GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14701, 8 December 1909, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

t& . j LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL | TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. A BILL I'ASSED. The Magistrate's Court Act Amendment Bill was put thr-ougli committee stage, read a third time, and passed. i riRST HEADINGS. The Shipping and Seamen, Designation of Districts, and Land Settlement Finance Bills were read a first time. The Council adjourned at 2.15 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The Hon.se met at 2.30 p.m. ( • THE LAND QUESTION. On the resumption of the interrupteddebate on the- question that the report of ] the Land; Committee on the Land Laws : Amendment Bill do lie on Ihc table, Mr '. FLSHKiI moved to add that in the opinion of the House the land proposals of the Oovernnient were unsatisfactory. The amendment was not seconded, and ; lapsed, ' OLD SOLDIERS' CLAIMS. ' In replying to Mr 3. C. Thomson, the PRIM I''. MINISTER said the Government intended to issue instructions to magistrates throughout the Dominion about the ' beginning of Fcbrunvy to inquire and report on the claims of old soldiers. LAND Ml SETTLEMENT ADMINISTRATION. The House then went into committee on the Land for Settlements Administration Bill. At clause- 3, providing that all settlement land and moneys shai* be rested in a superintendent, Mr ARNOLD and Mr HURRIES expresed disappointment of the lands being so vested. Mr HOGG said he thought the land should lw vested in the local bodies, a view which was supported by Mr M'Laren. Mr ALLEN contended that we were handing over our own Crown lands to tho I money-lender in England. | Mr HOGG moved that the word " super-1 intondent" be struck out of the clause with a view to adding other words. This was lost on a. division by 53 votes to 4, and the clause was passed us printed. At clause 9, providing for the meant? of raising funds for the purposes of the act, Mr MASSEY moved lo add the following new sub-clause:—" To provide further funds the Minister is hereby empowered to sell to any lessee oi land held under this act the fee simple of the land occupied by such lessee, subject to the following conditions:—!!) The purchase price shall bo'the original value of the 'and; (2) any lessee of the aforesaid land on any day appointed for the payment of the land may pay to the superintendent any sum not' being less than one-tenth of the capital value in part payment of the purchase money for the freehold ot the land, and his future rent shall henceforth be reduced."^ The debate was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournnunt. In the evening the House resumed consideration of the Lands for Settlement Administration Bill in committee. Messrs WITTY, BUCHANAN, and PHILLIPS spoke on Mr Massey's amendment. Mr MASSEY said he held that lessees who had taken up land on the lease-in-pcrpctuiUv should be allowed the freehold of their lands on the same terms as those having the optional tenure on paying the difference of 1 per cent, between their rental and the rental on the optional system. He looked upon the Crown tenants as being the mortgagors of.the State, and it was in the interest of the latter that the mortgages should be paid off. Ho believed the freehold to be not only in the interests of the people on the land but in the interests of the country. Mr HOGAN said Mr Massey was guilt/y of changing front on the land question. Ho (Mr Massey) had formerly taken up tho position that the lease-in-perpetuity was a bad bargain for the State, and the Oppositicn was prepared to give (Vie tenants the option of the freehold to gc'i out of the difficulty, keeping separate the interests of the settlers and the interest' of the Stale, which could be ascertained on an actuar.il principle. Now he wanted to grant the freehold on the original valuation. Mr MASSEY denied his views had changed, and he said he stood by his statements of two years ago, quoted by Mr Hogan. Ho was willing to separate the interests of the settler from the interests of the State, but any actuary would say that the interest of the State was only the amount at which the lands were valued originally, and on which the tenants were paying interest. Mr T AY LOU said the Government's land proposals were nebulous and unsatisfactory. The amendment proposed by Mr Massey was not an honest proposal. It was unthinkable that Mr Massey as a private landlord would give' away his right to increased rent on a lease with the right of renewal every 33 years. The leaseholders' position was much more logical and just than that of the freeholders' and Government's supporters, and would be more acceptable to tjie country. There was no doubt that the truce between tiiie parties must be observed on the question. Mr NEWMAN contended that the country sc-ihlers were entitled to all the increment in the value, which they had earned. Mr RUSSELL said that if Mr Massey's clause were inserted it would be one of the greatest political steals in the history of the country or that could .ever happen. He went on to refer to the endowments of schools and colleges, and asked, what would be their position if Mr Massey's amendment were carried. Mr MASSEY said that no one wished to touch genuine, endowments such as l':ose referred to by Mr Russell, but . those set apart as national endowments were of no value for the purpose of endowments, and he was opposed to them. He was quite prepared to do all he could lo put a stop to Ida land gambling which was possible under the existing law. Mr DAVEY adduced instances of Canterbury estates acquired under the Lands for Settlements Act, which had largely increased in value since the Government hail bought them. The Opoosition was working for some of the people, but the leaseholders were unselfish politicals, who sought lo preserve the interests of the whole people. On a division. Mr Massey's amendmentj was lost by 42 votes to 21. The following is the division list :— For the Amendment (21).-- Messrs Andonsou, Bollard, Buchanan, Dive, J. Duncan, Grecnslad:, Uuthr.e, Hardy, Harries, Hinc, laug, Alandcr, JlaKcy,

Xewmaii XoswoHiiy, Gkey, Poarco, Phillipps, Scott. Smith. 0. M. Thomson. I

Against, the Amendment (42).--M.vsis Arnold, firov.ni, Hivxton, Carroll, ('lark, folvin, Cniigk>. Davev, Dillcn. T. Duncan Kll, Field. Forbjs, FowltU. Clover, Hall llanan, lloiran, Fotrir. Lanrensou, Lawry MacDutiakl," .1!. M'Kcrizin, T. Mackenzie, M'Laren. Millar, Nga*a," ParaU. Poland. Poole, Kwl, I'!o?s Rus?oll, Scddon Stallworthy Sir William Steward, T. K. Tavlor, Teßangi liiron, .1. C. Tnomson, Sir J. G/.Ward, Witty, and Wright.

Mr MASSEY then moved that a nen-Mlli-elause he added as follows:— '■ To provide furUier funds the owner of a lease under the andLs for Settlement Act may purchase the simple of the land-; occupied lyy him at the original valuation." The CHAIRMAN ruled that the amendment was out of order as being substantially the same as that just negatived.

Mr MASSEY then moved to report progress in order that the Speaker's ruling might, be taken on the point, but this was rejected by 33 votes to 30. Clause 19 was amended on the motion of Sir J. 0. Ward bv striking out tht worris " and tho limit of area in the case of each class" in sub-section IJ (which provides for the classification and limitation of area according tc section 97 of " The Land Act, 1903,"), so that a new sub-clause B B could be inserted providing that for the purposes of the act one acre of first-class land be deemed equivalent to 2£ acre? of second-class land and 6J acres of third-class land.

Mr NEWMAN moved to insert a new sub-clause D, as follows:—"An owner whose land has been taken may in addition to the area mentioned in sub-clause A, retain 100 acres of first-class land or its equivalent for each adult, son, provided that he can show to the satisfaction of a Land Br>ard that such son intends to follow

agricultural or pastoral pursuits. Sir .1. G. WARD said he could not accept the amendment, which was supported by Messrs Mastcy. Anderson, l'earte, Nosworthv, and Okcy. and opposed by Messrs Wittv', Poland, M'Laren, and Poole.

On a division the amendment was lost by 39 votes to 25.

After midnight clause 24 was amended ill the iristniwe of Ills Prime minister, by (Meting the words " compulsorily taken" from Uw clause (which provides for land lining taken within boroughs for homes and home farms for workers) and substituting tlie word "acquired." Town districts wore also excluded from the

clntise, and sub-chaises (a) to (e), inclusive.

were struck out. Chaise 25, subsection (b), was. on the

motion of the PRIM)': MINISTER, amended to read that land may be!.leased on the renewable kaec svstem as modified

by the principal act.

Mr ALLEN moved to strike out ,' subsection 5 of chui«; 27. which reads: ")n no case shall any increased or further increased valuation appealing on the sub. sidiary roll be altered by a reduction." • The amendment was rejected by 39 votes to 23. Mr WITTY moved to amend clause 30 so as to extent the term oi five yeats during which a. successful applicant at ballots is disqualified to 10 vears. Mr TAILOR (fjhristchurch) moved that the diwiiiidificalion bo unlimited. Both amendment wore lost. The I'ltlMK MINISTER- moved tin'., section 31, maing residence for 10 years necessary in V::': case of rural lands, be struck out, which was agreed to. On the last clause Mr '.t'AYLOR moved to add a new sub-clause, providing that in the sale of any lease held by am- person over land acquired under the act there shall bs paid to the Crown a sum equal to the increase in value of. such land as between the unimproved value at the date of its -acquisition and the date of sale, the transfer of any land to be subject also to such payment.

The amendment was lost bv 48 votes to 10.

Mr MASSEY moved to add a new subclause providing for the optional system of lease, which was defeated by 35 votes to 86.

Tho bill was then re-ported with amend nionts, and the House rose at 2 a.m.