STRAIGHT TALK FOR ELECTORS

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19814, 4 December 1919, Page 7

STRAIGHT TALK FOR ELECTORS

LAND AND SETTLEMENT. Five years ago Air Massev ■ publicly declared that the chief plank ‘‘in his platform ” was “ to help the man on the land.” Quite so! Ho has always helped “ the man on tho land ’’—especially the big roan who is very much " on the land”-—but he has done very little to put anyone else there. At present.the national policy or settling discharged soldiers on tho land is be’ing used to benefit the,landowners who are being paid excessively high prices. The prices are high because tho Government has done nothing to discourage the bolding of land for speculative purposes, and_ because its own purchases are stiffening the market against itself, and because it will not take land compulsorily at a valuation based on tax assessment as provided bv tho law placed on the Statute B.ook bv tho Liberals. When food prices drop, as they inevitably will, the soldier settlers will be unable to pay interest, and either they must be evicted or the Btatc, which means you and T, must pay the deficit. The Liberal policy of hind settlement is to forco tbo large estates on to the market by increasing the graduated tax, protecting the settlers against hardship and the State against financial loss. Which way will $•011 vole? " <5