THE LAND QUESTION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1854, 7 September 1906, Page 3

THE LAND QUESTION.

INTERVIEW WITH MR MASSEY.

THE QUESTION OF DISSOLUTION

(Special to Gisborne Times.) Wellington, last n'gbt, Asli d this attornoon his opinion upoD tho collapse of tbo debate on the Budget, Mr Masmy, tho Loader of the Opposition, said ho did not regret it in the least. In she proseDt circumstances a long drawnout debsti on either tho Addre3S-in-R?ply or tho Financial Sialoment would be simply a waste of time, especially ia a session liks the prosons, which was eup posed to be a short one. By bringing the debate to a close, the Government would , oow be able to bring down their Land BUI at a very early date, and aoyoDO who wanted to discuss tho land proposals wou d have a better opportunity when tho Bui was being considered than they would during the debate on tbo Budget. . In answer to a question as to who'hor tho explanations made by the Government bad altored his opinion in favor of the proposals, Mr Massey replied, “ Not in the slightest, because tho outatanding faot remains that if the Minister of Lands and the others on his side who support him were io talk for a month ii would be impossible, wero th.ir proposals to becom3 low, for any settlor od the lands of tho Grown in future to acquire tho freehold, Under such oircumstmces, even with va’uation for improvements at tho end of the totm, I dmit t wbotbtr the Grown lands of the colony w o '? Tth 5 ) up in tbo same way, -vmtage, as under a M Miaiato r had \ -n (said Mr Haaooy; E the stated i t hv limiting tbo I ! fceeholdir, would be loreed into. tb 1 market; peop.. w ho owned 1 would have lo got „f the surplus ahoae £SO 000 unimproved -q,\ue. hui lu -y 1 were given ton years in Wicb to get rid of it, and in tho way me ,»ouod tbote 1 would be very little land .placet in the msrkot for ton years to come, even ». the Snore of large blocks did net divide u, surplus area amongst their family, Au fbsr important point was that suca lauds °‘ b nfd be placed in tho market for oasb so that it was only tho man with nns7who would be able to get them. OTha/ too Opposition wanted was an Wha« too pp a £fjrdod to tho man tojj»Jti<LP Q tho lands of