SIR ROBERT STOUT AT OAMARU.

Timaru Herald, Volume L, Issue 4797, 20 March 1890, Page 3

SIR ROBERT STOUT AT OAMARU.

{ISyTELKORAPH.) ! OAMAKXT, liaboh 19. [ J Sir Bobort Stout delivered a speech on the land question in the Publio Hall hero tonight. Eto instituted compariaous betwooh. the" land legislation of his own Government and that of tho prosent Ministry, and maid-: taincd that while under hia Government {ho' tendency of legislation' was to obstruot. the' formation of large estates and to promoto such Botlloment as neccs«i(atos personal rosidenco on tbo land on conditions favourablo to tho (ettler and to tha principle of Stato ownership j tlio land legislation of the present Ministry had quito tha opposite tendency. In proof of this ho instanced the ultorations 'ffbifh hod . been Diadej. in Iho small grazing runs system, and tho facilities placod iu the way of.' cash purchasors aUo tho various cases with! the necessity of personal residences, and soiling forcaeh Bo;ond chns land which, under tho Stout-Vonel-Billanco yct/ime would havo beon reserved, for soltloment in hill farming under a system' of Stato proprietorship. lie also spoko strongly against tho native land legislation of the proBent Oovornment. Logalißing frootrada in native land wns, ho argued, like legalising frcetrado in anything between children and adultß who would inetitably make.it-. their business to tako over? possible advantago of tho childron. Besides being opposed _to tho well-bci'ng 1 ' of tho Mftoric, tho logtalation would cortainly bo bad for tho colony for it placed no limit upon tho cress which might bo acquired by individuals, companies, or syndicates, and thus it encouraged tho growth of that big cstato eyatom which had been tho cures of so many other piirj.B of thn colony. As to the hind graiitn to Iho Midland Rnilwnj Company Sir Robert Bfiid that wheroas bis Goyornnicnl had told tho .Compmv it must- tnVo its grants in altornalo blocks along tho lino, iJir 11. Atkinson's Qorornmcnt had in cfTecl, given tho Company t'iio riglit to select land throughout the gfeator j part of Oantorbiiry. Ho n.ilviaed the pconlo j tA ineisl' on tho roycrs'il of tiio present policy tci t.ho ' ut-ir.ost of their ability aiid fold them not. to let themselves In- lei! nway at, tho licit el'.Ltijiiß I'V such catch cries as tho

Bible in schools, etc., which ho prodielec would bo raised for tho very pUrpoßO of hood winking the country with regard to tho vita' ppinto aud .issues of tho, land .question... Al . the oloso of the. addfessSir 1?., Stout, was.cn- . \ thuiiaßtjoally thanked by tho andienco, on the motion of the Hot. Dr Macgregor.