LAND FOR SETTLEMENT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3374, 14 November 1911, Page 3

LAND FOR SETTLEMENT.

MAG!’ SNERY C ~ NEW PROVISION. E-.PLAINED. BY SIR JOHN hj-OXLAY. TO TIMES.;i AUCKLAND, Nov. 13. (n the course of a speech dealing exhaustively with land problems, in St. David’s Hall to-night, Sir John Findlay explained the machinery of the proposed new method of acquiring land from large owners, under the Land for Settlement Act. The owner had to transfer an estate at a price fixed by the Government, and to take for it debentures with a ten years’ currency, and the land in tlie hands of the Government was to be disposed of in small areas, on the deferred payments system, by way of tender or auction. If the proceeds exceeded the price fixed by the Government the owner was to be paid this, with interest. If it was less' a corresponding reduction was to be made for the amount of the debentures. In this way the Government would not require to borrow money. It would become a small subdividing agent, and could proceed at once with tlio rapid subdivision of many estates that were necessary to meet all recent demands. He had reason to believe that the large landowners would accept the new system, but if not, in view of the urgency and the importance of tlie matter,, tliere was precedent in England to make it compulsory. Speaking of the abuse of the Land Ballot, Sir John Findlay said that so long as the large proportion of the* land was disposed of by ballot no objection could be made to the tenders _ system. In proper cases it ivould obviate the present absurd trafficking in Crown lands, and secure a fairer adjustment of prices. Regarding the freehold, he thought tlie optional system would work best. The freehold would be secured by tlie State, through legislation, as easily as leasehold. Effective- provision, he added, should be made against freehold as well as leasehold aggregation, and be deprecated the battle of the tenures as standing in the way of strenuous and progressive settlement. For tlie purposes of the Family Land Settlement Act,, under which it is proposed to buv a million acres of land in advance of "the construction of roads and railways, and thus acquire it Irefore public work is added to the land ViiliiG, Sir John Findlay said that those lands could if necessary be taken compulsorily, whether they are owned by natives'or Europeans, and they should fie settled in living areas among groups of families and individual settlers.