THE LAND BILL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2074, 8 May 1907, Page 4

THE LAND BILL.

MR. MASSEY’S VIEWS. In his speech at Now Plymouth on April 29th, Mr. W. F. Massoy, Leader of tho Oposition, said: “Mr. McNub had stated during his visit to the Auckland district that tho refractory land in tlioso parts would ( ho settled by allowing it to bo occupied rout froo for a number ol years. Tho position would bo that when tlio settlor has mastered this refractory land, tho Government inspector would como along and say. ‘You have boon industrious, my friend, and just on that account tho time has como for you to pay rent.’ If Mr. McNali thought ho was going to settle tlio refractory land in that way, ho made tho most serious mistake of his life.” Seen by a Now Zoaland Times representative recently with reference to the above statement, tho Hon. R. McNah, Minister for Lands, said: “The proposal is to allow tho tenants of such lands to hold it froo for a poriod of 5, 10, w 15 years, for tho term that it cannot ho expected to give a return lor In. labour put on it. The tenant •I om Mr. Massey says wo wo ild ciovibo as having been industrious, a. id whom ho would ask to pay nn.rt rent, would bo tho man who occupies tho land for 66 years, of which it is proposed to give him 15 years for nothing. Mr. Massey might rather have said that tho tonant would say to tho Government, ‘You have been a very industrious Government. Just on that account tho timo has como when I am going to refuse my rent.’ If tho lands are such that no known amount of utilisation would make them profitable, or the surroundings compel them to remain in a condition that would not reward human toil after being held 15 years for- nothing, then the lands should not bo alienated until the settlers knowhow ■ to doal with them. No such conditions should bo imposed on industrious people until we know that the lands can be used. I have seen an immense area of this class of land, approaching, I suppose, a hundred thousand acres, solely in the province of Auckland. Much of it was sold 40 years ago, and to-day it is still a waste, a howling wilderness, where you drive for miles without seeing a human habitation. Yet all freehold land. It would have been no worse had the Government never sold it at all.”