LAND BOARDS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1883, 17 October 1913, Page 5

LAND BOARDS.

the filling of vacancies,

A CHARGE DISPROVED,

The mattor of filling a vacancy upon the Otago Land Board, caused by the expiry of the term of Mr. J. A. Mao pherson, provoked some comment and disoussion in the House of Representatives yesterday.

The discussion arose over tho following question asked; by Mr. G. Forbes (Huranui): "Is the following paragraph from the Oamaru 'Mail' a correct statement of the position in regard to the vacancy to be filled on the Otago Land Board: 'The Government is nominating Mr. T. A. Munro, of Kurow. to the Otago Land Board, in placo of Mr. J. A. Macpherson. Mr. Clark, of Chalmers, strongly supports the retiring member, but Messrs. Lee, Smith, 'and Scott insisted on the appointment of Mr. Munro.' If it is correct, can the Prime Minister inform tho House if tho animus..of Messrs. Lee, Smith, and Scott td Mr. Maopherson is on aooqunt of his being of a different political colour to themselves, and why Mr. Clark's recommendation was turned down?" ! _ '- The reply made by the Prime -Minis'ter to this question was: ''The_ paragraph: referred, to as appearing in the Oamaru 'Mail' is not worthy of notice. The question of filling the vacancy on theOtago Land Board is at present junder consideration." Yesterday afternoon Mr. Lee referred to this question. It had, he said, been practically alleged that lie had an animus against Mr. Macpherson. He gave that an entire denial, and he would ask the honourable member who asked the question to get up and show to the House what animus lie had against Mr. Macpherson, or othor wise withdraw the statement in fairness_ to himself^ Mr. Witty Explaining the absence of Mr. Forbes); He is at sea now. Mr. Lee added that Mr. Forbes knew Hie value of circulating misrepresentations, because they got a Btart and could not be canight by the correction. He knew Mr. Maopherson _ personally, irad had every respect for him. Though he did not see eye to eye with him on mattefs political, he had no animus towards him, and had in, no way insisted upon the appointment of Mr. Munro as Stated; '

Mr. R. M'Callum defended the position take by Mr. Forbes. Ho asserted that' tho last appointment made by tho Government to the Marlborough Land Board (I'd it n« credit.

Mr. Scott also gave the allegation nbout animus an absolute denial. He and, Mr. Macpherson were political opnents, but were still friends, and he taken absolutely no steps in regard to tho appointment. 'Ho joined ■with Mr. Lee in thinking that the member for. Huronui. should withdraw the question. Mr. F. H. Smith (Waitaki) said ho had recommended that Mr.' Munro, should be appointed to tho Land Board. His reason was that, the interests of the, pastoral tenants should. receive consideration, and. ho hoped Mr. Munro Would bo appointed. Unless the Government had sympathetic members jm the Land Board its policy, might not rcceiv© proper interpretation. _ - ; Sir Joseph Ward, when closing a speech upon another question, 6ai<T he also denied to refer to this question. He did not know Mr. Munro or anything about him,' but he would say that there was a strong feeling growing ■up in the country that the policy of spoils to the victors was being introduced—(loud Government. . laughter)— into the. question of'appoiritmerits'and Removals of people- from the i various ■ public offices of the country. (Laughter.) There were a great many in our time, added Sir Joseph' Ward, who were opposed to the Government, who were never removed. Mr. 'W. Nosworthy made spirited comment on the action of the Liberal Government in continually appointing leaseholders to the Land Boards. If this Government liked to put members holding freehold views on, why should thoy complain? Referring to the action of Mr. Sorbes in making the insinuation he did,, Mr. Nosworthy said he was not a political crawler, nor ■ was he a shuffler. He was not always doing what the member for Hurunui did —making insinuations and innuendoes from a mean, paltry rag of a paper. "That is how I describe the Oamaru •'Mail,' " declared Mr. Nosworthy, "and It is so known throughout the whole of the South Island, and I am surprised that members from Canterbury should .use such ma'terial as that." The Hon. W. F. Massey said he had (been subjected to a considerable amount of critioism with regard to appointments to Land Boards. -On examining the records he found' that since he had been political head of tho Lands Department, eighteen vacancies in land boards had occurred. Of these one had been caused bv death, and' two by the passing of the Land Agents Bill of last year, which made it compulsory for land agents to lesign their seats on land boards. [Then there had been 15 ordinary vacancies. He had beon chargcd with putting men on the boards' of his own colour ■ Mr. Isitt: So you have. 'Mr. MasseyNothing of the sort. Mr.. Isitt: You ha.ye said so, yourself.

Mr. Massey: I know what I'said. I Eaid that I would have nobody on the land boards of this Dominion who was not in sympathy with <my land policy. I said nothing about political colour. Of tho fifteen ordinary vacancies he had filled nine by the reappointments tho sitting members. Did that look liko spoils to the victors? Ho had-followed the principle of Te-appointing a good man wfhere that man was in sympathy with his policy. Ho wished honourable members to understand clearly that no man known to favout the leasehold tenure would be appointed. So far as the principle of spoils to the victors was concerned the Government had not followed it since they came into office. fThey had cut themselves adrift from 1 all . political patronage of past years. Honourable members knew that political influence had gone from the Public Service.'