THE FREEHOLD.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 990, 3 December 1910, Page 14

THE FREEHOLD.

■■■.:, -♦ —— APPMCABLE TO FRUIT FARMS. INCONSISTENT MINISTERS. , INDICNATSON OF ■MB. HODC. I ■• ; j ''~ . 1 In tho Houses of Representatives yes- j orday tho Minister for Agriculture Hon. T. Mackenzie) moved tho second ] ending of tho .Fruit Farms Settlement ] lill, which,' lie 'said,' was-'designed to ] nablo tho Government to lcaso or sell ertaiu fruit farms planted-by-the Govrument at- Waerenga, and now ready ' or the purpose. Mr. Massey suggested that the fact j hilt the Government' wished to get these ruit farms off its hands indicated that i bey. > wcro unprofitable. Miners bad 1 old. liim they believed there was coal rider tho land at Waerenga, and he , bought the ground should bo tested for < oal : :befofe'the farms were leased. i Mr. Hogg (Masterton); said the Bill ' ras a freehold Bill, and aggregation ' ugtit to bo provided against. If the - ruitgrowcrs were to be allowed to buy ' lie freehold, why not alw the tenants i rider the Land for Settlements Act? J Mr; Massey: Hear, hear. The Hon. /! 1 . Y. Duncan (Oamaru) de- , recated Mr..Hogg?s observations. Ho lso said the, planting at Waerenga had j een successful,' and ho believed the 1 irms to bo dealt with under the Bill ( •ould bo profitable. ' ■ , The/ Hon. T. - Mackenzie -, said there r ould not'be aggregation. Tlio land j ■as. suited. for fruit-growing, but for ] o, other : purpose. He contended it , as better to work on the .surface of i !ie ground than in the bowels of the , arth. These. fruit •'farms'' had been I rought to a state of profit. 1 Mr. Massey: Show the balance-sheet. Mr: Mackenzie.. said tho men who wild go on these farms could mako a omfortable living. Tho State farms r ere not run .with a view to making - profit, and if fruit from them wero j ant to the . city markets the Leader E tho Opposition would bo among tho , rst to protest. ' When tho Bill reached the Commit- ( je. stage, Mr. . Massey said ho knew , lis land well, and it was impossible to j ay rental and make a living on twenty ores of it. He challenged the Minister ' ) produce a balance-sheet and show ; lat tho State farms paid. As a' matter , F fact, the loss had. been a he&vy one. | [e asked if it was proposed to- dispose i tlio wholo of Waerenga, or only the ( ortion of it. under fruit. _ ■ i In Committee on the Bill, Mr. Buch- ; nan (Wairarapa) said that no matter . hat olio's view on land tenure might ■ ;, lie could not;but sympathise with •' is. class of settlement the Bill was degned to promote. ■ ' At Clause-.2, which,provides that tlio ' overnor may set apart -lands for leasig "or' otherwise disposing ,of" for ■ uit-growirig, Mr. Hogg moved to strike 1 it the words "or otherwise disposing ' The amendment was: defeated by 43 itcs to "12. . . . ... ■ ,'■ i ! j Mr.' Witty ,suggested reporting, pro- J Mr. Massey objected. Ho said these :ople must have the freehold.- - The Bill was passed through Com- ! ittee and subsequently 'passed ■ its lir'd reading. 1 '' "' ' ; After: th 6 Committee ( rejected _ Ins , nendment, Mr. Hogg entered a vigor- : is protest against the action of Gov- - •nment supporters who had- just voted ,i ir the freehold. With'some warmth i: declared ,that',,thfc'';&pVernment no nger\ enjoyed tlio confidence) of tpo iuutrv.' : - (Opposition cheers.) Mr. Massey: And so say all of ns. •Mr Hogg continued that -.this was a eehold measure, ' deliberately' brought irward by the Government, and he aditted- that it . had been very consistitly brouglit forward by. tho Minister ir l Agriculture, who had been a frccjlder all his life. Tlio Government id shown their hand very freely, and lis country -could no, > longer- repose' miidenco in them. / ■