OTAKI SEAT

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 137, 8 December 1919, Page 8

OTAKI SEAT

MR. MACDONALD AT REIKIORANGI

Mr. Evelyn Macdonald addressed a meeting of about 40 persons at Reikiorangi last night. The audience was most appreciative, and at the close a hearty vote of thanks was carried by applause. A number of questions were asked, and approval of the replies was expressed by applause. The speaker traced the origin of the cry for the freehold—in which he had himself taken some part—and made popular partly by a feeling of re-action against State restrictions and interferences, under a nominee conservative Land Board and officials, who, having opposed Liberal measures, administered them without (sympathy. He illustrated this by facts from his early experiences. This popular re-action, created by conservatism, was used by conservatism through the Farmers' Union, to put the Massey party into power on a bogus cry for freelfold, combined with a promise of "Settlement, more settlement, and still more settlement'^; instead of which we had less settlement, and still less settlement.

Although the Massey Government got into power largely on the strength of that bogus cry, it was a very precarious power, held by a small majority in the House, but a minority in the country, and it was a sort of Tory-cum-Liberal administration, the Tories having the "pull," as had been the case with the Farmers' Union. Some would rather wreck the Union, or wreck the country, rather than see that "pull' pass out of their hands. Mr. W. H. Field, his opponent, had made a very significant statement, that he (Mr. Field) had "suffered by a combination of Reform and Red Fed" in 1911. Mr. Field had also said that the Liberal Party (to which ho had belonged) had "sought to thrust him out." The speaker explained the cause and connection of these things. The Liberals had always sought to give the poor man and the young man a fair chance to get a bit of land; and when they had "nailed their colours to the mast,' as the late Mr. McNab had said, Mr. Field, leading a party of freeholders, demanded that the Bill be withdrawn, on pain of seceding, and the colours were torn down. "Is it a wonder if the party sought to thrust him out?" said the speaker. Mr. Field, no doubt, had thought that if freehold could put a Government into office—even precariously—it could at least secure him his seat. Mr. Field had headed his leaflet "In Time of Peril"—no doubt he felt in peril now. No one, said Mr. Macdonald, really objected to "freehold—with proper limitations. What was objected to was the opportunites given to the wealthy land-grahber and speculator. He thought a better tenure than the freehold could be given, enabling- .the young man to start, as he had done, but without such troubles as he had described.