This Bill proposes to "Amend the Land Act of 1923 in respect of (a) the sub-division of holdings possessing potential value as building ground; (b) certain residential holdings; (c) certain long leases and fee-farm grants, and (d) arrears of rent."
It deals with holdings which are excluded from the provisions of the Land Act of 1923, by reason of the fact that portion thereof possesses an actual or potential value as building ground, and it proposes to give certain powers to the Land Commission. It provides that the provisions of the Land Act of 1923 shall apply to that portion of the holding that does not possess value as building ground. It also provides for the application of the Land Act of 1923 to residential holdings so-called, where the tenants in occupation thereof were ordinary farmers at the date of the passing of the Act, and where the valuation of the land is greater than the valuation of the building thereon. It proposes to amend sub-section (3) of Section 19 of the Land Act of 1923 by providing for the addition to the purchase-money of compounded arrears of rent in cases where the Land Commission deem it expedient to do so. It provides for the vesting in the Land Commission in certain cases of land situate in non-congested counties which are held under fee-farm grants, leases renewable for lives or years, or for terms of years of which 60 or more were expired at the date of the passing of the Land Act, 1923. This Bill does not propose to interfere with the power of the Land Commission under the 1923 Act to take over and divide lands. It does not deal with that question. The Act of 1923 has been in operation for nearly two years. Experience in the working of the Act has shown that a number of farmers, possibly only a small percentage, in the Free State, find themselves unexpectedly deprived of the benefits of the Act of 1923. This Bill is proposed to enable these farmers to come under the benefit of this Act.
Mr. Irwin seconded.
