THE LAND QUESTION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13385, 11 September 1905, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE LAND QUESTION.

THE PREMIER'S RESOLUTIONS. ■WELLINGTON, August 23/ In tho House \ol Representatives on August 23,th0 Right Hon. Mr Seddon'gavo notice to move—;, •. '■ .• , That this House resolves itself into a Committco of the Wholo to deal with the report of tho Royal Commission on Lands, and to consider.arid.detbrmino tho following and other ■ matters, so that a bill may bo introduced this . session .1. That.(ho present law permitting lcaco m perpetuity bo' repealed, and that in respect to leasing land in , tho future there be substituted, in rcspcct to rural lands, a lcaso for not' less"than 50 years or moro than 99 years,. with .the right of rcnowal from tiir.o to.time, on revaluation, for not loss than 21 years or moro than 50 years; or failing which/tenants' to havo full compensation for improvements-la) Occupation with right of purchase; (b) tho present system of.'purchase for cash; (c) and the other existing tenures to continue—viz., village wttlcmonts,. special settlement associations, improved farm settlements, occupation leases under "Tho Mining Districts Land Occupation Act, 1894," small grazing runs, and in respoct to' small grazing runs of Crown lands ns provided in "Tho Land Act, 1885." I'urther, that it bo a condition that in the future all Crown'lands should be thrown open, - subject to the optional system to lease' for occupation with the right of purchaso, purchase on cash payment of' wliother tho Crown land_ contains minerals or not. That in parting with land tho State to retain all mineral rights, 2. That in respccfc to lessees who now occupy under lcaso in perpetuity and who have acquired land under The Land Act, 1f'92," whether t-hoy are to have the.right to acquiro tho freehold of their sections at tho present market value. 3. That in respect to lessees who now occupy under [he leaso in perpetuity, and who have'acquired lands under "Tho Land Act, 1892," whether (hey arc to havo tho right to acquire the freehold of their sections, at the capital value upon which.they originally selected, and upon payment of 1 per cent, difference between 4 per cent, 'and s'per : cent.,--plus compound interest on 1 per oent. from (lie day of selection, or may tho said lesseo change the ■'enure to occupation with right of purchaso. 4. Shall lessee;; under tho leaso in perpetuity of lands acquired under the Laud for Settlements Act bo allowed to acquire the freehold of their sections, and, if eo, shall they so acquire at tho present market value or at tho original valuo, and subject to the other conditions stated in resolutions numbers 2 and 3 hereof. If tho lessees allowed to purchase, tho moneys to lie expended in tho purchaso of other lands for closo settlement.

5. That ail lessees under the right of purohaso option, or lessees under lease in perpetuity, ha permitted, after 10 years' occupancy and fulfilmont of conditions to pay olf ono moiety of the capital value of their lands in siinis of £10, or any niultiplo of £10, upon tho first day bf January and tho first day of July in oach year, during tho currency of tho said purchasing olauso or leases, tho rentals boing proportionately reduced.

6. That should the right to acquire tho freehold bo granted to lessees under lease in perpetuity, cither under "Tho Land Act, 1892," or tho Land for Settlements Act, then in such caso tho sections and tho areas at present hold by them siia'l remain as at present, and that 110 Alteration of boundaries, unless it be for cutting up into smaller areas, shall bo inado unless clono by an act of Parliament passed specially in that behalf. That at all times the owner or a losseo of the'owner shall reside on tho said section and comply with the res'doiitial conditions as provided under tho e/isting lease in porpctuity, and it shall Ixs unlawful for t.ho registrar of' deeds to register any transfers that contravene this express condition, or. if dono, tho title thereto shall bo invalidated. 7. That, in the caso of Crown lands the capital valuo of which docs not exceed £1 per acre, tho same bo dealt with under conditions that previously existed, and which were known as the homestead system. 8. Nativo lands to bo classified t.ho same as Crown lands. That greator facilities be granted for individualising tho titles and oxchango a 1! between Nativo owners ot land, and that tho Land for Settlements Act bo applied to surplus land owned by Natives, and that the Nativo land, like Crown land, bo lcasod for 50 years, with tho right of renewal from timo to timo on revaluation [or not less than 21 years; and that tho law generally in respect to leasing Nativo lands bo amended by extending tlio period for loasing from 21 to 50 years", and that monetary assistance bo granted to Natives to enable. them to go on their lands, and every effort bo made to settle Natives on their landß. 9. It shall bo unlawful for any person or corporation or company holding 5000 acres first-class rural land, or 10,000 acres secondclass rural land, to purchase and acquire tho foe simple • i any moro land, of to increase tho nrei.j owned. If any land in excess of tho areas herein limited shaH fall in by way of moTtgago, or by will,' tho same may bo held for fivo years. If not disposed of hv that time' tho State to have the right to acquire the land at tho land tax value of such lands, plus 10 per opnt. It shall bo unlawful for tho registrar iof deeds to register any transfer of lands to persons, corporations, or companies owning at tho time such transfer is sought lands to tho extent of,tho aroa3 hereinbefore mentioned; - and if transferred tho title thereto shall be invalidated. *• 10. It shall bo unlawful for any person or corporation, individual or company, owning urban or surburban lands to tho unimproved value of £50,000, to purchase and acquiro tho fco simple of any moro lands. If- any land fall in by way of mortgage, or by will, tho same may be held for fivo years. If after that timo tho same bo not disposed of tho State may acquiro the said land at the then land tax value. It shall be unlawful for the registrar of deeds to register any transfer to any person, corporation, , or company owning land to the valuo hereinbefore stated, and if done the title thereto shall bo invalidated.

11. That tho present system of; nominated Land Boards be adhered to, and that each laud district be dividod into ridings, and a member residing therein and having local knowledge bo appointed a member of the board, and that there should"bo at least one Crown tenant on each Land Board.

12. Cropping, restrictions to be relaxed, and Land Boards .should liavo statutory power to rolax cropping conditions whenever nocossary, and that'for over-cropp\ig in lieu of forfeiture tho -Land Boardr. to havo power to impose. a fine. '13. That residence bo continuous for six years under any .'tenure,-including land sold for cash. No -residential condition to bo enforced until reasonable road access has been provided. 14. That tho present ballot system, being the fairest, mode cf 'determining who shall bocomo the ownor when there is moro than one applicant, shall,continue. The presentsystem of grouping and second ballot shall ho maintained, and the' grouping of sectionii,' 1 with the moans required for tho successful occupation, -bo- substituted. That a ballot should bo'- taken for first choice of any section in _ tho group. That married men with families shall liavo preference, and that persons- who have in their own right been tenants of tho Crown, or-who' parted with the freehold of lands held by them, shall bo. ineligible'for ballot for three years. ■ ... ;

15. That, in respect 'to tenants occupying pastoral runs, tenure for at least 21 years should be favourably considered, and thai a liberal construction .as to ,improvements bo .conoeded;. and that.-at intervals during each year some portion of the run should bo kept free 'from- stock;','so as to kllow tho native grass to recover; and, in respect to leases of small .'grazing runs at Cheviot, they. be placcd .on -tfye same footing as tenants on Crown -lands holding similar •••^nures.

Tho discussion on-the Premier's motion was commenced on the 31st lilt. -Mr Massey, 'Leader -of tho ; Opposition, asked the •Premier if, lie intended, to treat the amendment of which ,ho (Mr Masseyl had given ''.notice'- as onoof want of confidence. The Premier's reply indicated that such was not his ; intention/ Ho: J-hen proceeded to move his motion., Ho" was'followed by Mr Massey, who- concluded' his speech by moving—"That tho : Government, having received , the report' ofv tho commission appointed to-inquire into the best fori? 'of land ' tenure- for ' the - colony, and having faded'to formulate- any land policy, whjch mil granfc to tho tenants-of the Crown tlie right to acquiro the freehold of their farms on equitable terms, -.thereby forfeits - the •confidence pf 'ins House.-' . .

Tho Government has.decided not to treats' Mr MasseyV amended amendment as on®' • of - want of confident*;, for tho < present at" least. One effect of this decision is to;limit .:i tho time allowed to each speaker The f< • debate has.not been concluded, and it is' i 'evident, that nearly ovory member of-tho .;House intends to take part in the discus-'!' " Eion. ' .. { ;

Mr Massey has givon notioe' to move a number _ of further amendments to the Premier's land' proposals when the House goes into committoo to consider these proposals. . - . , ■ In regard to clause 1' nieh provides' for the repeal of tho prct. in regard to lease in perpetuity), Jl, .issey will move to insert a provision /or; the option; of purchaso during the first term of the proposed substituted form of lease. The next amendment has reference to clause 2. which reads as follows:—"That in respect to lessees now occupy under leaso in perpetuity and who have acquired land under 'The Land Act, 1892,' whether they aro to havo the right to acquire tho freehold of their sections at tho present market value, n This,, of course, is in merely the form of an interrogative, and 1 clause 3. (dealing with the question of obtaining tho freehold at the original value, with interest added) is similarly inconclusive. Mr. Massey will move two amendments,. which, if carried, will consolidate these two clauses into one definite proposal to give the option of the freehold Tho next amondinent deals with clause 4, which is also in tjio interrogative form, and deals with tho question of whether tenants under the Land for Settlements Act shall bo allowed to acquire tho freehold, and, if so, whether they shall acquire it at tho present market or tho original value. 'Mr Massoy's amendment proposes to alter 'tho' clause to make it read flint the tenants shall have tli e right to acquire the freehold at the original value. If thus amended, tho clauso would read:—"That lessees under lease in perpetuity of lands acquired under the Land for Settlements Act shall be allowed to acquire the freehold of their sections at the original valuo, the purchaso moneys to be expended in the purchase of other lands for close settlement." The remaining amendment is in reference to clauso 11, which deals with-tho constitution of Land Boards. Mr Massey proposes to striko out tho words "that tho present system of nominated Land Boards l>o adhered to." The amendment a so proposes to provide that at least the Crown tenants shall have the right to elect ono roprcsontativo to each Land Board. Mr Taylor, Leader of the New Liberals, has an amendment on the Order Paper with the object of putting a stop in tho future jo parting with any more of tho Crown lands on freehold tenuro.