SIR ROBERT STOUT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2557, 19 July 1909, Page 3

SIR ROBERT STOUT.

INTERVIEW ON NEW ZEALAND AFFAIRS.

Sir Robert Stout, Chief Justice of Now who is at present visiting London, lias been giving his views on local and. Imperial problems to a ‘ ‘Daily_ Chronicle”representative. Dealing with the land tax and tho super tax on large owners, .Sir Robert said that the New Zealand policy had had a very satisfactory effect. “We arc finding,” lie remarked, “that the graduated and super taxes have the effect of breaking up the larger holdings, and that it is what we want to' see brought'about. This principle was witroduced first when I was Prime Minister in 1887, and we had a long fight before We got it. But the people show no desire or intention of reversing it now.”

Tlie Moderate party which, at present rules the London County Council are preparing to sell freehold sites in the City, acquired under the Progressive regime, and concerning this, Sir Robert said that to “part with the land would be a most short-sighted and wicked thing to do. The argument that as the land ,is lyin-gj idle the Council must find tho money to pay the interest on the purchase price is absurd. Tliero is no philanthropy in business. No one is going to buy land in order to save the Council paying interest; they will only purchase because they are convinced they could make money hv the transaction. If they could do so, why should not the Council also? To urge, the sale of the land on this ground shows an extraordinary lack of foresight on the part of your municipal legislators. I feel strongly on the matter. In the early days of the colony I advocated that'no land at all be sold. In TBS 6 I passed a Bill by which tho State endowed every corporation in New Zealand with land which is generally let on what is called the Glasgow lease- system.'- At first, in advocating the Glasgow lease system' I was strenuously opposed, and it was suggested •that a ninety-nine years lease and then reversion to the State of all the buildings would, be better, but the Glasgow lease was adopted, ultimately, and it has worked admirably ever since. No one would dream of substituting any other arrangement. 1 ” In discussing Mr Winston Churchill’s scheme for dealing with unemployment, Sir Robert remarked: “Laoor bureaux work excellently in New Zealand, and will, no doubt, do good work' here Jf .properly organised, hut tho real attack on employment must begin in the schools. These are not doing their duty if they only teach reading, writing, and arithmetic. It is in them that thoroughness and strenuous endeavour must be cultivated, and the school training have an industrial bias, and until this is realised there is little hope of checking unemployment. In every country school agriculture should he taught as is now done in parte of Europe, and, I believe, in some schools in England. The insurance scheme is a step in the right direction, hut the difficulty is that in so many cases unemployment is due to physical disability, moral unfitness and lack of intelligence.” This led up to the temperance movement, and Sir Robert declared that nothing had impressed him more in England than the. wav in which the country was dominated by the drink traffic and the frightful evils which drink was inflicting upon the people. Sir Robert preferred abolishing public houses altogether, and thought that this was not a counsel of perfection. “It is coming very rapidly,” he said. “Look at the .United States. 'State after State has decided to go m for prohibition. '.ln Australia the same movement is going on. Indeed, Britain will soon be the only English-speaking country left under the domination of the liquor-sellers. Then, again, your schools are under' the control of the Church, and you are fighting about what .religion you should teach instead of joining together to get the best form of education ppssible for your clnldrG “In New Zealand we have had a State system of education since 1877, .which is free and secular, and the effect lias been excellent in every way. Crime has gone down. Religious wrangling has ceased, and there is a general increase in feelings, of humanity and kindliness. Ours is the only possible system. How can you teach religion unless you are agreed upon what 'religion to teach ? ■■ The interviewer askedi for Sir Robert’s (opinion about female suffrage, and acYled: “Some people think here that it will only .put the women under the control of the priests,” to which Sir Robert replied: “Well, they can t be moro under the .control of the. priests than they are at present. Making our women voters has had a splendid effect on them, and on the Government as well. They are learning that it is not necessary to go to prayer-meetings and churches in order to.do good. The vote has broadened their outlook on life, and as electors, they are sweetening and .p'urifying politics.” •