THE LAND CAMPAIGN.

Evening Star, Issue 13003, 24 December 1906, Page 5

THE LAND CAMPAIGN.

THE CRUX OF THE BELL. Speaking on the Land Bill at Auckland on Thursday evening, the Hon. J. A. Millar said that the question was not freehold versus leasehold, bat. " are you going to retain as endowments that land which at present belongs to you?" With respect to the holders of land on lease in perpetuity, they were told that tho man who went on the land in its unimproved condition deserved some consideration, but were the men who had the luck to draw sections at a ballot to be given their sections at the original value? Thank God, there were enough men in the House to prevent the creating of the freehold at the original value. There were 17,000,060 acres of land leased by 23,000 tenants, and were -those people tbo oiriy class who were to have the right to the freehold? Tho Government proposed to give these people the option. They were to be given the option of surrendering their leases, and then, if they wanted the freehold, it was to be put up to competition, so that every man who wanted the freehold could have the same right to get it as the lease-in-perpetnity tenants. Looking at the banking institutions of the colony, they found that there was a steady accumulation of money. Freehold was the best class of security, and because there were still some lonely acres which were in the hands of the Grown they were saying to tho small farmer: "You agitate for tho freehold, and we will find tho money." Yes, they would find it out of a value "of 110 millions. There were £45,000,000 registered mortgages. Who were the freeholders?