MANAWATU EVENING STANDARD AND POHANGINA GAZETTE. Circulation, 2,50O Copies Daily THURSDA, JUNE 12, 1902. THE MEMBER FOR NAPIER.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7319, 12 June 1902, Page 2

MANAWATU EVENING STANDARD AND POHANGINA GAZETTE. Circulation, 2,500 Copies Daily THURSDA, JUNE 12, 1902. THE MEMBER FOR NAPIER.

' The member for Napier, Mr A. L. D. Fraser, has just delivered himself of his recess speech, and as ia usual with followers of tho Seddon Government generally, the Ministry is belioved to bo everything that is good and beneficent. But strange t:. say, as is usual also with followers of the Seddon Government, on tho only subject on which Mr Fraser can claim to he au expert-tho settlement of Native lands, Mr Fraser is hopelessly Rt varianco with tho Goyornment. In fact ho claimed to bo an " honorable opponent of the Government in their Native land legislation." Ho also said : "In 1594 Mr Seddon came to tho conclusion that ho was a. heaven-born Native Minister, and placed upon tho Statute Book an absolutely illegal (?) measuro, by which tho Nativca°could not sell except to tho Government." " Talk about land-sharks." ho continued. "of the early days in buying land nt four or five shillings an acre, why tho Government bought 2,163,910 acres at an average of six shillings an acre, with all expenses covered." And yot Mr Fraser is a supporter of tho Government ho gibbets in this fashion. Mr Fraser also had a go at tho Premier over his ludricrous ballot provisions under th. Land for Settlement Act, and stated that they would havo to bo repealed next sossion. Apart from this Mr Fraser is opposed to tho cardinal foaturo of the Land for Settlement policy, viz., compnlsory acquisition, a point in which ho is hopelessly out of sympathy with all advanced thinkers. Altogether the speech was that of a_ particularly candid friend of tho Ministry, although, as his vote is always to be depended upon when the Government really want it,we siipposo like tho man who was insulted by the offer of a pint of beer, they swallow the insult.