TEE MINISTER FOE LANDS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10624, 20 March 1896, Page 2

TEE MINISTER FOE LANDS.

(Pan United Pbsss Association.)

Gisboenb, March 19,

The Minister for Lamia addressed a meeting last evening. He referred at length to Captsin Russell's speech at Hastings, and said if ho wished to refer to the policy of his predecessors he might say it was a policy of selfishness, land monopoly, and usury. Captain Itusseil had disclosed no Hues of policy for the Opposition; he had not shown how to get better legislation and administration than at present. Mr | M'K«);sie devoted considerable time to toe National Association, which, he said, h&d triad to belittle the Government and distort their ' every action so as to enable the old Tory party | to climb into power. Ministers were not <]c- ! oirous of remaining in office, but were anxious i that their party should be in power to carry ous I the policy initiated by Mr John Ballauce. The National Association had engaged a number of writers in Christchurch for the sole purpose of writing down the Government, and every Saturday 10,000 copie.H of the statements of these scurrilous writers in the Chriatchureh Press were to be circulated broadcast. Irs addition to this, the National Association had their friends and a certain class of people whom they could buy for 30 pieces of silver going round the country vilifying the .private character oE Ministers in steamers, on railways t and in clubj. Coming to the policy of the Government, he clcinied that they had been successful in finance, providing a surplus every year, and that they had grappled with bigger questions than any Government before thsm, such as the Bank of New Zealand crisis, a change in the lEeidenca of taxation) the Midland railway, and advances to settlers. He claimed that it was legitimate to borrow for i the purchase of Native lands and roads arid | bridges, and that auch an investment would return good interest. Mr M'Kenzie proceeded to a lengthy defence of his land settlement policy. If the country were to be prosperous there must be a greater' number of producers on the land than at present. The j land laws were more liberal than in .any other I of th« British dominions. In five years of i office he had put 11,331 selectors on the land, with an average of 221 acres each. There would ba no loss on any of the estates purchased, but taken as a Whole they would yield 5 per cent. interest. With regard to the unemployad, if was quite true the Government were not able to find employment for all. It would take years to get rid of the unsmployed. Daring his term of office he had found three-quarters of a million for roads and bridges, yet people asked what the Government had done for the unemployed. If he lived three years more and remained in power, a Fair Rent Bill would become law, and he advised the Treasurer to also bring in a Fair Interest Bill.

A vote of thanks *nd confidence in the Government was carried unanimously.

The Hon. Mr M'Keczie leaves on Friday for Napier, via Wsiroa.