POLITICAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 1053, 7 October 1911, Page 3

POLITICAL.

In the'House on Thursday afternoon in committee on the Land Department estimates, members for a time got out of hand. Points of order came thick and fast, and the Speaker had to be called in to settle a question as to what extent the discussion should be con trued. Mr Malcolm moved a reduction of a vote as an indication of the unsalislaclory nature of the present ballot system, and this was debated at length.

The Hon. D. Buddosaid he was pleased to have this opeu declaration of war. The ballot system was established to do away with the practice of settlers having to pay an extraordinary price tor land, and then appealing lor a reduction because they could not pay it. The ballot system was brought in to give every man a chance. The Laud Boards who examined applicants before the ballots consisted ot practical men. No other system could be devised to give everyone a chance. Those who did not want to go to a ballot could take up pastoral lauds, but those who wanted first class laud must ballot for it. He contended that the o.r.p. was better than the deferred payment system. Mr W. Nosworthy (Ashburton) said that in South Canterbury the Government, out of iS runs, put up 14 at a ballot aud 14 at public auctiou. He twitted the Gomeut with iucousisteucy in this matter. The ruus that were auctioned fetched in some cases very much more than those that were balloted. Was it not the duty of the Government to get the best value for the people of the country iu disposing of Crown laud ? The ballot system was a form of gambling in land. At a later stage, Mr E. Newman (Manawalu) strongly resented the statements of the Gavernmeut party that the Opposition were iu favour of the land owner aud against settlement. The Opposition, he said, were as much or more in favour of laud settlement than were the Government.

Mr Laureusou (Lyttelton) said the large land owners were on the side of the Opposition. (Opposition cries of “ No, on your side.”) Mr Laurensou mentioned the names of Douglas McLean, George Hunter and Campbell, of Hawke’s Bay, and W. W. McFarlane, of Canterbury, and he added parenthetically that Canterbury in the past ‘‘had been cursed with that lot.” The Dominion newspaper had also been brought into existence largely by land owners. Twelve of the shareholders of that paper owned ,£1,750,000 worth of laud.

Mr H. J. H. Okey (Taranaki) twitted the Government with having no laud policy at all, and in a forcible speech said he could name more large laud holders who were supporting the Government than there were supporting the Opposition. Mr R. B. Ross (Fahiatua) said the Farmers’ Unions, which were the agents of the Opposition, were opposed to the limitations of estates. Oppositions cries of “ No” and *‘ Rubbish.”) Sir James Carroll: You are treading on their tails now ! Mr Massey: And he’ll get kicked soon !

Mr R. A. Wright (Wellington South) made a spirited reply to Mr Ross and other Government supporters, and said he would give a list of the shareholders of the New Zealand Times, the brewers and publicans who were running the Government. He had even seen it stated in a newspaper that the Prime Minister owned 16,000 acres of laud on the Fast Coast, but did not know whether that was true or not.

Sir James Carroll : Not an acre. Mr Wright added that there was not a single member of the Government save one who was not wealthy. (Cries of “No ” Irom the Government benches). One of the most wealthy and one of the largest squatters in New Zealand was a supporter of the Government. Ciies of 11 Name.”) He referred to Mr Ruthenord, who was a member of the Government party in the last Parliament. There were other members on the other side of the Hoii.->e who owned land, but he did not wish to be personal and give the names. So tar as owning land was concerned, it was therefore a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

Mr Malcolm’s amendment was defeated by 30 to 12.