Land Legislation.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 5968, 10 August 1912, Page 4

Land Legislation.

IVI'IiVI'IONS OF TUB GOVfIRNMEXT. ftv the Budget on Tuesday night several references were made to the land question. It will not be possible this session (we are told 1 to deai with all th' policy matters arising out of the land (jiieetion. but a land Hill will be introduced which, among oil:-r p o posala, will include a new incihod of nc,i«iring land for settlement purpo- ■■■ and of settling such land on the deferred payment system. Then- will lino increase of the Dominion's indebtedness ; the settlers will have security oi tenure on easy terms, an I landowners will receive a fair price

for the land required for-clown settlement. Thr Government are oi opinion that the e\peri.n.cnt referred t,, : will lie well worth trying, an I n:»iy leud to a more satisfactory meihod of breaking'up larcri- estates than riher of the systems in operation at present. There will also 1»- provision for ar. amendment of the ballot -vsiun. so as to check speculation, anil give preference to those who have failed in two ballots.

The Government are also impressed with the importance 0 i purchasing land, whether European or Native, in those localities where it is intended to construct railways or where th.-v are already in course of construction. In the past railways ha-c i ; .

V.uny cases ben carried through hugareas of unimproved and' unoccupied land, and the consequence ha- '--r-a to increase greatly the vab ■ o! sn-'i

land, even though the owner- ha! done little or nothing in the way of improvements. This perience of the North Wan' Main Trunk Railway, and it will un-W-lt" '■- ly be the ex|>crimce in other similar cases. It behoved the Sta -. Jn fore, to secure a sufficient area |o enable it to properly participati in n nv increase of values that mnv ari- - fro : ,. public iworks expenditure. II this is (lone it may be possible from the profits of such transactions to return to the Government a very large proportion of the expenditure incurred in opening up th- country by railways, or even by roads. The sit s 0 f the towns of Tc Kuiti and Tauunrcnui or ar..v of the other towns in the socalled King Conntrv. might ha e been purchased before the com'ng o' thrailway for only a very small proportion of their present value-, -seb lessons should not be lost si in of, and they will not be lost srdit oi by tho Government \\u\\ in who, without interfering unci ■• --:•:'•,- ■with th<- enterprise of individuals. i r . tend to see' that the rii-hts of the Community are provided for and safeguarded.

The Government mav no' ': ■ n'>lito plan, the whole of (h"ir 'a-' icy before Parliament tluriivj l!i ■';»■:'- ent session, but th.v <1 > mi! intend to depart in the wry sliuhlcßt from tin' principles they have advocated on this v erv important siil^cot—!i»m •!''. settlement, closer settlement, and absolute securitv of tenure for t!i- si-t----tiers.

Parliament will he a*ki>d lyxt session to give the Crown tenants holding land under, lenses in -■:■■• --t-:i! v th- option of purchase. Tlv- tenant■on settlement lands whose tenure is renewable leas? are in a different position to tenants whoso tent'- ; .- 1,-ase in perpetuity, but thev will also If given the option of purchase at n price to be fixed by actuarial calculation. The money received 1 i r , this way will lx- paid into tlie land for Settlement Account, mid us.'d for the purchase of other land-for-settlement purposes, thus leducina the amo'int of loan money which otherwise i' would be necessary to raise, ft is not in tended to interfere in any way with endowment lands.

It has' been found that the settlement of Crown and native lands has be n very much retarded nwine/ to th-> lack of surveyors. The Government have decided to' increase the rflmiher of surveyors, and to pay better salaries in order to obtain the services of more competent men, and to prevent the exodus of such mrn from Xcw iZealand.

•As the prosperity of New 'Zealand depends very largely upon, the su-eess-ful settlement- and subdivision of its land, it is intended both by legislation and energetic administration to do everything possible to provide land for all -who desire to occupv end use it, thereby, jjjcßaaMnpr iha number of

fiur producers, and conse-nient.lv the value of our exports. Vitb that object instructions have Ivon triven to the responsible ollicers of the depart, meets concerned tc| prepare le'mn.j of the Crown land available a-.«l suitably for settlement in each county of the Dominion, showing separately ordinary Crown land and land set apart as national endowments. These let urns show that th re should be available 2,8ll!l,(H>8 acres of or HnarCrown land ar.tl 1 ,;7.2t..1'->7 acres of endowment lands. As it is necessary and in the interests of the I): .minion that all lands at pre--nt unoccupied should be made producti\ - 1 at tin earliest possible date, sure. v< will be pu-lied on. and evervthir ;.1■ in expedite the opening of such lands to industrious bona fide s"ttlrs, so ■helping to meet the dene:: which undoubtedly exists, and mu'-be-- it unnecessary for voting New ,'/'•• danders to leave the country of th' : e birth in tlioir search for land on which to settle and n«ake -homes for thinselves.