Grey River Argus and Blackball News PUBLISHED DAILY MONDAY, APRIL 10th, 1911 .

Grey River Argus, 10 April 1911, Page 4

Grey River Argus and Blackball News PUBLISHED DAILY MONDAY, APRIL 10th, 1911 .

ii 1 Mr Massey was under the impression ' that his . Kaiapoi speech would not be answered because of the absence of the Prime Minister, he will probably be agreeably disappointed, if not quke pleased, by Mr Buddo's reply to that speech, in which he has not only completely turned the tables on Mr Massey, but also thown in as full measure a lesson . in good taste. The Minister of Internal Affairs is rather more sparing of speech ' than

the majority of his colleagues;; but he knows how to make out a good case when required: In his address at Kaiapoi, • without any attempt at display, he set out such an array o ( cold and -telling fact's as to completely smother Mr Massey's frothy and- insubstantial vapourings.- . The factsspoke for themselves, and needed no rhetoric Xn fact Mr Buddo' s- speech was pitched in such a -key as to command the attention of all wdth a 'business cast of mind. It is curious to. reflect that the land question and the settlement of the people on it, which Mr Massey always makes a •feature of in his "campaign addressse, are exactly what he .and his i [party are most out of sympathy, with -the people, of New Zealand, In.meeting the charge made by Mr Massey that the. Govern-.

ment have failed in. their duty in not .settling the people on the land, Mr Buddo makes' a- sample and,effective reply by quoting the actual figures from- Government records. A? the matter is one of the <first importance the 'figures' 'be' found in teresting. "In 1909 the settlers put on 'tne 'land totalled .2603, and the number of acres rented was -916,521 ; in 1910 ithe figures were 2582 settler^ and- -2,1231,43 acres, and for the IS months ending March l9l l, tire totals were 17,60 • selectors, and 607,178 acres, •giving a 'total for the tKrc.n years of 6945 selectors and an area of 3,954,842, .acres. To- that must be added "50- selectors of pastoral and

small (grazing lands totalling .660.500 acres, or a 'grand total of 4,615,33.3 acres' .s.e'ttled 'during" the three years

lands suitable for closer settlement was 1,750,457 acres, and Jor pastoral purposes 2,168,892 acres, making a total of Crown lands available tor future disposal of 3,919,439 acres. Nearly 200,000 of that was first-cl.a«s land, and the balance was more or less of a 'broken 'nature. An area or 4,600 acres had been settled during the past three years, and there were only 3,919,000 acres left, ; aud tiiat\ was suonsr, evidence that the Govemrnenr ..were pushing on settlement as fad as possible." With less than four million acres still ' open for occupation, and with 68 Government surveyors and 48 private surveyors on the

land preparing dt for occupation, add' ed to the existing demand for land, there will very shortly be not an acx-p left to occupy except mountain tops. Coming to Native lanids, Mr Buddo pointed out that the total number of acres of native land 1 settled during the past year was 277,507 acres, and at the present time a total of 116,---238 acre's were being got ready for settlement this year. "There was >r total of 3,592,676 acres of native land in occupation, leaving a balance of 2.400;000 'acrfssf Tenfaining. Assuminjr that the settlement of nauv* 1 lands went on iat the same rate tb^ whole area available would be, settled directly. What then" of th«» statement that the Government an* locking-up millions of acres of Nptivd lands? It \vas fair retaliation' when 'Mr -fßuddo- toTd the meetintr 'that while the Opposition preached economy on the public platform, "in the Legislature they always consisrly voted for public borrowing and expenditure. He put the' position rattier neatly in a sentence. He descrihj cd the policy of the Opposition as hypocritical. They supported loan proposals in the House, and outsidrtold the people that the in its borowing- followed the principle of "spoils to the^jrictors" and of "sweetening 1 the electors." • Mr Buddo met- all of Mr Massey's allegation s one after another, cutting theground from under his feet quickly by sober facts borne out by the records, such as the driving of capital out of the country, the loans to focal 'bodies and his remarks regarding the salaries of magistrates. As to tne question of railway fares, Mr Buddo pointed out that the railway fares in .Canterbury are 25 per cent' cheaper than they wereT.s years ago, end the farmers would admit that Government had looked after their in'erfists and convenience as far as could be done in the circumstances. Mr Buddo indulged im some detail when replying ta Mr Massey' s charge that the |Ward Administration had borrowed twenty millions. They had done >nothing" of the sort. The facts are these: The sum of £5,874,937 had been borrowed for lands for settlement, £5,743.801 for advances *to settlers, £6,285,000 for- advances to workers making a total on those three items of £12,247,238. Railways accounted for £26,457,577, roads £B, Vj--669,778, telegraph extension £1,766.---190, public buildings £4,367,274, lighthouses and harbours £1,060,419, other purposes £2,068,413, making- a total of £42,331,238', all used for the operations of tEe State. As against the amounts" 'borrowed he said that the railways, lauds, for settlement, and advances to settlers, represented assets valued at the least at fortytwo millions" sterling, against a total indebtedness of seventy millions. But the country did not want to part with the assets, and iW< course -.of time, the railways would be one of the most valuable assets the State could hold. Mr Buddo disposed effectually of. the charges of nepotism in th<» Civil Service 'by sEowing that all the more important appointments are the result of Ci i vil Service examinations. Only the low grades or casuals are filled in any other "way. Referring to the last 'Conservative' regime, he said that in 1890, with a surplus in the Public Works Fund and in the ordiDary revenue there? reasonable ground to believe that the country would keep its population, but 9006 persons had then left the Dominion. Almost all the self-governing colonies at that time were" increasing in population. He did not wish to reflect on Sir John Hall, Sir Harry Atkinson, or ißolleston — men who ivere, probably, far before the aspirations of their party— but they failed because there were too many barnacles hanging on to the ship of State. As a matter of fact, the Conservative party had less claim to consideration than the prodigal son who was a very decent sort of chap, and he was taken back ibecause he had been a decent chap 'before he went away. On thei whole the speech was evidently an effective reply to Mr Massey, and all •' the more so because of it com-

ing from usually, the most silent member of the Administration." He evidently took Mr Massey's charges in a face and dismounted every gym. in his battery. Most of them, hdwevere, appeared to fie chimmfes, wooden guns, or whiat the Chinese call "painted tigers."