THE LAND TENURE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 215, 9 December 1909, Page 5

THE LAND TENURE.

Government Caucus.

The Government caucus on Tuesday lasted two hours ail the members of the party except Messrs Hogg and Luke being accoun'ed for. It is understood that Parliament was on the verge of a di (solution, but the leaceboldres finally capitulated. The argument which carried most weight was that unless the Government party stood firm the National endowments would go. Sir Joseph Word, interviewed subsc«pently,*aid that the caucus meeting was one of the largest ever held. The position of the business before the House was stated by him, and he outlind the policy he thought it desirable for the party to take. H was agreed that the Land BiU should come on the floor of the House from Committee, and that so far as the Government party is concerned, all attempts to block it should discontinue. It is understood that some arrangements was ccrnc to in regard to the Land Bill, involving a little give and take on the part of both freeholders and leaseholders.

"Patched up" is the general term applied to the whole situation. A prominent Government freeholder, interviewed after the caucus, said there was now a much easier feeling amongst members of the party. The genrcal upheaval that had been threatened was now smoothed over, as a result of the caucus meeting.

According to unofficial accounts as to what took place at the caucus the recent votes in which the Government were defeated were thoroughly discussed. The Prime Minister declared that the Government members who voted with the Oppostiion must surely have done so under a misapprehension. The votes, he said placed the Government in an unfair position, with regard to the land proposals. There was a certain amount of recrimination between the leaseholders and the freeholders, and the question of party loyalty was raised. The Prime Minister remarked that it would appear that tb« leaseholders on the Government side were determined to block the passage of the Bill. Various member* pointed out that no attempt bad been made by the freeholders and leaseholders in the party to arrive at a compromise. It was suggested that if the proposals affecting the renewable leases were eliminated the Bill would meet with general favour with the Government party. Nothing in the nature of a stonewall was likely to take place at the instance if Government members if those clauses were dropped. The matter of a compromise was left in abeyance. ____