NON. MR. FISHER ON TOUR.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 58, 8 March 1913, Page 9

NON. MR. FISHER ON TOUR.

'.IV'X-' j SPEECH AT TE KOPTJRU. | TENSIONS AND TENURE. if (Br. Telegraph.— Own Correspondent.) j' TE KOPURU, Friday. '. ;lhe Minister of Marine ,(HJon. ■- .■£& B.Fisher) spent to-day in visitjjir_various settlements on his way beIfteh l'aparoa and Te Kopuru. where "(his evening he delivered an address in " (Je-"'Coronation Hall. The Otamatea County chairman (Mr. H. J. Slade) Presided over an audience of about 100. 'Hie Minister assured his hearers, in (oinection with the impression abroad • flit the livelihood of gumdiggers was .'threatened, that full inquiry into all abjections would be made before any •' 'itttri gum reserve was opened. Mr. 'fisher proceeded to expatiate on the 'idvantages of the State as a model employer, -declaring that if the State could -tonduct enterprises profitably and pay .-• :':-j&id.'wages, as he believed it could, jlhtn private employers should pay -'.'; Squally : good wages. .-' After discussing the administration. ; ?past fiiitl -present, of the Civil Service, the Minister touched upon the pensions svstem,..which he declared to be on an , .'-ansound basis, inasmuch that the •.thrifty were penalised am. the indolent - rewarded. What he desired to do was .'■-' to remove the unplcnsunt disabilitiesi': .:rwhieh.prevented many sensitive people -from benefiting under the scheme. If : : it : Tverc found too costly to engage " special officers to investigate claims, he would arrange, that policemen, while en1'- gaged on such duties, should wear ;. civilian clothes. He hoped that ulti-r-Safely >»c pension scheme would be • —jnafle" 'applicable to everyone, irrespee- ' "tire''of income .or other circumstance, -' and that every person should contribute '.. '".'to the ■ fund. He also contended that a flan -injured in some hazardous occu- ••" nation -.had, lis good a title to a life pen- '■'. -sicn as the soldier wounded in action. ' •" (Applause..); r'. Going on to speak of industrial pro-■blems,-3tr. Fisher, while conceding the -r right of men to strike, declared that .= grave issues must ho considered before '' that-irigbt was exercised. But every ■j'' lmtimiitc resource should be ox- -; haiisted; .before the last weapon—that :?,'■ of.the strike —was used. r- On the subject of land tenure the -. Minister...explained that his attitude ' "wi leasehold, and he believed every •' acre "should be offered by. the Govern- .- ient on the optional tenure, to enable i: settlers, of small means to take it up ?: oh leasehold. *He believed, at the same "time; that every leaseholder on Crown ■"'" land was a freeholder at heart, and .whet, it came to the ballot-box would ■~ : throw theories overboard, so far as ? . State ownership was concerned, and 1•! would-vote freehold. : At the,conclusion of his address the a Minister was accorded a hearty vote of -_;"'-: thanks.'