The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, OCTOBER. 22, 1909. THE LAND QUESTION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2639, 22 October 1909, Page 4

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, OCTOBER. 22, 1909. THE LAND QUESTION.

Just now when it seems apparent that Parliament is likely to be once more closely engaged in a controversy over the land question it may he well to emphasise the position of the tw r o parties in the House. On this subject the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Massey, made his views very plain the other day. Speaking to a Wellington pressman he said :

We require a strong land settlement policy, which will apply to both Crown lands and unoccupied Native land, by which lands will be made available for and every encouragement given to intending settlers, and by which they will have the securest tenure that it is possible for the law to give them. Nothing else will satisfy us, and, we mean to have it. ‘Closer settlement, restricted areas, and security of tenure’ iis our motto, and. from that principle there will not be the slightest departure. Here is a policy that is a policy. There is something in Mr Massey’s pronouncement that is understandable. We know,what wilPliappen if he should be placed at the head of the public affairs. He will concentrate all the resources of his government upon the task of making the lands of the Dominion available for small settlers. Not only will he make them available, he wall at the same time make them attractive by offering the freehold title to all vvlio go'on the land. This-is the greatest magnet that can ever be devised to draw our people from the overcrowded cities to the country. “A home of his own.” That is the instinctive desire of almost every Britisher —to have undisputed possession of the house he lives in; of the ground he works. With this as an incentive he will year after year put forth the best that is an him and it is the aggregation of these individual efforts that make the wealth of nations. But it is just this whiqh the Ballance-Seddon-Ward administration has persistently refused to concede and in addition it has hampered Crown tenants by multitudinous restrictions of a most irritating nature. Public feeling has been steadily growing against the conservatism of the so-called Liberals on this matter and in various ways they have endeavored to stall off a movement that refuses to be sidetracked. At one time they gave a 999 years’ lease which was long enough to leave the State as we know it quite out of the running ,and yet was not as good to the tenants as the freehold. This ridiculous evasion is one of the most foolish acts ever perpetrated by any legislature and the tenure has been discontinued, but the complications resultant from its operations up to date will stand as a. heritage to politicians for the next 980 years, .presuming this section of the community are not all killed or driven mad by its variations before the leases expire. Within the last few years the Government has gradually veered round to the freehold side and has conceded the clear title in some cases and refused it in others on the principle of compromise which constitutes its eternal sheet anchor. And now jt is freely stated that the Government .intends to go the whole way and agree to the freehold tenure as the guiding principle of Crown lands policy settlement. People were saying this freely whilst the Rangitikei election campaign was in progress, with freehold candidates receiving Government support, and the Acting-Premier, the Hon. James Carroll, never raised lfis voice in denial or confirmation. Since the Premier returned the same rumors have been circulated, but Sir Joseph has not uttered a syllable on the subject. He may have his own reasons for silence, but it would really seem that nowadays the art of the politician lies in blabbing a lot of platitudes' that no one wants to hear and in maintaining a stolid silence regarding.things the public is really .‘‘..concerned about. But it is not merely on the question of tenure that the Government’s position in regard to land settlement is so unsatisfactory. Mr Ballance laid down a fairly sound policy for opening up the Dominion’s lands, but the Seddon-Ward administration has failed utterly to produce even reasonably good results. They have stood as the champions of the small man, hut all the time they have stood idly by whilst millions of acres of land have remained empty of settlers and diave not taken any practical steps to have the blank places filled up. Last year only 1863 persons were placed on the land under all forms of tenure, and one naturally wonders how long it will take at this rale to supply the legitimate wants of the large army of would-be selectors who swarm around the Lands Offices in all parts of the Dominion whenever a ballot is announced. The fact of the matter is the present Government’s sole policy is comprised in three words —-“Keep in office.” ' It stands convicted today of having failed most lamentably in regard to the vital question that affects the country’s welfare. As already pointed out Mr Massey’s policy is something one can understand, but from the Government we never know what to expect except, that variations will ho constantly forthcoming to suit the exigencies of party preservation. How this works out in practice .is evident from the paltry amount of settlement recorded, and- the fact that it is harder at the present time for a deserving young farmer to get an allotment of Government land than it has ever been, despite the fact that millions of acres of land are lying waste.

A French boy of 12 years of age lias had a painting hung in the Paris .Salon. The box/ plans for Hugh J. Ward’s season of musical comedy will lie opened at Mr. W, Miller’s at 10 o’clock this morning.

Tenders for the right to take charge of horses at the spring meeting of thePoverty Bay Turf Club, on October 28th and 29th, close with the secretary, Mr. D. It. DeCosta, at noon to-day. The Waikchu County Council invites tenders, closing at noon on Tuesday, October 26th, for clearing and regrading roads near Martyn’s, Mangatu itiver.

A first offender was fined the usual 5s and costs for drunkenness in the Gisborne Police Court yesterday, with the alternative of 24 hours’ imprisonment

The Post Office authorities notify that a receiving box lias been placed at Mr. Clare’s store, at the corner of Palmerston and Roebuck Roads. The box will be cleared daily at 10.30 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. There will be no further exhibition of the Pathe Pictures this week, but the management will, in conjunction with Henry Hayward, of West’s Pictures, present a special carnival programme on Monday and Tuseday next. The. Union Steamship Company announce the two excursions to the- West Coast Sounds by the Waikare, from Dunedin, in December next. The fare to be charged is from £6, and it is fully expected that the two trips this year will be quite as satisfactory as the-ex-cursion made last Easter by the Talune. “I was once opposed to Y.M.C.A.ism,” said the Rev. Dawson Thomas last evening,, “because, like many other foolish persons, >1 thought it was composed of pious prigs.” The rev.'gentleman added that he had long since realised his error, for the Y.M.C.A. members were men of the very best stamp.

Speaking at the Y.M.C.A. social last evening, Captain Evans urged that it was possib’e for the young men of the country to pay too much attention to sport. " Said lie: “If an enemy were to invade your country it would not matter whether you were the best footballers or the best hockey players; you couldn’t keep them out, but if you were the best rifle shots you could.” At the Y.M.C.A. social last evening one gentleman essayed to emulate the feat of the Parliamentary representative who established a record for brevity in speaking on the Address-in-Reply. Finding that proceedings had become somewhat protracted, this gentleman satisfied himself by naming his toast, and without dilating upon it, sat down amidst applause. At the Kaiti range yesterday afternoon a squad of recruits from the Gis■orne Rifles did some class-firing, and in spite of a bad light and a very tricky wind, good shooting was done. Some of the men gave promise of becoming good shots, being consistent in their scores, and in several instances •>v reached nothin three of the possible score.

Mr. -J. Score, owner of the premises, in 'Gladstone Road, in which the fire occurred on Tuesday night, has presented a handsome challenge cup to Captain Zachariah, of the Gisborne Defence Cadets, in recognition of the services rendered on the night of the fire by the Cadets, who formed a cordon and kept back the crowd. The trophy is on view at the shop of Mr. W. Good, jeweller.

The non-commissioned officers of the East Coast Mounted Rifles sat for their written examination at Waerenga-a-ka School on Wednesday evening. The candidates were: Corporal W. L. Coleman (Gisborne troop), S. MacDonald, Lance-Corporal P. J. Sefton (Te Karaka troop). Sergeants J. S. Wauchop and Corporal C. H. Beatson (Makauri troop).. Troopers F. Cumming and H. McLernon also sat for examination for certificates of proficiency. Captain C. H. Evans supervised, and will forward the papers to Wellington.

The meeting convened by Messrs J. R. Kirk (Acting-Mayor) and J. Townley (president of the Gisborne City Band) in connection with the forthcoming Art, Curio, and Industrial Exhibition takes place fo-night. It is now nearly 20 years since the Band were provided with a new set of instruments, and as they will need to raise from £3OO to £4OO, it is intended to run the exhibition on a very large scale. Several leading business men are taking up the matter enthusiastically, and a good meeting is expected this evening.

When a “line” of American goods was unpacked in a Gisborne business house the other day a little note was discovered in the parcel, signed with the name of a lady, single, and persumably young, and requesting that a post card 'from the town where the goods were unpacked might be forwarded to her. A gentleman present gallantly resolved to comply with the request, and’ accordingly procured. colored picture card showing tfib view just above the Ivaiti bridge. ‘ _ This he is posting to the lady in question, at the address given, in Massachusctts, where it will doubt’ess be added to the collection of post cards which the lady is presumably forming. A meeting of those interested in the annual Old Settlers’ picnic was held in Whinrav’s Hall last night, when it was decided" to hold the function 1 at the Patutahi Domain on November 9th (King’s Birthday). The public are cordially invited to attend the picnic, which will be the fourth held in the district. The first was held over 30 years ago, the second 14 years ago, and the third last year, at which over 1000 persons were present. It is anticipated that the attendance this year will, given fine weather, be even greater. Picnickers bring their own provisions, but hot water and milk will be provided free of charge, and in addition arrangements are being made to have a supply of soft drinks available. The cantata “The Bose Maiden,” given by the Turanga Musical Society last night, was deserving of a much larger attendance than that present in the Matawhero Hall, .and after their performance, given lately at Patutahi, one would have expected a packed house. However, the smallness of the audience was no criterion of the performance,. and those present were, one and all, unanimous in their verdict that it was a musical treat. As a prelude to the cantata, the orchestraplayed an overture, and Mr. McClyrnont, who was in good voice, sang “The Yeoman’s Wedding Song,” and for an encore “My Ain, Polk.” The solos in the cantata- were admirably rendered by Mrs. Parsons, Miss Faulkner,. and Messrs McOlymont, Parsons, and Highett. To Miss Faulkner a special word of praise is due, as owing to Miss McKenzie, who was to have taken the contralto solo, being ill, Miss Faulkner filled her place. ■ The choruses were well given, particularly that of the “Wedding Morn.” The accompaniments were played with .great taste hv Mesdames Goodchap Faulkner-. The higli standard of efficiencv to' which the Society liaS been brought is due mainly to the hard work of Mr. Gray, the conductor, coupled 1 with consistent practice on the paid of the vocalists.

The police at Queenstown report that a Chinaman named Wong Cong has been found dead in a hut at Mao

Point. ... ,The Gisborne Lawn Tennis Club vn open tbeir courts for the j SL \‘• • morrow. The grounds are look ng m very good order, and given hne 'veatJier the club should have a successful open in" An invitation lias been extended. members of the Whatuupoko Club. The following have been- added.to the telephone exchange:—o&J, Davis, residence, Waerenga-a-hika (oho font, and one short ring); 284, Grey Bros., residence, Mangapapa (three lon rings); 284, White, C., Taruheru (nng altered to two long); 269, Probert, D-, residence, Victoria TownsJnp ; oil, Johansen, P. A., residence, Kuaseli Street; 91, Clare and Sons, bakers and grocers, Roebuck Road; ■ 108, McAra and Wilson, soap works, Crawford Road; 171, Brown, C Aguew-, resi-dence,-Wamui Road; 190 Haache, 1•, residence, Ormond Road, Makauri (t long rings): 262. Blair, J., residence, Iranui Road; 293, Greaves, H., blacksmith Fitzherbert Street; 303, iStevenson. IVlrs. E., Waratali boarding-house, Wainui Road: 65. Carter, Mrs. A., “Lambton,” Childers Road. Deleted : 188, Muir, S.; 357, Fromm, A.; 100, Mahonev, M.; 324, Alpha sawmills, 331, Ferguson, C. L.; 405, Colebrook, G.