THE SOUTHLAND LEASE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1673, 13 February 1913, Page 6

THE SOUTHLAND LEASE.

, ME.: BRIGHTON'MAKES tA :„; .STATEMENT. ■■~■■■;.. ..', (By ; Tclegraphr.-Press Association.')' ? . liwrcarfli'llj February^.' Mr.: Gavin. Brighton, whose nnmo. has ~ beeri.soiiiowhat freely used tu connection •' with the uiuoh-disoußsid Southland 'leases, called' at" tlio '"Southland Times" office.'.:.:. and complained that, certain newspapers had used-; liis nriino in a way that was • riot warranted.,-' ' '■'~,,.. . ■■.'•.■. \lftv ,>.,-. :"I have no politics,"-snid Mr.(Brighton, ■...' "I huvo never yet voted at a politlcat election, and I donit intend to. Mr. BritjhOjri. appeared' to 'enke tho view that one ' Government was as tad as ariother, but ho went on to s&y that ho had no sympathy with the attempt ,<; wade to ltiaiiufacluro Parliamentary capi. : tar out- of : his lease. . ,; . .: ■• ,;

"I am certainly against Mr. Mass6y in this business," said Mr. Brighton, "be. \ cause ho has parted with the N property of the: people, linteiid to get n\y titles,: but I do not intend to': profit by'them. 1 shall use them': in accordance with my • principles as a Socialist. .1 contend that Mr.' Mossoy, lias miulo a great blunder, but thoso who'; are .attacking 'him fail to point, oiit one aspect of thb matter; My leases cover about half a mile;and that is all that.Mr.iMassey has ported with. Other Governments with which' Mr. lind riothinVto do; havo. sold -r eighty, square milis oflland in my district; unci ,nll of it coal-bearing; Soma: of it with n scam twice the. thickness of •!? that ill, my land, and tho' bargain was just' as bad "from 'thoi'. State's point of viow; I, am against this entirely., I am against.Mr. Massey for these reasons, but .what ho, has done is as nothing, compared to. what I .has been done by otners.". •;