SELLING THE LAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3005, 18 October 1911, Page 7

SELLING THE LAND.

SOLVING THE PROBLEMS. MORE FORWARD POLICY. (From Oub Own Cobbespondent.) WELLINGTON, October 4. Some reasonable suggestions towards a solution of the problems of land settlement wer© made in the House of Repre-. sentatives this afternoon. In replying to a question by the member for Pahiatua (Mr R. B. Ross), the Minister of Lands promised that careful consideration would be given to his suggestion that suitable districts near towns and railways should be proclaimed as close settlement areas, and that the holding of large blocks of undeveloped land in those areas should be effectively discouraged. Mr Ross urged that the suggestion should "receive the most careful consideration. In his opinion any person who held 1000 acres of first-class land adjacent to a railway or a town was a greater menace to the progress of the country than the man who held 50.000 acres in an outlying district. The Government should exert itself by special taxation and other means to secure for closer settlement such accessible lands.—("Hear, hear.") Mr G. W. Forbes urged that a more 'progressive policy o£ clever settlement should be adopted. He considered that it was unreasonable for the Government to expect members to act as land agents for it. They were continually asked to bring suitable estates under the notice of the Government, only to be told that the prices, were too high. He thought that the Land Purchase Board should travel about and select land for purchase at favourable opportunities. Mr Massey said that the attitude of the Opposition in regard to the settlement of the land was clearly defined. It contended that land that was not being properlv used fi-nd was not. reproductive, whether Nativs land, Crown land, or privately-owned land, should be made useful to the country. The defect in the present land legislation, which must receive the attention of the next Parliament, was that there was a great deal too much taxing of land that was already improved, and not nearly enough taxation imposed on land that was not improved. Several speakers declared that the Opposition had obstructed the settlement of land, but Mr Massey drew their attention to the fact that the party had encouraged and assisted the Government* and had sanctioned an expenditure of £SOO 000 per annum for the prosecution of the policy. It had repeatedly found fault because the Government !>ad not spent the money authorised for the purpose, as was the case last year. Mr Herries said that the Opposition was convinced that the small freehold system was the best means of land settlement. The weapon towards that result was tliff gradesAftd land tax. The Hon. D. Buddo denied that extra taxation was imposed as land was improved. He admitted that increased improvements involved a heavier liability for local rates. The Minister argued that estates adjacent to railways and towns were so highly valued that th<j settlers placed on them would be unduly burdened.