POLITICAL SITUATION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12814, 13 July 1912, Page 5

POLITICAL SITUATION.

LIBERAL PARTY'S STRAIGHT

COURSE

INTRIGUING AND DISLOYALTY

STATEMENT BY MR W. D. K.

MACDONALD

I have' had a . fairly strenuous tinie since the opening .of .the 1911 session, and I have returned home for a spell for a week or two. I feel I require a short holiday," remarked Mr. W. D. S. Mac Donald, the ex-Minister of Public Works and Native Affairs, who arrived from Wellington this morning, and was interviewed by a representative of this paper. ' ' ■ "We meet the House again at the end of the month. The Liberal party has not come to any decision as to. vhat Action they will take when the session resumes. As to the present siate of parties, it is clear that with a full House and all the Liberals m their place, the new Government has only a narrow margin. DEPENDED ON THEIRS PLEDGES. "From the time that our Cabinet took .office m. March last \ve.did not call the party together to discuss political matters. We relied on the vote and pledges given by the party at the caucus. Of •course we had heard, by persistent rumors, as to certain members turning traitors and breaking pledges to the party,- but the Ministry as a. whole gave, very little credence to these rumors, naturally believing that all honest men would, when the House met, stick to the pledges they had made. "However, we ' recognised that s) ould anjy of the disappointed aspirants for Cabinet elect to vote against the Government, our defeat, was certain. Tlie Ministry devoted the whole of its attention to endeavoring to carry on the affairs of the country m ,a. satisfactory, manner, the various Ministers being fully occupied with their different departments. Consequently little heed was paid, to the rumors current of disloyalty. BETTER TO GO OUT OF OFFICE. "We realised that if we had to be continually watchinV our supporters' Mfctics it would be better to go out of omc'ev So. that so far as Cabinet was concerned no effort was made to retain the support of those who finally vcted against- us, contrary to pledges given, at the caucUs,, m the House, and on the public platform. • ,"I have already expressed my own ■opinion m regard to those members when speaking on the ro-con- [ fiderice debate, and what I said then I reiterate. Members of the party who will intrigue and be false to their coriI stituents and the party they are leturned 'to support — well, they are only worthy of the contempt of honest men. "In regard to the new Government I have very little to say. Personally I do : not think it an unmixed blessing for a Government to be too long m office. There are occasions when, to satisfy the public mind, it becomes necessary that changes should take, place. For many years those m opposition to the Liberal Administration have been saying again and again to the country that if. they were m power they would very greatly improve the conditions of the • people of the Dominion. They have been pointing out how they would purchase Native land and improved estates, survey and road Crown and Native, latidy; build roads., _ railways and. , .bridges,!, ( a.pjl ( push on the development work.. of the, country with less borrowing an^,' less taxa j tion, to the more general satisfaction, of New Zealand. 'Unquestionably a .large; section of the community -has coms;,tpbelieve that thjs Can, t bo dope. ,, .Those who have been k> long.ui,^ppo&iti,on.wijl now have the privilege of haying their views and promises put 'to. a A practical test. A; DISCREDIT TO' NEW ZEALAND. "I am Of opinion that to carry out a 'progressive land policy and the necessary development work, whatever party is m power,. it will be necessary to annually borrow a fairly large sum of money. The remaining unsettled lands of the Dominion are remote and difficult of access, ,and. will require large expenditure on roads, etc ; , and a larger amount of money for this purpose will have to. be raised from some source. .So that I. am.. convinced that if the present Government is to carry on land settlement, and the development of the country at the same rate as that maintained by the Government 6f the past five-years, they will find it will require a great deal of consideration And finance. ' ■'<■.' ■ '.'Occasions, I believe, arise m the history of. every country when it is essential that »• change of Government should take place, hut I am strongly of opinion that these changes should take place, by the expressed will of the people. * What has transpired during the past week or ten days ?— the intriguing that has been carried on both inside .and outside the House — m order to obtain a majority— well, it has not been a credit to New -Zealand or to the party that now occupy, the- Treasury benches. AID TO (SETTLEMENT.

"Noav that the Conservative pfrty is m power,, it will be interesting to see what method they'" will adopt m regard to assisting settlement m the backblocks and iii the 'opening up of back country for settlement purposes. I am Aery interested m this 'matter, as my own electorate is one that requires a very, great deal of consideration m connection with the expenditure of public money. Since I "have represented the Bay of Plenty, although I have -never asked for any undue share of public works expenditure, I have always.; urged the requirements of my extensive, district, and I think I can claim with some success. \But I want to say, so far as. the Ward Government and the late* Administration are concerned, it was alAvays the desire, to * assist every locality, ! irrespective of political color. I nade ' this point A-ery clear m the House dur- | ing theVdebate. On that occasion 1 took the ,case of ten adjoining counties m Taranaki, and shoAved, from departmental figures, that, these ten counties collected m rates £69,000, Avhilst they received m subsidy £75,280 for the year ending March 31, 1911, and 'probably at a higher ratid for the year ending IS'l2. With one exception, these counties were represented by members of the late Opposition. I think I can assert that Avas ■a fair proportion of public expenditure. -. -.■ v ■ "What I am chiefly concerned about is the Question as to whether the Conservative Government Avill keep up the same rate of expenditure for the opening and development of the country and the progress of public works. I sincerely- hope, m the interests of settlers and settlement, that this expenditure will not -, be relaxed. Consequently lam anxiously awaiting the policy of the r.eAV Government. ; ATTITUDE OF THE NEW GOVERNMENT. "As to the Ministry, Mr Massey has formed, they have been long enough before the country, and are well known. There is no doubt m, regard to the age of some of the new Cabinet, Avhich should give experience. My successor, Mr Eraser, is 72 years of age. Outside the party question I sincerely hope no 'retrograde policy will be brought m, but a progressive programme designed m the best interests of the country. So far as I am personally concerned., I will consider the interests of the country before personal or party interests, and j whenever measures ' are brought before I the House that I consider are m the j right direction they will have my support." Questioned as to the administration of the important departments of which he had control during the short period of administration. Mr Mac Donald said these portfolios— Public Wprka, "Native Affairs, and Valuation— were probably more important to Gjsborne than any of the others. ' NATIVE LANDS. Referring to the operations of the Native. Department for the past two years, Mr MaijDonald supplied some further details than those that have been already telegraphed from Wellington. During the year ending March 31, 1911, native land disposed of by sale and lease totalled 231,375 acres ; purchased by ' Native Land Purchase Board, 75,437 acres ; making a total of 306,812, acres. Of this^ area 194,844 acres Avas ' alienated by way of private alienation, with tlit* approval of the Boards."" An

analysis of the position showed that 116,498 acres had been leased to 435 applicants and 78,346 acres had been sold to 660 applicants. The average holdings of the area disposed of was by lease 267 acres, by sule 199 acres.

The operations for the past year were almost double. The area alienated by sale and lease, (represented 527,752 acres, purchased by the Native Land Purchase Board (under assembled owners) 75,192 acres, from the natives individually 17,733 acres, making a total for the year of 620,717 acres. Of the above 437,672 acres, were disposed of by private alienation as between native owners » and alienees, with approval pf the Maori Land Boards, and 278,6£3 acres were leased to 571 applicants, whilst 159,019 acres were. sold to 1300 applicants. The average area was by lease 488 acres and by sale 122 [acres A Native lands purchased by the Lands Department comprised Moerangi ' and adjoining' Aland's.' 33,025 acres, Ure-_ wera, land's 41,5Q6 acres ; total, 74,5,31 joining lands;, 41,506 acres; total, 74,531 acres. It would' thus '.be'-seen the two years' statement of the respective departments showed that ah area of 1 ,002^060 acres had been alienated:, of which 537,112 acres had, actually passed from the- 4ands of 'the natives.. "' VARIOUS CHANGES CONTEM- ; '"' : ABLATED. Thp ex-Minister iidded that he had already emphasised the splendid work that liad been effected . during the past two years. ' 'He had",cbri£emplated various changes to effect important improvements m cpnnectpin >with native land settlement, and he was ! also preparing an amending Act to give effect to various changes in ' connection' \vith["the ad-, ministration. He had also given instructions for a special court to sit at Te Araroa.to dear with the remaining area of papatipu land and complete the ascertaining of titles;. He, hoped his->suc-cessor would make n6 alterations m regard to this matter. He had also j hoped to have had an Appellate Court] at Te Araroa to deal with the Wharekahika appeals as soon as possible after the expiry of the specified date. There had ? however, been a-' great deal of typhoid m that locality, and it was considered inadvisable to hold the Court until September: Before finally deciding this matter, however, he had gone out of office. He trusted the Department would keep these matters m view. Generally speaking, the work was going on satisfactorily, the chief difficulty being surveys. He hoped his successor would introduce amending legislation on the lines he (Mr Mac Donald) was preparing, and if this was done matters would be greatly expedited. He hoped that with the changing of Government there would be no falling off m pushing on the public works, particularly of this district. REQUIREMENTS OF THE DISTRICT. Incidentally Mr Mac Donald mentioned that he estimated £2,800,000 would be required for public works this year, considerably more than last year. _ The framing , of the Estimates "had been engaging his attention prior, to,. going out of office, and m this connection he had intended asking authority. "pf Cabinet for a substantial sum, for the' East Coast line, including the local' sections. He had determined to 'push on the Gisborne southwards line to the full extent ' of his authority, particularly as if promised to be a splendid paying line', whilst the speedy ' reaching Of the stone country m the Hangaroa was also very desirable. The section from the Waipaoa bridge to Patutahi within the flood area would be ballasted with, J?atutahi stone. There should be' no reason why within : the next twelve months the bridge should not be completed and the line practically ready for opening to Ngatapa. At least that was what he had intended to aim for. '. f -I"' Mr Mac Donald added that he had also asked for substantial votes, for various road works as recommended by the local authorities and district engineer. These included £7000 for theT Motu-Opotiki dray road, which he desired to see opened for coach service as soon as the rails reached Motu. Other votes he had set down included the completing and widening of Pakihi track, Moanni-Tahora road, Te Kai-aka-Kanakanaia (balance of vote m accordance with loan proposals), Opo-tiki-Waiohiki-Matawai, £2200 for Gis-borne-Tolaga Bay, metalling qf.Wij'm settlement, Steele's Hangaroa road, etc., besides numerous important works m the Waiapu County. (Special to Herald.) . - .' WELLINGTON^ this day. Th 6 Government has authorised the purchase of the Sherenden estate, about 8300 acres, m Hawke's Bay, owned by Mr J. Lethbridge. Eighty per cent, is ploughable land. Tlie Government has also .given instructions for the examination of half a dozen other estates. ' Asked if land legislation was likely this season, Mr Massey replied : "There will be land legislation this session. I am hot prepared to say whether we shall have time to face a big policy question on the matter that must be dealt with, but there must be legislation on certain matters of detail that have to 'be dealt with -by statute."