POLITICAL NOTES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14326, 17 October 1910, Page 7

POLITICAL NOTES.

MORE IMPORTANT MEASURES. MR BUXTON'S VIEWS. The Member for Gornldine paid .1 short visit to Timaru 011 Saturday, and gave a "Herald" reporter some interesting opinions on the more important .measures dealt with this session. Mr Uuxton said that the .Defence Bill had received a large amount of consideration, and had now found its way 011 to tin' ;<ute hook in what he'considered a \cry satisfactory form, it had mot with the approval of the military authorities on both .sides of | the House, .and only careful and eeono- j mical administration was required for j its success. Besides thp Defence Hill. a consider- I able amount of work had been done, j In addition to the measures already :| passed. good progress had been made i| with Bills not yel completed. ?! It was early yel. said .Mr Buxton, to \ give an opinion en the I.noising Bill, 1 as it had only been brought down the j previous week. lie had, however, recently paid a visit to the North, and the general opinion from Auckland ] right down to Wellington seemed to I he favourable to the measure. Asked ! for his opinion ;us to whether the Hid I would go through. Mr Buxton was inclined to think that there were some , contentious clauses to be dealt with, but that after numerous amendments and possibly some additions, the Bill would tind its way to the statute hook this session. With regard to the Land Finaii.-e Set i lenient scheme which was parsed last >e>sion. and which this year had been amended. Mr Buxton thought that the Biil as now amended would he of wry considerable advantage to those who w» i re seeking small holdings ; and uhu had only a limited amount of : eapita!. Having taken a considerable j interest tin this measure, Mr Buxton [ made exhaustive inquiries as to the | finances, and found that a considerable ;iinui;iit of money was available In.m loaning institutions wit ha guarantee by the State as was provided 11; this Act. One loaning institution informed him that at-* the present time it had ,C:>7O,(JUO available ior investment on debentures guaranteed by the >tate. Me was successful in obtaining a promise ironi tlie Alinister of Lands to make the amendments passed this year retrospective, so that an association funned during last year woield have tlie beneiit of the Arnemlmouts in this year's bill, particu-}?-7}?.v;itll regard to the individual iia .v.lity of any member of the Assoeia"l . whjeii by the present. Act was absolutely safeguarded. Asked his opijuon in respect of the conij.u;-;. , rv leasing clauses iu the Land .hll tins session, Mr Buxton said that lie was strongly opposed, to thom as at present sot forth, being of the opinion thi-t for many years to como ihera would bo plenty o? lands voluntarily ottered by owners to keep the Government Tnusy in land settlement. During the Inst four months five estates bad wen ofiered through himself to the boreniment for sale, and a number of these were i icing onquired into, and providing the prices and terms wer6 satisfactory, Mr Buxton lias every reason to think that some of them would be acquired hy the Staie.