THE LAND BILL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2084, 20 May 1907, Page 2

THE LAND BILL.

STATEMENT iiY MINISTER EOR LANES. i’reas Aasociatiou.

ASHBURTON, Saturday. Interviewed by an Ashburton Guardian reporter, the* Hon. Sir. McNaU said in regard to tho Land Bill anti Jilndowment Bill: “So few of tho inoinbers absolutely oppose'all endowments that i have, without hesitation, even in the lace of continued and interrupted hostile votes declaring for option (as in the North Island), stated* that the Land Bill will b.c put on the statute book, and I see no reason to doubt that the eim dowmont provisions will also be put on tho statute book. There is no alteration in my views as to what is likely to happen, except that I cannot profess to indicate tho exact area that the Committee on tho Bill will hnally settle on for endowments in the Land Bill. The freehold which wo offer by auctioning land and protecting tenants’ improvements, may not bo carried, but the freehold at the original value will not bo carried. I still believe that proposals which will prove acceptable will be our DO per cent, proposals, based on tho original value. Time will show whether I am right. 1 have been astonished at members’ unanimity regarding tho limitation proiiosals. Mon who were strong against us on the area of endowments are prepared to go further than we are in limiting private estates, and have astonished me with their limits of value or rate of graduated tax. 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 by-elec-tion, that the Government lost ground there through a divided vote for the Liberal party. “It seems to me,” ho said, “that it must always liavo that effect when two men of standing are on one side and are both strong men, and Mr. Malone was without doubt a strong man. No doubt Mr. Okey would never have seen the House if my Absolute Majority Bill had been on the Statute book.” . A suggestion in connection witn the Clydevale estate brought forth the reply: “We could not come to terms. The estate wasn’t missed; the Government simply could not come to within 10s of the- price required. All negotiations between the Government and the owners were off before the purchasing syndicate appeared. You see, other people, when they have" bought and subdivided for , sale an estate, can auction it and recoup themselves easily. We cannot. I We had not to compete with the syn--1 dicate at all, for they did not go near I the property till they got word from !us that our negotiations were off. I Another property, too, the same syn- | dicate stood out of while the GovernI ment was negotiating. We secured I it. The syndicate acted very honor- | ably. There will be a big debate in j the House in regard to Clydevale. The public have got interested over it, and Tom Mackenzie is on the trail.” - “How is it that you could not negotiate?” the reporter asked. . ° “The reason,” said . the Minister, “is that we have got to open up the ground with roads before subdivision, and experience lias shown that tenants will put up with far less ironi private landlords in the roadmg of property than ’from the Government. When we put up a property we have got 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 dUO competing. Take that all over the property, and 10s an acre is nothing. You can very easily regard 10s as nothin" 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, and the more active the laud market is 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 actions of the Government. A property was put under offer to us the other day, and before the statutory formalities could be complied with, anothor person had it at... the same flK ‘ l ‘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, Mr. McNab remarked: “I see from a'telegram that the Taranaki Farmers’ Union Conference opposed any method of dealing with Native lands which would create Native landlordism. They want the country, and the Maori can be like the moa. The freehold of the Maori over his land is to bo decided by men who profess that they will defend the freehold to the last breath. No, Ive got nothing to say about it.”

BLENHEIM, Saturday. Mr. Matlieson, the Farmers’ Union, roi )roson t a five, has been conducting a campaign in Marlborough against the Land Bill. He spoke at Blenheim last night. At five meetings so far resolutions have almost unanimously been carried in favor of the optional tenure. The meetings were poorly attended. CHRISTCHURCH, last night. ,The Hon. R. 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 works that had been compelled to bo 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 he was afraid that 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 the address, which was mainly on the lines of previous speeches delivered by him during the recess, the Minister quoted the following figures ta_show the increase in the number of owners and in the value of large estates between the years 1902 and 1906 As at 31st March, 1902 Unimproved value £50,000 and under £IOO,OOO, sixty owners, total unimproved va1ue£4,037,357; as at 31st March, 1905 85 owners, total unimproved value £5,012,791... As at 31st March, 1902 Unimproved value £IOO,OOO and under £200,000, twenty-one owners, total unimproved value £2,676,285; *3lst March, 1906—twenty-two owners, total unimproved value £2,851,856. As at 31st. March, 1902—Unimproved value £200,000 and over, two owners, total unimproved value £1,007,171; 31st March, 1906, four owners, total unimproved value £1,016,029. Grand totals: 31st March, 1902, under £IOO up to £200,000 and oyer, 115,713 owners, total unimproved value £10,524,604; as at 31st March, 1906 128,020 owners, total unimproved value £100,358,147. The Minister made a strong appeal in favor of the various provisions of the bill, especially of the endowment proposal. A 4 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.