COLLEGE DEBATING SOCIETY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1445, 21 May 1912, Page 3

COLLEGE DEBATING SOCIETY.

e The fortnightly meeting of the Victoria College Debating Society, held at the College on Saturday night, was of a particularlv interesting nature, as the subject to be discussed was "Land Nationalisafion."

Mr. Kennedy, M.A., LLM., moved: "That it is in tho best interests of the people of New Zealand that the ownership of land should be nationalised.'' This wn*> seconded by Mr. 1 Mazengarb, M.A., and opposed bv Messrs. Cornish, M.A., and Lomas, M.A.. M.Sc.

The mover drew attention to the present situation, as they conceived it, by which the landlord absorbed the worker s wages without giving adequate return, while the worker was prevented from acquiring his own home on reasonable terms. Thev proposed that the State should not confiscate the properly either directlv or by single tax, but should pay for all tho land by a system of terminable annuities, anil so bring about a better system of land laws without causing any injustice to the present landowners. The opposers, on the other -hand, essayed to prove that the system was impracticable on numerous grounds. They drew attention to the political corruption that would inevitably arise when the State had all the land occupiers under thenpower. They further snowed the impossibility of financing such a scheme as that o'f the mover. To carry the iaea of the State resuming what was formerly its own possession to a logical conclusion in New Zealand, we would have to hand all the land back to the Maoris. The idea of landlords making any huge profits thev considered unteinible-the landlord usually derived a bare interest mi his money. Furiher, under land nationalisalion, the produce, from the land would be decreased, as State administration is always wasteful by reason of the absence of persona! supervision and .personal interest. Great interest ill the discussion was manifested by the members, some, hiteeii of whom spoke. The motion on being put to the meeting was declared lost by » large, majority. 'IV judge, the Rev. A. If. Johnson, vicar of St. Paul's, gave a very stiiiiuhuin» criticism of the various speakers, and mode the following award tor the purposes of the union priKe:-(!>, Mr. (Ornish M.\.; <'2), Mr. fi. «- «!■ Wilson: c:ii Mr I-', (i. llnll-lnm-s, H.A.; <■!>. Mr. A."T'i'M«.Kvell: (5), Mr, A- K-(Me-srs. J.omas and Kennedy »r<; in-1 eligible for the prize.) '