A STROKE OF BUSINESS.

Colonist, Volume LIV, Issue 13277, 30 November 1911, Page 3

A STROKE OF BUSINESS.

Addressing tho "Wellington., North electors, Dr. Izard, who was interrupted by an interjector who called out "Rot," said it was a strange thing that some people always talked about what was uppermost in their minds! (Laughter.) There had been a great deal of'talk about the Mokau case, but he submitted that tho Government had done a very fine stroke of business in getting a syndicate to take, up tho Mokau lands, build roads and bridges, and make the lands fit for settlement.

A CHANGE OF FRONT.

At Waiuku the other day the Opposition's change of front on the advances to settlers system was explained by the Prime Minister, who told of an incident which occurred during the recent depression. "Certain big Opposition landowners loudly announced that they were sending their capital out of the country. This was at a timo when money was tight and farmers would liavo been only too glad to get loans. One of these landowners bought £60,000 worth of land in Queensland. vendor immediately communicated with the speaker as Minister of Finance, asking if he could invest £60,000' in New Zealand debentures. The offer was accepted, and within two days the money was 1 available in New Zealand for lending to settlers at 3* per cent. (Laughter.)" Ho asked his hearers to try and imagine his feelings in face of the political hypocrisy of tho men who, for the sake of getting office, were talking of non-borrowing, though they had voted for every loan, except one for the utilisation of water power resources.