Kiwitea Literary Debating Society

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 153, 23 June 1892, Page 2

Kiwitea Literary Debating Society

*_ . ■■ A meeting of the above association was held in the Town Hall, Birmingham, on Saturday, 18th instant. There were about 25 members present, and about 40 visitors. Mr T. A. Bryoe, president, occupied the chair. After the preliminary routine business had been gone through Mr Bryce reopened the adjourned debate on " Land Tenure." Mr A. Fergusson, vice-presi-dent, occupied the chair during the debate. Mr Brjco said the question of land tenure id prominently before the olectors of the district at the preseut time, and I think the subject has been very fully discussed. The question is an important one in the present electoral campaign. I will give my views as fully and as strongly aa 1 can. The subject before you is " Land Tenure " or is freehold tenure preferable to nationalization of the land? I know what freehold tenuremeans, but I do not know the import of the words nationalization of the land. There are at this time in our land purchase system or rather under the system for the disposal of Crown Lands, several different modes of obtaining land. The cash system, deferred pryment, so called perpetual lease with right to purchase, and the small runs. The second and the thirds modes that I have referred to, are really purchase on terms, sometimes easy. The run system was started down south at a time when the colony was endeavouring, by every means in its power to sell the Crown estate, but the supply was greater than the demand, and as a matter of fact, large areas of second class, or at any rate, the poorer lands were let, and in some cases at a peppercorn rental. It was no doubt the intention, when the leases fell in, to sub- divide the runs and place thorn on the market, and I take the latter mode that I have alluded to as the most approximate to nationalization of the land, viz., that the Grown Lands should only be leased, that the state should be the landlord and the farmers should all be tenants. This scheme of land nationalization is adyanced by a Government, the members of which call themselves Liberals. They propose to introduce into the colony the most pernicious sjstem of landlordism that any country could suffer under. They know that state-ownership of all lands; and representative Government are not compatible, that they cannot exist at the same time. They must know too, that a great power would be placed in the hauds of the Government of the day— a power so great that it would corrupt the best Government that ever existed. Now, how do they propose to effect this socalled reform ? Even while millions of acres of crown and native lands are at present in their primeval state, when the country is not half settled, they propose resuming possession of private property ; and how ? Let us take Mr JBallance'a pamphlet on the land question. The writer states that the land must be taken with or without compensation, and he adyocates doing it by means of a Graduated Tax, and as a matter of fact the Government have introduced a confiscation act— The Land and Incomo Tax. The first direct effect of this is to rob some people of their lawfully acquired property, secondly, to disturb the confidence of those who turn might come noxt ; to check the inflow of foreign capital, and to occasion distrust in the minds of those who have capital invested in the colony. Mr P. Nesdaile was in favour of leaseholds without a purchasing clause, as far as he himself was concerned he preferred freehold, but he thought the other system best for the majority of landholders. Mr H. Tolley was in fayour of state ownership of all land, and went on to showthe prosperity and general happiness that would result from the introduction of such a system. . : Mr Guy defended the Graduated Tax as a means of bursting up the large estates. The question was put to the meeting, and 13 voted xn favour of freehold tenure, and one against. The next portion of the programme was then proceeded with : — Miss Lowes, song ; Mr A. Perry, recitation ; Mrs Guy, flong; Miss M. Lowes, song ; Mr Moss, recitation. These items were all well rendered and much applauded, after which the { meeting dispersed.