THE LAND BILL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8259, 12 October 1906, Page 5

THE LAND BILL.

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT. By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, October 11. The Premier, in the House of Representatives, yesterday, said that during his speech, on the second readiug of the Land Bill, he had intimated that the Government intended to prit the Bill through before ♦he Exhibition if the House would assist them. Since that statement representations had been made to the Government by hon. members, who favoured the Bill, that they thought it best to consult their constituents and let th« Bill be considered during the recess by the country. In the light of this lie deemed it bis duty to inform the House that he considered the request reasonable. There would not be time to put the Bill through by Ootober 30th. The second rending debate would not take less than 14 days, which would bring them to the end of the month, and as the Land Committee had not sent the Bill back to the House under four weeks, it was evident that the House would take much longer. The question, / therefore, arose whethur as an alternatives it would not bB as well to get the Hquse to return lato and finish the Bill before Christmas. The Government had come to the conclusion on the whole that it would be better to submit the Bill to the country during the recess. < Mr Maesey expressed his surprise at the. Ministerial announcement. He would not express any opinion on the course adopted except that the responsibility must rest on the Government of any course they may choose to adopt.

SPEECH BY HON. MR MoNAB. WELLINGTON, October 11. The Hon. Mr MoNab, Minister for Lands, addrecsing a meeting at to-night, said that had the Government endeavoured to force the Land Bill on to the Statute Book he believed it conld have been done, but this was the position: bad they gone on with the Bill, and attempted to put it through they would have carried with them through the whole coarse the hostility of a section of the people, who, if they better understood the proposals and their operation would have ended by supporting fchom. Id view of this, and of the necessity there would be of bringing members back late in November, it became patent that the best oourse was to postpone the work until next session, it was the intention of the Government Jjlo take advantage of every opportunity they had of travelling from one end of the colony to the other, during the reoess, explaining the Bi'l and replying to questions.

CABLE NEWS.

By Telegraph—Piess Assocbtion—Copyrieht