MR. LINKLATER IN THE HOUSE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3990, 29 August 1929, Page 2

MR. LINKLATER IN THE HOUSE.

During the financial debate in the House on Tuesday evening Air. J. Linklater (Manawatu) stated that ii appealed only reasonable to him that land in New Zealand should be classified before the super-tax was imposed. The man with the mortgage seemed to have received very little sympathy from the Government, It seemed to him that the land tax proposals would do little to cure unemployment and in fact problem. The Reform Government had been accused of lack of! land policy. The reason for its hesitancy to purchase land and the reason for the hesitancy of private purchasers had been that land prices had not yet reached an economic level and until land could be purchased at a reasonable figure it was impossible to do justice to the settlers. 'He had a great faith in the possibilities of the undeveloped lands and he anticipated that with the aid of modern advances in science and the valuable training afforded by the Alassey College highly satisfactory results would be achieved.

Replying to an interjection, Air. Linklater said the Reform Government had /undertaken the work of improving undeveloped lands and had been making brisk progress with the task. Air. Linklater said it was a matter of opinion whether the Palmerston North railway deviation should have been undertaken and he personally considered the LevJnGreatford railway should have been constructed in its stead. However as the woirk had been commenced and a large amount of public money had been expended on it, it was a mistake not to have completed the work. There was no doubt that (the present station was inadequate for the needs of Palmerston North to-day and if a new station was to lie built on the present- site it would entail a huge expenditure. The deviation would have to be completed on some fuInre occasion and it was a pity the Government had not completed the work that had been commenced. He opposed the two 'South Island mil way works and expressed the opinion that the fares to Christchurch would be greater for passengers travelling by the railway extension and the time occupied would also be greater.