MEWS AND NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1202, 10 August 1911, Page 7

MEWS AND NOTES.

LANDS FOR SETTLEMENT. GOING SLOW. A MINISTER'S MANNERS. Lands for settlement was a subject that cropped up tvom time to lime (luring the discussion in the House ot Kepre&cntatives yesterday upon Ministerial replies to questions, and there were somo warm passages. • Implying to a question by Mr. Duncan (Wairau) as to whether the" Government intended, this session lo amend Scction 31 of the Lands for Settlement Act, the Hon. 1). Buddo elicited the fact' that his questioner desired to abo.lish the supplementary valuation roll. * Speaking later, the Hon. T. Mackenzie congratulated Ins colleague upon having "wiped tho floor", with the member for' Wairau.

This led to a strong protest by Mr. James Allen during the evening sitting. The member for Bruce said he did not think any Minister should say that his colleague had "wiped the iloor" with any member. Mr. Duncan had. put .his, question in all earnestness and' seriousness,' intent on moving the country to do something to move the Government to a little quicker action in connection 'with, .tho lands for settlement scheme. Parliament allowed the Government half a million a year to purchase land for settlement and no doubt every member of the.House was dissatisfied with what was being accomplished. The Government had spent only .£158,000 out of half a million allowed them last year. The Acting-Prime Minister: "We cannot buy too dearly." Mr. Allen: "No,"but you get opportunities to buy cheaply, and you won't do it. The Government did not protect tho Natives. It could have done this and at the same time got thousands and thousands of acres which could have been obtained cheaply from tho Natives. Instead, the Government had allowed syndicates to come- in and get the land. Mr. Duncan stated in personal explanation that he had accepted the remark of the Minister for Agriculture as an attempt to be jocular. It was generallv recognised in the House that the Minister was a Scotchman who joked with very great ' Mr. Mackenzie submitted that this was ™ e ' v<l n< £ a wonal explanation. Iho Hon. G. Fowlds hoped that the member for Bruce felt better after his electioneering speech on behalf of the member for Wairau. He declared himwlf amused at the statement: "We granted the Government half a million for purposes of land settlement." This might go down with people who knew nothing about the history of land settlement. - Mr. Massoy: "We know that your colleague.voted against it." Mr. Fowlds: "I am dealing with your colleague in the meantime." In the early days a great deal of bitterness had been shown by members of the Opposition against the land for settlement scheme. Mr. Allen: "That is not so."

Mr. Fowlds stated that the Opposition had bosun to find out that the people they represented had been able to do very well out of the Government bv parting with land at high prices. At present, it was almost' impossible to Ret land, save at prices that would be ruinous to the settlers who took it up. Wisdom dictated that the Government should go slow. Mr. Buchanan pointed out that, while tho Government was authorised to spend halt a million a year under the lands for settlement scuemc, it had spent last year only £158,000; in 1900 the sum of .£2600; and in 1908, .£432,000. Mr. Okey remarked that when the House, voted the money for this purpose it was the duty of the Government to' spend it. If the Government wanted to go on with the lands for settlement scheme, they would have to pav market value for tho land.

ATTACK AND COUNTER. MR. MASSEY AND THE HON. T MACKENZIE. TEE HIKE CHARGES. Commenting in the House of representatives yesterday upon the failure of the Government land settlement policy, Mr. Masse.v was interrupted by a remark by tho Hon. T. Mackenzie about "another Hine inquiry." Mr. Massoy retaliated with a pointed reference to a Government operation in real estate. The Government, ho said, had been offered a. property, not far from Wellington, which was valued by its owner at .£2OO an acre. The Government Valuer assessed the value of the land at. £S0 an acre. Eventually it was purchased by the Government at".£lso an acre. This transaction had never been explained. The land had not hecn fettled nor was it likely to bo at such a value. "Tho hon. gentleman must not interject when I am speaking." said the Leader of the Opposition. "He will find that I have my answer ready." Rising to speak soon afterwards Mr. Mackenzie remarked that, when the Hino inquiry was set on foot, it was intended to show that the Government of the country was corrupt. lie had stated at the time that this could onlv be done Inshowing that the Land Purchase Board was corrupt. This had never been done. The member for Stratford had stated quite spontaneously, Mr. Mackenzie added, that he connected the Government with tho charges.

When the House resumed in the evening, Mr. Iline endorsed the statement, of the Minister for Agriculture that he (Mr. Hine) had connected the Government with the Iline charges. The facts revealed at the inquiry bid proved that the imputation was well founded. II: had to be remembered that the committee of inquiry had consisted of sis Government members and four members of the Opposition. Xq member who ?as making a

charge against a Government could expect, a unanimous verdict in his favour, especially when, as in this ca.-e, one of the chief niemhers of I'arliument (Sir Joseph Ward) was a monitor of the jury.Anyone taking the trouble to so through the report of the inquiry would find that on nearly every occu>io'u the voting was six to four. On one or two occasions it was live to five. Mr. Hine remarked that tho Flaxbouruo easo was essentially one in which tho Government of tho day was implicated.

The Acting-Premier asked whether the lion, member was in order.

Mr. Speaker ruled that Mr. Hinc was in order in replying to the question put by a Minister (the llou. 'J'. Markenzic). Tho I'laxbournc ca:-c, -Mr. Hi no continued, was one in which a man who .some•l'imcs helped the cook and sometimes acted as grncm was paid ,£6lil for 200 days' work. Sir John findlay had never tendered any evidence to contradict this statement. The evidence at the inquiry, Mr. Hinc contended, was quite enough to satisfy any fair-minded person tli.it the imputation (against the Government) was proved up to'the hilt. Later, thr> Hon. (I. i'owlds remarked that it was something to have it admitted on tho floor of the House by the member for Stratford that he did intend to cast an imputation against the Government of the day fin connection with tho Hino charges). He hoped tho member for "Wairarapa. would now feel sorry for some of tho things lie had said the other night and would make the "amende honourable."