LABOUR'S LAND POLICY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 258, 31 October 1928, Page 9

LABOUR'S LAND POLICY.

PERPETUAL LEASEHOLD.

"THE LAND FOR THE PEOPLE."

The land policy of the Labour party came in for some attention by Mr. M. J. Savage before a large meeting of electors in the Franklin Road Methodist schoolroom, last night. Mr. V. Johnson presided over the meeting, which enthusiastically carried a vote of thanks and confidence in Mr. Savage.

In ft vigorous exposition of the party's land settlement proposals, Mr. Savage stated it was not the intention of the Labour party to interfere with present land tenures. Such a suggestion was morally wrong and financially impossible. The party realised that land settlement was necessary if the country was to carry the tremendous financial burdens which had accumulated during the Reform Government's term of office. That would mean a campaign similar to that carried out during the early nineties by Sir John McKenzie. and those associated with him in the LiberalLabour alliance of those days.

No doubt hard things would be said by those who had a stranglehold on the land,, but the warcry of Labour would always be, as it was with Sir John McKenzie, "The land for the people." So long as the State maintained the right of taxation the question of freehold versus leasehold was not vital. The Labour party's policy did not prevent the would-be settler from purchasing the freehold from those who had it to sell, hut it did provide for State acquisition of land for the purpose of settling those with small means. The, tenure under this scheme would be perpetual lease, which would not involve the settler in the purchase price of the land.

The meeting closed with cheers for Labour. -

MR. SAVAGE GOES VOYAGING.

So that the isolated settlers on the Great Barrier Island may not feel that they have been overlooked in the political campaign, Mr. M. J. Savage, Labour candidate for Auckland West, will leave to-night on a tour of the several small ports. He will be absent for two or three days. The Great Barrier, on which there are some 500 people, is included i:i the electorate of Auckland West.