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Hokitika Guardian, 13 May 1924, Page 2

Tur.iti: al - e indications tlmt, the N.Z. 'Political Labor I'arty is trimming its sails for election possibilities in tlir* not distant future. Mr Holland, tin* header of the Party has been on a stunt] ing tour in the North Island, having anticipated the Liberals. In a speech last week lit the Wairarapa district where there'are many landed piopriotors, Mr Holland developed a land policy in which the former plank of cor.liscaiion was missing. The revised policy of the Party provides for security of tenure, which is quite* a.n attractive gospel to preach in a portion of the nominion where there are large tracts of freehold. Indeed. Air Holland clinched the matter by going on to sav that in addition to the security of tenure which the Party proposed. the farmer would have the full benefit of working his holding. This declaration is comprehensive enough to mean a great deal. The telegraphed report of the speech leaves the reader to infer what was meant, hut probably Air Holland emliellished the declaration in such a way as to make his meaning clear and the policy as attractive as possible to bis audience. The second plank of Labor's land policy is no less satisfying to democracy. It is to secure the conservation of the national endowments. The country owes the national endowment policy to the l.ihera]s when tile late Sir John AfcKenize was Minister of hands and pushed forward so many reforms. The appropriation of national endowment lands saved the Crown lands for the country, and ensured a large area of country remaining always leasehold. The money derived from the use of the national endowments is appropriated to education and old age pensions, two sources of expenditure which will call always for much replenishing. But the present Government talks of raiding the National endowments, and passing legislation to convert holdings into freeholds. The Labor policy like that of the Liberals, is opposed to such action, and in the interests of the future of the country we hope the parties will combine to pi event national endowment lands being aliennted from their set purpose. The land question has not received the attention in this country it should have bad of late, and it is to tie hoped Afr Holland’s references to the matter will arouse public opinion on the subject

Instead of raiding. the Crown estate for the purpose of the freehold and so assisting to make land dearer, and putting it further from the people as a

whoie, a policy of closer settlement should he developed, whereby in settled districts facilities should be given for more farms, with the ultimate result of more families being placed on the land. In most settled districts there are lnrg«s holdings used for stock rearing purposes. "hen by closer settlment the land could he used for food production in respect to produce of various kinds. In this district there are localities the development of which is retarded because of large holdings keeping population out. If New Zealand is to attract the right class of immigrant more land must he made available. It "ill he the most economic course to appropriate laud already loaded or in touch with dairy factories, so that the new settlers could become producers from the outset, and not pass through a trying period of local development which would exhaust- scanty capital, and load them with a debt which would bo a- burden for a decade or more. A sun e-s i■ thriving population is wlmt New Zealand needs and it would he put in a fair way to attract the netieletis of suijt a elass of settler, by having ready at hand for .selection suitable Betas of ten itory such as have been indicated. A land policy based on sivlt a scheme would do » great ileal 10 lift the Dominion ahead, which suggests that the late iniliifeioiuo to the land question should now give place to active concern for the immediate future v. hereby in a practical way the country n help itsell in the most direct manner to that measure <*f progress so much Imped for. In the same "ay tlm State without loss In itsell could nf about the improving of its national endowment lands, and the areas so improved could he taken up hv the small settler who has not the means to develop maiden country for himself. It could not he a loss to the Slate to open up its own lands, for settlers would }e attracted, and every producing seU'.er is a great asset to the country. Ihe laud question, theiefoie. might "ell become the question of the hour seeing that so much of the success of the future depends upon the advancement ol a sound policy to ensure more people being (laced on the land.