THE MEMBER FOR MASTERTON

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10702, 24 August 1912, Page 5

THE MEMBER FOR MASTERTON

HIS MAIDEN SPEECH

(By Telegraph — Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, Last Night. Mr G. R. Sykes, M.P., made his maiden speech iji the House of Representatives this afternoon, .when he was the first speaker of the day on the Budget. Mr Sykes stated that the policy outlined in the Budget had his sympathy, and ho expressed the hope that no time would be lost in bringing it into operation. He believed that the majority of the landowners, largo and small, supported the Government because they knew they would receive equity and justice. 'Ho taunted tho Opposition with having behind it the monopoly of a trade which was degrading tho people of the country. Ho approved of the appointment of the Hon T. Mackenzie as High Commissioner, and stated that tho appointment had given great satisfaction in his constituency. Referring to the High Commissioner's office, Mr Sykes drew attention to the defective manner in which New Zealand produce had been handled in London, and to the formation of a Producers' Association to do the work which should have been done by the Homo Office. In ,referencc to the land question, he held that good workers should be afforded reasonable opportunities of acquiring holdings of their own. He maintained that it •was the duty of the Government to crive access to Crown lands before they were thrown open for selection. He regretted to say that land speculation and aggregation of estates were rampant in the Dominion, and ho pointed out that there were 127 fewer holdings to-day than there were last year. Mi' Sykes urged that the waste lands )f the north could only be made productive by close settlement. He •oloaded for consideration for backb'c.cks children, especial!v in educational mnttc-rs. The graduated land tax should bo made sufficiently heavy lo ])redurr. hn>d for those who wanted it. ' He admitted the good work that but 1»» si ill felt that tho a rone bchl should be reduced, and he believed +ho rov"-pi T) ovt would b-.i'-o to still flirt!)"!' increase the ."*■." dieted f-i\-. j- 0 t], o hardships endured bv hnekhlrvks settles, he instanced the cr.f n of a vounp- woman who had ''-en driven to suicide !>v her isolation. HV cli'bnrd that if there was anv un-"a-iod increment in land, it had boon fully earned l»v tho.*" who liad cone into the back blocks and endured tho vicissitudes of pioneering colonisation. Mr Sykes sooke strongly in favour of a system'rbf re-afforestation. He si;reported the secret ballot in connection with labour troubles before a strike was declared. He was ab-o. he said, a firm believer in conciliation.