Political.

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 28, 14 October 1893, Page 12

Political.

MATAURA ELECTION, MR M.cNAB AT GORE. This candidate for the Mataura seat addressed a large number of electors, including about twenty ladies, in the Town Hall, Gore, on Thursday evening. In the absence of the Mayor, through ill-health, Mr John Mac Gibbon presided. Throughout the whole discourse there was not a dissentient voice, and a strcng interest was awakened throughout the meeting, especially with regard to the speaker’s scheme for dealing with the land, this being the first public exposition of the system given in the colony. Mr McNab in opening remarked upon the well defined national feeling which was arising throughout the community, and the idea which was prevailing of giving, young New Zealanders a chance in the government of the country. LAND LAWS. In speaking on this subject, Mr McNab dealt with the question relating to the future alienation of the Crown lands and supported the occupation with the right to purchase, and the perpetual lease, instead of the lease in perpetuity. The question discussed by him led on to consideration of the freehold and leasehold tenure, which the speaker thought was one of the most important questions in regard to the future. He quoted from various sources to show that the freehold tenure would have to be enormously reduced and the leasehold increased, and that even now we ought to prohibit the alienation of our education reserves. In connection with lands already alienated the speaker discussed the question of taxation in the form of exemption of improvements and the graduated tax as a means of fostering the dismemberment of large areas. He did not think the results of either of these would be very tangible, and he advocated the following method : —lt was a remarkable thing that although we appeared to be doing all in our power to foster the dismemberment of large estates, our laws at the present time were such that not only did we not foster the dismemberment, but in many cases we gave a premium for their continued existence, and in some cases we often went so far as absolutely to prohibit the dismemberment. The policy of the State was such that again and again large estates would be put upon the market if it were not for the operation of certain of our laws. They had at their disposal means for accomplishing dismemberment which had never yet been utilised. Chief among these was “ The Deceased Persons Estates Duties Act.” Under this Act, whenever persons died, leaving property of the value of D 20,000 or upwards, duty was paid at the rate of 5 per cent, if left i to sons, 10 per cent, to relations, and 13 per cent, to strangers. Taking a case where the land was worth L 50,000, the stock, &c., : L20.00®, and where there was also L 30,000 1 of money in the bank, the amount of duty to be paid would amount to five, ten, or thirteen thousand pounds, according to the way in which the property went. At the present time the State would not accept one single acre of land in payment of that duty. The duty represented one-tenth, one-fifth, and one-fourth of the landed property. Instead of asking payment in money, the State should say to the executors—‘ The first thing you must do is to divide the landed property into ten, five, or four equal parts, and the State will select one.” When once the State had made this selection the land would revert to the Crown, never afterwards to be alienated, and the rent to be derived from this source would go a long way to provide interest on our national debt. Without debentures, without a loan, without any financing, the estases up to the value of LBO,OOO, even L 50,000, would from time to time fall into the hands of the State, which weuld derive the benefit of the income to be obtained hereafter from that land. To individuals concerned it would be a distinct gain, obtaining, as they would, the cash in the bank for their legacies, and paying the duty with land at land tax valuation. In large estates the land was often bound up until the youngest son became twenty-one, while the cash went to each son on attaining the age of twenty-one. Under the scheme suggested, the money wouid be free to go to each individual, and the land which was bound would, to a large extent, be relieved when it fell into the hands of the State. The speaker also dealt with various extensions of this principle, and pointed out that in conneotion with the sale of deceased persons estate executors were in many cases compelled to apply to apply to court for permission to sell, but it never seemed to have dawned upon those connected with the administration of our lands that when granting permission the court might ask to have the conditions of sale submitted to it for approval. These conditions of sale, the speaker said, should contain limitation, providing for fairly close settlement, the individual being protected against injury by regulations drawn up under Act of Parliament, which laid down the policy to be pursued. Under this system one generation would settle the evil of large estates. *

GENERAL. He would advocate electoral rights to apply to all who from any cause should be absent from their district on the day of the elections. ■While strongly supporting the Upper House, he believed in the system of limited instead of life appointments. Speaking on the question of the franchise, he showed how from the theory of representation following taxation we had arrived at a state of matters where representation was given to individuals simply as such and the women’s franchise was the latest development of that theory, and no doubt it would be a decided gain to the State. After Mr McNab had answered a number of questions, he was accorded a unanimous vote of thanks and confidence, ou the motion of Mr Joseph Baker, seconded by Mr Stevenson, and a strong committee was afterwards formed to further his election.