N.S. WALES POLITICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3002, 27 September 1911, Page 27

N.S. WALES POLITICS.

THE LAND QUESTION. CLOSER SETTLEMENT POLICY. SYDNEY, September 19. An extraordinary scene of disorder occurred in the Legislative Assembly. J Mr Storey called the Premier's attention [ to Mr Speaker Willis, when addressing a meeting of his constituents, calling the members of the Opposition a band of ruffians. He asked him to ascertain if . the statement were made, and, if so, to protect the honour of members. The Speaker ruled the question out of order , on the ground that he could not take cognisance of what appeared in the press. The Oppositionists persisted in the bill. Both the Speaker and the Premier declined to answer. Mr Cohen rose and repeated the query. The Speaker repeatedly cautioned Mr Cohen, and eventually ordered the Sergeant to remove Mr Cohen. The Oppositionists surrounded Mr Cohen and refused to allow him to retire, and resisting the Sergeant and the messengers who came. The resistance was unprecedented. Amid uproar by several j Ministers, the Speaker vacated the chair j and left the Chamber. The Opposition- j ists mounted the dais and flung the. ■ Speaker's papers after him. j The Assembly adjourned for half an J hour. Om the House reassembling the ■ Speaker when, reading the Standing . Orders was interrupted by Mr Wood. \ The Speaker ordered the Sergeant and | messengers to remove Mr Wood, who : resisted. Several Oppositionists assisted in preventing his ejectment. During the melee books and papers were hurled towards the Speaker.' Suddenly three or j four police appeared on the scene. After a violent struggle they removed Mr Wood. Iri quick siuccession the Speaker ordered the removal of Mr Cohen, Mr Fitzpatrick, Mr Price, Mr Perry, Mr Moxham, and Mr Levy. Mr Perry made a rush to the taible and seized the water bottle. The police hustled him out, and the others went quietly. There was'intense excitement while the ejections "were proceeding. After the expulsions the Assembly settled down to business, and the proceedings were peaceful. While the scenes in the Assembly were in progress the crowded galleries clapped and. cheered vociferously. -";', '"■• ■ September 20. Most of the ejected members express astonishment over the Speaker's action in haying them forcibly removed. . They describe'Mr Willis" as a tyrant. The Government supporters remained quiet throughout the turmoil. Liberal leagues throughout the country are passing motions condemning Mr Willis for taking the Speakership. September 21. In the Assembly the proceedings were comparatively quiet. Mr M'Gowen outlined the business for the session. Mr Wade~ expressed dissatisfaction with the Premier's vagueness regairddng the date of the dissolution. Mr M'Gowen replied that the Government would carry on until it was successfully challenged in the House. In the Assembly Mr Wade gave notice to move on Tuesday a vote of censure based on the unsatisfactory nature of the Premier's statement regarding the Government's sessional intentions. September 22. In the Assembly Mr Wood moved a motion deprecating the recent conduct of the Speaker. After an orderly debate Speaker ruled the motion out of order. During, the debate on Mr Wood's motion the Speaker repeatedly called Mr Wood to order, and said it was getting tedious indeed. An Opposition Voice: "Tedious, my grandmother!" The Speaker picked Mr Fitzpatrick as the interjector, and ordered his removal. The Opposition protested, but the Speaker declared that if a member were called to order three times he could be removed at any time subsequently. Several Liberals who are in that position were dumbfounded. Finally ruling the motion out of order, the Speaker declared that notice of dissent must be given within 30 minutes, and he would in future enforce the Standing Orders with greater stringency. Mr Holman told a, country meeting that Parliament would be dissolved- immediately a new EJectoral Act is placed on the Statute Book. September 25. In the course of a policy speech the Minister of Lands (Mr Beeby) said that the confiscation bogey was too disreput-

able for use. The real issue was _the ready and cheap access to the land against the maintenance of the old system of monopoly and privilege. Within three months 300,000 acres would be taken from the reserves, and improvement leases would be offered for settlement in living area blocks under perpetual lease. There would be no rent for the first five years, provided 2£ per cent, of the value wae spent yearly on improvements. After the first five years a rent of per cent, on the capital value would be charged, and the land would be reappraised every 20 years. Absolutely the only restriction would be that the land could not be sold or held for speculative purposes. No country in the world offered a bettei system of land tenure than this, and no man in a closer settlement district would hold more than a living area. He urged that all districts near towns and railway* be proclaimed closer settlement districts. The holding of large areas out of use in those districts would be made more irksome. He proposed to add a clause to the Land Act empowering the Government to resume the improvement lea-sea under which at present 8,000,000 acres were held, 2,000,000 of which were suitable for closer settlement. The valuation for resumption would be done by a board, whose decision would be final. It would be as well to adopt the New Zealand method 'of value of land for taxation, which, plus 10 per cent., would be the maximum va.lue for resumption. Referring to the question of the combines,- Mr Beeby said that wherever the people were being exploited the Government would enter into competition.