The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1919. A ADDRESS-IN-REPLY.

Taihape Daily Times, 8 September 1919, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1919. A ADDRESS-IN-REPLY.

With which is incorporated “The Taihape Post: and Waimarino News.”

Owing to the illness of the Leader of the Opponsition the Address-in Reply debate very nearly came to an end. The country would have been grateful, simply because there is nothing new Members can talk about. Sojfar the speeches from all speakers, including those of the Mover and Seconder, have been largely a. condemnation of the policy of the Govern-‘ ment. The Opposition has no desire to continue a debate that can only he wanted by any member as an opportunity for speaking to his own constitucnts, excepting in the case of the Extreme Labour Party, who no doubt will make every endeavour to use thedebate for purposes of propaganda. This little Party was-[caught napping very early in its career, two of them’ having forfeited their right to speak on the debate by moving an adjournment of the House, making it necessary for ‘Mr Holland to take ‘up the ‘running to save it ‘from ‘collapsing altogether.‘ Among other strange proceedings of the". last session of the Long Parliament is, a Want of Confidencemotion being moved by a party comprised of ‘five Mcinbers, and the extraordinary spectacle of the Opposition voting confidence in the Government. Butsucha course was obviously neccssary if there was to be avoidance of a ridiculous, wasteful, and costly situation_ It is essential that certain business of -a non-party chatacter should be transacted and it makes little difference under Whose leadership that legislation is adopted. To have voted the Government out would have involved a great waste of time and a considerable waste of public money, with nothing in the way 0:“compensation but the gratification of the whims of men who would break up anything and everything, letthc cost and disaster to the people be what it might. In moving the Address-in-Reply Mr J. A. Nash scathingly condemned legislation that had resulted. in profitecring being rampant; to land aggregation becoming a menace to progress; to a dangerous neglect of that settlement that was urgently needed if the country was to pay its way; to a house-shortage that was a disgrace, and for which, he advocated. five millions of money was wanted at once. In fact the whole speech of the Mover was just what might have been expected had he been a supporter of Sir Joseph ward instead of in-' Massey. In the Council there ran through, a large proportion of the Speeches :1 condemnation of conditions that permitted thc outrageous proiitecring of Which the people of this country have unnecessarily been the victims. And even the Lords of this Democratic country came to bitter words over the Shameless aggregation and profitccn ing in land permitted by the Govern. mcnt. While the Discharged Soldiers’ Settlements Loan Bill was under discussion the Hon. J_ Barr drew atten-

tion to aggregation going on apaee, so much so that there was now no necessity for schools in places where they llad been well-attended. The wholesale gobbling up of'tlle land by aggregators had brought this condition about. Mr Paul referred to a certain class of land profiteers as “Robbers,” whereupon Mr Gow asked for specific instances. Mr Paul did not reply, but a little later the Hon. Ml‘ Geddes rose with ungloved hands, and named the Waipunga estate, which was acquired during the war by a rich man who, realising the demand that had been created by needs forlsoldier settlement, cut up this land and H 1333 a profit of £70,000. The point that concerned Mr Geddes most was that many of those who bought this land were returned soldiers. Concern 19 felt in connection with the purposes for which the Twelve Million Loan for Soldier Settlement is to be put. Members hoped that it was not goillß to be used in piling such profits into the pockets of land profiteers. It Was stated that the policy of the last thres. years -had unduly loaded the land s-: that a fall in prices would mean failure and insolvency to the Soldiers who went upon it. In the House other cases of a more repulsive character were quoted; land valued at £2O went

up to £6O when wanted for soldiers.

!In the South Island a man, it was ‘staterl, who already holds more land th:ul the" law permits, bought up six ior seven dairy farms near -his land, at ‘over £7O an acre, shutting out Timaru ,returned soldiers who wanted the gland. We have referred to the deghates in both houses to make it clear lthat land aggregation is not confined :to the Wellington Province alone. The |.~=hortage of land for settlement thus created is responsible for the trea'-'-tnaent this country is guilty of in connection with Soldier Settlement. It will be Seen that it is possible that lthe Discharged Soldiers’ Settlements: lLoans-‘Act, may be used to pay huge .sums to men who take the Opportunity ‘Of buyiilg up large estates and passing {them over at a profit of £70,000 for: ‘settlement; Surely this is neither a" ‘commendable or honest condition of the law, and it is very evident that if ‘i; is" not abandoned for something ‘more just social disruption is sure to .follow. The laws of this country lhave. been little else than a tempting |of Providence, and Members of both |Houses of Parliament are unmistakenly voicing their condemnation. It is probable that the long-Waited for get.leral election will take place this year, iwhen every elector will be called upon 3 ‘to register his, or her) desire as tel ;whether such conditions shall con—‘ tinue or whether they shall be replac-: led by something more honest, an‘l§ humane.