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the state parliament
MINISTERIAL ELECTIONS. .
GOVERNMENT LAND POLICYi 1
AIR. Al'KRNZIE'S CONFIDENT ANTI
CIPATIONS. ,
EOHUOA, Friday.
At noon to-day tlie -returning officer for.
maliy declared Mr. H. AI'Konzie, Minis,
tor of Lands, elected as member for Rod.
ney.
iu returning thanks Air. AI'Kenzie out.
lined the Government land policy, which
he said wiis one of its jinportaub'
planks, and one which it hoped would
make a mark in its legislation. An cn«
deavor would be made to put the pcoplo
oil tlie land and afford them every fa-
cility for remaining there. (Applause.)
It was intended to deal with this
question so that people who took up
thickly timbered or mountainous Jam!
would be given longer periods in which to
meet tiieir payments than those wiio ob«
tained land _ which would give quick re«
turns, or which required less clearing. Foe
instance, settlers in a district like tha
malice might be given three years aftee
they had paid their half year's rent anil
survey fees before any further paymcnB
would be asked for, while settlers on land
like that of Gippsland would be given fiva
or six years after they had paid their halfl
year's rent and survey Sees us a guarantco
of good faith, xno method of loading land
was referred to, and t'he Alinistcr said
he bad already given instructions that:
where applications - for land had been
dealt witu by land boards and licences had
not been issued these, should he issued ab
the clarified prices. Regarding the re.
sumption of land, Air. Al'Keuzie said iff
'was proposed, to establish a prin-
eiple tor the compulsory taking of iargj
estates, and where owners and tlie depart
ment could not agree upon the price to bo
paid tlie Government would take tha
land over and go oh with the settlement,
and the owner would take his case to tha
fcupreme Court, which Alinisters considered
would be better Uian the old arbitration
system, it being a less costly method. They
believed this to be a most fair metliod off
fixing values, anil from expressions oi)
mfinion nli-mulv made he believed it would
meet tlie approval of the people. Thero
were several luattcra in the various depart
ment's wliieli would require a good deal
of thought uu tlie part of Alinisters, bub
with combined effort and by pulling to-
gcliier tliey hoped to bring about progres
sive legislation. The legislation might dis
please some who had vested rights, bub
tuev must do what tliey felt was in tlio
best interests of the country generally. Ib
was the intention of the Government to
send lit in to New Zealand at the end off
the present session, which would be abonb
the end of February, so that he mighb .
study the land laws ot that country. "The
Age" had stated that this information:
could be obtained from books, but tliey
could only get cold facts from books. Tliey
could not become acquainted with tlio
practical working of tlie laws and see
tltc-ir defects- as well as tiieir good quali
ties. The Government favored the sys
tem of an "advanced settlors' branch,"-
which had been established in New Zea
land, and this was one matter in particu
lar upon which information and practical
knowledge were desired. The purpose oE
this branch was to give assistance to
settlers in their private purchases. He did
not see why the Government should nob
help a settler to purchase from a privato
land holder as well as from the depart
ment. The Government would give the
settler as much as thirty or thirty-three
your to repay his loan, and this no privato
owner would do. The Government's land
policy, lie felt, would be of benefit to thff
whole of Victoria.
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