TRUST LANDS TRUST ELECTION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9094, 21 May 1908, Page 5

TRUST LANDS TRUST ELECTION.

ADDRESS BY MR H. C. ROBINSON. There waa an attendance of only ' about twenty people at the Town Hall last evening, when Mr H. C. Robinson gave an address in support of his candidature for a seat on the Trust Lands Trust. Mr G. Heron occupied the chair. Mr Robinson said he regretted to see such a small attendance, but he would make a few remarks which he had desired should be givtn for the benefit of a larger audience. The first point touched upon was the great extent of the Trust lands, the striking nature of which had forced itself upon the speaker's mind very strongly in view of the great potentalities which lay behind the proper administration of such a valuable trust. He showed, on the large plan belonging to the Trust, which was suspended in view of the auc'ienc?, the various trust properties scattered over the town. He contended that the duty of the Trust was first to get income for its property, and afterwards to spend it, and by the present methods of the Trust the full income was not being derived from the Trust landd, many of which were lying idle. He was perfectly sure that a more popular system of leasing could be devised than was now in vogue. He did not favour the Trust taking the risk of building for tenants, but thought that if the Trust adanced money .up to three-fourth 3 of the value of a building erected by a suitable tenant, gave him a renewal clause, and a compensation clause for improvements, and generally safeguarded both tenant and Trust, there would be more sections taken up both by private persons and builders. Mr Robinson said on the exchange of sites question f.hat he was not receding from the position he took up last year, which was that he was not; going into the Trust, if elected, with his hands tied, but he rcognised the exchange was desirable on the best terms the 'lrust could get from the Government.

Touching on the borrowing policy of the Trust, Mr Robinson said that a borrowing policy cautiously applied might be a great benefit to the Trust, but he strongly denounced the proposition to build what he teimed a "glorified boarding-house" on the section in Hall Street, terming such an idea the limit of rashness. If prohibition were carripd in Masterton the town would be full of board-ing-houses looking for business. The spending of the income was a far greater consideration than even the getting of the income, and there was no doubt the proper thing to do was to spend as much as possible in the education of the young. He referred to the will of the late Cecil Rhodes as emphasizing the recognition by perceptive minds of the needs of nations, and the same applied to communities, the education of a people beinpr one of the grandest conceptions which could be promulgated by any person or any corporate body. He did not wish the education to be merely scholarship education, but favoured the assistance of technical erucation by the Trust. The dissemination of broad thought was badly needed in this community, and he said that instead of the public having oi.ly a fund of more or less mentally profitable entertainments to draw on at the Town Hall, the Trust should endeavour to procure from Wellington educational lecturers who could give popular addresses which would be of interest and value to the community.

In conclusion, the speaker said he was standing as an independent candidate with a broad platform, and much as he desired a new Courthouse at Masterton, he would not compromise his position before entering the Trust for twenty Courthouses.

Mr Robinson referred to his attitude last year inspecting the establishment in the district of an agricultural college, whicli he personally advocated strongly. He had then suggested that the A. and P. As' station might help forward such a proposal, and now the suggestion had actually been taken up both by the Association and the Trust itself. The speaker regretted that he would have to curtail his remarks on account of the small attendance, although some important 1 questions had been gone into by him to lay before his audience. He proposed to meet the Lansdownc voters in a day or two. SPEECH BY MR W. G. LAMB. Mr W. G. Lamb, who is also a candidate for a seat on the Trust, made a short speech, expressing his entire approval of the remarks of the previous speaker on the subject of education and on the question of the exchange of sites. He was particularly in favour of the extending of the patronage of the trust to move the technical and agricultural education. Regarding the exchange of sites, he felt that the last offer of the Government was something in the nature of an ultimatum, and that it should be accepted as a sound business proposition for the Trust, although he nevertheless considered the Government should not demand any money in connection with the exchange. Mr Lamb stated that he had not had time in the short interval which had elapsed shire he had decided to stand to prepare a speech, especially as ho had not anticipated Mr Robinson's offer of a platform last evening, but he was in accord with that gentleman on his main policy ideas. MR 0. N. C. PRAGNELL triads a few remarks from his seat in the audience, thanking Mr Robinson for his offer to use the Hall that evening, but regretting that; he was unable to comply that evening through shortness of time in which to prepare a speech. He intimaced that he would probably give an address on Monday evening next, when he hoped to see a better audience than had attended the present address, a meeting which was, ho contended, a disgrace to Masterton.

AM the speakers were accorded hearty votes of thanks, the chairman also being accorded a similar compliment.