THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, MAY 4, 1907. THE FREEHOLD QUESTION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8434, 4 May 1907, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, MAY 4, 1907. THE FREEHOLD QUESTION.

It is a significant fact that Mr McNab's Land Bill is, generally speaking, viewed with favour in the cities and with disfavour in the country. In the cities the Land Bill 13 not understood —in the country it is, and hence the wide divergence of opinion that exists between town and country on the freehold question. To refer to one proposal of the Bill, the country can see the utter absurdity and undesirability of the State endowing itself with its own land, while the town thinks there is really something very fine indeed about the proposition; but the city theorist is merely impressed beoause he simply does not understand. The recent very able speech made by Mr Massey at New Plymouth, explaining the advantages of the freehold tenure, the Wellington morning paper stigmatises as a "tirade," while the evening paper in Wellington remarks that "Mr McNab .... has been making gallant efforts during the last six months .to recover the lost ground, and we trust that he will reap hisij reward next session." So far from Mr McNab recovering lost ground, we believe that he has permanently and perceptibly weakened his Government, and that, unless the Government decide upon a complete "change of front," in relation to the land question, the days of the present Ministry will be decidedly on the short side. Although the Government party secured an overwhelming

majority, so far as seats were concerned, at the last general election, there was no such a very great difference between the actual number of votes polled by the two contending parties, and there is no doubt that "the freehold agitation" was the cause of the large number of votes polled for the Opposition in the 1905 election. The Farmers' Union, and others, have done good work, have in fact rendered patriotic services, in fighting the land nationalising mc.nia of the Government, and in educating the people generally on the land question. In the country the effect of their work wrll, we feel sure, have a most marked effect, bat the freeholders should not be content with devoting a greater part of the efforts to the country. They should remember that "the strength of a fortification is its weakest part," and, acting upon this knowledge, they should proceed to educate the inhabitants of our chief cities in regard to the land question. It is of vital interest to the welfare of this country that MrMcNab's Bill should not become law, and in this matter the denizens of the cities have as large a stake as the farmers.

THE ROYAL SOCIETY OP ST GEORGE.

A copy of the annual report and year book for 1906 of the Royal Society of St. George, i gently to hand, is evidence of the i'jicfc that the Society is rapidly spreading its branches throughout the Empire, and is making laudable efforts to stir up a patriotism, which there is some reason to fear may become too dormant unless occasionally roused to give expression to its feelings. It seems that there is one branch of the Society in New Zealand, viz., at Blenheim, tut others will probably be formed. Judging by the report and year book generally the constitution of the Society appears to have been well thought out. The Royal Society of St. George promises to become extremely influential and exceedingly popular. Much of the report, which one is inclined to think, when "taking it up," must be somewhat dry, is rather quaint in style and very interesting. At the last annual dinner the Chairman, in the course of his speech, proposing ths toast of the evening, urged those present in the following words: —"Take care that those who come after us recognise the fact that they ought to be patriotic. ought to be proud to be patriotic. I venture to say that .there is no antagonism to foreign countries in our patriotism. We may conscientiously claim that we owe it as a duty to those who come afte/ us to take care that this spirit does not die out. A time may come when this country will have to fall back on the old warrior spirit of our fathers, and in the interests of our race let us take care that that spirit survives; Ist us take care that, through all the political changes and the many changes brought about by our commercial strife, we do not fail to keep alive and hand down all those lessons cf the past."