Evening Post WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 1910. THE DEBATE ON THE ADDRESS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXX, Issue 5, 6 July 1910, Page 6

Evening Post WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 1910. THE DEBATE ON THE ADDRESS.

In the Legislative , Council yesterday Mr. R. A. Loughnan expressed his surprise at the attitude taken up by some members on the land question, and there are doubtless many members and others to whom his own attitude will appear equally surprising. It was a delightfully naive eirenicon that Mr. Loughnan proclaimed with regard to the land question. There is, indeed, in his estimation, no land question left. It really "does not matter twopence whether the tenure is freehold or leasehold." The question of tenure has passed away ; and those who endeavour to get up a fuss about it fail to realise that it has already become a theme for the antiquary. It is all settled, and settled | right. There is indeed a single fly in Mr. Loughnan's ointment, a single cloud in his bright sky; but the inconvenience is not enough to mar his cheerfulness. That admirable system, the 999 years' lease without revaluation, has passed away. Twenty-four hours ago we might have said that it had gone without leaving a single mourner, but j it is impossible to say that now. Among the many faithless, the faithful Mr. Loughnan drops one melodious tear upon its coffin; yet even he would not have it recalled to face the miseries of this sinfnl and ungrateful world. His mission is peace, and he doubtless realises that to call back the departed would be to bring not peace but a sword. In spite of this one serious loss, Mr. Loughnan realises that the system now stands "on a very successful and profitable footing," and he is amazed at the restless audacity which desires to disturb it. He reads in the newspapers articles and reports which suggest that the reputation of the Government and the welfare of the country are concerned in the proper settlement of the land question. Regarding the question as already settled, Mr. Loughnan turns with relief to the Governor's Speech, where "less prominence" is given it. It is gratifying to see that somebody has found comfort in that singularly barren production ; that its very barrenness has provided balm for the soul of one eager Bearcher for peace. The Government at any rate does- not make the mistake of supposing that the silence of its members during the recess and the meagreness of the reference to the subject in the Governor's Speech mean that peace and goodwill are all that is left of the land question. The question has to be faced, and the principal reason why the Government has not yet declared its intentions is that it is not yet quite suro what they aTe. But the quietness of the leaseholders in the House of Representatives suggests that they are sufficiently satisfied that the new Bill will be better than that of last year to deem it inadvisable to harass the Government at present. Their principal spokesman so far has been Mr. Hogg, who resumed the debate on the Addrcss-in-Reply yesterday in a speech on his usual lines. He has said more than once before that "the three greatest questions are those of land, labour, and capital," that the man who succeeds in bringing the three into harmony will have solved a big problem ; and that "land monopoly is nothing less than a crime." Mr. Hogg can always be relied upon to keep the leasehold banner flying, but though he was yesterday as merciless to the land monopolist- as usual, he wisely refrained from falling foul oftho Government. A remarkable feature of the debate was that it was> kept going entirely by members on the Government side of the H&use. The Opposition are evidently still waiting for a fuller Ministerial reply to Mr. Massey than that which was so effectively given on the 1 single point of native land by Mr. Ngata ; and Ministers arc apparently quite content that they should wait. For this reason among others the main inteiasd in yutwfey'i preceadings lay-out-

«id« of the debate -on the Address. There -was a very interesting discussion on the .-political rights of trade unions and in- • dustrisl unions, with which we deal at in another article.