The Timaru Herald. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1907. THE LAND BILL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XC, Issue 13206, 9 February 1907, Page 4

The Timaru Herald. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1907. THE LAND BILL.

So fur (is can be foreseen at present, (ho Laud Bill is to'-be the push-ball of parlies l iu Parliament. next session, and tlie inoro energetic .politician* tiro exercising their powers, nf thuugbt and, powers of speech, upon it during the recess. It in a. wide open spurcfc Hint some at least ,of tlio new appointments to the Legislative- Council were inado with a view lo strengthening tlie side, of the (loyenuiient, for the Bill', in tlio coining, contest,. . and 1 tijinit from that the public must desire, to know tlio views,of, the new Councillors on ,tlie question. . We. liuve some pleasure therefore in publishing to-day a Ktateliienfc given to a member of our stuff by tlio Hon. .T. Aiistey, tlio more so ,«» lie ■claims that the Land Bill is -virtually nn attempt to express in legislative f 01711 the conclusions, or some of them, arrived at by the -section c;f. the Land Commission of 1905 "which favoured the leasehold tenure for tlio future disposal of Crown lands. It was we'l known at the time that the Commission was engaged upon its inquiries tlial tlio Commissioners were sharply divided in opinion. It was cumnumly believed that* their inquiries would have very little if any effect upon the opinions they entertained "When they set out upon their long tour of investigation. Tlio result, -«r expressed in 1 their divided reports, appears to. havo justified that belief. It is n fact verified by the experience of all ages that iv man sees only what lie look# for, effectively hears only what I/O listens for, consequent"} l- the Commissioner ' who 'travcrsed the colony to ascertain the opinions of nil sorts of people would bo apt to learn from them just what lie knew already, and to ignore or promptly forget, evidence that wns net consonant with bis own. preconceptions. Every Commissioner went out » believer in (State .leasehold or in freehold. It was virtually impossible that he could return a. convert! to the opposite view, because the contradictory opinions he listened ti» from,, a v f)oud of witnesses Svottfd be sifted and sorted by his own unconscioiifs mental processes, und always those which Agreed .with, «.hvj» , would conic to the itop. Mr Aiist<y r ; wpnfc out A leaseholder, leturnedi a leaseholder, tind remains oiie, ( and it. is u good ,proof of. the fact that tlio question is nil eminently debateable one, that !\lr Antsley has some good pragticul reasons for .bis attitude. The fundamental question is;.: Is tlio leaseii<ilii as giiod as tlio fvpcli<lld for. the occupier ?—supposing that, ,1)0,-1 cUU purchase the freehold. It goes almost) without saying that,,' •other tiling* being < equal, what is best for tlie occupier is! .best, for tho State. , S'r far as Mr. Alistey'f) ■ views are concerned, us expressed in the interview we publish to-day, his best argument in favour of tlio leasehold .appears to be that in which lie deals with the freedom of exchange of occupants. It must bo admitted that there will alvvars be more men able and willing to lease'than to buy farms, and it mn.V bo advisable. to give weight to this consideration from tlio point of view of the State. 1 'Jiicti, tjjere is tJ>o question vhetiiev the leaseholder .would bo content, as un/alternative, with tlie *chcmo proposed by Mr Johnsoii, <uid»,approved Jjy Mr.Anstey, by which, instead of buying liis holding, lie provides a fundi for .the payment of rent, rind thereby beefhnes relieved of paying- rent, of all ; re»triction« upon, his use of t.li« land. ,lti certuiti'iy has the uppcarrtnee of giving tlio tciwnt all the advantages of .1. freeholder wiijlif i-ctainbiK and desiring to retaiii possession, and. alsif the advantage of ■ widening llln. market, if lie desires to scjl out.;. Thlx, •liuwever, is ©ubject- to whiit) w;ill probably bo considered, a. serious limitation, itajifc may, iu-.effect, mrroir the torket niyro than it. widens it. He cannot have at* open market. Tlio land belongs to (ho S'tat-e, and the-Land Board - in,u«t approve of his purchaser, their next temint. It may, be difficult to' strike a biilaiico ;ll4« (ween these opposing consideri|tio;)»,, but doing so successfully is one important de? sideratuin in the, discussion of tlio, Jlniidquestion. ~i }... i •'.v 1 '