THE LAND QUESTION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14703, 10 December 1909, Page 6

THE LAND QUESTION.

CHANCES OF FURTHER DEBATE. THE LEASEHOLD CAMPAIGN. (Fitosi Oub Own CoiiEEsroNDE.vr.) WELLINGTON, December 9. The opinions of members appear to be divided a 6 to the chances of the Land Bill being brought up for a second reading discussion before tho end of the session. Some of the members say that there is a likelihood of such a debate taking placo before the bill is shelved, but two or three prominent leaseholders, on being sounded, on the subject, stated that they did not anticipate that the bill would get any further than it has already gone. They state that if the second reading of it is.moved the majority of tho leaseholders will speak on the subject. Many of the freeholders in such case would necessarily be drawn into the debate, and if the bill were pushed to a second reading it would probably take up nearly half the remaining time of the session.

In speaking on the subject to-night, Mr Hanan, a leaseholder, said that he did believe there would be another opportunity of dealing with the land question' this session, not only on account of the advanced state of the session, but also on account of the test divisions already taken. *

Hie Leasehold parly is still talking of inaugurating a platform campaign in opposition to the bill during the recess. Jt was intended to inaugurate this campaign at Hastings to-morrow ni|ght, but owing partly to the Government caucus and partly to tho trace arranged at the Government caucus and partly to the new railway time-table not being convenient, it has been decided not to hold this meeting. It is stated, however, that a vigorous crusade will be instituted early in the new year.

One of the supporters of the party is said to have offered to act as advance guard on Uie toitr, and to pay his own expenses. The members who will conduct the campaign will probably include Messrs T. E. Taylor, Russell, Arnold, Hanan, and possibly Mr Lanrenson. Auckland is one of the centres selected for the deliverance of speeches, the Leasehold party being far from satisfied with the measure of support at present given to its platform in that city. "I wish the Government would be a little stronger on the leasehold," said Mr Craiigie, the member for Timaru, to-day, after _ declaring his allegiance on other questions. "It would be out of power tomorrow if it did," interjected Mr Baume.

A FREEHOLD ARGUMENT. A telling argument for the freehold was put forward by Mr Wilford this evening. Ho said he held in his hand three photographs. The first showed a four-wheeled vehicle with five horses stuck in the mud of a road in the Gisbonw district, the second showed three horses laden with six boards, which were being carried through rough country broken by precipitous gullies, where settlement was supposed to havo been in progress for eight years; the third was. of the same four horses, with six boards on their back, climbing over mountains and through forests oefore the settler could build his rough whare. "To whom," asked Mr Wilford, "docs the unearned increment bolong?"

THE SETTLEMENT FINANCE BILL. (Fnou Our Ows' Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, December 9. In replying to criticism in the Legislative Council to-night, the Attorney-general remarked that a good deal had been said on the question of tenure, bat he would like to ]K>int out that the bill un; not deal with Crown lands, but with privately-owned lands. The object of the bill was, in brief, to divide large freeholds into small freeholds, which was surely a very desirable object-. He wouM like to quote from J. A. Hobson, the eminent. Home writer, who stated that neither leasehold nor freehold was tho appointed tenure by Heaven, and that the question of tenure should depend on the circumstances of time and place and the country. There were, Dr Findlay continned, lands so remote irom civilisation, and whose cultivation would so dishearten the stoutest heart, and in those cases, even if the State gave the occupiers the freehold, all it would bring to them would not be too much.—('• Hear, bears.'') Of course, the. position was very different in the case of land for settlement lands.

A Member : Will the lauds dealt with under this bill be situated only in tho back-blocks 1

Dr Find lay : I am dealing with the principle just now. Continuing. Dr Findlay said that he wished to emphasise the point that when the State alienated a piece of land under a Crown lease today it alienated it for ever. His object in referring to the subject was that there seemed to be an erroneous 'Impression prevalent that after Jeasim its land t.ic Crown could have it. at a later date for the purpose of handing it over to other tenants when the population had become greater. As a matter of fact, the Slate alienated laud as completely under the leasehold system as it did under the freehold system. Although it was called a renewable lease, it was really a lease in perpetuity. The Hon. Mr Paul: The landless must get the community value. Dr Findlay : You mean the State, but that is liable to very serious criticism. Continuing, Dr Findlay said that he again wanted In emphasise I he point that when the State leased land under a renewable system it really leased it for ever. All the State had a right to do was to prevent aggregation, and to get the unearned increment, if there he any. He wanted to point out tint there was a drawback to that system from the point of view of the State, which did not assist where there was freehold object to a recurring charge, which the Government was going to insist on in connection with its new proposals. Whereevtr the new valuations at the end of a term were very low the tenant would accept them, but wherever they were high the tenant would reject them, and call on the State to hecome a Crown debtor to the tenant in respect of his improvements. Dr Findlay said the leasehold was not all gold from the point of new of the Stated and the freehold was not all dross from the point of view of the State, so Jong u the State

secured (i reasonable jtroportion of the unearned increment.

In the cows; of further remarks, Dr Findlav said that he would have tho point* rai-cd by Mr Anstey..placed before tho Government, ll it was"not-loo'late some of them might be adopted. He shard the belief of Mr M'Gowan that if one man could be got to lead the others many associations would bo formed. It was a tentative measure—a novel measure. As far as he knew if was the first time that an attempt of the kind had been made- in the British Empire. As there was no precedent on which to model the bill, there were donotless imperfections in it. It was only by a spirit of trying to malic it a success that the best results would he obtained under the bill. Even 'if the result wc-re only to settle five melt on the land where one man was now Settled it would be very satisfactory—a grand thing. It was believed that within a few years 20,000 people would be settled on the land by means of tho bill. HON. MR PAUL'S VIEWS. (From Odh Own Cohresi'osdent.) WELLINGTON, December 9. In the course of his remarks during the Land Finance Settlement Bill in the Legislative Council 10-ni«hl the Hon. J. T. Paul (Olago) held thai the land legislation placed cm the Statute linok fit 1% was very crouilablc. lie.went on to say that no agitation had been no successful in this country . as the recent agitation by a reactionary political party for the, freehold for the Crown tenants. The new laud policy of the Government was in opposition to the traditional policy/ or (he Liberal party. From bis point of view the Government had mistaken noise tor tilienglh. There tcmild be no good settlement without provision for a good (enure Re went on to say'that tli; interests of the landless had to bo ser.i'jusrly considered in connection with the remaining Crown lands. The Liberal party should at once devise a system whereby speculation in land would be prevented. Although he was a leaseholder, he thought it" should provide a new freehold title, the cardinal feature of which would l)e "occupying ownership. Early in the history of the land for settlements scheme the State should have commenced to take large estates at the owners' valuation for taxing purposes, plus 10 per cent. Tho proposed measure was, in his opinion, against the interests of the country.