ANSWERS TO CRITICS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 6994, 7 December 1909, Page 8

ANSWERS TO CRITICS

PRIME MINISTER IN REPLY. "I have been absolutely surprised at hearing some of 'the views that have been expressed upon this Bill," said the ■Prime Minister in his reply. As for Sa'e proposal to which so much 'objection had just been expressed, it was simply to extend tho oxisting fifteen ■mile radius to one "of twenty miles. AVhat was tb-at for? AVas it to take ■away farmers' homes in the way suggested ? AVTiy, ever einee the workers' dwellings scheme had been in 'operation no single pio?e of ground had been taken compulsorUy for the purpose. But ho had not the slightest tabjection to striking the word "compulsorily" out of the clause altogether. (Hear, hear.) Some of tho reterences to what the Government 'would dc under the clause had been s"impiy absurd to a degree. AVhon ■the Government proposed to extend a privilege now given to the four cities to other places Ut had been .absolutely oursed "by its critics; and by those who professed, to protect, the farmers. The •proposit \vas made honestly, with the [ hope of helping the workers, over whom so much concern had been expressed, and yet when it was' brought down political capital 'was made out of it. He could notT sufficiently express his disgust at such action. Those who declaimed at the proposal were tibo very men who should have Ibeen the first to support it. The fact was that many members did not understand what was proposed in this and other clauses. Some kept saying that thev wanted to see reduced areais, but. when the. Government proposed them • the criticsl refused to recognise -what was being "done. AVHAT OF,THE FUTURE?

It was now' necessary to point out what the 'future was.likely to bring in connection with lands for settlement. No Minister 'had said, or even suggested, that a 'Stop should be put. to the scheme. The fact was that the 4725 Crown tenants, including those on Cheviot, held between them 1,129,224 acres,- at a cost to ithe.countrVof 25,712,478.■ That was an average of ,£1209 per-.head. \ The fact was that some members would not recognise that land throughout the country had now 'reached such high prices that only in one out of- twenty or thirty oases had they any chance of purchasing an estate at anything Oike the prices asked. On the basis of the 4725 Crown tenants, to get thirteen thousand settlors on the land would cost 'the country in borrowed money over .£20,000,000. He wished to know if even the most sincere advocates of the . scheme believed, that they could go on obtaining money for it at the present rate. He said deliberately that it was quite' limpos-aible to do so. "You will get_the money from the land without borrowing it," interjected Mr Buchanan. A COUIiSE SHAPED.

"We are going on with the laud fOT settlement ■policy. We have shaped a course for land settlement with a view to relieving, as .far as possible, going upon' the London money market,"- said the Prime Minister. Uf they obtained monev it would be invested in the ro purchase of land, which was one of the" objects of the whole toies of proposals upon the land question that had been laid before Parliament. If things went on satisfactorily there was no doubt that the Government, would still obtain land for settlement purposes, but it wa3 a great mistake to believe that after acquiring over ".£5,000,000 worth of land for tho accommodation of some 4700 settlers they could go on in the same way for an unlimited period. The position had to be faced in a reasonable and practical wav. What did the "figures mean? Tho whole amount of money invested in railways was about trwenty-eight .millions or twenty-nine and a half millions including the portion not yet open, and taken over. That was all that had been borrowed for the railways for .which people had been clamouring for the last thirty years. 'Did they realise. what that meant if the country was going to put twenty millions into land? bo they had to come down to hard facts in this way and appreciate what the position really was, and that a change had to bomade if the whole.land system was not to break down. .. The second reading was agreed to on the voices.