LABOUR AND THE LAND QUESTION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2719, 25 April 1906, Page 18

LABOUR AND THE LAND QUESTION.

CHRISTCHURCH. April 17. At the Trades and Labour Conference tocay, Mr W. H. Hampton (Wellington) moved j .. — '• That the conference approves of the I abolition of the sale of Crown lands and | provision for the periodical revaluation of | all Crown lands held on lease at the death of tha present lessees, or the transfer of the lease to another party, whichever shall occur first ; the resumption of. j land for closer settlement to be at the i owner's valuation for taxation purposes, j plus 10 per cent. ; tenants to have an - absolute right to their improvements.' He— thought they were all agreed on the ' question of the leasehold, and that the lease in perpetuity was almost as bad as an unqualified freehold. The only way in which they could avoid the evils which were arising out of this system of tenure was to provide for revaluation. The question of a contract between the Crown and the original lessees could, he thought, foe dealt with by preserving inviolate the rights of the individual lessees, as long as» they had a personal interest in their '""leases. j Mr F. Palz (Nelson) seconded the - motion. / Mr. Paul moved as an amendment — ; -" That the words ' held on lease at the • death of the present lessee, or the transfer of the lease' to another party' be deleted, ajxid that a provision be inserted providing simply for revaluation in future leases." -He-- considered the. proposal to interfere 'with r -&xistin£ contracts was immoral and "unjust, and that they were really attacking the leasehold system. The proposal threatened to confiscate rights which were as sacred as the rights possessed by freeholders, and if it were carried into effect it would strike a blow at. the foundations of society. He thought the right way fe>

-approach the question was lo wipe out trie lease in perpetuity and restore the perpetual lease. Mr R. Breen (Otago) seconded the amendment, and contended that they were ) to some extent to blame for the lease in j perpetuity themselves. If they had had 1 a Labour party it would never have come i about. This was the result of their becoming tangled up with the Liberal party. After further discussion the amendment : was put amd lost. I Mr Breen then moved, as a further 1 amendment — " That the words 'at the ! death of the present lessee ' be deleted, and that the following be substituted: — 'For a period of 50 years from the date of the lease.' " He pointed out that, if revaluation only takes place at the death of the lessee, the provision might operate unfairly when one lessee died .young and another I lived to an old age. Mr Westbrook seconded the amendment, which was carried by 9 votes to 7. April 18. At the. .meeting of the Political Labour League to-day, ' Mr Paul (Dunedin) moved— " That all j reference -to retrospective revaluation ot I' Crown leaseholds without .compensation^ be j deleted from the league's platform." "The motion was lost by -9 votes to 11. Mr , Paul moved that the words " subject to fair compensation being allowed for any variation of- lease . fee -added to .the clause. The motion was carried. It was also resolved that there should be no further leases of land under the lease-in-perpetuity system, and no future lease should be for a longer term tnan 4-0 years, tenants to receive valuation for their improvements.