TENURE OF LAND.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VII, Issue 2051, 10 September 1920, Page 7

TENURE OF LAND.

FREEHOLD FOR SOLDIERS.

A FAVOURABLE REPORT.

ENDORSED BY THE HOUSE.

IFrom Our Own Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, September 9. For the ilrst time, New Zealand's 20th Parliament was this afternoon called upon to divide on the question of land tenure. The result was an overwhelming victory for the freeholders. Mr E. Newman (Manawatu), on behalf of the Lands Committee, reported on the petition of certain returned soldier tenants, who prayed that they might have the right to acquire the freehold of their National Endowment holdings. The committee considered that this was a matter of policy and should, therefore, be dealt with by the Government; but members of the committee were of the opinion that, provided the proceeds from the sales of the lands referred to were reinvested in Government bonds, or ' some other Government investment, and the proceeds devoted to the same purposes as the rents of endowment lands are now given, then the legislation desired would be in the interests of the Dominion. The petition was thereforereferred to the Government for favourable consideration. Mr G. Witty (Riccarton) attacked the recommendation of the committee from a leaseholders' point of view, maintaining that this was just the thin end of the wedge of general freehold. There was no further discussion, but Labour called for a division on the question that the report be referred to the Government for favourable consideration. The voting was 36 to 20 in favour of the report, the division lists being:— For the motion (3D). Bollard McCallum Coates McNicol Dickson, .7. M. Malcolm Dickson, J. S. Marnier Glenn Massey Guthrie Masters Hamilton, A. Newman, B. Hamilton, J. R. Nosworthy Harris Parr Hawken Poland Henare Pomare Hcrries Potter Hockly Powdrell Hudson Reed Hunter Rhodes, Sir R. H. Jones Rhodes, T. \V. Lee Sykes Lysnar "Young Against the motion (20). Atmore Newman, A. H. Forbes Savage Fraser Sidey Holland Smith, S. G. Horn Statham Howard Stewart Isitt Sullivan Jennings Veiteh Kellett Witty . McCombs Wright At a later stage in the afternoon, Mr E. Newman (Manawatu) apologised for having voted on the division, since he had quite forgotten a pair that he had with the Hon. J. A. Hanan (Invercargill), who has some days' leave of absence; but this did not, of course, affect the position of the vote.