THE LAND CAMPAIGN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2758, 23 January 1907, Page 9

THE LAND CAMPAIGN.

■HON. R. M'NAB AT CHRISTCHrRCH. CHRISTCHURCH, January 15. The Hon. R. M'Nab, Minister of Lands, continued his land campaign to-night, when lie addressed a large meeting of electors in His Majesty's Theatre in explanation, and in 6upport, of his land proposals as embodied in. the Land Bill introduced last fession. &tr G. Paylinjr, Deputy-Mayor, presided and a number of members of the legTßl*ture< and representatives of different •local organisations were also present on the platform. The Hon. Mr M'Nab detailed the Tea«on6 for the different provisions of the Land BUI, and proceeded to explain the different proposals, replying to various criticisms that hadT been levelled against the proposals. He eaid that it would not be practical to extend the £50.000 limit to town land, as large commercial institutions, such as the banks, required to ha.\o very expensive sites in tho different centres of the country, and they would be debarred from* carrying on their daily occupation if that were to foe the law in regard to them. The Minister then referred at length to the newforms of lease and the proposed disposal of the lands of the colony for the future. He defended the 66 years' lease on the ■ground that it would secure to the individual the land for his Lifetime, and the lease would be universal in ite application. He claimed that the Government had submitted a form of lease to the people of the country for their consideration that, 6O far as conditions and covenants were concerned, was equal to any form of lease ever proposed to be put on the Statute Book of the colony.— (Applause). He explained the endowment proposals relating to education, etc., and replied to an Auckland criticism that the large bulk of the Crown lands was in the Auckland district, and that the revenues from those lands would be applied to the education of the sons of the people of Canterbury or Otago. He showed that the area of Crown lands in Auckland was 1,849,374 acre 3, in Canterbury 3,727,540 acres, and in Otago 5,085,262 acres, and claimed that Auckland's argument operated in the other direction. His statement that the Government's proposals were opposed to the granting to the leaseholders in perpetuity of the freehold at the original valuation was loudly applauded. He claimed that the conditions proposed to be offered to the holders of leases in perpetuity were lair and reasonable. He referred to other feature* of the land proposals and in conclusion pointed out that the Ward Government came into power with, the sympathies of a large section o£ the country. They had only to sit quietly down andi allow things to drift and their position iwaa absolutely unassailable; h\H they endeavoured to face the problems, and he asked the people of the colony to reward the political party that believed that the only duty a Government could properly perform to the people of the country was to face the great political problems of the day as they arose. Mr G. Rennio proposed a vote of thanks -to Mr M'Nab for his addiess and his explanation of the Land Bill, and of confidence in the Ward Government. Mr J. Cook proposed as an amendment "That this meeting recognises that Mr •M-Xab's Land Bill is framed to assirt the email land monopolist against the large one, and will not benefit the landless and moneyless ; iheroforr, land nationalisation wing well' within the scope of practical poliiios, the Liberal Gowrnncent is urged to na>tion-ahc-e tho land of New Zealand." The amendment was lofet and the motion canied by a large majority.