The Land Bill.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 43115, 18 July 1907, Page 2

The Land Bill.

(Continued from last issue). NATIVE LANDS. There would be more freehold land available for farmers in this country Within the next two years than there had been during the past fifteen years. We had at present in operation a most efficient machine, the Native Land Commission. The Chief Justice (its president) had set himself to the task oi solving, as he (Dr. Findlay) believed he would solve, the greatest problem of the North Island—i.e., the native land problem. There were over 6,000,000 aores of native

land in the North Island, and it was estimated that 2,500,000 acres of good land would be made available for European settlement by this Commission. This affected the sons and daughters of South Islanders. There would be abundant room for them in the North Island. The future of the North Island promised better things than the South. It was necessary for men of enterprise and judgment to go North and make a garden of the millions of acres now lying unoccupied. He would he in favour of Maori land being sold to those prepared to occupy and till it. There was a difference between native land and the people’s estate. If it were a' choice between a Maori landlord and a European, he would say “ Give me the latter every time.” If these lands were to remain with the native race we would have a system of Maori landlordism, but if sold to the European settler we would escape this. It was a question of whether the land would remain with the Maori or the white man. There was no reason why native lands should not be sold to intending settlers. It was depressing to go through the North Island and see there how good land was lying under Maori ownership untilled and unused, while white men with families depending on them were being driven far back from the settled districts. They would have the native lands for freehold and the breaking up of big estates, and these two things together would provide more land for them than for fifteen years past. Ho knew he was addressing a farming audience, and that much he had said was not in tune with their interasts and feelings. They were all necessarily men and women seeking their own advantage. He knew a great deal of the Land Bill would not chime in with their views of proper land administration. He did not for one moment criticise that attitude, but he asked them to try and rise above any view of their own interests and say whether it was not for the Government to study the interests of the community, not only now, but for years to come. That was why they had introduced the Land Bill, which had been so much discussed and opposed. ATTITUDE TOWARDS PROGRESSIVE LEGISLATION. Sir Joseph Ward would fairly claim to be above all things the farmers’ friend. He was a business man —they must surely have seen that from any department he administered. Sir Joseph had done his best to help the farmers. As Acting Postmaster-General he (the speaker) knew what that gentleman had done for the backblocks in the way of providing telephones. It was idle to say that the party Sir Joseph Ward led would upset the lay affecting property in any form, and would upturn established institutions, or take away private property unfairly.—(Applause.) The Acting Premier, Mr Hall-Jones was a man possessed of good judgment, true patriotism, and attention to work. The speaker felt that through the Cabinet there ran a whole-hearted desire to see the country advance by fairness in all directions. It was not altogether a question of the ins and outs. There was always a second party who leaned to the side of keeping things as they were. On the other hand, there were those who, either from nature or training, were filled with a strong hope or a spirit of unrest which had made their nation what it was. They believed in the future that they could by some means find a better path of progress than their fathers had found. He claimed that the present administration was a party of progress ; that it had striven in the past, and would in the future, by prudent, legislature, to advance in every way the well-being of the people of the colony. The Opposition was a party of reaction. If it got into power it would annul some of the reforms of the present Government and to administer other reforms so half-heartedly as to kill them. After a few questions, a vote of thonks to Dr Findlay, and of confidence in the present Government was proposed by Mr Neil and carried with only one or two dissentients.