NATIVE LANDS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 301, 15 May 1911, Page 5

NATIVE LANDS.

A HOTBED FOR WEEDS. MR. MASSEY REPLIES TO MR. MILLAR. By TeV graph.—Press Association. Auckland, Saturday. Mr. Massey was entertained at a banquet at Puhoi last night. Replying to the Hon. Mr. Millar's speech at Dunedin, Mr. Massey said that the ActingMinister of Finance had explained that some millions of acres of native lands were lying idle because the Native Minister did not want to impoverish his people. No one wanted to demoralise the native people, but, said Mr. Massey, the) man who had done more in that direction than any other man was the ActingPrime Minister. If Mr. Carroll desired to stand between the desire for settlement of native lands he would venture to say that Mr. Carroll should be told to get out of the way. The sooner hr did so the better for all concerned. He said serious injustice had been done to the Auckland provincial district by the locking up of 000,000 acres in the province as a national endowment, while it was degenerating into a hotbed for noxious weeds. Hundreds of people were landless. The Hon. -Mr. Millar, at Dunedin, made a great point of the fact that revenue had increased by over£l,ooo,ooo. The increase in revenue was the result of legislation which provided for increased taxation on the great bulk of the people. Mr. Millar did not give the increase in the country's indebtedness during the financial year. It was between six and seven millions.