THE LAND QUESTION.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 243, 30 September 1911, Page 6

THE LAND QUESTION.

PROFESSOR MILLS AND MR. DAVID JONES. DEBATE OR CONFERENCE 1 In connection with the offer by Professor Mills to debate the land question with Mr. D. Jones, the organiser of the Farmers’ Political Protection Federation, the following letter has been received by the secretary of the Canterbury Executive of the Farmers’ Union from Mr. Jones “Woodville, September 20. Dear Sir, —I am in receipt of yours of September 18 with reference to Professor Mills, ar.d have sent him the following reply : Dear Mr. Lane, —I received your wire through Christchurch office with reference to Professor Mills. I would gather from the wire that he wants a public debate on the subject of land. Nothing satisfactory, however, could be evolved from that. I should, however, be pleased to meet him privately and discuss the position. If by combination we can stop the fearful waste of public money and put forward a land settlement policy satisfactory to both parties we should he doing a public scrv.ee of great merit. Both farmer and worker are going to suffer severely in the near future, and a frank discus;ion of the position by both parties would be useful. I shall arrive in Hawke's Bay on October 3.’ ”

Mr. F. G. Horrell, chairman of the Canterbury executive, said that the Federation and the Union would not be committed by the results of the conference. «

Mr. G. Gardner said that Mr. Jones had adopted the safe course in brushing Professor Mills aside. Professor Mills was something of a "wandering Jew," who had landed in the country and knew nothing of the land question. Professor Mills did not care anything about the people of the Dominion and was doing no good, but was only anxious to find something to keep him in a fight that suited him. Mr. G. Sheat said that he thought the matter could be safely left to Mr. Jones. Professor Mills was a “wandering star,’’ and if the pair met in debate on the land question he would "back Davy. Mr. C. H. Ensor said that if the farmers and the workers could work together in connection with land settlement it would be a great work for the country. The Union would not be compromised. Tlie chairman said they should strive as far as possible to bring the workers, and even the Revolutionary Socialists, into contact with farmers, so tluit they might learn the conditions under which the farmer worked. Professor Mills doubtless thought that he was working in the best interests of the people, but there was another side to th# qu. :- tion. ■ Lyttelton Times.”