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Otago Daily Times, Issue 13946, 4 July 1907, Page 4

they epoko of limitation of area. Disintegration was going on rapidly in the Wnikato. It would not be policy for the union to take up a hard-ana-faat stand against, limitation. Mr J. Forsyth (Pihama, Taraoaki), said he did not think tliero was any great demand for land in tho State, It would be mora sensible to spijnd half a million a year on roading romoie parts than in purchasing already improved land. c 'Mr W. Lissant Clayton (Poverty Bay) said there was no doubt- that the Government intended to brintr in vory drastio land proposak Ho rather favoured the principle of limitation at death. Limitation in a sense was desirable. The President remarked that it would bo a misfortune to say that tlioy were against limitation altogether. Mr A. E, Russell (Pnlmcrston North) said there wiw undoubtedly a feeling amongst the smaller men that the union was being run for tho bjg men, Tliow who were, concerned in its management knew that this was not the ease. Personally ho considered that the hip man's cause was so uttorlv lest in New Zealand that they, wore reallv fighting the cause of tho small man. . Tho cause of tho big man would not exist in 60 years. Undoubtedly Hie big man was not going to stay in Now Zealand. For himself, ho hoped this would be a country of yeomen farmers. Ho did not wsnt. to seo petty little men, who could npt get along, starving on their farms, but men oorr<*ponding as nearly as might bo with ,t.hc old Kncli?h yoomanry. If t,he. oonforence did not pass the remit tho suspicion of the small men would be confirmed—{"Hear, hear.'') Men who were decently off could sell out when tho shoe pinched and leave. the country, • but the mon on 300 op 600 acres were left to boar the burdens which were now ppt on the land,- and whioh the towns would nover tako off, and they would have a jolly_ bad. time. Therefore lit? thought it was wi3o that they should pass tho remit, and affirm that they did not wish to oncouriiso large', estates. That would .still further secure tho confietico of the small men, for \yhom they were really fighting. —(Loud apphuic.) ' ' Mr Stewart (Otago) said thev could not convince people that they were genuinol.v in favour of limitation if they wpro not prepared s'to .approve of some of th» niethods of limitation (hat wore proposed. Mr 11. i M. Sanders ■' (Hawke's Bay) said they had arrived at the point, when thoy should say right out whether thev favoured limitation or not, but it was for the Government to say how it should be carried out. Let them havo a straight out voto on the question. Mr Middloton (Southland) said, as. perhaps the smallest holder in the room, he was. utterly opposed to limitation. The. financial aspect had been studiously ovadod by the Ministers. Thero was no necessity whatever in., Sauthjand for any bursting up. Ho believed tho Minister had an absolutely open mind on the land question,— (Laughter.) Mr Birch .(member of the Advisory Board) said altogether ho did not believe aggregation was goin? on, He supported the original motion, and hoped that nothing would bo added to it. Mr Cooper said the history of other countries was an alteration of periods in which small farms and largo holdings obtained. What thev waited was to prevent the possibility of aggregation of largo estates. The amendment was put and lost on tho voices, and tho motion was earned without dissent.