THE ELECTION PLEDGES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9916, 3 August 1910, Page 2

THE ELECTION PLEDGES.

TWO LEASEHOLDERS' DILEMMA,

VOTE FOR SALE OF CROWN LANDS. [Feom: Oxm Correspondent.]

WELLINGTON, August- 3. The votes given in support of Mr Massey's no-confidence motion on the land question by Messrs R. A. Wright and F. M. B. Fisher, two pronounced leaseholders, were dealt with by the member for Lyttelton last evening in a ruthless fashion, that met with hearty support from the Liberal side of the House.

Mr Laurenson said that nothing; had surprised him more than Mr Wright's vote in favour of the Tory party's motion to sell the Crown lands. Mr Wright, on platform after platform, had said that lie was pledged to no political party, but that he was pledged to resist to the utmost any attempt to interfere with the national estate. Mr Laurenson read passages from speeches delivered by ■Mr Wright in which ho had pledged himself to leasehold principles.

Mr Wright: "Hear, hear." Mr Laurenson: " ' Hear, hear,' you say; but how did you vote when it was proposed to put in the thin end of tho wedgo that would separate from the people every acre they owned?" Mr Wright: "How did the Government vote?"

Mr Laurenson: ''On tho side of the people. But when we relied on you to stand by the Radical element, you walked like a sheep into the lobby behind tho Tory leader." Mr Wright,: " I was pledged to vote against the Government on a no-con-fidence motion "

Mr Laurenson: " That will not get you out of the holo." Mr Laurenson added that if ho had felt humiliation and grief at Mr Wright's vote, he had felt a greater pang at Mr Fishor's vote. Mr Fisher, like Mr Wright, had declared, timo after time that ho was as free as the north wind, but that he would pledge himself to oppose any at* tempt to interfere with the national estate. However, that was a matter between Mr Fisher and his constituents.

Later in the debate Mr Fisher declared that he was as strongly against the alienation of an inch of. Crown land now as ho had been in 1905. but he did not see how lie could support a Government that was alienating Crown lands so fast already that in four years, at the present rate, none would be left. Mr Ell: "Your party would sell tho whole lot." Mr Fisher: " I would rather \mve> an honest party than a shuffling one."