The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, MAY 1. MR MASSEY AT NEW PLYMOUTH.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 1 May 1907, Page 2

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, MAY 1. MR MASSEY AT NEW PLYMOUTH.

What may be regarded as 1 1n; first shot in the Taranaki bvi'-uectioii campaign was lircJ at the Tk-atre lloyal oil Monday evening, when iJr -M, iss<■ ad-1 dressed tin; electors on (lie l.aml Bill, ill- ilasSey, whose platform speaking, by tile way. has much improved uf hue, met willi all encouraging reception, and put the ease, from the Opposition point of view, forcibly ami ably, and, with, we were glad to see, an absence of that dogmatic assumption and pronone:js to hyperbole so characteristic of some luminaries of bis own l'arty, ;\n,l of the Government, too, for that mat-

ter. The s]h'H.li, 100, was not without instructive value, particularly at the present juncture, when the air is charged with politics. His sympathetic reference and tribute io the late Mr Smith was ill admirable taste, and put him on good terms with that section of his auditors belonging to the opposite side of polities to him. Air iiassey complained, as of yore, about the tlovernment's practice of claiming credit lor measures of the Opposition, and went 011 to say that the Opposition had another reform in view. This was the placing 1m: to re Parliament of a return showing the full details of expenditure and receipts. We have urged the same reform in this column ill the past. Hir Joseph Ward, the Colonial Treasurer, is against the innovation on the score of lli trouble and cost involved, but if it can be done, and done successfully, in Canada, with its population so much greater than ours, surely it can lie done. here. .Mr Jlftssey showed how useful a part his Party played in connection with the Workers' Dwellings Bill, ami criticised the (lovernment's action iu respect oi recent appointments to the Upper House. lie was just us strong as he was when lie was last in New Plymouth in lin condemnation of the Land 13ill . In a general way. his views on the land ipiestion are the views of the great milk of the p.ople of Taraliaki. His views, too, are in a measure, shared by a great number of the Government members of the House, and the supporters of the Liberal principles and the Libera, in.'ty. The best land policy for the colony is the policy that satisli'.-s the users of the land, and ,he only system that does sa.iti'y is undoubtedly the optional tenure. uf j this'there cannot be the slightest j doubt. The country do;'S not want j ;i continuance of the aggregation ot | large estates. The only dill'erenee of j opinion there, is is U»? best means of ] attaining this end. The graduated j tax, heavier in incidence as a .settler's ( holding incivases in size, levied on all lands over a certain value, say .CIO,OOO lo £15,000, is no doubt a more elfecvive and more equable means of preventing an aggregation of land than tlic means suggested in Mr McXab's Biil. We haw before poino j d out that the area of land proposed to be set aside under i.he i>iU for endowing education, old-agj pensions ana charitable aid, ! would only produce u very small portion of the amount necessary for the upkeep of these institutions, an amount that of course will steadily increase as tiiirc goes on. while the rents for tlu: leased ianit would remain the same for a period of 0(5 All the same, no logical objection can be taken to the principle of endowments. We would pJaee all revenue from Crown huuis, either by si!e or lease, to a fund for endowing Ihe institutions in question. We would give all the present jj.i.P. tenants the opportunity of acquiring the freehold of tluir sections—but not at tile original valuation. Just here we disagree with Mr Massey. We would make them a good, generous allowance for i heir improvements, taking into consideration the ''loading" of ihe land ifor loading; an,l give them the iirsi, re- : fusil to purchase the freehold of the land at a fair valuation. Any oth;-r method of dealing with the L.i.P. Settlers and tile L.l.l > . leases would, to ;iur mind, be unfair to ilie colony. A contract is a contract, and must always be respected. If both parties to the contract, however, agree t»hat an alteration in the terms is necessary, ii is a, different matter, but, if we mistake not, the colony as one of the parties to tlie contract will not agree to Mr Massey's suggestion to give the L.UVs the option of purchase ,at the original valuation, plus the one per cent. One would not expect it of a private landlord who leased his land. Such an idea, of course, would never be entertained. To those who take up leases in future we would give au absolute and unassailable security of tenure and protection of their interest in the land, while we would alter the present system of ballot for land to prevent the speculation that now goes on. Mr Massey's speech, oil the whole, was ifiteresting and instructive, and should serve to enlighten the electors of the town on general political mutters, and on the salient poims of the Land Bill in particular.