POLITICAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 1, 30 November 1914, Page 7

POLITICAL.

THE PREMIER AT HAWERA. A BIG MEETING. GOVERNMENT POLICY DEFENDED. Speaking at Hawera on Friday night, the Premier said that it was not the first occasion on which he had taken the platform at Hawera, as some years ago he had,been requested to take the platform there in defence of the freehold, which had been attacked by the Hon. Mr. McXab, and he had then received the heartiest possible welcome, a welcome which he felt sure would be repeated on this occasion. He referred To the naval disaster, and then passed on to

. ,THE LAND QUESTION, which he dealt with at great length. Ho had always advocated the freehold, and three years ago lie gave a pledge that if placed in power lie would convert the land policy from leasehold to freehold. This pledge had been kept, along with many others. He had not in any way injured the leasehold tenure, nor had he any intention of doing so, but along with the leasehold he gave settlers an opportunity of acquiring the freehold. They had, too, he said, converted quite a number of their opponents to the freehold. He noticed in the machine-made speeches of Opposition candidates that they took the credit of granting the freehold to Crown tenants. Mr. McNab's amendment, however, only allowed the freehold of lease in perpetuity which could '>e obtained at the present value. iiat was unfair to the purchaser, who thus had to.pay twice for the goodwill, and not one in 10,000 took advantage of it. The present Government held the balance evenly between State and tenant by allowing the tenant to secure the freehold at the fair value of the State's interest, really at the original value, because in a 999 years' lease the State would have no val'je, unless they were prepared to break the lease, which no one would think of. His Government

liad given the lessee the right to purchase on deferred payment. That was the system under which the greater part of the Taranaki province had been settled, and he did not think any better system could be adopted, Money now received from the sale of Crown lands went into a fund for the purchase of other lands for settlement. Prior to his administration, this went to swell the surplus, which was a wrong principle, because in selling its Crown lands the State was parting with its capital, and the money received should only be used for a capital purposse. Five hundred thousand pounds were devoted to the purchase of lands for settlement, and, i as £236,000 had been received from the sale of freehold to settlers, it meant that they only had to go to London for £200,000 for the purpose, instead of for £500,000. When the war was over he was confident that they would receive so much money from the sale of freehold that it would not be necessary to go out of the Dominion to obtain money for the purchase of lands for settlement. He claimed that the Government had put up a very good record in the matter of land settlement, having, despite many difficulties, in a little over 2'/ 4 years, settled 4837 settlers on 1,147,849 aeres.

THE GRADUATED TAX. The operation of the graduated land tax was not intended for revenue purposes, but to encourage subdivision of lands suitable for subdivision. In 1910 there had been subdivided 42,805 acres; 1911', 14,39!); 1912, 4-4.447; »!)13, 52,098; 1914, 141,002 acres. Last year there had been purchased more than ten times as much as was tin; ease three years previously. For this the Government had paid £560,708, and it was all settled by a thoroughly energetic class of settler.

A Voice: How is the ostrich farm getting on? Mr. Massev: The gentleman who asknd tliat question is just as brainless as an ostrich, and the ostrich is probably the most brainless lirrd in the world. (Laughter.). Continuing, he said that there appeared to be a considerable handful of Bed Feds. #t the back. Cries of dissent, and a Voice: "There's I no Hod Feds, in Taranaki!"

A Voice. Speak up, Bill! Continuing, the 'Premier said that in 2 1 /4 years they had settled 1,043,703 acres. That was a good record, of which the Government was proud, and the people should be satisfied. The whole prosperity of the country depended on the land settlement, and on the number of freeholders.

LAND VALUATION. From complaints tliat had reached him from various parts, he was satisfied that some improvement was necessary in connection ivith the Assessment Court for hearing valuation appeals. Jt was not the policy of the Government to inflate values or to tax improvements tluit should be exempt. lie had, therefore, appointed a Commission of Enquiry, to hear evidence in connection with valuation grievances, and report to him. The Assessment Court, as now constituted, was not a satisfactory Court of Appeal. It consisted of a Magistrate as chairman, and he had 110 fault to find with this, and two assessors. Both knew that money was wanted by the State and local body, which they respectively represented, and naturally they were inclined to keep up the values. lie predicted that one of the Commission's representations would be the establishment of a more satisfactory form of appeal. V 4 •

A Voice: Joev'll do it! Mr. Massev: He had twenty years to do it, and didn't.

Another Voice: We can't all be farmers. Don't you intend the workers to get a square deal? The Premier: I'll tell you presently. The farmers are as much entitled to a say in the government of the country in proportion to their numbers as anyone. The Premier then gave figures to show that the Government had been very active in dealing with the Native lands. Jn 1009 02,600 acres had been settled: in 1910, 30,000 acres; in Iftll, 120,000 acres: in 1012, 250.000 acres: in 1013, fiI.OOO acres; and in 1914, 257,711 acres. He said that the smaller area in 1013 was due to the law prohibiting Natives from assemhiin", owing to the smallpox scare.

WEST COAST LEASES. Thcv had, he said, been able to place the tenants and Natives 011 a portion of these West Coast settlement lands by the Act of 1913 in a much better posi'» tion, and he was satisfied that it would lead to a: very satisfactory settlement in regard to those lands. (A Voice, wlvicli; had been . interjecting throughout the' land discussion : ; "Ono 1 ujan got it all!")ji The jpteriictor attempted to iiuake Bj)cech;aird was warned by,, ,the>.chairman. . .