ELECTION CAMPAIGN.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 12616, 20 November 1911, Page 2

ELECTION CAMPAIGN.

Mr W. D, fc. Mac Donald, &.*:', recently addressed a'meeting of electors m the yr&ixevd Hall, Wh&katane.' Mr A. Peebles, who occupied the chair/stated tliat .Mr Mac Donald had served this, district well for three years, and had proved himsel fa, good, and faithful representative of the electorate. He had, m fact, given universal satisfaction. Mr Mac Donald, who on rising \vas greeted with prolonged;,.applause, said' the native^ land i quesiicin waH "one m which he was especially,; interested, .and that was one reason M'liy.. ho had first contested the Bay of Plenty 'seat,' He would like to see.the- idle land 'put' into the market for Europeans to purchase/ Reverting ;tb CrpNvn'^lands, tUo. subject was. 0n.0,. planjc.jn the platform, and;to -furthter^their .owniinfcerests;. they (the_ Qpppsitioji) made erroneous, statements m. con.bec,tfon w.ith the settle-, ment of, Crown, lands,,,whereas, "<on the Other haitd, /surveying Cfrlown blocks a)id, putting ;men on sections' had progressed at a rapic^ rate. . The Government were even said' to have ho, policy. When the Government had come into -power ;there was legislation 1 affecting, the settlement of lands which had benefited tlie capitalist only. In. 1902, how'eyer, the Hon. T. Mackenzie had brought down a Land Bill making provision v for -any class,,oi'nian \vishing to go on the land, and'flie policy had been Consistent from ttiat date., The Opposition party mpde much' capital out of fche freehold 1 (question, and; stumped the country frcimen\i't'6 erid' sta^inKVj^at $je .Qpy.et.nm'ejrt. i Refused ,to gfY.e JM,arsehol<ki Sk thjpusaad, tenants, had taken B.up.lajidj Unaev^Jtoo. 0.v.p.. tenure, and of this number only;)is-J9j had exercised-their right, df purchaser ur. to the ,i>reseYit'jtiineV'-. f liui $he" burning desire to ;agc|u)ir'e' the' /fr&'noj'd,,^fip<^k#; of > by the 1 ' Oppositidiv, was hot' iri>. eyidV fence., /In the last Land Bin, tenahts' were to 'be offered right <}f purchase,! but the 1 Bill Jiad*not been passed. .WhenV \h should c'onie down, however, -.tenants would be given a chance.to acquire the ireehold. ."Before; handing /lajn.d (Ov^er .1 N the' que^tfpji"o^ irejen'old and lea;Behold[ '^houJ^. be made^a, natiojiial onej/tp jje, settled by" arbitration. lTie, reason why the „0.1% p.tenure had been put into force was to stipulate certain cbnditioits iii'the aoquisition'of land. The opponents 'of' the Government were m favor of the freehold, and believed m rushing into the -question and • giving, the freehold ; with area limitation. This'procedure, he considered, Avas not' calculated to settle the problem.. He had been a baekblocks settler, and could understand the desire of people for the freehold. He woukl put no .'obstacles m the Avay of acquiring the freehold. "Freehold is more negotiable than, l.i'.p., because a man can cut up his block an<i .sell off portions without first applying for permission to do so. , At' the same time he had never known of «. case where 1.i.p."~ tenants'' met and at that meeting passed a vesolution asking the Government to ,jive them the freehold. If people desired the freehold" they should call meetings and pass resolutions bearing oh thg question, copies of which could later be. forwarded to;.the. Jttovernment. . Tlu's pl'oceclWie would be 'preferable to hiaking the '^qiifeJstiqn' & platforni one. : *By . the passing'of various Acts'the have shown it willingness to give settler's the right'of the freehold, th'tfs'shotting that adverse statements m this' matter are quite contrary to fact." (Applause.)