L.I.P. CONVERSIONS.

Southland Times, Issue 17267, 11 February 1913, Page 4

L.I.P. CONVERSIONS.

Some of the Opposition newp papers take up a peculiar positloq in regard to the sale of the freehold to ownefg of lepaesrin-perpeiufty- For wee&p they have rated Mr Massey for passing the Land Act pf 1912 in order, gs they say, to give lessees-ln-perpetuity land containing valuable minerals at the price of the land only. Mr Massey denies that he did any such thing, and produces the opinion of tjie Crpwp Law Officers to support bis own- la* stead of being delighted with the probability that the State will not he compelled to give away valuable rpinerals for nothing, some pf the papepf which have been loudest in accusing Mr Massey of sacrificing the property of the people are very wrathful because he will not sacrifice enough of it. Haying exhausted their resources in declaiming against the iqiqqity. pf parting with public property without obtaining fair value for it ,they app furious because Mr Massey declines to be a party to the iniquity by making lessees a present pf coal and pthpr minerals. Where the consistency pf the argument comes ip it ip difficult to see. Mr Massey stands on firm ground. He contends tha|t by purchasing the freehold ffpder the Act of 1912, the owner of a lease-in-perpe-tulty does not purchase the minerals in the soil, and the Crown Law Officers uphold his contention. We suppose that owners of leases-in-perpe-tuity who wish to convert can obtain without difficulty titles tp their land with the reservation fo the State of the minerals in it, but to issup clear titles to the land and all that it contains, contrary to hip own opinion and to that of the Crown. Law Officers, would be a blunder eg Mr Massey's part infinitely greater than that which he is alleged to have committed in failing to make provision in the Land Act of 1912 for payment for the minerals. Whether the Land Act of last year is defective in that respect remains to be seen. Mr Mas* sey spys it is not, and he has legaj, advice to support him. Opposition newspapers in asking him to disregard his advice are taking up an absurd position, and beating into shreds a grievance that was worn threadbare long ago.