NATIONAL ENDOWMENT BILL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2224, 30 October 1907, Page 3

NATIONAL ENDOWMENT BILL.

DISCUSSION IN PARLIAMENT. Press Association.’ WELLINGTON. Oct. 29. The House wont into Committee on the National Endowment Bill last Clause 12 was taken. It provides that it shall he lawful for the Colonial Treasurer to issue and apply such sums of money, not exceeding in any one year £50,000, as is appropriated bv Parliament- for the purpose of the formation of roads or bridges upon any national land, for the purpose of facilitating settlement on any such land. The Premier explained it was not intended that the principal and -interest should bo repaid under the clause. He added that it was intended to introduce legislation' this session to reduce interest on the local bodies loans by one-half per cent. In this ease the money would he obtained at a rate of interest not exceeding 4J per cent., and even then it would be quite possible for settlers,to obtain money under the Local Bodies Loans Act. He added that under the clause they were not adding to ,tho capital value of the land. On the first instance a settler going on the land knew that the money must be spent. When lie went on to the other classes of land •lie did not know whether the Loans to. Local Bodies Act applied or not. iMr. W. Allen said his interpretation of the clause was that the hind on which money was expended would have' to pay the loading on account of the expenditure. The Premier: That is exactly what is intended.

Mr. Lang objected to the proposal because there was no finality about .it; the loading went on for all time. Mr. McNab said that tho money would be taken out of the national endowment fund, not that the tenant’s rent would be increased on account of the amount that had been borrowed, and the rent would be reduced when the money was repaid. The clause wus passed. For clause 2, the schedule set apart as endowment land, the Premier proposed to substitute for it Parliamentary paper C. 12 (already referred to), providing that in addition to the area described on the schedule, the area of endowment land shall includo all Crown lands (outside Land for Settlement lands) which at present or in future is held under a renewable lease or under lease as a small grazing run. Mr. Massey pointed out that tho clause meant that it was left to the settler to abide by the terms on which he took up land, as to whether it became endowment land or not. Replying to an interrogation by Mr. McNab, Mr. Massey said this was the first intimation the House Imd received that Native land purchased by the Government would not come under the Act. The proposal was much worse than, the original one. The Premier said that after the clause passed he would move an amendment to provide that in future if the area of national endowment lands exceeded nine million acres no further area should become national endowment land by virtue of the section. i

Mr. McKenzie contended that nine million acres was too large an area to set aside as leaseholds. Tho best interests of the colony would he considered in allowing tlio right of purchase. Who, lie -asked, was going to take over lands oil tho West Coast under leasehold ?

Mr. Massey moved to omit from the clause t-lie words providing that renewable leases under the Land Act, 1907, should be included in the area of endowment lands. His point was that the man who took up a renewable lease would always have the hope that the Government would give him the option of purchase. The amendment was negatived by 40 to 17. Mr. James Allen moved an amendment to exclude small grazing runs from tho endowment.

The amendment was negatived by 40 to 14.

Mr. Massey went on to say that so far as the Auckland portion of the land under tlie Bill was concerned it would be absolutely impossible to settle tho country under leasehold. The clause was added to the Bill by 38 votes to 20.

After midnight clause 3 was taken. It provides that national endowment lands shall not he sold or disposed of under occupation with the right of purchase. Mr. Massey moved an amendment to provide that rural national endowment lands may ho disposed of under the occupation with right of purchase system under the Land Act, 3892. ' The amendment was rejected by 38 ito 19, and the clause passed by 36 to 19. Mr. Wil-ford moved a new clause to provide that the Governor-in-Co(mail may by proclamation." declare that any lands may be disposed of by sale, the proceeds of the sale to be devoted to the purchase of town lands for a similar purpose. Rejected by 29 to 24. ■The schedule was then read a first time.

Progress was reported, and the House adjourned at 1.5 a.mi. Tho House inet'.at 2.30 p.m. to-day. Mr. Massey moved an amendment to tho schedule to reduce the total area from nine millions to 4,500,000 acres. He urged that settlement ought to be encouraged, and that was liis object in moving the amendment. These'endowments would not be the slightest use to education and old ago pensions, provision for which would always be made by the House in the ordinary way. Tho amendment was negatived by 38 to 21. Mr. Houston moved an amendment to omit all 54 blocks contained in the schedule and situated in the Bay of Islands electorate. Mr. Mauder, in supporting _ the amendment, said lands in tho North Island were totally unfit for tho purposes of tho Bill. The amendment was negatived by 39 to 22. . Mr. Massey moved to omit certain areas in Waitemata electorate. Negatived by 39 to 21. Messrs Hander, ‘Massey, and Henries- moved to' strike-out certain blocks in their electorates. All were negatived. Mr. Massey again protested against inclusion of land fit for closer settlement in tho endowments. On the House resuming at 7.30. Mr. Jennings moved to strike out all the endowment blocks in his electorate. Negatived by 26 to 21. Tlie Premier pointed out that a area of 504,000 acres had been set* apart in Otago for endowment purposes and held ior over 30 yeais without complaint. iSeveml other motions to make reductions were defeated by large majorities. A clause was passed limiting endowments to 9,000,000, and tho secliedulo was added to the Bill by 30 to 22. I The third reading was fixed for I Wednesday.