Feilding Debating Society.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 287, 10 June 1896, Page 2

Feilding Debating Society.

There was a very good attendance at the meeting of the Feilding Debating Society last evening. The president, Dr Sorley, presided. The subject under discussion was " Is land ownership injurious to the community ? " Mr E. Withy led in the affirmative, arguing that land ownership reduced production, favored landlordism, produced artificial scarcity in land, was the cause of country lands being sparsely settled and towns being congested, concentrated land in the hands of a few, induced buying for speculation, enabled owners to get more than they produced, and substituted'coinpetition.for a product wage, and the effect was morally bad. Mr T. Watson combatted these statements, contending that the condition of things was improving under land ownership, which was the greatest factor in making men to persevere. That the present system could not be altered without revolutionising the existing .state of affairs, Ownership in land did not differ from private ownership of anything, and the abolition of that meant Socialism. All men did not get their living from land, and if it had not been for private ownership civilisation could not have in* creased. Messrs Stevene, Wood, Andrew, franklin-Browne, West, and the Rev. Innes Jones also spoke to tbe question. At the conclusion of the debate a vote was taken, resulting in favor of the negative. It was resolved that Mr Withy be an honorary member of the society. The committee recommended that a debate be held with the Hongotea Society at Feilding on July 21, providing . arrangements can be made, on the question suggested by the Bongotea Society, viz, " T 3bat the State should undertake the control of production and distribution." In the event of the debate being arranged Messrs Watson, Cobbo, Stevens, West, and the Roy Innes Jone9 were selected to represent this Society. .