AN UNFOUNDED CHARGE.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15022, 17 July 1914, Page 8

AN UNFOUNDED CHARGE.

PURCHASE OF LAND FOR SETTLEMENT.

I ..IMl_ MINISTER ANSWERS MR HIND-MARSH.

(SPEC| A r. TO "THE 1T.!..-. .") WELLINGTON, July 10. Tn the House oi Representatives this ai'temoon, Mr A. H. Hiudniai.h ;!C<--.:=ed tho Government of l--iij_ «»nxions to run all forms of State enterprise, except thoH> which could bo turned to the profit of their own triends. For instance, they wore ready enough to borrow a million of money .herewith to buy land at exaggerated -. n!ue. from their supporters. Tlie Bt. Hon. W. F. Massey said he could not let this statement go uncontradicted. It was a fair sample of the charges that come from the other . ide of the House, without, a title of i..ct- behind them. The hon. gentleman had .aid that tho Government -.vero in tho h .bit of purchasing hind ir_m their own .supporters at higher price* than the land was worth, and amecial refoi. .ice had been made to tlie c-t.i..; mm-hased from Mr Lethbridge in Hawke's Hay. He would give an emphatic contradiction to this .tat. merit. The Government did Jiot purchase land iroin any individual, lor i here was a Land Purchase Board set up by Act or. Parliament. There had '•een'iio change in tho personnel of tiiOrtLand Purchase Board since the prc-.it Government came into office. The Government had in that time made quite a number of purchases, but -with tho exception of ono block, he had never . .'en one of the estates until the land was purchased. The Government took no part in tho negotiations. The other point- was that Mr Lethbridge's property was practically purchased before the Government came into office, and the only part they -hud taken in the transacting was to pay Mr Let .bridge for the property purchased by the previous Government.. The hon. member had mad© a gro-s misstatement of fact, and the proper thing for hi in to do was to .stand up and .pologiso. Mr Hindmaisii said that shortly after the Government came into office ho had seen Mr Massey, and said that ho hoped the Government would not take over tho Sherenden Estate without making enquiries about it because the land was not suitable for closo settlement. Mr Massey had thcii replied that tho matter was not fixed up, and that ho would make enquiries. Mr Massey said that ho was quite prepared to lay all the papers relating to tho purchase before Parliament. These, would show that in regard to tho purchase of Sherenden there was nothing left for the Government to do when they came into office but to confirm it, and find tho money. Instead of the .Sherenden settlement being a failure, it had been a thorough success Every section had been taken up, and no far as he had been ablo to learn, the settlers weroi well satislied. 'It is," ho said, "one of tho most contemptible charges of tho many contemptible charges that have been made against, this Government b. members on tho other sido of tho House.'' Mr Hindmarsh said that all the people from whom land had been purchased were supporters of tho Government. Mr Massey: I give that statement ,-T! emphatic, contradiction. • I know s. vera I of the men from whom land has been purchased, and they are not ;d! oi them friends of the Government.