POLITICAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 30 April 1907, Page 2

POLITICAL.

lIR JIASSEV AT THE THEATRE ROYAL. 11 r w - K -Massc.v, Leader of U„, Opposition. addressed a crowded meetin" in tho Xle'atro lioyal nil Monday jiiylit! Sir E. Dot-ki-ill, Mayor, presided, ami lliora wore also present oil iliu ]ilalform Mr 11. Okey, [lie Opposition candidate, and a hi rye number .»t" electors. '! ho Miiioi introduced Mr. M:is,-.ev. who, ji V ' :-iiid was to enlighten the audience on political matters of the colonv. lie li:id been asked to take llie chair, and had not shrunk fi'oni doing ho. ill' Ma-soy. who was gree.ed with loud applause Oil rising opened bv hopmg Ins hearers would understand that (lie vacancy caused by the death of

Tilt; LATE .M'iiiUii'.n, Mr H. M. Smith, had had nothing to do with till' pre-cut meeting ]f u regretled exceedingly the death of Mr Smith, Though on the opposite side of politics, lie had esteemed his .nany good qualities and admired his untiring persistency for the welfare of his district. Of a cheery disposition, In- (had made friends on all side- o? polities and the expressions of regret from his late colleagues were sincere. li would bo a long time before tlir, name of K. M. Smith would be forgotten in New Zealand polities, and particularly j n the House of Representatives With the exception of the Land Bill, which was supposed to be (ho embodiment of the intelligence and thought of tho Minitry, there really was no Government policy to oppose. Their POLICY MEASURES.

had all finanated fri/in llie Opposition side of 1 lie* Tlou-o. At their instance -,! to system 01 audit illg publ il' accounts had 1)0011 amended ill the direction for so many years advocated by (he Opposition. 1 lie Opposition had advocated "inking funds for (loan-, but the idea' had boon scouted mii.il last year, when tlio Oovonunont. in a Bill', admitted the principle, and admitted the Opposition wis right. The niaintonanee of main roads had b.'eii paid out of 1 lie IV/dic Works Fund, which was principally borrowed money. On their suggestion CiO.ftoO had been ]daced on the Consolidated Fund estimates for iliis work. The Opposition had urged the establishment of

N'ATIOXAT, AX.SUITTKS. to encourage thrift, (Applause). A Hill was introduced last year, and -\vas referred to the Public Accounts Committee. lie hoped to sc.- it placed on the Statute Book next session. The Opposition had had the honor of leading the Government on right, sound, anil proper lines, not setting class against class, but acting for the benefit of the whole colony, keeping accounts so that, the public could see what was being done and how public mono)' Avas being expended. In other countries a return was producd showing how every shilling of public money had been expended, and who m'eivod it. Why should tliev not have Ihe >amc tiling here? Tt. would bo interesting to knoiv how much had been spent on 'lie Kxliibition, and who 2ot il, and ho would not rest until he had got such a return. Speaking of WOKKKIiS' HOME?,

lie referred Id Hie liill originally bronglil down, for money for tin' -iMi-ilnnciit of workers' nomeS. Ill' I.Mr MiiSsevt had surest ed llio worker should lir a Mowed ro select liis

own section and lhat the government should then li'iul him die money for ilie ri-i'dioii of his house, ill tile

ADYAXCKB TO SKmmS' ACT. Amendment liill lie luirt moved that the ■si'lllcr nidi liis own section should he leiil money ;it p;, per ceni for a term up (o "III,:. y.'Mi--, repayable by iiislalmeiifs. The Vreniier had Hm aniend-

ineiil knocked out. and introduced ;i liill on Hi" lines. Tie supported Hie Hill until lie found (lie scheme referred only lo cities jrid suburbs and not to country (own ,«nii(l country disthe cities would haw opportunities of becoming their nwn landlords, which they Mould not have had hut for his (Mr Massey's) amendment. The Government had been reconstructed. Tim NEW J] INISTRY,

on ■, he verdict of the people, had not risen to the occasion. They had started with a blare of trumpets. There was lo be no more extravagance, no more corruption, no more improper appointments for I'art.v inlliieuee. I.et his

hearers think of the recent appointmcntvto the Upper House. There was | one honorable- appointment, and they hn.'l it in New Plymouth. (Applause). There was disappointment in connection with railway works and railway management, which had caused loss and annoyance to the users o£ tlie railways

and to the general puoiie, There was dissatisfaction, as usual, with the Public Works Department, moneys voled by Parliament having ueen expended in a way never intended by the Hons.'. Hue the \vor>t thing t.iicy ha<l done was their attempt, taking advantage of tin: weaklier of ihe Opposition, to force

THE LAND HILL through the House. The Ministry had failed by attacking security of tenure, and by neglecting to improve the means of communication with roads and railways. lie summed up the provisions of the Land Dill, which were to set apar: all the remaining Crown lauds for endowments, for educational, old age pensions, and aid maintenance. Dr Findlay had referred to the remaining Crown lands as a "popr remnant." 'there were 17,000,000 acres—

A voice: Too much to be niononolised

Mr Massey: Yes, by tile Siate. We want it occupied l>y the poople. Hie liill ;ils<_> provided for the almndonmrnt of what was known as tlr optional tennre. Instead of this there would he ;i (Hi years' lea-c with re-v;i'lu:i-iion, and if t!u: teliani. eleeted to ao out he should have compensation for ipei'ninuent and sulislaniial iinprovonients. lieu aiding private laa.is, the Bill provided that; no eould liold. ten years lieiur. more ilian worth of land —in the country; the Bill did not refer to town>. And no one would be .a}do in pnreliase more than £15,000 worth of land. But undoubtedly the main feature was to do away with

Tllli OPTIONAL TENUEE and render it impossible for the Crown lands' settler to obtain the freehold. The Opposition had blocked the passage of the measure last year because of this and because they feft that the proposals were really a backward move, in the direction of Socialism and land nationalisation, and also because the proposals contained in the Bill had not been submitted to, considered by, or askej for by the people of the colom(, (ITear, hear). The Ministry had "nailed its colors to the mast,"' and said they would pass the Bill or go down. They had not passed tile Bill, but they had gone down—in public estimation. What was it that induced the people to cut 'themselves off from civilisation and "carve homes in the wilderness?" It was the feeling that some day they would lie able to say, ''this is mine," and when their time came they would pass it on to their families. The better the man the more he appreciated security of tenure. If these old settlers had been offered a 00 years' lease "they would have, told you to keep your land, and they would have told you in language, more forcible than polite, language that 1 cannot use from (his platform." It was (he duty of the State to encourage thrifty farmers. A community of freeholders was better for the State than a commurfity l>f least-holders., Thev,' would do better, and fight belter, for a man would tight better for his own home than for a boarding house. The best of the Crown lands had gone. There was only second ami third-class land left. Under those circumstances p-ople required special inducements to '■nconrage them to go on those lands, but (his Land Bill was discouragement itself. He favored the old Homestead Act.

"REFRACTORY LANDS." I lie Minister for Lands had said he could manage these "refractory lands'' I 'V giving ten or fifteen years' settlement rent free. When the settler had nroken in the land, got his cattle there, ind a home established, tile State would , ask lor the relit! Under such terms I till' 1:1 lid would not he settled before the j Day rf Judgment. Just when the Parliament of New Zealand was endeavor'iig to block settlement, other colonies were inviting settlement by giving the right of purchase of virgin land on remarkably easy terms. He referred to iho growth of settlement in Canada, where there were no "leasehold fads." \\ e could do the same here in proportion to a re: i and population, and that was the right { liing to do. The effect of setting apart the 7,000,000 acres of land would i«' to separate the people into two cla sscs. Freeholders and Leaseholdersnurse than the Roman plebians and patricians. That was not liis idea of dc•nocracy. Reverting to PRIVATE LANDS, •

Mr M.i-scy said that ill ton years from now anyone owning land A-alued at l.iii.HKl would have to cut it up. There was not a block in Tarauaki to which this : I'd ion would apply, mid there was only one in Auckland, the ICauri Timber ( ompany's Land, and that block was of little use for settlement. Of course the iiiiin with plenty of money iu the bank would always be able to purchase freeli'ilil. but without the optional tenure the small mail, the beginner, would have no chance of becoming the owner of his holding. The freeholders in Parliament either owned freehold or desired to. Tile "precious leaseholders" were freeholders, too, but were not willing to extend the privilege to others. "The freehold for us," ihev said, "but the leasehold is good enough for you. He was not opposed to I! EASONABLE LIMITATION, but ii : ditleved from the limitation proposals ot the Bill, lie favored the system in vogue in France, where, if a man owned a certain area of land at death it was divided amongst his family. The colony had forms of limitation in the graduated land tax, andjn the Lands' I'm- Settlement Act, and no' other form-i was now necessary. Dr. Findlay hud implied that lie (Mr. Massey) was in favor of an increase of

ci:aduat;:;; land tax. V. lull lie had stated was that even the. graduated land tax at the £50,000 limit would he better than the Minister's cast ' iron limitation scheme. lie valued more highly than this the French form of limitation. The Bill did not discriminate between the good mail who used his laud 11> 11 Hi best advantage and the man who held for speculative purposes, .lie 'look oil his hat" to the man who worked his land well, but had 110 time for the man who preached leasehold whilst a I'leehoMer himself. Thqre were thousands of acres of

NATIVE LANDS, an-! millions of acres of Crown lauds unoccupied j then where was the need loi limitation. Native lands, a' large aiva. were ol 110 use to the natives or "i value to the Europeans. Ninety pe. lent. 01 1 lie. total population was dissatisfied with the existing condition of native lends. There were few members in the Mouse other than the Auckland and laranaki men who knew' anything about native land troubles. Native laud proposals were generally introduced in the (lying hours of the session. A ltoval Commission, 11 couple of years ago, liad reported very fully on this matter, advocating tlus individualizing of lilies. The country was 110 farther forward as the result of the Commission. lie agreed Willi the proposal to individualise native lilies and assist in the disposal of lands, but objected to the entail proposals. All sales should be made to the satisfaction of responsible trustees. The only way to save Ihe natives was to keep them busy, and the destruction of the communal system was one of l.lc stenpin"stones lo that. 1

Mr Massey contended that tlio Land Hill would prejudicially affect the finance. of tin; settler by injuring and depreciating his security for b ■■ >in r purposes. Should the inort ( •«•„ fill in times of depression, the i i ::ji■ j iu-

stifutions would not be a.lil". umler the liniitalion clauses, to realise upon all their securities. These limitations did not affect ciiy or town lands, and this was unfair. Tnc ]!ill would undoubtedly hamper the setiler in borrowing money and advance the rate of interest. liroad acres as a security would he at a discount, and lie was not going to he a parly to it.

ENDOWMENTS. . The endowments were a ''tramp card" with the pconiters of the Bill. Education. old age pensions, and charitable aid cost the colony about I'/j millions a year, and this was likely to grow. .Mr. McXiib would meet this expenditure by revenue from these endowments, which if all settled would bring in £184,000 a year for the next CO years. But they would not be settled. ' JTe was not going to agree to these endowments, for

it meant sacrificing the glorious privilege of becoming independent. People, imagined that endowments were always successful. He did not know a single country endowment that had been a success. He quoted a specific failure in the Pahiatua district. Had the tenants there had the option of the freehold they could have snapped their lingers at the Wellington City Corporation which had treated them worse than any Irish landlord he had ever heard of. Four years ago the authorities of the Otago University sought to be MflievgJv of their endowments, and the Govern- *1 ment, had given them the nominal value i of their lands, for (he Hoard hail been I unable to derive benefit from 'them. Mr I Pull-Jones had sail} In the South that I

unless Uic Bill wore passed ihe land-tux mpst lie increased. 1J is experience wa? lhiU were not as doseK i settled a» freehold lands, not so intcn.-e I ly worked, and so produced Jess revenue. .The Land Hill would

3XJUKE THE UOLOIW IS , ,l l )Msst,ti - It had injured the colony mvt&ly luit' jj/ot .greatfy. || (i } il]o { V[ of an Australian of capital who had been frigluened away iroin tile colony sind of another who hau chosen the \Ygonhne in preference to a couniry wh-re •such a hind .Hill was possible* They '•U'lv toll! that Uie.se propo-.nis were new and up-to-date. Thov* were not: they were as

OLD AS THE HILLS, older than some of them. In Jiiissin "">1 India, the people were fo ,: release from State landlordism thai the jJimstry Mas trying to .force on NeM* Zealand. lie [had never been an admirer of tlu>

JjHAiSK-J X-IMCKl'Ji'n TPY ",y*trin There was apt to lie diliiculiy about. transters. The tenant <,,,,1,1 M'elKin without til- «,|l. ■<' id r,f (he (.and llaoul, and l,e could not will it ICI his iamily without the sune consent. Tile tclla.it wan eonlii,. n.lts lemmcicd of the /net tlniL lie was ■' pliant Ihe Minis..,-;- fo,- L:u..N •Id said that the loase-in-perpetuity men had not oven

IH'CKLUVB chance of the freehold, and i,o (,\h- Masscy) considered remark vcit hud taste from a Jlmister for .Lands. There mmthe dillieiiltv, of eo,. la e, of deciilin" whether the freehold should he given-at the original or present valuation. He considered die price should he the origmal valuation, hut oie tenant should pay tile same amount as he would nave under the optional tenure. Crown tenants should be aJmwcd to purchase their land by instalments, the. money being placed aside for the purchase further lands. Then there would he 110 necessity to go to London for loans. Jiut there wero men in the House who would rather pile up further loans than grant tile freehold. He did not think laimers would change even an LJ.P. tenure for a {)<) years' JeaS:\ They would rather suffer ihe evils they knew (ha" ly to the evils they knew'not of. Hie Opposition wanted to encourage the

AMBITION OF SETTLERS, and that could be done only by doing away with restrictions inseparable from if l( ' a ;^' u W syrtew. He did not think the settfcrs m the past would have lought the Maoris tIl(ly a spect of only a (Mi years' ' lease The (iovernnient was incilcctually endeavoring to show the Bill had no intention <»f attacking freehold tenure. He ob,levied to the periodical revaluation-, " U'h he characterised as a trick and device to confiscate t(ho improvements , tlio settler. These so-called friends ot the settlers were their worst enemies who would "tax away tile kernel and /cave the shell," and they should Ixi ilea ted accordingly. ]Je did not object 111 (lie Ministers advocating the Bill, but flbjec-tcil to their doing it at the colony's expense, forcing on the people a Bill they did not want, ami which was not good for 'thorn. lie had noticed the women were freehold champions, and he looked forward to the time when the women would be the legal partners of the home.

Hon. McNab was new to land settlement, but had seen a little of it lately. The speaker suggested that before "a man wag eligible for 'the post of Mini'stei of Lands he should be able to prove that ho had made a living for three years on a bush section. The Bill might be dropped, or modified, but it would come up agaii,, either piecemeal or as a whole., brought forward by the power behind the throne of whom Mr McNab and Dr Findlay were but the mouthpieces. He wanted to make it perfectly dear that the Opposition Party believed in the freehold as the strongest and host form oi tenure, as it was secure and attached the settler more closely to the soil. But if there were settlers who preferred the leasehold, let them have it. And if there were settlers whose circumstances made it necessary for them to take up land under the leasehold tenure let them do so, but give them the right of purchase. He believed in close settlement, with moderate sized holdings, but opposed State landlordry. 'The State should be able to point out some country where leasehold had been a success before asking for support for this Land Bill. They could not do that, for history proved otherwise. The colony could not prosper as it should until 'there was absolute security of tenure. Concluding, he said the Opposition was determined to prevent faddists from governing this colony, which he tiroiignt' should be the best country in the universe. A number of questions, none of 'them very important, were asked and answered.

Mr McLachlan moved a hearty vote of thanks to Mr MaSsey for his address, and said that the farmers were present in large numbers to show they were around to the fact that their interests wore being jeopardised hy the Land Bill, and iie was people 'to support a resolution that any Bill introduced in the Bhape of a Land Bill, must, to be aeeepthle, contain provision for the right of the occupier to purchase his Crown holding. Mr Eawlinson seconded, and challenged the Government Party to produce a leasehold candidate to fight the Opposition freeholder.

The vote W?is carried f.iy acclammalion, and on Mr Massey's motion, a vote, of thanks was accorded the chairman, dosing a verv enthusiastic meeting.