ANOTHER LAND TRANSACTION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3003, 4 October 1911, Page 53

ANOTHER LAND TRANSACTION.

A LIBERAL AND HIS BROAD ACRES. BREEZY INTERLUDE IN THE HOUSE. (Fhom Our Own Co-respondent.) WELLINGTON, September 28. - " Tell us about Taupo!" Mr Massey interjected last evening when Mr G. W. Russell was speaking on the Kauraki Drainage Amendment Bill. The member for Avon at once became very angry, " I will meet you anywhere in any part of the country and discuss that matter with you," he retorted. " Don't think you can browbeat me." Mr Russell said this and a good deal more about " hurling impudent interjections about."

Mr Massey sat back in his seat, smiled contentedly, and remarked: —"It went home!"

This was too much for Mr Russell, who declared that an interjection such as Mr Massey first made showed that he would never be the leader of a party in power. It was an exemplification of the brains he possessed, and demonstrated that he was only a road-board politician. _ ♦ After this the House continued to discuss ditches and swamps again. Later on Mr Massey, at another stage/returned to the "subject; "I come now," he .said, " to my friend the member, for Avon— — my own particular friend, in whonv I trusted. The explosion which we.had,front that hon. gentleman a few minutes' ago reminded me of the Tarawera eruption. I jocularly interjected when he was speaking that he might tell us about Taupo. I had seen in print that he had become a very large landowner in that locality. I had heard that was so," and since then I have been amused at the habit the hon. gentleman has got into of lecturing men on this side of the House when anything is being discussed with reference to land. He probably looks down upon us now because he owns more land than the whole of -us put together. An hon. member: Don't be jealous. Mr Massey: Ij cannot help it. Who would not be jealous of a man who owns 50,000 or 60,000 acres of land? Why, he is a great landlord; in fact, a landed aristocrat. Indeed, I would not be surprised to hear presently that he is looking for a title.—(Laughter). —Baron Russell of Taupo, or something of that sort. —(Renewed laughter). The ton. gentleman made some complimentary and personal references to myself, and he is quite at liberty to do so. They were quite worthy of him, but there is one thing I can eay, and that is that I possess the respect an<| esteem of the members who sit around me, and that is more than he can say ; He talked about my brains being road* board brains and only fitting me to be member of a road board. If the hon.. gentleman has any brains the position hf occupies, either in this . House or thif country, has never given indication of such possession. I only wish I could sa/f of the hon. gentleman that the brain£ which he possesses fit him to be a membet of a road board, but—l cannot. •.:....

-Mr Russell also returned to the subject*; He attacked Mr Massey for having stumped the country when, Sir Joseph Ward was in England. If Mr Massejf had possessed any courtesy he would not have gone electioneering and Vote-gettintf while the Prime Minister's back wa# turned. He asked whether Mr Rqllestoi( or Sir William Russell would have dontf this, and said that Mr Massey was evidently cast in a vulgar mould.". This observation the Speaker at onc< oi'dered to be withdrawn. - v.. ;

" I don't object to it coming from thf hon. gentleman," said Mr Massey. Mr Russell challenged - Mr Massey to say whether he had ever occupied a position beyond a road board prior to his entry into Parliament. The*f the member for Avon, proudly pointed to the fact that he was chairman of the Canterbury College Governors, consisting, as he said, of 19 members, including two bishops, and handling a total revenue of £4O/000 per yea*. At all these: details the members of the Opposition" laughed. Finally, MrRussell challenged "the Leader of the Opposition'to say what his-land policy was so fa* as 7 the-national endowments were and he gave a prophecy of -.thjjfgloomy prospect* which awaited the "Opposition in Canterbury at the elections. Not the slightest chance of winning one seat, he said. :;

•The interlude ended with a statement by N Mr Massey" on the national endowments question. He said his position today was the same as it had been from the very first. Many of the endowment lands were becoming overrun with noxious weeds. The time would come when ? in the case of such areas, security of tenure would have to be given. The money thus obtained would have to be used for the purchase of better lands. That was position he took up,.and he stood by it.