\ involve : appropriation, aitd ; the I clause! was: not one that had to be: ihiro- ! duced by Governor's Message. Therefore, [the Chairman of .Committees should ! mit the amendment -'to* be put. j Mr. Mncsoy submitted. that a postponement -to three years was as much -'.as the : | State could afford. I Mr. Young said that "Sir. Smith had merely-given ' cheap; talk to catch votes m'" the Bysh districts. >. / •; ;;Th*i. amendment was lost on the*' voices^ ' ' - ( . //;; ; National Endowment Lands. > i On clause 9, dealing with the exchange if. natioasl - endowment lands' ; for - other i|ireas of '-.equip Mr. Russell moved that such exchanges -idrecommendation < /by, the ,Land" Purchase Board,- : There was nothing-in the clause as te:limita|ibn of tiie extent of ehdbwment land to. be exchanged. - : ? ;.-:/, . ■' The Minister, replica!, that the clause was to affect ;; only; small /areas/of three, four, or five/acres.,'-: Ho had - himself mtohded to add such a provision as Mr. Russell had : suggested. ' i The/claußo /passed: with; Mr. ; Rus* ; sell s amendment. t A new-clause -,providing that where the holder: of: a pastoral license had suffered exceptional loss of stock reason of tfe severity of the winter, the license of such a holder may bcr eatended for : a period not exceeding .seven; years, - was carried; v ■ '.-/,- Consideration-.of; the Land Bill-was continued after the telegraph office closed.