THE BALLANCE POLICY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2310, 9 June 1898, Page 54

THE BALLANCE POLICY.

He denied that they had done so. Fart of the policy of the present Government was to get people on the land. For that purpose they required money. They had to find money to settle people on the land, for purchasing Native lands in the North Island, and to buy land in the South Island. They had also to carry on the work of colonising, the country by opening up the country with roads and bridges. The general land laws of the colony at the present _ time formed the chief corner stone of the polioy of the Government, and he ventured to say that the land laws of the Government had done more for New Zealand than any other measure that; they passed. And thsy had done an enormou3 work with the means at their disposal. He would just give them a few figures in conneotion with thts settlement of the people on the land. Between 1891 and 1897 there had been an increase in the land occupied of 2,810.807 acres. That had been selected by 13,280 selectors, and taking those selectors as having an average of four, in i fnotili taex would get » fiojouiAtion oi

52,872 that bad been placed upon the 'fen's during the present Government's term of office. Then the Government had purchased 2,260,000 acres of land from the Natives at a cosb of £558,000. They had constructed 2693 miles of dray roxds, and made 1923 miles of bridle trscks, built 387 bridges, and expended on these £1,558,000. Then the Governm*nfc hafi also established 179 village settlement!, comprising 1887 selectors, who occupied 34-.716 acres Of this area 28,882 acre 6 were in cultivation. The sum of £25,183 had been advanced to the S6tfclers, and the improvements upon their land amounted to £94,064. Was that not good security ? The Government had further setitled 526 settlers upon 45 improved farms. These settlers occupied 50,318 acres. They bad felled and sown down in English grass 15,955 .acres. The total value of their improvements amounted to £64,939, and the Government had advanced them only soffieient to cut down their timber and sow their grass. Then they had special settlement associations The settlers on these settlements found their own money, and they held 176,938 acres. There were 1150 settlers on these spaoial settlements, and the average holding was 154 acres. Under the Advances to Settlers Ac% the Government had advanced £1,500,000 to 5900 farmer*. Could his hearers be surprised that they had made enemies. by doing so? Where did this money come from before,? The Government relieved the banks and finan? c : al institutions of the poor farmers' mortgages, arid many of ' the farmers were formerlypaying the banks 10 per .cent, interest. That was the reason the Government had made enemies. Coming now to the question of XABOUR XEGISLATION, the Minister claimed that the Government had assisted working men during their term of office, and did so without doing any harm to the employers. The Arbitration and Conciliation Act was one of the best acts ever passed in the colony. Ho did not say it was perfect, bub they could amend it if it was nob as perfect as they could wish it to be. He claimed that ,the co-operative system of the 'Government had found . work ,for many people ' in the country who would otherwise have had to receive charity. The system had proved of, bsnefib to the working classes in Palmerston and in other towns. There was another subject he wi*hed to refer to — viz., THE ASniCULTDRAI, DHPAHTMENT. When he took office this department was simply, a department in name. It had no officer at its head, and it did nothing. He thought he had put life into the department during his term of effice. When he took office there were 25 dairy factories in the colony. At the present time there were 320 dairy factories, and the Government had passed legislation which prevented inferior butter and cheese being sent Home as of good quality, and by go doing had conferred a great benefit on the dairying industry of the colony. Proceeding to refor to the rabbit question the lion, Mt M'Kerzie said statements had been made iv the newspapers against' hi<nself because he put his foot down 'on what was known as

BABBIT FABMING. The rabbit industry at the present time was a great industry. The trapper made splendid wages, the trader made splendid - profit-, the freezer made s profit;, and the merchant and shipper who aent the rabbits Home made a profit. But where did the profit to the farmer come in ? It ' was very easy for these people to' make a profit when the farmer produced the rabbits for nothing, Sut the present state of things could not go on. So long as a good price was given for rabbi ta people would be got to .trap and trade in rabbits, but when it did not pay them to do so the iai-oier would begin to poiaon again. He, however, wished lo cay that he had Trefc-*" said, as he had been stated to h'avs done, that rabbits should .not be trapped, but was asked to stop the poisoning of rabbits so that trappers could hire fairplay. What right had he to say to to the farmer, •• You must atop poisoning " ; and because , he had not done it there had been a howl from the people interested in the rabbits. If his hearers looked at .the papers opposed to him they would see that it wns said that the law was a tyrannical law. But the law was in existence before he became a Minister, and was passed by the Hall- Atkinson Government. If the Opposition came into office did they suppose they would have the country ruiued simply in order that soma people migafc make a good thing oak of rabbits ? They could not produce both sheep and rabbits, and if people were determined to produce rabbits then they would have to pass a law making it necessary for farmers to usa a wire netting so that each farmer would farm his own rabbits. Referring to the