MR NEWMAN AND THE FREEHOLD QUESTION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 453, 20 April 1909, Page 3

MR NEWMAN AND THE FREEHOLD QUESTION.

At the annual meeting of the Marton Chamber of Commerce, held last Saturday, Mr Edward Newman, M.P., said he did not believe that the Farmers’ Union had lost its influence ; on the contrary, it had a stronger hold than ever. Book at last election. Right down the West Coast they had Farmers’ Union men returned. It would be disastrous to the country if the Farmers’ Union failed to exist. They were not working in favour of large land-owners as had been stated. The union was an organisation lor the benefit of small farmers. Personally, he did not care which party they got the freehold from, but he was going to support the party that adopted a freehold policy. It was his great ambition to give the option of the freehold. He thought they had got men in the House now who would not talk oue way and vole the other.

He anticipated a desperate fight for the freehold when the question was ventilated, and believed the policy in favour of the freehold with small areas would be the accepted policy of the Government of the day. To achieve this it was almost necessary to have a freehold party in the House. They bad a large number of farmers in Parliament, but what was the good if on such an important question they did not vote together ? They should sink party differences when the freehold question came before the House. These were his views, and he was going to be faithful to them. He had already seen a number of members and there was unanimity among them with regard to the freehold and other main planks of the Farmers’ Union platform. They had experienced a period of depression, brought about to a large extent by causes outside of New Zealand. The depression had affected them mostly by raising the price of money and reducing the market for some of their exports. The whole country was looking to the farmers of New Zealand to lift them out of the present difficulty. They should double their exports, but to do this bush and Native lauds should be speedily developed and every facility should be offered to settlers. Parliament should devote its energies to bringing into profit the waste lands of the Dominion. They had had enough of experimental and Socialistic legislation. In fighting for the union platform he felt sure they were doing good service to town and country alike, as their interests were identical.