Opposition Speaker Says The Communists Will Hail The Government's Land Bills

Wanganui Chronicle, 28 October 1948, Page 5

Opposition Speaker Says The Communists Will Hail The Government's Land Bills

"Usehold" Being Fostered, He Says, And "Freehold" Disappearing PARLIAMENT BLDGS.. Last. Night (PA).—Under the three Bills dealing with land introduced by the Government this session, freehold, as it had been known for generations, would disappear, declared Mr. W. Bodkin (Opp., Central Otago) in the House, of Representatives tonight, speaking to the second reading of the Servicemen’s Settlement and Land Sales Amendment Bill.

The other Bills to which he referred were tlie Land Bill and the Land Valuation Court Bill. Mr. Bodkin said Crown tenants should not delude themselves that they could now exchange their leases for a real freehold. It would be the old usehold. What would a freehold be worth if its value was to be fixed by a State Department ur.idr a socialist regime, which would determine in detail the interest of the so-called owner in the land itself, and also in improvements, and if another State Department would decide to whom the land could be transferred, and on What conditions? The Government's policy had been cleverly camouflaged and it had been divided into several Bills. But one section of the community which would understand what was being done, would be the Communists. In 1919, the Communists who were assembled with men, some of whom were in the Cabinet today, and they drew up what was known as a policy of usehold for land. Communists reading the three Bills introduced this session, would say: “The boys of the old brigade are standing by us. They are not letting us down, even if we have had to wait all these years for usehold tenure.” Mr. Bodkin said the rights of the so-called owner under the freehold, as it would he in the future, would bo severely constricted. Freehold would simply disappear. Mr. O. Wilson (Govt., Palmerston North) had said in a previous debate that the National Party was bribing farmers not to sell land for the settlement of ex-service-men, but it must be recognised farmers would not sell unless they could get a fair deal, and had the opportunity to have their land valued in an independent and honest court. Mr. Bedkin said the National Party, if it had the opportunity, would certainly repeal the Land Seles Act as soon as it could get the country on an even keel, but because of the chaotic conditions, and because of the inflationary policy of the Government, some form of control would be necessary for some time. RETURNED SERVICEMEN SETTLED.

Mr. Combs (Govt., Onslow) said more returned soldiers had been settled on the land in two years after their return from World War II than in five years after the first World War.

Mrj. Shand (Opp., Marlborough): What rot! Mr. Combs said statistics and reports proved it. The majority of the ex-servicemen after the first World War took up leasehold in preference to freehold.. Every effort was being made to acquire land for settlement and men taking up land today had a reasonable chance of making good, whereas many of them after the first World War were in a hopeless position Mr Combs agreed that it was urgent to find Idnd for grade A men still awaiting allotment Mr. W. A. Sheat (Opp., Patea) said Mr. Combs had held out no hope to those still awaiting settlement Many factors today were combining to keep land off the market. The Government's policy was primarily responsible and the Government's insistence that only fully settled land should ho settled, was also hampering the settlement of ex-servicemen.

Mr. W. Freer (Opp., Mt. Albert), said the only people who would benefit under the scheme that the Opposition had suggested—that the difference between present day prices and those of 1942 be paid from the Consolidated or other fund—would only be those who today were withholding land from sale until such a scheme operated. The Government did not want to adopt a policy of settlement at a price. The Opposition aimed to legislate for the minority, because today there were fewer sellers than buyers. NATIONALISATION OF LAND NOT CONTEMPLATED Mr. Freer denied that it was the intention of the Government to take over and nationalise the land. He agreed that there was a large area of Crown land which could be developed, but difficulty lay in the fact the necessary materials were in veryshort supply, and until those materials became available, land development would be retarded in New Zealand. In order to overcome the seasonal shortage of farm labour he suggested that school and university students should be attracted to farms. An Opposition member: 'lhats being done already. Another Opposition member: What about the unions? Mil Freer went on to say that the Government's policy of maintaining the land sales legislation was in the

best interests of the man on the land and the man in the city. Mr. R. G. Gerard (Opp., Ashburton) asked if any Government member would deny that the land sales legislation would be placed permanently on the Statute Book. The Government. preferred to do injury to a minority of the people who in this case, were those who had land and wanted ex-servicefnen to settle on it but they could not afford to sell at the 1942 prices. There was a case for removing small town and urban sections, up to a value of £250 from the operation of tlh Land Sales Act. He asked if the Government had gone to the British Government and said that land development was being held up by the lack of fencing materials.

The Minister of Lands (Mr. Skinner) : Yes.' Mr. Moohan (Govt., Petone). denied the Opposition allegation that the Bill was a class measure. He said that on the contrary, the Bill was designed by the Government for one purpose only—to settle returned soldiers on the land. This Government remembered the experiences of the First World War and so far all arguments of the Opposition were in line with the policy of settling soldiers of the First World War, when speculators got away' with public money to the tune of £12,000,000. Mr. S. G. Harker (Opp., Hawke’s Bay), said the Servicemen’s Settlement and Land Sales Act had been referred to as the Servicemen's Settlement Delaying Act. The long period of waiting had forced many men into city occupations and others had developed a sense of grievance and frustration.

Mr. Skinner, replying, said it was gratifying that there had been no criticism of the amending Bill, which; was one o£ the few Bills he had ever introduced, and which had met with approval. There had been criticism of the Land Sales Act. He knew that Act was not perfect, and had not achieved perfectly that which it set out tc achieve. At the same time h« did not know of any piece of legislation which was 100 per cent, perfect. He would say, however, that the Act had achieved to a large extent wha| it set out to do. He would shudder to think what would have happened to the land had the Act not been Iri operation. The Opposition had tried to set out that when Government members criticised soldier settlement after the First World War they were speaking disparagingly of them. There had been no such thought in the minds of Government members. Mr. Skinner said that if the Govern* ment had been prepared to settle returned men on rough land, or on vir< gin bush, it could have settled thousands, but settlement on that basis could not be successful. He did not know of any blocks of land which had been fully developed before they were settled, unless the land was purchased in a fully-developed state. It had been argued by the member for Ashburton that carpenters should be paid on the 1942 levels, but would the Opposition say that the farmer should be paid for his labour on the same level? Ha had: every -confidence in the gentleman who gave an address at Massed College on the Land Valuation Court, He was a man of absolute integrity and he made the statement as he saw! it. The Minister said he had no criticism to make on that ground. Opposition members had referred to evidence given in Gisborne by a valued and had referred to that valuer having received instructions through a circular. The Minister said he couldi assure the members that if valuers followed out the suggestions in the circular it would be to their benefit. Mr. Skinner said the valuer concerned was a well-known and successful farmer in whom he had every confidence. His advice to other valuers had been of tremendous assistance. He (the Minister) had nothing tes apologise for in the circular, which was not, as had been stated, an instruction to keep land values down. Mr Skinner said 230.000 acres of new land had been settled under the Government's schemes, and in soma instances the productivity had increased as much as five-fold as development progressed. Mr. Skinner said the ohl bogy that the Government would nationalise land had been effectively exploded by the Biffs before the House this session. The increase in the numbers of people owning their own land and own houses since the Government took office was an effective answer to that. The Bill was read a second time and referred to the Lands Committee. The Minister of Agriculture (Mr, Cullen) moved the second reading of the Dairy Produce Amendment Bill, The debate was interrupted by the adjournment at midnight.