THE HON. MR DUNCAN AND THE FREEHOLD.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XII, Issue 2372, 31 May 1906, Page 5

THE HON. MR DUNCAN AND THE FREEHOLD.

In responding to the toast ot "The Parliament’’ at the smoke concert here mi Tuesday night, the Hon. T. Y. Duncan said he judged by tbe meeting before liiin that the Farmers' Union bad come to stay. There bad not been many Land Acts. Tbe first Act was tbe late Air Rolleston’s, in 1886. That statute would not have been passed in that year only for .Major (now Sir William) Steward. old Air Daniels. Sir John AlcKenzie, and himself. Air Rolleston had not a majority then, but these four went in with him and carried the second reading. (Applause.) Tbe exports of New Zealand were almost wholly tbe produce of the land. In the old days the revenue of the provinces was chiefly derived from tbe sale of land at £2 an acre. Without this lie country could not have been ope I up, so the land got into the hands of n few. Tbe only way to correct the trouble was by passing (lie Lands for Settlement Act. He was in favour then ot the 99!) years' lease, and continued .so to-day, because as soon as the freehold was given under the right-01-piirchn.sc, the holders began to sell out to each other, with the result that the Urge estates began to aggregate again. If the land was all freehold, the jiice would gel so high that eventually no land could he got at a rens >in file price. There was land to-day which could never he made to pay at its present price. It would he wrong that there should not he frechid plenty of it hut there should r'so to leasehold, anil plenty of it. Clown land could still he got. for cash, light of purchase, and lease. The lease used lo he the most popular, h it '.< w people were going in for frc Mioi I. The Crown had now about nine mil lion acres of land on lease, includi ig reserves and endowments, and if the free 1 ild was granted the dennnd world be extended to these. As a result, the price would become so grc>t that young men and women could not get land at a price which would enable I hem to make a living. Sneaking of the cropping regulations, the Minister said he did not think any lessee had .vet been dispossessed on that score, l ilt it was quite neccss'lrv to have safeguards. lie was bringing up a fresh Land Bill this I year. (Appluusc.)