SETTLING THE LAND

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2172, 10 June 1914, Page 8

SETTLING THE LAND

8 REFORM GOVERNMENT'S RECORD

Some interesting references to tho land question were made by .Sir Walter Buchanan in the course of his speech, at Carterton on Monday night. He said, aoMrding' to-tho. "Wairarapa Age," that the Masspy 'Government came , into power, pledged to "give'every' leaseholder the option of''.the freehold. ' This was accomplished' after two sessions' work. The leaseholder might now. get his freehold on cash., pay merit,' or might have twenty 'years in whiqh to pay. for his land. No. fewer than 53" leaseholders had already availod themseleves of '-tho opportunity to convert their land 1 to .the freehold, while 196 availed themselves of ,tho twenty years' option, in which to pay. (Applause.) He was quite convinced that as years went on tho boon conferred by.the granting of the freehold would become a land-mark iu the land legislation of the Dominion. Ho thought it was only right that every country constituency should be represented by men who had a thorough knowledge of farming. Sir Walter, in referring to Mr.'.Atmore's sneoring allusions to the gum lands in;the far north as ".tworabbit country," said this.Wa3 more to bo wondered at when considering the proposal of Sir' Joseph Ward some timo ago to set aside, a large area of this very land for'tho purpose of fruit-grow-ing. Dealing with tho settlement of Crown lands, Sir Walter Buchanan pointed out that the Massey Government had .settied 224,703 acres,' which was a good deal more than had been done by the Ward Government'for the : 's&me period. Regarding tho accusation against th 9 Government that it was not cutting up enough land for settlement, the speaker said Mr. Massey had spent 99 per cent., of the million pounds at his disposal, in purchasing land for settlement. It had been said that tho present Government had not raised the taxation on the big holder. TWs was not true, as an increased tax of 25 per cent- had been placed on holdings varying up to £30,000 unimproved value. It hau beensaidtho' Massey Government was payiijc too much attention to the big landholder. Portiaps he (the speaker) was placed in that category, but he could tell them that' when tho taxes on large landed estates were being increased, he would' be the first to support the Prime Minister in this direction. (A.pplause.)