MR. JENNINGS ON THE LAND QUESTION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 202, 25 October 1909, Page 2

MR. JENNINGS ON THE LAND QUESTION.

Speed: : - 'l-.e i'loiisc. In h. : f- :v, Mr Jonr.iT cr =. : ;a! ~ f r . ; - laeaaerar-a mad" a r': •a- a: -.-a: :a favorr of the Country he -a;f: the land <v: : aaaoa. th; • th' Goveramer.t have made a rap ; d a-:"arce in connection with the role'.;a.eat of the other r r: rtior.= . : I a= ': the I : ri:ro r vt.o rev; ' ' ef Land?, to re a:o:r.: c r vehnt I wrote- re him prar to ha- oedr:; :o Zrz'iv.vA. i Ha 11 - Jon e.--, the of a ana;. ream er have I'Ccn in :rv or-an a ■•. f.vror. I;: ! '.;ri'rr.: ami Piriaaa f r at : aer year?. Thoy aro nor aaa': r.ave- .-- v; : money, and their v.'i• . a: . ca.:..,roa had become .v.aio.a a : - Ito there at Waimarino. Tbc-y wanted . r e aienof land.' The Hon. Mr r appreciated the position, f.r.d ?a:o: 'Mr Jennings, I will help yon. .o'co Mr McNab and wo shall push the rr.atter on.' The Hon. Mr .McXab instructed the Commissioner here to rer.d a ranger to the locality. The name; of a hundred and fifty of the bcrt men were taken, and placed on tie recordin the office here; but those men have had little chance and the sections ha": practically been given to retrenched Civil Servants who, havinjr ro ir .r - cal experience and knowleJo'c of land, not 5 per cent, of tv"■ • make a success cf it. I to say in reference to the that I come from eirrht tenant farmer; in a -in . I e-r----manaeh in the North f i-e : a a point whh'h imnr-rrrd a. -a • ' ly is that t : y- .-oaae-m of ioa?iao eh\ lands drove the ro::h from Ire'a-a land Soovaad aaa y raeaia t'.:- ear. y ! settlement of th: : Domineer.. It ha:

since driven r.t.r.f 'Jr. r --is&r.is of oth'-r f:' r ''r tV rr : I.a-:; tc Zc-a land, wh'w 'h a bit of land an i cah ; t t:v www:. i. v may call it scr;t.;r;:>: rt (y;:" like; but I car.no; koc- vh.rc- c*.r. be any disadvantage i- the .-tat a if a man takes up a smah ah' a ' •of 250 acres, or up to i';c- heaitat: r ; :> vided by the lav.-. lie- is taxation; and, srea':::::: with a hanr experience of the Awh,a:,:. liaara Goverors for si:-: ■ rs. ar ; en th. School Commh-- ha: af 1 atari.::: : ' six years, both bo;:w- w:tn leaseholds endowment rrayertics, I ear say that the interest of the..--: tonant r in those lease lands has :.ot the same as that of a man who he.*: hi? own freehold.

Letme give you an instance in point —and lam sorry the member for Riccarton has gone out —I will bring before you the case of a farmer in Taranaki today. Mr Colson, equal a:- far as knowledge is concerned of land ami agricultural matters. He told re about one portion of a leas? he get from the School Commissioner sand said: 'Mr Jennings I worked night ana day on that land. I have spent ever £BO and when got it cleared the ferns and the furze and the black briars came back on me, and I am not going to lake it up again, because it will cost me another £6O unless I get some consideration.' The Commissioners set up a commtitee to go into this esse, and fair consideration was given. Sir, I wish to sa? that I am not ashamed to put my credentials as a Liberal before this House. There has not been one measure of reform that has corne before this House or before the Legislature, during the past seventeen years, but you will find my voice an-! my vote were recorded in its favour. If then, I and others differ with some of our friends on this side of the House on the question of tenure, I say, personally, I stand in good company with Liberals who are known throughout the whole world. Mr Gladstone was a Liberal of the Liberals, and he believed in the freehold principle. \ And he promoted that great movement for giving the freehold to the tenant farmers o-. Ireland. What was Sir George Grey, our own great reformer, known throughout the whole Dominion as the most sturdy Democrat and Liberal we have ever had. He was a believer in the freehold. I am not, and never have been, against endowments for all public purpose?. But. spr a Icing from a North Island pemi oi view, I do ray ;!;• t :he. ; e :; .':r.:ra:::e gentlemen who ?.r : . re-::'.:: g '■" t.-:e South, have no': lb: ;;;:■ '. c::::.::va"-