POLITICAL PLEASANTRIES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 18, 9 June 1914, Page 2

POLITICAL PLEASANTRIES.

" MEN NAMED RUSSELL AN]) MASSEY." "AND THEIR LAND." (By Telegraph—Special to Wellington Post:) Dunedin, .Tune 3. In the course of his political address at Milton on Monday night, Mr G. W. Russell, M.P., referred to the Minister'*) statement that "he knew a man named Russell who owned 60,000 acres of land in the North Island." It was true, said Mr Russell, that he owned a Mock of land comprising over 60,000 acres of land in the backblocks of the North Island, but lie emphatically denied that he was blocking settlement. Ilis nearest neighbor was eight miles away, and it oast £7 10s per ton to bring wool to market, but he knew a man named Massey in the North Island who owned 1000 acres of land about twenty miles from Auckland which was worth £4O per acre, and he would tell them further that when the Liberal Party went out of office there were sixty-three railways under construction. Of these, the Government had stopped ten, but a few weeks ago 'Mr Massey started a railway in his own district. "I hope it will improve his 1000 acres of land at £4O per acre, and increase the value of it," remarked the member for Avon. PRIME MINISTER'S REPLYL. Replying to Mr Russell's remarks re politicians and broadacros, Mr Massey says: Mr Russell states that I hold 1000 acres worth £4O an acre within 20 miles of Auckland. That statement, like many other statements by Mr Russell, is incorrect. The actual position is that I own 325 acres of land at Mangere, where I have lived for the greater part of my life. Of that area 300 acres are occupied by my eldest son, who is married, and has a homestead on the property. I have reserved twentyfive acres for myself. I have another farm about 40 miles from Auckland which is oppupicd by my second son, who is also a married man. Thia land was practically in its natural state wlien we took it up, but wc are gradually getting it into shape. That is the whole of the land I own, except that I am a shareholder in a company which was started some time ago to save what at that time was thought to be a valuable industry, and incidentally the company owns some land. "I am not a speculator, and have I never bought land for the purpose of | selling it, nor have I ever bought more J land than I have considered was requir|ed for the members of my family. As ; for the suggestion that the' Waiuku raill way, which was referred to by Mr Russell, will increase the value of my property, it is too ridiculous for anything. It will not benefit mo by a hundredth part of a farthing, nor will it be of the slightest use when it is completed. I have supported it because it was promised to the people of my district 30 years ago, ami had been promised on many owaion* s "nco then, and because it will pay a high rate of interest on the cost of its construction from the dav of opening."