EDUCATION RESERVES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15892, 11 October 1913, Page 4

EDUCATION RESERVES

DEMAND FOR /THE FREEHOLD.

(From Ocr Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, October 9. The agitation that lias been raised by lessees of certain education reserves to ob : tain the freehold was mentioned in the House this evening. The Prime Minister declared that these tenants were not going to get the freehold from him, and he assorted that the agitation in favour of it was being fostered for party purposes by members of the Opposition.

Mr (Wilkinson read a report of a meeting of education reserve tenants at Manaia (Taranaki) for the purpose of discussing the question of joining forces with the Southland tenants in" an endeavour to have provision for securing the freehold of their lands inserted in the present Land Bill. Certain opponents of the Government took a prominent part in connection with the meeting, and Mr Isitt was • quoted as having said that if the Crown tenants were given tho freehold the privilege should also be extended to the tenants of education reserves. A resolution in favour of the "object aimed at" was carried, and it was resolved to forward copies to the Prime Minister, Mr Wilkinson, and Mr Jsitt. —(Laughter.) He (Mr Wilkinson) did not believe that Mr Isitt was in favour of the reserves tenants getting the freehold, but the incident showed the danger of the use of tho lino of argument that had been >adopted. Mr Isitt said that the Prime Minister and the' member for Enmont had most unfairly attempted to shift responsibilities on to tho shoulders of an innocent man (himself). The. men responsiblo for tho action of the education leaseholders in demanding the freehold were those who had been vilifying tho leasehold for years. The demand had been advanced through Mr Anderson before he (Mr Isitt) had spoken on the subject. If a referendum were taken on the freehold-leasehold question he said the present position would soon bo reversed. Mr Herries: What about the majority in this House? Mr Isitt: Where did you get your majority? Mr Herries: What about your ow;i leader? Mr Isitt replied in a lengthy diatribe which moved Government members to laughter, and of which the effect was that some Oppositionists had wearied of supporting the leasehold because the more leaseholders there were the more people there were to be tempted with the freehold.