VISITORS WELCOMED

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7865, 29 July 1911, Page 17

VISITORS WELCOMED

Messrs W. P. JEoesoy. W. C. Buchanan, T. H, Guthrie, K. Scott, and C. A. C. I Hardy, M.P.'.s, attended tho morning 60sslon of the conference, j Tho president (Mr J. O. Wilson) welcomed tho visitors. Tho delegates were ! always pleased to see any member of the : House at their conference, j In reply ?dr Massey said ho was gLwl j the union wus prosperous, vigorous, and ■ very much alive. It wan a good thing i that tho farming community—and ho 1 spoke as a farmer —should pay attention ■ to matters that came or were likely to j como before the Legislature. There were j some matters on which there should bo no | difTerenco of opinion among farmers. Dor instance, the necessity of having 1 security of tenure; and taxation in. re- : gard to their land. They were all of the same opinion that the farmers should pay their fair share, but they objected to being penalised. (Applause.) Ho had ofton thought it would be a very good thing if a political committee were set up to consider tho proposals that came before Parliament, a report to be submitted to tho conference generally on | such proposals. In this connection an extraordinary proposal had com© before Parliament last session. It was clause IS of the Land Bill. . Ho was speaking from memory, but his mind was very clear on the matter. The proposal was to tho effect that any parson who owned a certain area of land and afterwards obtained possession of another area became to all intents and purposes a criminal, and was liable to a fine of c£soo or five years in gaol. It was a very important question, and ho recommended the delegates to look it up. "Such a proposal/* ho added, "in # my opinion lias no chanco of passing into law, but such a proposal made by the Parliament of the country is a grave danger in itself/*