MINISTERIAL ADDRESS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 259, 1 November 1893, Page 2

MINISTERIAL ADDRESS.

THE HON. J. xMcKENZIE AT NASEBY.

(BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

Dunedin, Tuesday. The Hon. John McKenzie addressed a m'-et.ing of the electors of Naseby thia ~.,.'.irr. He commenced by saying it was ... :«uf- of his that he had to contest the to-.i wibh a genbleman who represented .'it parb of it in which he was speaking. }_.. would do everything to conducb bhe contest free from personal matters, so bhat tiu-y could Bbake hands after it was over, lie was prepared to defend the action of . j,* Government. The colony could nob be ••■id to be prosperous when the Govern• pv-nt took office. It was lo^ig its populauon largely. They bad been attacked as joon as they took ofice, but bhey had new .

arrived at the close of three years of office, and he ventured to say the legislation and administration had been in the best interests of the colony; and they had done nothing to injure the interests of the majority. They had abstained from going to London to borrow, and had made the name of the colony respected in other countries, and their securities stood higher in London than those of any other colony. Surpluses were the best proof thab the Governmenb had administered its affairs with prudence. FEMALE FRANCHISE. He then proceeded to criticise Mr Rolleston's speech. Referring to female franchise, he said thab some members of the Ministry did nob favour ib ab firsb, but after consideration ib was decided bo make ib parb of the Governmenb programme. From bhab time there had been no halting so far as the Government was concerned ; but they were determined thab women should be exactly on the same footing as men. No private member could carry the Bill through all its stages, and ib was unjust bo say bhe Governmenb were entitled to no credit. If the experiment proved a failure, the Opposition would be the firsb to blame the Government, LAND POLICY. He defended their taxation policy from the charges of Mr Rolleston ; also the land policy. The Lands for Settlement Bill was necessary as ib was only by it thab the land could be gob where acbually required. The land offered was unsuitable in mosb cases. Ib was land on which financial institutions or banks had lent too much money. He explained the provision of the Bill of last session, and referring to the statements thab it placed too much power in the hands of the Minister, he pointed oub thab before , the Minister could take steps to acquire lands, it was necessary to have the recom- } mendatiOn of the Board of the Land Purj chase Commissioners ; and he was limited to £50,000 in one year. How were they to • provide for the rising generation, excepb by , acquiring and cutting up some of the large ! estates? If the owners would nob part ) voluntarily, there was nothing for it bub bo . bake bheir land by compulsion. co-operative works. •* The Minister also defended the Co-opera- ' tive Works System. The Governmenb had not created work for the unemployed, but r had simply Eaid thab where work was ** necessary to open up the country, and to l assisb colonisation, the money available would be given to those most in need of it. If at any time the revenue should fall, the I work could be stopped at the end of the month ; whereas under bhe contract system • contracts in hand would have to be finished 3 and paid for, whether the revenue was sufficent or not. He had no time to refer ? to. the other points of Mr Rolleston's speech, bub thoughb if bhat were the worst 7 indictmenb bhey could bring against the ? Government, they had nobhing to fear. r THE OPPOSITION. 1 The Minister then proceeded to criticise the policy of the Opposition, which meant, I apparently, that the Opposition was op- . posed to bhe majority of the inhabitants - governing themselves, and that there was . some other constituent element which should be represented. Whab it was they 3 were left to guess. Then bhey were told r that the Government should nob represenb t any class, bub should give equal rights. I Thab was whab bhe Governmenb had been i doing during bhe pasb bhree years—governr ing and legislating in bhe inberests of all - classes. The Opposition opposed tbe ) graduated tax, which meanb, he supposed, , that ib should be abolished. Would bhe - baxation of the small farmers be increased r bo make up the £70,000 thus losb?

THK GOVERNMENT POLICY. The Minister, afber dealihg with the obher planks went on to defend bhe more importanb poinbs of the Governmenb policy from the abtacks made upon bhem. The land lax had proved a relief to the smaller Bottlers. He denied bhab Governmenb was borrowing slyly, and pointed oub bhey had only used bhe sinking fund as bhe Atkinson Government had. He explained the Alcoholic Liquora Act at some lengbh, and said ib should have a fair brial, and if found defective ib could ba amended. Treating of the Noxious Weeds Bill be said it had been drawn up by bhe department, and schedule B included 'almosb every weed under the sun. He had drawn his pen through ib, bub by some mischance ib was printed and circulated with the schedule. Still thers was a necessity for the Bill. He had seen land in Auckland and Nelson bhat he would nob take aba gift with the condition to keep ib clear of weeds. The Governmenb had not neglecbed bhe farming communiby. They had relieved bhem by subsbituting bhe land and income for the properby tax and had given them tho most liberal land lawß the colony ever possessed. The Land for Settlement, Government Loans to Local Bodies, Dairy Industry, Manures Adulteration, Sbock and Drainage Acta were all more or less in the farmers' interests. They had made bhe Agricultural Departmenb something more than a name by employing dairy and fruit experts and veterinary surgeons, and in other ways they had provided for giving information and assistance. After referring to the Otago Central Railway he wenb on to indicate the intentions of the Government if returned to power. They intended settling people on bhe Crown lands aa speedily as possible ; to acquire as much land as possible from the native owners in bhe North Island for ' bhe purpose of settlement; to geb land in the Soubh Island for closer sebtlemenb ; to abstain from borrowing on bhe London markeb; and bo aßk bhe people of the colony to rely on their own resources by keeping their finances strong by a fair and honest system of taxation. If bhe people demanded any greab reduction in the presenb taxation the only obher source by which the progress of the colony could go On waa by a loan. This the Government thoughb should be avoided, with the exception of the cases of two or three lines of railway, one being the o_g go Central. The Government thought they could pause in the consbruction of railways, and devote the means at their disposal to the consbruction of roads and -bridges bo open up unsebtled porbions of the colony. If railway extension was thought desirable through lands already alienated those lands should be responsible for a portion of the cost by means of a Betterment Bill. Another question was to provide cheaper, money to farmers and producers with proper safeguards. He thoughb the principle could be extended with advantage. Thiß was a question bbey were determined bo face if returned bo power. Another quesbion waa that of local Governmenb. It would bake half the session to deal with it, bob the Governmenb were nob afraid bo face ib out and take the responsibility. In conclusion he said he and his colleagues had been honestly anxious to perform their duty in moulding the destiny of tbe country. He had never changed his course since he entered public life. Wide distribution of land was the policy for the country, and they should avoid anything that would be likely to reproduce the pauperism of the Mother j Country. It was for the electors to consider his past career, and whab he had said, and to decide whether he was worthy of their confidence. The speech was frequently applauded, bub there was porno dissenb towards tbe close when the Minister was cheered, and there were counter cheers for his opponent. The questions were answered amidst cheers and interruptions. A vobe of bhanks and confidence was declared carried by bhe chairman, the Mayor, by a large majority.