AN OPPOSITION CRITICISM.

Otago Witness, Volume 23, Issue 2684, 23 August 1905, Page 33

AN OPPOSITION CRITICISM.

AMENDMENTS REQUIRED. (Fbom Otjb Own Corbespondent.) WELLINGTON, August 21. Wkn the Workers' Dwellings Bill was introduced the other day the Premier, in replying to the various expressions of approval at the appearance of the measure, | advised members not to be too hasty in endorsing the provisions of the bill before they had read them. He added that when they read the bill they would probably find clauses there to whioh they would take exception. That there were good grounds i for Mr Seddon's -warning will be apparent , from a criticism of some of the features ; of the bill which were made by the Leader I of the Opposition in the course of an inkerview to-day. "Having read the bill, said Mi- Massey, " I must say that I think it is in some respects an absurdity. It does r.ot proceed on right lines." On being asked to state his objections, Mr Massey said: — "In the first place the bill proposes to do away with most of the safeguards in 'The Land for Settlements Consolidation Act, 1900/ with regard to land in the large towns and suburban lands. The provision in the act of 1900, allowing | an owner to retain a portion of lands to be I taken compulsorily for workers' dwellings, is repealed, and owners of both town and suburban lands are thus placed entirely at the mercy of the Government in regard to the compulsory acquisition of their property." " Then in regard to the options of the freehold," continued Mr Massey. "the workers who desire to take advantage of these ontions are placed at a decided disadvantage. In the case of a 50-years! lease without the option of the freehold the j worker is charged 4 per cent, on the capital value and 1 per cent, for depreciation, in addition to the eof, of insurance. In the j case of a lessee desiring to obtain the freehold by the payment of the capital value in one lump sum within 25 years, he is charged 5 per cent., and 1 per oent. for depreciation* under the lease. Thus he is penalised to the extent of I per cent. Again, when the freehold is acquired by the payment of nionthly instalments, the payments under the lease are fixed at 6 per cent., or two per cent, penalty, and again 1 per cent, for depreciation. Then when the freehold is acquired it will not be the freehold as this ferm is generally understood, as section 13 provides that no disposition shall be valid except with the consent of the land board. ' Disposition '_ under this section is defined as including sale, assignment, lease, sublease, mortgage, or will, consequently the man who puts the whole or most of his savings into his home will not be able to leave it by will to any member of his family without the consent of the Land Board. The whole idea of the bill seems to be to discourage and handicap the acquisition of the freehold, and to make it undesirable from • the %yorkers' point of view." Mr Massey added that he hoped that when the bill got into committee it would be amended by the deletion of the obiectionable clauses referred to. "I should," he said, " like to see the bill amended so as to enable each worker to select his own section, and then to be. assisted by the Government; in the erection of his house, with provision for paying off the capital value on the easiest tprms possible, instead of being hemmed in by the irritating or round-about ■ methods provided in the bill."