Nationalisation of the Land.

Otago Witness, Issue 1639, 21 April 1883, Page 11

Nationalisation of the Land.

A meeting of gentlemen desirous of forming an association to further the nationalisation of the land was held at the Coffee Palace on Thursday night. There were present : Messrs Robert Stout (in the chair), Mahoney, Braithwaite, Bolt, Jenkins, J. A. Barr, Farnie, Hodge, Dixon, Wells, Fergusson, Levi, and Rev. John Waters.

The following rules of association, drawn up by a committee appointed for the purpose, were read and unanimously adopted : — 1. This Association shall be called "The Land Nationalisation Association of New Zealand."

2. The objects of the Association shall be (a) to prevent the further permanent alienation of Crown lands in this Colony ; (b) to advocate a system of leasing in lieu thereof ; (c) to endeavour to direct, as far as possible, public attention to a consideration of the importance of the question of land tenure. / 3 The Association shall consist of enrolled members. Any person on payment of 2s 6d annually, or on one payment of £2, may be enrolled as a member.

4. The affairs of the Association shall be managed by an executive, consisting of a president, two vice-presidents, a secretary, a treasurer, and seven other members. The first executive shall be elected on 12th April, 1883, and thereafter annually by the members of the Association at the annual meeting. 5. The annual meeting shall be held on the firßt Monday in April in each year. The secretary shall keep a correct record of all the proceedings of the executive and of the Association, and shall within 10 days, on request of the president or any two members of the executive, or any seven members of the Association, convene meetings of the executive and of the Association. He snail receive all moneys, and Bhall pay the same to the treasurer. 6. The treasurer shall attend to the finances of the Association, and attend to the directions of the executive.

7. The executive shall from time to time determine how best to further the objects of the Association — whether by pamphlets, by lectures, by public meetings, by the dissemination -of information ' through the Press, by furthering the formation of similar associations throughout New Zealand, or by any other means they may deem advisable. 8. These rules may be altered at any annual meeting if notice of such alteration has been given to the secretary at least 10 days before the meeting. Office-beavers were then elected a 8 follows :— President, Mr Robert Stout ; vice-presidents, Mr M. W. Green, M.H.R., and Rev. John Waters j secretary, Mr Hodge ; treasurer, Mr J. A. Barr ; auditor, Mr Jenkins ; Executive Committee, Messrs Bolt, Braithwaite, Farnie, Boyd, R. Hudson, Armstrong, and Fergustton,