POLITICAL.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9431, 1 June 1896, Page 5

POLITICAL.

THE PREMIER AT FEATHERSION.

" (PRESS ASSOOI ATIOi* _ ELEGRAM.) " FEATHERSION, May 30. The Premier addressed a large meeting last night. Iv dealing with the speeches of the Opposition, the Premier said Captain Russell and his party were continually chaiacteciaing the * graduated laud tax as iniquitous aud unfair, and were always agitating for its repeal, yet quietly they never lost au qpportunity of buying an addition to their immense estates. They were doing their best to monopolise the laud, but if they thought their wholesale attempts at the annexation of the land of the colooy would be tolerated much longer they made a great mistake. The settlers' sons would not be driven away from New Zealand to seek homes elsewhere, while there were thousands of acres monopolised by a select few in the Auckland district. Captain Russell had stated that he claimed every man who went on the laud as his friend. This statement, said the Premier, was a most palpable blind, made to deceive the people at the present juncture. The whole policy of Captain Russell and his party had consistently and persistently been to prevent people getting on the laud. If Captain Rutseil was sincere, why did he not atart at home and cut up some of these large estates ? During the last rive year* the condition of things had been improving, and if the people were true to themselves at the general election and voted conscientiously New Zealand would soon be free altogether from domination, terrorism, despotism and Conservatism. He received a unanimous vote of thanks and confidence.