THE LAND BILL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 680, 3 December 1909, Page 6

THE LAND BILL.

TnosE who have been following the proceedings in Parliament in connection with the Land Bill cannot refrain from admiring the adroit manner in which the Prime Minister has been using tho freeholders of'the Opposition againstrthe, unruly leaseholders ot his own party. Sir Joseph Ward is usually a clever tactician, and being unhampered by any fixed ■principles on the land question, possesses a considerable advantage over both the freehold and the, leasehold sections of. the House. How far, then, are the freeholders going to permit themselves to be used?Will-they swallow tho leasehold clauses of the Bill for the sake of the freehold" extension clauses, , or will they; stand out firmly for/the principle that the freehold option should exist in connection with all Crown lands? The attitude 'of the leaseholders is at least consistent.' '-Me.' , - Taylor's attitude, for ' instance, is honest and logical, even if it is opposed to. the real'interests of the country; the "attitude■■of ,the ; man who advocates the freeholdy f out court is honest and logical, and is tho attitude, also, of the true friend of sound progress. There may be honesty, but there certainly is not logic, in the attitude, of. the man who wflr support ;the Bill as it stands at present.,;.. Glear 'as is the real • issue, the Prime Minister, if the; Opposition. ,as the 'official guardians of 'the,., freehold movement,; aro, not able; to meet tactics with bettor tactics, will foist his piebald policy .on ( i the: country, and thus flout once again the will- of the peoplci The genuine freeholders may fancy that ;if they'can iget something this, year they will get something more quite; easily, mixt year. They,are not.wrong in thua sharing the universar opinion that the Government has no longer;; any convictions that will' outweigh ' : ita. appetite for the advantages of. office, but, they will be foolish .to overlook the significance, -of the Prime Minister's, statement that "Liberal Administrations had made it a cardinal feature of their pr6gramme to endeavour to hold on to a portion of the national estate."

; ; While, i. therefore;: the. 'Government haa made ;a surrender,-on tho general : principle, such 'as would rejoice tho heart-of. such a connoisseur of 'opportunism as the. Vicar of./ Bray,' it has been' careful, to .place'••further obstacles in .the' way;of .the freehold;,'movement;yln'.thi; meantime, the .frank supporters of the freehold 1 will'play'directly into the Goyornment's,hands 'if, in their zeal to'fru'strato;the efforts■'■ of,.the; extremists,!''they allow the 'Beime, Minister, to'; play : ;those extremists';, against;-,: thein.;■'■■ There -are, seventeen members of. the -House, pledged j on their own; seeking, to oppose any/Bill that proposes- - any fßortot? extension pf tho freehold; and we can hardly believe that,many of these will 'sacrifice their principles and support the third reading of the Bill. .The Prime Minister' showed pretty -plainly/ yesterday,: however, that no intends to dp/all ; he :v caii to secure their support/■;Vln: doing' so, , 'of..'course,• he f had to; lay more stress'than ho can 'havojliked upon tho fact that r'fpr : the ■•first time ,in the history of this country Lthcroweror nine million, acres ,Bct; asido urider'the leasehold system." The public, w6 .'.believe; '■ -is growing tired .of this, manoeuvring; it desires an', answer; to I; the (Jucstion, Is the Government, or is it ndt, : in; favour' of the: 'principle that' every Crown tenant:' should have the 'right;to acquire, : .the':.fee simple 'of; his;holding| The only reply that the Government, will, give, is" a' reply,- similar .to that of ■ tha gardener in Funch, 'who, on being asked "Are you not a staunch teetotaller f'-' replied ■■''Spt staunch,.ma'arsj npt stauricli," The Government is almost, anything-you 'please,' but' it is npt .staunchly anything at all, and the' freeholders in the country "should be, very; careful' of that'kind of : Goyernment.'_ -It will be far bpttef if ■the ■settlement: of ■] the' land ■ question -is held ■ over' until: noxt ; year; than; ' that; , the freehold movement should. bo retarded_ b.v the' enactment.'of 'some' ( pibbald ■'policy, which , will stave off for. a. further,, the Universal freehold option. Thegenuine freeholders, must therefore examine very closely.tho course that the:G6yefnmeht;;is likojy.;.tp■•'pursue..' .They 'have. oho■ 'thing in common with the sincere? leaseholders , :, honesty 'of conviction.;. The sincere, leaseholders: are prepared-to postpone the issue... Here ;is common 'ground for/mem-, bers staunch, to principle. Let' the freehold party, if they cannot amend the Bill as ..they desire, throw, the respbnsi : bilif.y on the of, hanging up the matter;until next:session.' '. : ' '. ,v'