THE GOVERNMENT’S LAND POLICY.

Southland Times, Issue 17014, 12 April 1912, Page 6

THE GOVERNMENT’S LAND POLICY.

STATEMEST BY ME O. W. RUSBEIiIi. Tin- novfnirainl's intou: ion iv-aa nl inir 11.<• set I lenten I of (he lain! was brietly d h> I'.' ill-' Jlon. w, ili;rin« ill'- noorsn of Urn sonial aa 11 1 or i iia t '•IKllTOil to .Mr .1. All'' '1 UffSTUfJO. Ih(. Ul'il'tU".! i .the";!! candidaie for Stratford .",1 s he ! -1 t election. Air Massey. the- iNI i; si 1 or said, had been stifcrin- at the leaseholders in the t •..hiiifi. Hi- explain,al that there was an si nle -1 a xer in the Cahinet. nor was ii,cr.' a .M i i: i-i "r who was a land nalio'na I is'f. "We all l"'li.'\i' in the tin- freeholder so far as private property i is <!■';< * ii'-d." ho added, amidst liiud i :. 1 1 1 • I nnall" want cd to Hear t h mat- ; I' * I' n I • •inn and for all. Aft Mnssny had i ■!' >b:n "f Im leaseeold ion j„ fni ntinr- to I ho [ns'-sniit (’abinei in an tit;- : fair and mi.insi way for the purpose 0 |- | • rail I ina tin - - impression Unit (! 1 faldnot I wt.s a..; a Inst Hit; risjht of private v n , e . I hold. ’"'"here vio-p nine million ;iitps m o | aside In i.o la id for all I imp for ,’hp | hi-riina l of the pot>t> 1 <:■ of \> ir ia,i,|. I - rim rapc.t i-nis p‘‘"'nl'' who wanrod to i nliiton I I'M. nine million ai-res simnid never have the opport unit y. 'rpc q (IV . ernment did not look at a section of the noriinmnily. but at (he frreat mass of the people. Legislation was needed so Mint every youm; man should have a chance of Kettiriß a piece of land to settle on without beins driven off | )y tlie morlKagoe. (Applause). Speaking on the same subject tj, e Prime Minister, Mr T. Mackenzie.’ said the froverntneiu would conserve the na-■J-oial andowment, and, surely, that was 1

a right and proper thing to do. The land laws were liberal, and gave men and women the opportunity of taking up land and settling on it. What was wanted was territory rather than tenure.:!. The c'loser settlement policy would be continued in order to give the people the opportunity of getting on the land. "The Government." he added, “is going to thro tv its, whole-souled energy into the opening up of the lands of this dominion." They wanted to see the highest results from the soil, and the Govern-, me.nt was desirous of helping in every way, both in regard to fertilisers and the importation of high-grade stock. ’lt would endeavour to bring all the land as far as possible into a higher state of productiveness. TCxperiments were now being carried out in this direction.