The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, JANUARY 17.1908. THE MINISTERIAL .VISIT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2091, 17 January 1908, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, JANUARY 17.1908. THE MINISTERIAL .VISIT.

It is evident that the Minister of Lands will be given an excellent opportunity during his first visit to -Gisborne, not only to see the country, but- also to meat the people and learn some of tlieir special needs. Quito a number of deputations aro to be arranged', and this is -as it should be, for it is well known that a five minutes’ personal intercourse will frequently enable an apparently difficult question to be settled easily where months of correspondence may have failed. There is another suggestion, however, which is worthy o r consideration, namely, that the Hon. Mr. ‘McNab should be invited to address a public meeting on the- land question, and also upon the work of tire Agricultural Department, of which ho is the head. In his capacity as Minister of Agriculture wo have always maintained l that Mr. McNab lias been doing excellent- work in bringing that most- important Department up to date, and there is no question hut that a brief outline of the Dexiartment’s work at present and. for the future, coming personally from its chief would lirovo "n----teiusely interesting to all who get tlieir living from the land. On the land legislation the xiosition is somewhat different, and; we fancy that even so shrewd a diplomat as Mr. McNab would 1 find it exceedingly difficult to iiorsuade a. Gisborne audience- that the recent- legislation of the Government was in the best interests of the community. At any rate, 'his -attempt- tp. do so would bo interesting,- and--for ourselves we should bo glad to hear from the Minister’s own lips -an enunciation of the xirlnciplcs underlying the land policy of the Ward Government. That, the Minister should give effect to this suggestion is by no means unreasonable. He bus 'on former occasion* “stumped' 1 ! the country from end to end in defence- of that policy, but somehow or other Gisborne was always left out, and the task of enlightening local audiences before last cession, on the proposed legislation devolved upon 'the smooth-tongued, but fiery (Socialist, Mr. George Lauren.sou-. Whether the member for Lyttelton really had any authority to -represent the Government on the occasion mentioned i.t is difficult for us to sav, hut the fact that the features of the Hill which idea,sod him most were actually being eliminated' hy the Cabinet while lie was endeavoring .to explain to the people of Poverty .Hay that it was hotter to have a nation of leaseholders than a nation of freeholders, suggests that he had not the hall-mark of .the Government. Evidently Mr. Laureiison felt aggrieved, for on his return to Wellington lie raged furiously on the iniquity of the amendments, and offered forthwith to support a vote of want of confidence in the Government.' However, this is somewha t by the way; hut sufficient has been waid to suggest that as- 'the land policy of the Ward Government has not been authoritatively xiut before .a Gisborne audience, the Minister has now -a'li excellent opportunity to do so. He can scarcely expect universal agreement with- his views, but we can at .any rat'o promise him on belialf of Gisborne citizens a- cordial reception and an attentive bearing,