The Wanganui Chronicle "Nulla Dies Sine Linea." THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1912. THE FREEOLD SCORES.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12856, 31 October 1912, Page 4

The Wanganui Chronicle "Nulla Dies Sine Linea." THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1912. THE FREEOLD SCORES.

Mr. Massey's Land Bill put the freehold versus leasehold issue clearly beforo Parliament and the House of Representatives, by the substantial majority of 47 to 20 on tho most crucial division, affirmed its approval of the Government's policy. For years past a littlo coterie of theorists have been vaunting the leasehold as tho best of all tenures, but it has all along been known that their views were not in accord with those of tho men who were actually on tho land. It suited the Continuous Government to pander to tho Leaseholders, because, though an insignificant quantity in tho country, they counted for something in the House. The result was that for years Mr. Massey'e predecessors in office had ao settled land policy. On ono memorable occasion a certain Minister of Lands nailed tho leasehold colours to tho mast, but they were- hauled down again with a haste that was almost indecent. It was evidently realised at tho time that _._r. Massey was "right in his declaration that the only tenure acceptable in New .joa- { land was tho freehold. Now that Mr. Massey is in uower it is only natural that ho should introduce a. Land Bill based on freehold principles. Indeed, as tho "New Zealand Herald" puts it, the dominating feature of Mr. Massey\s Bill is its reversal of tho policy by wlrich tho rack-renting of Crown tenants, under ft system of renewable leases with tho periodic revaluation of the so-called "unimproved value," has been gradually developed from tho original "optional" system of two decades ago. This original system gave to the settlor on i Crown Lands an option of purchasing tho freehold at once at a given price*, of securing the right of purchase within a term of years at that price by paying ti per cent, interest on tho amount, or j of accepting a 999-years lease and pay- j in<-; a perpetual rent equal to 4 per cent. J on tho original price. This 999-years ; lease —tho famous L.I.P. —was r.dvo-j cated and popularised on tho ground > that it was "just as good as freehold" i and was accepted at that estimate by t\ largo number or settlers in good faith ; and without any intention of agitating for a reconsideration of tho conditions. Rshitos'purchased under the Lands for >].fttlomcnt Act were universally thrown ■men under L.I.P. conditions, and were similarly "taken up by settlers in the '.jelk'f, and on tho understanding, that this was "just as good as freehold." . "Within r. very few years, however, it was scon that tho holder <... a Stnto leaso was not regarded by tho Leasehold Party as having tho same security of tenuro as that possessed by tho freeholder. Schemes for breaking the L.I.P. leases were openly put forward by prominent leaders of the Leasehold Party, and proposals for revaluating and rack-renting such holdings upon tho death of the tenant wero propounded without tho slightest regard to tho legal rights of tho tenantry or the moral obligations'of tho State. Considerable friction aroso between Crown tenants ( and tho Land Boards, and though this friction was quietly modified by tho action of the Government of the day, indisposed to arouse tho actire antagon-

ism of 20,000 Crown tenants, it assisted to convince tho agricultural community that a leasehold was very far -from being "just as good as freehold." The abolition of tho L.I.P. and the substitution of a renewable 33-years' lease only tended to make matters worse, especially as the short torm lease was applied to settlers on Maori lands. Sir Joseph Ward's Conversion Bill, designed to conciliate his freehold supporters, failed to please anybody, and had to bo dropped, and it remained for Mr. Massey with a straight-out freehold policy, to give tho country what ib wanted. Tho Bill, which is, after all, only a first instalment of the Reform Party's land policy, is pretty sure to receive a safe passage at the hands of tho Legislative i Council.