THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1909 THE LAND PROPOSALS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14700, 7 December 1909, Page 6

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1909 THE LAND PROPOSALS.

We can well imagine tlio storm of indignation that would burst upon the heads of tho members of the Opposi' tion if they were engaged in the, tactics that are now being employed in tho House of Representatives by tho leaseholders, who, with two or three exceptions, were returned to Parliament as .supporters of the Prime Minister. Tltey would bo violently abused ns disgruntled reactionaries who were, at the cost of a wicked waste of time and of great expense to the country, deliberately obstructing the enactment of legislation which was believed by the Government to be expressive of the will of the majority of the electors, and therefore to bo in full accordance with the spirit of Liberalism, —for Liberalism, according to the Government Whip, consists in finding out what the pcoplo want and in giving it to them I We have no such denunciations for those members who conceive it to bo their duty to delay tho progress of the Land Bill. They believe the Bill to be an evil thing that is devoid of a. single good quality, and since they have formed the opinion, which seems to he wellgrounded, that if they utilise the opportunities the forms of the House allow them to discuss the proposals of tho Government they will sceuro the abandonment of the measure for the present session and thus gain for themselves breathing-space that will enable them to do what they can to beat up a little 'popular feeling against the Bill, it is really impossible to blame them for adopting the course they are following. Their earnestness in the matter is sufficiently indicated by tho fact that they arc putting the Government which they have been supporting in a distinctly embarrassing , position, lite Prime Minister has evidently promised himself tho satisfaction of having a, heart-to-heart talk over the situation with his recalcitrant, followers at a caucus that will be held this morning. The country will not lie surprised if tho outeomo of this will be the withdrawal of the Land! Bill. It will undoubtedly involve the Government in humiliation if it has for ,the second time in four years incontinently to withdraw a Bill embodying its policy on tho land qttes(km. But the measure of its humiliation in tliis event will hardly be greater than that to which it is being subjected day after day while the business of Parliament is "held up" by tho leaseholders in its party. Whatever happens the Government suffers a. heavy blow to its prestige. It is doubtful whether MiMillar's interposition in- the discussion yesterday afternoon will have the effect of smoothing over the difficulties the Government has to face. Wo are frankly astonished to find him claiming that his support of. the policy of the ftiesent Land Bill is consistent with his past profession!! of faith on the tenuro question. His perfervid declaration that he would never be a party to the alienation of a single acre of Grown land unfortunately stands on record against him. It may' be suspected that, after nil, lie possesses no very deeply-settled convictions on the question. Only yesterday afternoon ho solemnly affirmed that ho was not prepared to go on asking tho people to put settlers on land that ivas purchased from private owners with borrowed money when tho moment these settlers got on the land they demanded the straight-out freehold. If the views of the Cabinet wore those expressed by Mr Millar, this meant, if it meant anything at all, that the abandonment of the land for settlements policy introduced by Sir John M'Kenzie was contemplated by the Government. Later on yesterday, however, the Primo Minister moved the .second reading of the Land for Settlements Administration Bill, which proposes the continua- , lif)u uf the M'Kenzio policy under a new method whereby till acquisitions of land, past and prospective, shall be vested in the Superintendent of Advances. It is all rather perplexing,