The Southland Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. THURSDAY, 17th SEPTEMBER, 1891.

Southland Times, Issue 11843, 17 September 1891, Page 2

The Southland Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. THURSDAY, 17th SEPTEMBER, 1891.

Thb land policy of the Government includes a scheme for the acquisition of private lands for purposes of settlement, which is embodied in " The Land for Settlement Bill " introduced by the Minister of Lands, and which passed with very slight alteration in the original draft, through all its stages in the House of Representatives. The Treasurer intimated in the Financial Statement that, in the opinion of Ministers, the time had arrived when suitable areas would have to be purchased by the Crown for Bmall". farm settlement. "In many parts of the colony," he affirmed, " the Crown lands available for this purpose have already disappeared, and if the population is to be retained, the wants of intending settlers will have to be met. A bill will be 'introduced, hedged round I with the necessary safeguards to establish a satisfactory system of purchase." There is already power under " The Land 1885 " to any block or blocks of land not exceeding in any one locality the area of 1000 acres, tor tbe purposes of village settlement, and it may be remembered that the late Government made provision in their Estimates two or three yeara ago for the necessary means, but tbe item was either withdrawn under pressure or rejected The present Ministry are evidently not satisfied that the powers given are sufficiently comprehensive and desire to be in a position to purchase private lands for any description of settlement. The bill provides that the Governor, i.c, the Minister for Lands, may contract with the owner of private laud for the purchase thereof, in blocks of such area as he may think fit, or in default of agreement, may take the land under " The Pablie Works Act, 1882," subject to the payment of compensation as therein provided. A " Board of Land Purchase Commissioners" is to be appointed, consisting of tbe SurveyorGeneral,the Property Tax Commissioner, tbe Commissioner of Crown Lands, and the District Land Registrar of the district, in which the land proposed to be acquired, ii situated ; whose duties it will be to ascertain the value, character, and suitableness for settlement of the land and report to the Minister accordingly, Before any transaction for the purchase or the compulsory taking of any land is completed or any money paid, the particulara are to be gazetted and a copy of the Gazette with the report and valuation of the Board, is to be laid hef ore Parliament, or at the next sitting, if Parliament be not in session. There is a proviso to the effect that the following lands may not be corapulsorily acquired — '■ (1) Any parcel of land, the property of a person, not the beneficiary owner of more than ICOO acres, unless the same be waste or unimproved land ; (2) land being tbe site of a dwelling house of the beneficiary owner and land around or adjacent thereto — the whole area not exceeding 2000 acres ; (3) lands mentioned in the Public Works Act, 1882, as not to be taken thereunder." It is enacted that lands acquired, whether the same be classed tis rural, 'suburban or town lands are to be disposed of under the perpetual lease system in allotments not exceeding 320 acres in area and "with no right of purchase of the freehold." The Governor is empowered to make all accessary reserves for public purposes within any block purchased or tuken, but no part thereof is to be approptiated for endowments nor are the provisions of the Land Acts, in regard to the payment of thirds to local authorities, to apply to any land " acquired or disposed of under this Act." The ways and means are provided for as follows : — The Colonial Treasurer "as often as occasion may require, and upon being authorised to do so by tbe Governor-in-Council " may borrow from the balances in tho Post Office Accouut, the Government Insurance Account, the Public Trust Account, the Sinking Fund Account or from any bank or monetary institution, to an amount not exceeding L 50,000, in any ono financial year. As security for the money horrowed or in payment for land *' in case tbe owner is willing to accept them in lieu of cash," the Treasurer mny issue debentures of not. less than LIOO each, payable to bearer aud bearing interest at a rate not exceeding 5 pnr cent and having a currency of not more thun forty years— the debentures to be puyable, both as to principal and interest, " at such place or places within tbe colony or in Australia or Tasmania, as the Governor-in-Council shall prescribe." For the purpose of making roads and bridges within acquired blocks or for giving access thereto the Minister of « ands is authorised to borrow from tho -^Colonial Treasurer ' any necessary suras under " The Government Loans to Local Bodies Amendment Act." Upon the second reading a short debate took place ; the leading members of the Opposition with one exception ex pressing general approval, as they could hardly avoid doing, since the bill, as Mr Fergus pointed out, is identical in principle and object with one introduced by the late Government. Mr G. F, Richardson however condemned it as being sbsolutely unnecessary, since, ns he alleged, there was plenty of Crown land available for settlement, whilst if Und were required for " Village Settle**

ments," wbere no Crown land was avail- J able, it could be acquired with the Act c of 1885. As to the details of the J measure, objections were raised by Mr c Rolleston, Sir John Hall, Mr Fergus, 1 and other' honourable gentlemen ; but £ they could do nothing more than protest and were unable when the bill was in j committee to effect any alterations. The \ main point againnt which exception was . taken was the limitation to perpntual i lease tenure of all lands to be acquired \ and disposed of. Mr Rolleston, who is . strongly in favour of perpetual lease, of ] which indeed he was the originator, declared that he thought it would be a * mistake to brinjr the whole of these lands \ under the system and suggested that the , tenure should be optional with the ' settler, but undei stiict residential con- ( ditions, so as absolutely to preclude . speculation, occupation or the obtain- 1 ing the title by capitalists. Sir John _ Hall had some doubts, he said, as to the time being opportune for the " acquisition of private land for settle- j ment ; but he thought the Government j were right in desiring to obtain legis- ] lative authority to do so. He agreed 1 with Mr Rolleston, that the choice of ] tenure should be given, considering this , to be absolutely essential, if satisfactory ] settlement was to be forwarded. Mr i Fergus spoke much to tbe same effect, l The success of the scheme, he said, J wouid be greatly enhanced if the Mm ■, ister allowed optional tenure instead of t perpetual lease only, lt will be at once ' evident that notwithstanding tbe consti- 1 tution and functions of the Board of , Land Purchase Commissioners, all, by the way, Government officials, very large powers are vested by the bill in the Minister of Lands, in whom the administration will practically vest. The land to be purchased will, as a matter of fact, be eelected by him ; and for this purpose he will have, almost at his absolute disposal, L 50,000 a year. The experience of his official career, so far, almost necessarily induces tlie doubt whether this large possible expenditure in land purchase can be entrusted to Mr John McKenzie with the certainty that it will not be used for political purposes. The scheme is clearly open to such abuso, and there are at least reasonable grounds for apprehension.