THE LAND LEAGUE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8498, 30 July 1907, Page 5

THE LAND LEAGUE.

(To the 3ditor.)

Sir, —I nave watched with no small degree of interest the progress of the infant Land for Settlement League. So far the proposals of the League sent forward by them to the Government are good, and well Worthy of consideration. The proposals run as follow:—To prevent the monopoly of the Flour Millers' Trust; the lowering of railway carriage on house coal; the cutting up of a ten thousand acre block of land in close proximity to Masterton; the workers' homes petition together with sound recommendations of alterations in the Workers' Homes Act, all of which reflect credit upon the good intentions of the League, who apparently mean to stir things up a bit in Masterton. The question is, does this League get the support from the general public it deserves? I think not. It is an open secret that there are those who should support the League, yet are anxious and have made attempts to throttle it. lam pleased to observe that at each meeting of the League it is announced that its membership is increasing. This is a good omen. If such a League had been in existence when the cutting up of large estates in the electorate was urged some yeai's ago the matter would not have been dropped in the flimsy manner it was. I read in Hansard the other day a vigorous speech made in the House by our member in defence of himself in connection with obvious need | of Masterton closer settlement, and |he threw the whole blama upon the Government. Now I remember a public meeting being held some years ago re this very matter. Mr Hogg was requested to attend the meeting for the purpose of explaining to the meeting what was being done. After being pressed for an explanation his flimsy excuse was that the then Commissioner of Crown Lands took a conservative view of the matter, and would do nothing, but a Mr Reese was to be appointed to the Land Board, and he would make things "hum," but there the whole matter ended. At this meeting, a farmer of some foresight sat beside me, and as soon as Mr Hogg had "explained" the position the farmer referred to : rhed me cn the arm and said —"Come on out; there will I be no closer settlement here as long as Hogg is our member." How true! But let us hope the Land for Settlement League will do what our member must admit he has failed to do, viz., to get the Government to recognise in a substantial manner that the continued prosperity of ihe town of Masterton absolutely depends upon closer settlement of the surrounding country.--1 rra, etc., ANTI-BUNKUM. Masterton, July 25th, 1907.