MR T. MACKENZIE AT PORT CHALMERS.

Evening Star, Issue 13001, 21 December 1906, Page 3

MR T. MACKENZIE AT PORT CHALMERS.

TO THJt KDITOa.

Sir. —RefriTinz to the. speech of Mr T. Mackenzie, M-H.lt.. delivered at Port Chalmers, a report of which reoently appeared in y-mir columns. 1 was surprised to find thai he regarded the alteration of the colony's electoral boundaries and the fact of the" Land Bill bemg now before the people ;ls sufficient cause lo involve the country in the expense of an election "to relieve tho present situation." Now. according to the Electoral Act of 1905, the report of the Ik-presentation CammisßioneK as to t!ie names and boundaries of tho elect era) districts fixed by tbem shall, altlwufrh leaving the force of lair from tho date of its proclamation, in the ' New Zealand Gazette,' not come into effect until the expiry uf tJje then exi.Hin£ Parliament. I t-.ikv. \)m U> mean tint such report will not oomo into effect unt-i the expiry of the foil Lime for which the present Parliament way fleeted, en Less, of omiiso, a dissolution should occur in the mcsniumc through tile Government beinjr defeated, in the House—■ a. very unlikely occurrence. If this inter-pretrt-tlon is correct, a dj*.=ol3iicm. before the usual time on account of the CammiaiiosDers' report is oat of the question, especially when it is lemembered that., for the putposes of parliamentary representation, the electoral districts remain as they wo until the- next General Election. As to the Land Hill, there is no valid ; reason wliy tho Ministry should resign in. order to test the feeling of the country i*>wards it. because, iu ti:o absence of hoaif.thini; better, it i-s a measure which already Lias the .ipproval oi the- hulk of tho people. who will support the Government to tho bitter end in their endeavors to place it mi ihe Statute liook, despite the eßozxs of Mr-] Mackenzie and the country party. If thisi party had their own way the masses would; be entirely unrepresented in The people hare been humbugged by land-., lord representatives long enough, and the( tune will soon come when those who stand; for privilege and monopoly will be ousted. from our Legislature never more to retain. When such a stage of civilisation attained Neu* Zealand willindoed. be ""God's, own country." Mr Mackenzie failed to tell bis audience. the true cause of landlordism, in Ireland and Scotland. It is land monopoly and the consequent divorce of the people from the coil. Tho object of the Land Bill is toi make tbo land of this colony accessible toi the marry under an equitaide system, of tenure —a tenure quite as secure, as the; freehold, and which will have the additional ■ advantage of securing the Crown lands to the State for all time. But, admirablo. j though the L<and Bill is, it does not go far! enough. l>id it aim at taxing out the whole* of the unimproved value of land, which is I now {rocketed by tho landlords instead of by the workers, who havo created it, itwould bc-tne most sensible measure ever introduced in any Parliament in the world. Why? Because it would give tbo masses freedom and justice, and that is ihe only means by which this object can be accom-] pbsbed. 1 defy Mr Mackenzie to dJEpravc tits statenw-j-4.

H.*pi Mr ilackcrrsic--. ** Tlw legislation far elas&c-s is rightly ending, and that for-lie: E-a£i«cs is fairly begun." He oouvbjb tin*', '.mppcssmn that he favors the ending of, class legislation, but ho is not smecxe, ' otherwise how does ho reconcile this stai*-" ment with his declaration ia fsvsr of the< optional system of tenure? The granting of the freeLold —lor that is -what the optional system o - tenure really means—is VK> sery sy. tern whkli, unless land values are \ stiffly taxed, leads to the monopoly of the J ■Lsi csM-itial to life—the land—thereby' creai.ng the artificial inequalities jwoduoec* mr the denial-of natural law.—l am. eic;, ' KXX V