A FORMER MINISTER

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 145, 22 June 1931, Page 8

A FORMER MINISTER

SIR JOHN McKENZIE UNVEILING OF MEMORIAL EARLY LAND LEGISLATION The unveiling of the new cairn erected on Mount Puketapu in honour of Sir John McKenzie to replace the memorial, which stood for many years on Pukeviti Hill, took place at Palmerston, Otago, recently. The ceremony was performed by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon. P. A. de ]a Pcrreile. For the benefit of the older folk, who, it was considered, might find some difficulty in reaching the submit of Puketapu, the formal ceremony took place on the steps of the Palmerston Town HaP and on the Minister declaring the cairn unveiled, a sigial was given from below, and a flag wasbroken out on top of the monument. The Minister said Sir John McKenzie was a striking example of a man who achieved greatness through personal merit. He was born at Ardrcss, in Rosshire, Scotland, in 1838, and arrived in New Zealand in 186.1 at the age of 23. His first employment was on the run of the late Mr John Jones, of Southern Shag Valley. In 1871, Mr McKenzie, at the ago of 33, was elected member of the Provincial Council, and in 1881, when the general election for the House of Representatives took place, he was returned as the member for Moeraki, which seat he held continuously for 184 years. After the dissolution of Parliament in 1884, and upon the formation of the Stout-Vogel Coalition Ministry, Mr McKenzie was appointed Senior Whip, and when the Ballance Ministry was formed in 1891 he was appointed Minister of Lands. He continued to hold that portfolio in the Seddon Ministry until 1900, when, through ill-health, he resigned. During his term of office, 1891-1900, he prevailed upon Parliament to pass laws not only to prevent the further accumulation of large estates, but also to break up those already in existence. Furthermore, to assist men of moderate capital to obtain homesteads, he introduced the lease-in-per-petuity tenure, and thus gave the farmer a title equal to a freehold, and with a moderate rental. Mr McKenzie saw that the best lands of the colony had been acquired by largo landowners, while the new settler had. to go into the interior, away from roads and markets, and try to cultivate inferior lands. He, therefore, introduced the Land for Settlements Act of J 892, which enabled the Government to buy back, between 1892 and 1901, no fewer than 77 estates having a total area of 330,000 ~eres, and to place thereon over 1700 separate settlers. In addition, ho introduced the Cheviot Estate Disposition Act of 189?. Under that Act 76,000 acres were allotted to 290 settlers, one of whom, time had then o show, was to hold Mr McKenzie’s portfolio of Lands. That settler was the present Prime Minister.