SPEECH BY SIR G.GREY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XIII, Issue 4519, 6 March 1886, Page 2

SPEECH BY SIR G .GREY.

THE LAND QUESTION. PUBLIC WORKS AND BORROWING Auckland, to-day. Sir George Grey addressed a meeting of citizens last night at the request of the Chamber of Commerce on the questions of settlement of the lands and public works. There was a large attendance, and Sir George Grey was warmly received. He explained that lie appeared in response to .1 request of the Chamber of Commerce, who tor the first time had taken the people into their confidence and invited an expression of public opinion on certain great questions. In doing so they deserved the thanks not only of this province, but of the colony. Speaking on the land question, he asked them to afiirm the principle that in taking land no injustice should be done to the present holders. His plan of settlement would deal first with Crown lands, as to which no difficulty as to private ownership had occurred ; secondly, with native lands regarding which private purchases should cease, and the natives should only sell to the State, but should receive fair prices for the land ; thirdly, the purchase of private estates to be subdivided and leased perpetually at an annual rental, the owner being paid in State land bonds bearing interest and iasuable like bank notes. As to public works, ho was in favor of the extension of the Northern Railways and the prosecution of the North Trunk Railway with connecting lines to Gisborne, Napier, and Taranaki ; also of the East and West Coast Railway as he believed in equal justice between the North and South. He exhorted his hearers not to be bribed to go in for a loan of eight or ten millions for selfish reasons— for the sake of a present gain — but only to borrow as they required it, and for .absolutely required and necessary works. A vote of thanks was unanimously accorded to Sir George Grey. During his previous Auckland speech Sir G. Grey said :— New life and energy I would be at once given to the colony if between the towns already formed the tracts of land were filled up with industrious settlers, giving commerce to the towns, and altering altogether the position of New Zealand, instead of, as at present, a few shearers, a few shepherds, on a great run owned by those spending your money in Europe, and causing death to the colony, and want of trade and commerce. Instead of that life and energy would permeate every part of New Zealand, and great prosperity would at once be given. We have advanced so far as this. What I propose by the plan which I have sketched is a land tax, the stoppage of emigration at the public expanse, and the purchase of the lands of Europeans and natives. The lands in the King Country are really very fine, and you may rely that the natives will jump at a system by which they will not be made drunkards and made to sell their lands for a few shillings, but by which they will receive a fair and just value for them. (Cheers.) In that way vast tracts will be opened to the people of New Zealand and to the rising generation. Look at your schools. Where are all those children to go ? At the present moment you are a landless race. I ask you to raise up a race of landowners of your own, and leave behind you a new state of civilisation suited to a new country and not to go back to the semi-barbarism of the poor which prevails in Great Britain.