THE LAND BILL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XC, Issue 13290, 20 May 1907, Page 5

THE LAND BILL.

ADDRESS BY MR McNAB,

Per Press Association.

_ CHRISTCHURCH, May 19. Mr McNab, Minister for Lands, delivered an address at Rakaia on Saturday night on the land proposals of the Government. He regretted that owing to the distribution of work that had been compelled to be put upon individual Ministers owing to the unfortunate illness of the Acting-Premier, it would be impossible for him to fulfil many promises he had given in many parts of the country to deliver addresses, and lie was afraid that this would be one of the last occasions before the session on which he would have an opportunity of speaking to the people on the land policy of the Government.

In the course of his address, which was mainly on the lines of previous speeches delivered by him during the recess, the Minister quoted figures to show the increase in the number of owners and in the value of large estates between March 31st, 1902, and March 31st, 1906:

Unimproved value, £50,000 and under £loo.ooo—3lst March, 1902,. 60 owners, total unimproved value £4,037,657. 31st March, 1906—85 owners, total unimproved value, £5,612,791.

Unimproved value, £IOO,OOO and under £200,000—1802, 21 owners,' total unimproved value £2,676,285. 1906, 22 owners, total unimproved value £2,851,856. Unimproved' value £200.000 and over—--1902, 2 owners, total unimproved value £1,007,171. 1906, 4 owners, total unimproved value £1,016,029. The Minister made a strong appeal in favour of the various provisions of the Bill, especially of the endowment proposals.

At the conclusion of the address, a vote of thanks and confidence in the Government and approval of its land policy was agreed to by a large majority. MR MCNAB INTERVIEWED. Interviewed by an " Ashburton Guardian" reporter, "on Saturday Mr McNab said: "In regard to the Land Bill, so few of the members absolutely oppose all en-. downments that I have without hesitation stated. that the Bill will be put on the Statute Book; and I see no reason to doubt that the endowment provisions will also be put on the Statute Book. There is no alteration in my views as to what is likely to happen, except, that I cannot profess to indicate the exact area that the Committee on the Bill will finally settle on for endowments. In the Land Bill the freehold, which we offer by auctioning land, and protecting tenants' improve--ments may not be carried, but freehold at the original value will not be carried. I still believe that the proposals which will prove acceptable will be our'9o per cent, proposals based on the original value. Time will show whether I am right. I have been astonished at members' unanimity regarding the limitation proposals. Men who were strong against us on the area- of endowments are prepared to go further than we are in limiting private estates. They have astonished me with their limits of value or rate of graduated tax, and I think the decision of the House on the limitation proposals will astonish many people who think_ they know what the House is going to do. Continuing, the Minister said in regard to the New Plymouth bye-election, that the Government' lost ground there owing to a divided vote in the Liberal party. "Mr Okey would never have seen the House if my Absolute Majority Bill had been on the' Statute Book." _ A suggestion in connection, with Clydevale estate brought forth the reply: "We could not come to terms. The estate; was not missed. The Government, simplv could not come to within 10s per acre of the price required. All negotiations between the Government and the owners were off before the purchasing syndicate appeared. Other people when they have bought and subdivided an estate for sale can"'auction it and recoup themselves ea«ilv We cannot. We hadn't to compete" with the syndicate at all for they did not go near the property until they received word from us that our negotiations were off. Another property the same syndicate stood out of Vwhile the Government was negotiating. We secured it, and the; svndicate acted very honourably! There" will be a bi(? debate in the House in regard to the Clydevale estate. The public have become interested over it, and Tom Mackenzie is on the trail." "How is it that you coidd not negotiate?" " The reason," said the Minister, is that wa have got to open up ground with roads before subdivision, and experience has shown that tenants will put up with far less from private landlords in . the roading of property than from the Government. When "we cut up a property we have to distribute the total cost over the whole land, and then the successful man is determined by ballot, If 300 men wanted one section we don't get one single' penny more than if only one wanted it. The private individual might get 50 per cent, more on account of these 300 competing. Take that all over the property, and IC'S an acre is nothing. You can very easily regard 10s as nothing, on a property when there is that distinction." " If under the. Lands for Settlement Act you had power to auction leases, you could afford to buy at the highest price?" "My answer to that," said Mr McNab, " would be undoubtedly. The more active the land market the more we feel our disability because vendors won't mention terms or give a firm offer for any length of time. The result is that outside buyers intervene and anticipate the action of the Government. A property was placed under offer to us the other day, and before the statutory formalities could be complied with another person had it at the same figure." "To sum up in regard to the Land Bill." said the Minister, "I still feel very confident, and I still think my anticipations will turn out to be correct."_ In conclusion, the Minister said:—"l see from a telegram that the Taranaki Farmers' Union Conference opposed any method of dealing with native lands which would create native landlordism. The freehold of the Maori is to be destroyed by men who profess that they will defend the freehold to the last breath."