LAND BALLOTS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 897, 17 August 1910, Page 8

LAND BALLOTS.

■—- :« ' A JDENIAL. ■ ''. ' ■■■ ' ' (By Telcgrapli.-l'rcs? Association.) New Plymouth,. August IG. At the Taranaki Laud Board niceting to-day, Mr. J. M'Cluggago referred to- a statement inado in the House of Representatives by Mr. J. B. Hine, M.P. for Stratford, as published in Hansard and reading' as follows :— "In Taranaki applicants have l>eeu refused admission to the land ballols because they wero not in possession of .£SOO, and if you are going to stop a man who is not in possession of JXOO.from obtaining land under tho Land for Settlement system, we say it is pf no uso to the poor man." Mr. "Ileslop moved, "That there is not the slightest foundation for such a misleading, statement,. which;.is .absolutelycontrary to fact, and ..that a, copy'of this resolution be; forwarded to tho Eight Hon. tho Minister for Lands." Mr.. -J; Eatenburg seconded, and the motion was put and carried. .The com' missioner refrained from voting, and Mr. W. L. Kennedy voted against the motion, objecting to its political significance, and urging that tho board's purpose could be served by communicating with Mr. Hine himself. . . .

The full text of Mr. Hine's statement, according to Hansard, is as follows:— "Is he aware that under- tho land-for-ieettlement system an, applicant must show that he is in possession of sufficient capital to satisfy the.Land Board? In Taranaki.applicants have been refused admission tb the ballot because they wero not in,possession of ,£soo;.and if you are going,, to jstop a man. who, is not in :pos-session.;'of-.£sop from obtaining,land under 'the; land-for-settlement .system,. ; we. sayit for the poor man, and. he is' th'eh driven ,to the bush, iwhere hehas to take land of inferior.quality,.and in many instances he is; still denied the freehold tenure.