SETTLING THE LAND

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 135, 4 December 1929, Page 12

SETTLING THE LAND

WAY TO PROSPERITY

DIVERGENT VIEWS

Both the United Party candidate, Mr. Kerr, and the Reform Party candidate, Mr. Johnston, had something to say about the land question in their speeches last night, but as they approached the subject from different angles they did not draw identical conclusions.

"The United Party has a land policy that will spell prosperity for this country," said Mr. Kerr, speaking at Lower Hutt. From the land, he said, came' wealth, and every man on the land meant three n. re employed elsewhere. The United Party believed in closer settlement. All the years Eeform had been in jffice it had nothing to show, except the placing of inexperienced returned soldiers on inaccessible or poor land without proper assistance. Tho United Party believed in ™f 'and Policy started by Sir John M'Kenzie. It also believed in roading first and giving tho financial assistance to the farmer-to build his home, stock his farm, ana buy his implements.

The Eeform Party had restricted closer settlement, and under the policy aggregation had flourished, and we had the spectacle of huge tracts owned by one man. Eeform had helped the Me man by removing his income-tax, and n? /^ CJn rge laildh°Uers a present of £335,000 a year. This injustice had been removed by the United Party, which was now placing the tax where it could best be bornt-on the holders gS" andon the big ]and-