POLITICAL NOTES

New Zealand Times, Volume XLI, Issue 9417, 2 August 1916, Page 6

POLITICAL NOTES

THE LIBERAL PARTY

CAUCUS HELD YESTERDAY. A caucus of the Liberal party was held at Parliament House yesterday and was attended by a good many members. The prospects of the party wore talked over generally, and the point was raison whether anyone should be appointed to act as leader of the party during the absence of Sir Joseph Ward on his trip to tho Old Country. After a good deal of discussion it was decided to leave the whole conduct of affairs so far as tho party was concerned in the hands <f Sir Joseph Ward, in whom the party had every confidence. LAND MONOPOLY. Tho member for Grey (Mr P. C. Webb) gave notice in the House ycstei day to ask the Minister for Lands whether he has had his attention drawn to the following official statement from the “New Zealand Official Y ear-book, which appeared in the ' New Zealand Times”.:—“Out of 66,000.000 acres, comprising total area of New Zealand, i 3,876 persons, or 74 per cent, of population. monopolise,, leasehold and freehold. all the occupied land of the Dominion, amounting to AO,UOU,OW) acres. Of these 73.876 holdings, 66,003, or 16 per cent., are from 1 acre to J2O acres in extent, and their total area amounts tto less than 1.500.01)0. acres, while the remaining 17*873 occupiers hold between them over 35,000,000 acres—that ts ta say, 75 per cent, of tho occupiers hold less than 12 per cent, of the land, whilst less than 23 per cent, of the occupiers hold more,than S 3 per cent, of the total acreage occupied”; and, seeing that the figures are official, will be take immediate steps to break, up this monopoly so that returned soldiers and others may become producers and |:hus increase the prosperity of the Dominion? "NO WARRANT FOB THE STATEMENT. *

In the House Dr Thacker (Christchurch East) said that he was informed tnac, instead of staying at the George V. Hospital at Rotorua a great many of the soldiers were living in hotels, and quite an undesirable slate of affair s resulted. .The Hon. G. W. Russell (Minister for Public .ctealth) said that tne statement took him completely by surprise. He had never heard anything official of such a matter,, and Dr Herbert .reported every week. It was f fact a number of soldiers on leave were living in hotels at Rotorua, and they had a perfect right to do so. But, except for a small number of ojit-patients there were no invalided soldiers living in hotels there. They were, all either at the King George V. Hosital or at the sanatorium. He could assure the hon. member that there was no warrant for the statement that had been made. FLAX LEASES. Mr J. Payne (Groy Lynhj gave notice in the Bouse yesterday to ask the Minister for Lands —(1) Whether the conditions of the flax leases in connection with tho coal reserve area near Kawakawa. Bay of Islands, have been complied with, especially with regard to the residential qualification? (2) ‘Whether it ds a fact that Mr Vernon Reed has held a flax lease area for a consideraole number of years without complying witfi the residential conditions; and. if .eo, whv has not the matter been looked into? (3) Does he think that a rental of 6d per acre, s which the member for Grey Lynn, believes to be the rate per annum at which these flax lease areas are let, is sufficient return to the,Crown for the use of these valuable.flax areas?