MR McLACHLAN AT RAKAIA.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XVII, Issue 3601, 11 June 1895, Page 2

MR McLACHLAN AT RAKAIA.

Mr McLichlan addressed a crowded meeting at the Town Ball, Rakaia, on Saturday evening. Mr Strachan was voted to the chair, and introduced the claiming for him a fair and patient hearing. .VILI AGE SEITLERS' THIRDS.

Mr McLachlan, who was well receivwdj after a few introductory remarks (during which he apologised for his mistake the last time he was in the hall, and undertook that a similar occurrence would not happeu again), gave a history of the village settlers' thirds, and stated that after interviewing Mr Barron at the Lands' Department, he had met Mr Coater in Wellington, who pointed out that the claim was a moral if not a legal one. Upon this he approached the Minister of Lands, demanding satisfaction of a moral claim for a portion of his constituency, with the result that £474 7s 7d was made available for the entire use and benefit of the village settlers of Rakaia COURTHOUSE. He had also recommended the Government to purchase the building known as the Money Club Hall, which was now about to be enlarged for the purpose of a courthouse. SHOPS AND SHOP ASSISTANTS' BILL. Alluding to the Shops and Shop Assistants' Bill, Mr McLachlan said he had been misrepresented in the Ashburton papers, which stated that the Bill had been frequently before the House; but he (Mr McLachlan) had not bsen present on those occasions, and had failed to aiake himself acquainted with the provisions of the Bill. He contradicted this in toto, quoting the records of the house to prove that he had not only voted on every occasion the Bill was before the house, but had also spoken on it. TRACTION ENGINES, He had taken groat interest in the matter of the repeal of the clauses of the Police Offences Act bearing on traction engines. A petition had been presented, signed by 4000 persons, representing all classes of the community, and the law which formerly compelled owners of traction engines to have four men with the engine— two driving (one in front and one behind) —had been altered, and now two only were required. He said that of course the lieges must be protected, and this he thought was secured in a great measure by the licensing of drivers, and the power placed in the Boaid of Examiners by section 5, subsection 3 of the Inspection of Machinery Act, to grant or refuse a certificate of competency on any grounds they may deem advisable. ELECTION OF SERGEANT AT ARMS. Mr McLacblan explained the election of Sergeant at Arms, and the part he had taken in it. He said he did not eat his honor, nor had he once regretted the vote he had given. (Loud applause).

THE BANK OF NEW ZEALAND GUARANTEE.

Mr McLachlan explained the position of the Bank, and the effect a refusal of the guarantee would have had upon the colony at large. On June 28, 1884, the Bank had ninety-five branches in New Zealand, 25,000 current accounts, 35,000 separate depositors with deposits amounting to £4,000,000, aad 4600 persons had overdrafts amounting to £2,550,000. There were 950 diaconut accounts representing traders' acceptances to the extent of £600,000 The Bank owed the colony £825,000. The London deposits were £1 500,000, and the uncalled liability of shareholders in the colony was £720,000, Government had made it a condition that shareholders should subscribe one million— £500,000 of which has been called up—also that they should appoint president and auditors, and the colony was safeguarded in every possible way against loss. He said that if the country was asked for £2,000,000 he would vote for it. ADVANCES TO SETTLERS. He said that although the Government were not responsible for the rise in the price of wheat, no one could deny that they had cheapened money. By Government bringing L 1,500,000 on the market private lenders have been forced to lower their rates. This money is borrowed at 3| per cent and lent out at 5 per cent, of which a portion goes into a redemption fund whereby the debt i§ eventually wiptd off. During the period jSfl to 1893 New %ea'and had borrowed publicly and privately L57,7f1,Q00, and had 1 paid L 76 178,005) in interest without' paying off the debt. Under the cheap money scheme the debt would have been half paid off. Of course the Cheapening qf law posts, accounts for the opposition of the legal fraternity. CONSOLS. Mr McLachlan explained the principle of Consols, which are interest bearing and perfectly negotiable.

LANDS FOR SETTLEMENT.

The lands for settlement scheme was explained, arbitration and the consti tution of the Board, which was entirely non-political, safeguarding both the landowners and the Government. Mr McLachlan referred to the Highbank and Lagmhor estates. The Lagmhor estate consisted of $Q,tyQQ acres, and was niore f.han the Government ha 4 power to deaf wit}). Th.c fjig'hbanjj: land was highly reconimended, and if pupchised, he wquld apply for. some of it himself, and thiijk him-elf lucky if he got it. BORROWING' lie epitomised the borrowing proposals of the Government, which have been so unjustly criticised and compared them with Captain Kussell's gigantic scheme in 1877 to borrow L 20,00 0 5030, at 6 per cent with no provision for redemption.

SOCIAL LEGISLATION.

The social legislation of the past session was reviewed. The Gaming Act. Abbatoirs Bill, Conciliation and Arbitration Bill were explained, and a further instalment outlined for next session. * ':" '' " '■■: ' '

OLD AGE PENSION SCHEME

Spewing on the Old Age Pension Schemej he Baid he wa^ ftpdngly in fivor'of some provision, being 'made. He said it would take' L7SQ,O(|Q to give every man and woman over sixtyfive years of agp in the colony |0a per week, anf| he would rather acpept a small instalment than nothing.

|go on with the construction of the railway he would support them. LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL. The colony had outgrown present institutions and he thought it might ,jbe desirable to abolish some of the , small ones and create larger. The storekeeper did not pay the rates, but the men who dealt with him. He would favor the one man-one-vote sys tern.

FAIR RENT BILL. He would not pledge himself to support a Fair Bent Bill, but would give it due consideration. It waß not desirable to interfere too much with private rights.

MB WARD. Mr McLachUn warmly eulogised the Hon. Mr Ward. An elector asked"Do you like him "? to which he replied " I do ; and so would you if you knew him as well as I do." He had called him the " Wizard of Finance." He had proved himself not only that, but a credit to himself and the colony.

GOLDEN SILENCE. He had sometimes been accused of not speaking much in the House, t*t he remembered the words of Thomas Oarlyle, " Silence is golden." He could assure them, however, that whenever he had thought it necessary to speak he had done so, and, he thought, to the point.

The meeting was most orderly, and the speaker was frequently applauded. On resuming his seat a question was put by Mr Francis Windsor with reference to the management of Lunatic Asylums. Mr McLachlan said be could sympathise with anyone who had relatives in these institutions and would always be willing to support an enquiry wherever necewary. Replying to Mr Irwin, he said the Government were doing what they could for the unemployed through the labor bureau, and if there were cases of necessity in the district, they could be brought under the provisions through the local bureau officer.

Mr Gee said the Government were straining every nerve to assist the unemployed and local bodies should do their share. The village settlers were all provided for, and if the Rakaia Koad Board did their duty there ought not be an unemployed able-bodied man in the district.

Repiyiug to a question re undesirable immigrants, he said he did not think the " yellow agony " was desirable here.

A vote of thanks to Mr McLachlan for his address, and confidence in him as the member for the district, was proposed by Mr John McLean, seconded by Mrs Thompson and carried with only one dissentient. A rote, of thanks to the chair terminated the proceedings.