GOVERNOR AND BACKBLOCKS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 610, 11 October 1913, Page 5

GOVERNOR AND BACKBLOCKS.

WILL VISIT LATER. Mr C. E. Wilson, member for the district, doss not miss many changes of advertising the King Country. His Excellency the Governor expressed a wish to visit the backblocks and Mr Wilson forwarded him a cordial invitation to visit Taumarunui electorate. The following reply indicates the possibility oi such a visit:— Weington, October 7th, 191*3. Dear Sir,—l am directed by the Governor to thank you for your latter of October Ist and the cordial invitation therein contained, but I am to ex-

plain that, while his Excellency is most anxious to visit all parts of the Dominion, he fears tnni, owing to ih£ numerous engagements, which be has 0 j already made, no opportunity of fall- g ing in with your kind suggestion appears likely in the present year, jy though at some future date he hopes C( to have the pleasura of visiting rf. Taumarunui. Yours faithfully, GAVIN M. HAMILTON, Private s t Secretary.

D EM A The agi^TOn^lp^l^HHH9B| by the lessees of certain serves to obtain the mentioned in the House of RepfflHH tatives on Thursday evening. The Prime Minister declared that the tenants were not going to get the freehold from him, and he asserted that the agitation in favour of it was being fostered for pp.rry purposes by members of the Opposition. Mr C, A. Wilkinson read a report of a meeting - of education reserve tenants at Manaia, Tarrmaki, for the purpose of discussing the question of joining forces with the Southland tenants in an endeavour to nave a provision securing the freehold of their leases inserted in the present Land Bill. Certain opponents of the Government took a prominent part in connection with the meeting, and Mr L. M. Isitt was quoted as having said that if other Crown tenants were given the freehold the privilege should also be extended to the tenants of education reserves. A resolution in iavcur of the object aimed at was carried, arid it was resoived to forward copies to the Prime Minister, Mr Wilkinson and Mr Isitt. (Laughter.) He diß not believe that Mr Isitt was in favour of the education reserve tenants getting the freehold, but the incident showed the danger of the use of the line of argument that had been adopted Mr Isitt said that the Prime Ministen or the member for Egmont had attempted to shift responsibility on to the shoulders of an innocent man. The men responsible for the action of education leaseholders in demanding the freehold were those who had een vilifying the leasehold for years. The demand had been advanced through Mr G. J. Anderson, Mataura, before he himself had spoken on the subject. If a referendum were taken on the freehold-leasehold question he said that the present position would soon bs reversed. Mr Berries: What about the majority in the House? Mr Isitt: Where did you get your majority?

Mr Herries: What about your own leaders? Mr Isitt replied in a lengthy diatribe which moved Government members to laughter, and of which the effect was that some members of the Opposition had wearied of supporting the leasehold because the more leaseholders there were the more people were there to be tempted with the bit of the freehold.