THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, MAY 3, 1913. LABOUR AND LAND.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 3 May 1913, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, MAY 3, 1913. LABOUR AND LAND.

Tlie Labour Trust, which, in itself, is one of the closest corporations in the Dominion, is never tired of declaiming against monopoly. Particularly is its iuwectivo directed against those who have the-misfortune to be possessed of broad-acres. These racs are enemies to society. They are social pests and parasites. They subsist only by a process of exploitation. They toil not, meither do they spin. This is the doctrine that is being preached by the Social-Democrats. But, let lis see what liappons under Labour Government. In Western Australia wo are provided with an object-lesson that every Social-Demo-crat should take to heart. In a recent issue the Melbourne Argus produced a map, showing the country to be traversed by the Trans-Australian railway between the South Australian border and Ivagoorlie. Explaining the map, the Argus says:— "It shows the names of persons who have acquired land on the line of route. Among them are the Labour Premier of Western Australia (Mr Scaddan), two other Labour members of the State Parliament, and a son of Senator De Largie, Labour Whip in the Senate. These gentlemen, who were in a position to obtain early information of the availability of the best lands, have become interested in a total of 803,-160 acres, sill between, the line and the coast. The areas selected are as follow: Mr Scaddan (Labour Premier), 324.500 acres; Mr J. J. McDonald. M.L.A. (Labour), 105,700 acres; Mr J. I. Gardiner, M.L.A. (Labour), 250,000 acres; Mr P. Hi. De Largie, 123,260

acres. Mir McDonald and Mr Gard- 1 iner aw associated with partners. ( AcceiViing to the may, Mr Scaddan : ho Ms one block of 206,500 acreg and : another of 118,000 acres. His neighbour on the west is Mr De Largie, who has two blocks adjoining each other —one of 87,680 acres, and vtlie other of 35,580 acres. Large tracts of the land have also been secured by Messrs Bethell and Gorton, who are interested in the Powollising Company, who hold contracts from the Commonwealth Government in connection with tho building of the railway. Tho country described as being for the most part first-class. Tho rent for the land :s 3s tier 1090 acres. In the Kimberley division of Westorn Australia the rent is os per 1000 acrus, and it is said that the railway and proposed shipping facilities at the town of Eucla will make tho leases in that vicinity as valuable as those at Kimbtrlev. In view of this probability, surpriso has been expressed in Western Australia that before opening tho land to selection the Scaddan Ministry did not move for a revision of the old rents. When the name De Largie was first mentioned In connection : with the leases, Senator D© Largie ] denied that he had an acre of land at Euela. It has since been learned that the lessee is his son, aged 19 years. Mr Scaddan, in a policy speech in August, 1911, expressed his intention of overhauling the Lands Department, so that he could prove that under the Labour regime the assertion that 'people possessing influence were those who had the best chance, of consideration' would be baseless. According to the date recorded in the Lands Department, it was only 12 months after this declaration that the Labour Premier secured his vast blocks of land at Eucla." The explanation of the Labour Premier of Australia and his friends, if they have any, will be awaited with interest. Unless some satisfactory explanation is offered, the revelations made by the Argus will stand as the most shocking illustration of "spoils to the victors" that has disgraced the political history of the Australian Commonwealth. A good many "fishy", incidents wer e recorded during the life of the Liberal Party in New Zealand; but none of them can approach that which appears to be happening in Australia under the refining influence of Labour.