THE LAND CAMPAIGN.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8302, 4 December 1906, Page 5

THE LAND CAMPAIGN.

A LIVELY MEETING. By Telegraph- Press Association. AUCKLAND, December 2. The livolleat and most interesting meeting addressed by ihe Hon. R. M'Nab, Minister of Lands, daring the present tour of the district, was that which asseoifclea at Papakura, aboat 20 mi lea south of Auckland, in the Manukau electorate, on Saturday evening. There was a large attendance. i Ihe speech was on the lines of Mr M'Nab's previous addresses. He admitted tha« he was in a district hostile to the Land Bill, and said be did not believe in disguising opposition, but in meeting and endeavouring to overcome IS in concluding his speech ha referred to next session's right on the Bill, and said that "In tho event of the measure being defeated we know what attitude ought to be adopted by honest and honourable men—to step off the platform." A vule of thanks tojMr M'Nab and one of confidence in tho Government was moved by Mr E. S. Cole. Mr J. Flanagan, sooretary of the Drary branch of the Farmers* Union, moved, and Mr E. Morgan, president: of the same body, seoonded, the following amendment: •—"That this meeting, whilst thanking the Hon. Mr McNab t;or his able address, is of opiuioa that bo Land Bill will be acceptable that does not contain provision whereby future settlers on Crown lands can obtain option of the freehold." On a show uf hands beiog. taken, the amundmeut was carried by a large majority amidst loud applause, and cheers and cries of "the freehold." , I Mr M'Nab thanked the audienoe for the vote of thanks, and acknowledged the deoisiou arrived at. Tho meeting broke up with cheers for Mr Lang, and counter oheers for Mr Ballard.

MR MASSEY IN REPLY.

LAND BILL SEVERELY CRITICISED.

"NEITHER PISH, FLESH; ! FOWL NOR GOOD RED HERRING."

AUCKLAND, Danorah-r 3. Mr Massey replied to tha Hon. R.. M'Nab to-nigbt at Onehnuga. He bad an eutbuaiasUc'rneetinc, which was divided in sentiment, bat a resolution in favour of the Government's propusala was lost on a sbow of banda. Mr Massey said that Mr M'Nab bad not given the wliule facts of the Land Bill proposed, lie deolared that If Mr M'Nab had been to tbo Norfcb before tha Bill waa presented to Parliament it would never have been presened in that form. Leasebold would be fatal to tha Northern lands, which were mostly second or third■olasa. It hit the North most of all, and' would diaaourage settlement by removing {[the only stimulus to improve the land. The proposals were the moat absurd ever placed before the country, and ware based on antiquated views, which even the population of Russia were rejeoting, namely, a system state of tenantry. The Bill absolutely ignored the vast area of native land held, looked up and unused. The weak point of the Bill waa that it permitted the speculator to get the benefit of unde- . veloped land, while it disoonraged , and harassed the legitimate farmer. / Any system would be better than this, provided it left tbo freehold alone. He believed better results would be obtained by adopting the Continental system of distributional on death, ty a graduated (land tax, and by a Land for Settlement Act. The Bill was neither "fiab, flesh, fowl uor good red herring." What the GDvernment should do was to snbmit the issue of freehold ur' leasehold to the country, and fight it ont at an election. A motion thanking Mr Massey, but approving of, th? 1892 Lasd Act in regard to optional tenure was proposed. An amendment that the meeting approved! of the present proposals was submitted and lost on u show of hands. The motion was deolared carried with cheers and groans.