THE PREMIER

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 86, 13 April 1899, Page 5

THE PREMIER

POLITICAL ADDRESS

AN ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING.

VOTE OF THANKS AND

CONFIDENCE

St. James' Hall, Wellington street, was crowded to excess on March 20 by an enthusiastic audience anxious to listen to the address given by the Eight Hon. E. J. Seddon, Premier of New Zealand. So great was the crowd that the hall was filled half an hour before the time for the commencement of the address, and many hundreds were unable to gain admission. His Worship the Mayor (Mr D. Goldie) *presided.

Amongst those present were the Hons. W. Swanson, J. A. Tole, W. Jennings, and Major Harris, Messrs P. Lawry, J.J. Holland, and W. Crowther, M.H.R's., Rev. J. Milne, Messrs Theo. Cooper, H. Brett. T. W. Leys, Colin Campbell, C. B. "King, W. Berry, A. Clements, H. N. Simson, J. M. Shera, W.. Leys, J. Stichbury, W. J. Napier, W. Beehan, J. Regan, H. Dixon, F. King, A.Eosser, G. Fowlds, W. Spragg, Cr. K. Salmon, S. Eeed, P. Cheal, P. Oliphant, as well as many other ladies and gentlemen.

Mr Seddon, who was received with loud applause, in the course of a long and able speech claimed, as the! head of the great Liberal Party | in this colony, that they had done great 'good for the colony. The maladministration and incompetence of those who preceded his party in the control of affairs had reduced the people to a condition almost approaching degradation. Then the present Government were told .they had done nothing. As a matter of fact, with the help of the people, they had done a great deal. (Hear, hear.) Let Aucklanders contrast the position to-day with the position from 18S7 to 1890, and if they were honest they must confess that the position of the property owners, the condition of the tradespeople and of the workers had considerably improved. Where, asked Mr Seddon, are the houses that used to be empty in Auckland by hundreds without tenants? At the time he alluded to people who owned houses were glad to get tenants to ccupy them to keep them from going to wreck. Take the population, the condition of the people, the rateable value of properties, take the general condition of its industries, and say whether during this time there have not been any improvements. (Applause.) There had almost been a revolution, and yet they that day found the same country and same people prosperous. Everyone they met seemed contented. There was work for those who wanted it, cheap money and land for those who wanted to settle. All that had been clone after eight years' Any fair critic must admit that the change of policy and. change of administration had worked the revolution in the state of affairs, for the good of the people, of the country. (Applause.) Now they would take an outsider's opinion of the present position of the colony, that of Sir Joseph Abbott, president of the Assembly of New South Wales, and a Conservative. He always liked to make j Conservatives prove his case when he could. (Applause.) Sir Joseph said he was mucjii Surprised with "thegrowing trade and wonderful prosperity of the colony, and the energy of the people. During the whole period of the visit he never saw a beggar, and he did not believe there were any in the colony. Mr Seddon asked what greater tribute could there have been paid the Government or country than to be the head of a people amongst whom there were no beggars"? (Applause.) THE AUSTRIAN INFLUX. The next question would come: 'What has the Government done?' That was his text. The pther day he was condemned by the Conservative press of the colony because he stopped the Austrians from coming to New Zealand. They were told it was unconstitutional. No doubt it was a very large question; but he claimed that they lived under a constitution which gave them sole and complete control; and where they found anything inimical to the well-being of a self-govern-ing colony, where they found those going into the colony who were likely to become a burden upon someone, and were evading the law passed by the Legislature, then there was only one alternative. That was,'to maintain the law, face the grave responsibility,' and say 'No more shall come •unless there is a guarantee given, that they shall not be a burden upon the people of New Zealand. (Applause.) They were told that this step would lead to international difficulties. He was afraid that the first time a syren j sounded as a steamer rounded the j North Head many ladies trembled, j thinking it was an Austrian invasion of another kind. (Laughter.) International complications! . The British Government simply saW to him, by cable, that the Austrian Government had asked them to ask the permission of the New Zealand ~ Government to . allow t£ose Austrians who were on the sea to land in the colony. If he had violated a oreat constitutional law they would not have asked thus; they would have demanded , as a right, that the Austrians should be allowed to land. Then the Conservative Premier of Tasmania, when it. was suggested that the Austrians be sent to Tasmania, told them they could not come unless each possessed £100. Thus Sir Edward Braddon went ten times worse than he 1 himself did upon the "unconstitutional course." (Laughter.) The disease required a drastic remedy. Those to whom he was responsible for the action taken were the people of New Zealand, and if the representatives of the Opposition in Parliament should table a no-confidence motion on the o-round that the Government had taken this course, the Government would still stand to what they had done. And he was satisfied that if an appeal were made to the people they would ratify what had been done. It was done in the interests of the colony, and more particularly of the Auckland provincial district,' (Hear, hear.) RAILWAYS. • • .To turn to the subject of the railways, who, he asked, completed the line to Botorua? It was the Liberal party. Who completed the line to the Thames from Paeroa, a line which for over 20 years was lying- rusting from Thames almost to Paeroa? It was completed under the present Government and by the Liberal party. Who had given concessions on the railways already amounting to over £200,000 per annum? The present Administration. Who «-aye the schoolchildren their excursion trains? The present Government. (Applause.) Educational it was-, in-ike; highest degree, and : great.

good must result from the objectlesons these cheap. excursions gave the children. And, after doing all this they were told they had done nothing ! Thousands and thousands of clfildren were being carried in the Government excursion trains; thousands and thousands of sheep in the trucks upon the railway; freights and cattle had been.lifted by the Government from the roads; and then they were blamed because the railway revenue this year would be £80,000 more than the revenue of last year. Before they came into office the railways paid three per cent. Last year they paid £3 4/10 per cent., and this year they would pay more. He was one of those (and so was their old friend Mr Cadman, the Minister of Railways) who did not regard the railways of the colony as a revenue producing machine, but for the good of the country as a whole to promote setlement, for the convenience of the people. (Applause.) ■ They did not want to work the railways to a highpaying, point, but to reduce freights further, to get freights so low that producers could compete in the markets of the. world with advantage. (Applause.) New Zealand now had the lowest railway rates in any of the colonies, and he looked forward to the time when they would be as low as in the Old Country. GRAIN FREIGHTS. >^The Government found there would be a surplus of eight to ten million bushels of grain. We had to corn- \ pete in the markets of the world with I India, Russia, Canada, and America, where they could not grow 60 bushels to the acre, but had a great advantage over New Zealand in the matter of freights. In Australia freights were much lower than in New Zealand, which had been for some time in the hands of a monopoly of two or three shipping companies: (Applause.) In London they told him they could not carry greasy wool at gel or washed at id per lb. Competition made them do it. (Applause.) They refused to reduce flax freights to £3 per ton; but the other day they announced it. (Applause.) They were told the Government had no right to interfere in trade, but they had done it before and they would do it again, even if they did get hauled over the coals or it should be made the subject of a no confidence motion. (Applause.) Had the Government not risen to the emergency no provision would have been made to adequately cope with the surplus grain freight, and the grower would have been at the mercy of the steamship companies. To meet the emerr gency the Government had made special * arrangements with what was known as the Tyser line of steamers. The Tyser line 'agree to give all the space at their disposal outside of their freezing chambers in regular liners from April to October, fixing the rate of wheat freight at 30/ and oats at 32/6 per" ton, and reducing primage to 5 per cent, in lieu of 10 per cent now. The price now charged for these two commodities is 35/ per ton for wheat and 37/6 per ton for oats. There was therefore a saving effected of 5/ per ton, besides the convenience provided for carrying the grain from our shores. The result would be that the other shipping companies must come down. It was a i question of getting their products to the market of the world at as low a cost as possible, the question of givr irig prosperity to the settlers of New Zealand, and under such circumstances he cared not for blame, he cared not for praise in that matter. Although they did not belong to the creme de la c'reme, or to. the wealthy, he claimed they were solid business men who were going to govern the country on business lines. (Applause.) He did not give them details of the boats as they were to come, but arrangements were now almost completed, and so that the middle man might not get the advantage of these reductions he g^ave that information, hoping the press would report it throughout the colony so that farmers might get the full advantage of the reduction in the freights. (Applause). MAIN TRUNK RAILWAY. Referring to the North Island Trunk railway,.the Premier stated that now that the Thames-Paeroa line was completed and other lines finished, there would be more money for railway purposes than there was last year, It had been his conviction for some time past that one of the most pressing railway, yorks was the connection of Auckland with Wellington. (Applause.) Owing to circumstances that had come to light within the past | few days this railway had become all the more necessary. Without consulting or giving the colony notice the present Vancouver Company , which he thought was closely allied to_ the ! N.Z. Shipping Company, had politely j told the Government that the Vancouver mail service would not be renewed. That meant they must go to Suez or else have a fortnightly service with San Francisco. (Applause.) In respect to that service he must say he felt sad. TRIBUTE TO SIR JULIUS VOGEL. It reminded him that Sir Julius Vogel, who was the means of first establishing that service-, had been, suddenly called away the other day. Although they might differ from Sir Julius "Vogel, and he was never his (Mr Seddon's) leader, he must say he had always found Sir Julius truly patriotic and very generous. The historian of the future must recognise that Sir Julius did good -work for New Zealand. (Applause.) The mail service question had recalled Sir Julius Vogel1 s death to his mind, and he felt it was only fit and proper that a tribute should be paid to his memory, and which he felt sure would ever be kept green in' New Zealand. (Applause.) OCEAN MAIL SERVICE. Reverting back to the railway question, Mr Seddon said that if a fortnightly San Francisco service was secured calling alternately at Auckland arid Wellington the railway connection would be all the more necessary. In these days of competition commercial men would tell them that they must have the quickest mail service possible. If Brisbane had gained two day's on the change of the Van> couver route, then they in New Zealand must try and gain three by the San Francisco arrangement. (Applause.) The through communication by rail from Auckland to Wellington was in the interests of the country, and he looked forward to seeing that line made within the next five years. TEN YEARS' PROGRESS. And so the Government had done nothing! Let them look at the rei suits of the last ten years. The population had increased by 125,695, or 20.83 per cent., in the increase of arrivals over the departures ,was 25,000.-..

On the other hand, during the three years of the Atkinson Ministry, from ISB7 to IS9O, the departures exceeded the arrivals by 14,000. There had been a natural increase of 100,000, and yet Captain Eussell had said that there was a falling off in the actual increase in the country, and that_ the Government -were responsible for it. (Laughter). The blue books of the colony showed the increase to be 100,000, and he as head of the Government claimed some credit for it. As regards increase in other directions, exports had increased by -46.48 per cent.; live stock by 32 per cent.; manufactures 42.29 per cent.; butter 633 per cent.; frozen meat 243 per cent.; cheese 175 per cent.; sheep skins 124 per cent.; tallow 76 per cent.; wool 33 per cent.; bank deposits 29.54 per cent.; savings bank deposits 129.26 per cent.: making* New Zealand at the present time the wealthiest per head of population of any part of the British Empire.. (Applause). For the wealth per head of population here was now £250, an increase, since the present Government had been in office, of £30 per head. He challenged his opponents to show the same progress at any time in the history of the colony; to apply the same test, and then be able to say that the present Government had done nothing-. CHEAP MONEY. Cheap money had done a great deal for Auckland. It had had the effect of bringing down the rate of interest; of putting- capital into mines, into buildings, '. into manufactures; and it was hard to-see-the far-reaching effect of cheap. money. What he liked about it most was that it had given the people an independence. (Hear, hear). After describing the painful incidents of the days of high interest and the grasping of the usurer, Mr Seddon gave a much more cheerful description of things during the present days of cheap money, when the lender is not only exceedingly anxious to lend his money at a very low rate of interest, but is really very pleasant in the process and occasionally invites the borrower to- 'lunch with him.' Mr Seddon dealt with the old bogey of capital being driven from the colony, and showed that the credit of the people is much stronger than the credit of the selece few who borrowed at a loav rate at Home and lent the money at a high rate of interest and lived in luxury.- How much different it was in the present days of cheap money, and even the enemies of the Government had taken advantage of it. (Applause). The million and a-half or two millions obtained by the Government to provide advances to settlers had given the settlers of this country an increased spending powerequal to one million pounds sterling. LAND FOR SETTLEMENT. . Mr Seddon next dealt with land for settlement, showing the great demand for farms offered by the Government throughout the colony. It behoved the Government to get as much land in the market as possible, to get the people settled on the land. The Government had placed upon the land no less than 11,000 people representing 55,000 souls since" they came in office. In Auckland alone the Government had purchased from the Maoris twomillion acres of land. While there was such a demand for their land, the Government, having the confidence of the natives, proceeded to acquire these^lands^ and = ..Jth?y,.had .spent for this purjjose J£*66t),OOO. The promise was nfade last year .to throw open for settlement with all possible speed, Crown lands in Kawhia (King Country). The first lot containing 3,027 acres was advertised as open for selection on the 27th March. Another 5,000 acres had also been .surveyed, and were scheduled for gazetting and advertising in June next. These two blocks of. 3,027 and 5,000 acres were open lands, easily accessible and situated close to the railway line. Seventy thousand acres comprising the greater part of Hauturu and Kinohaku East' blocks had been in hand since last "year. There were six survey parties employed at the settlement surveys,. and three survey parties at the grading of the roads. 'A greatpart of the land, was limestone country, most of it heavily timbered and broken. The 'survey department would have about another 30,000 acres surveyed for settlement purposes by January next, and these could be thrown open in February next, if the main road giving access thereto is | constructed. The road construction proposed was of S feet formation and the clearing and grassing on each side of the road 2i chains wide all through. This would give an opportunity to intending settlers of at once seeing what the capabilities of the ground were, arid would be helpful in easing the initial difficulties of settlement by giving sufficient pasture, for a few cattle at the very start, Mr Hursthouse was in charge of the works in the Ivawhi a county, and the construction of these roads would be supervised by him. . He (the Premier) was informed that Mr Hursthouse should obtain a vote for one of these roads, and if instructed to push on the work expeditiouslj there should be no difficulty in settling co-opera-tive parties at half-a-dozen different points at once. Yet they were told they were doing nothing. They had' first to buy the land and then get it surveyed, and he hoped to have that land open for settlement and a road through it by next spring. (Applause). The Government had done all it could to appease the earth-hun-ger of the people.

IMPROVED CONDITION OF THE

TOILERS

Mr Seddon then combated the statement that the legislation of the present Government had not improved the condition of the toilers. He pointed out that from IS9O to 1895 the value of the manufactories increased £534,791, and the value of the articles turned but by £775,523. In 1897 there were 5,177 factories, and in IS9B 5,601, an increase of 424. In 1897 there were 36,918 workers in .factories, and in 1898 the total was 39,672, an increase of 2,754, or a total increase since the Government came into power of over 15,000, and yet they were told their legislation had not benefited the toilers. (Applause.) He contended that both employers and employees were in a better position and the country more prosperous than when the present Government took office. They always saw the best civilisation where the highest wages were paid. They had provided the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, whereby strikes were done away with, but it required using in a fair and reasonable manner. (Applause.) Mr Seddon. drew a harrowing picture of labour conditions in the old days in England, and then asked if the State was not justified in interfering to benefit the workers. A brighter era had dawned. The physical well-being of the; nation should be seen to; -sanitary/ pfecauticjfls

should be taken. Let opportunity be given for mental culture, without which they would never grow up a great nation. With greater advantages educationally, with advantages climatic and otherwise, being born of a grand old stock, give their children the opportunity, see that their physical, moral, and mental welfare was attended to, and he would undertake to say that to be a New Zealander would be to be looked up to and respected Joy the nations of the earth, and New Zealand would prove to be the brightest gem in the British crown. (Applause:) NEW ZEALAND'S CREDIT. As regards the assertion of the Conservative party that the credit of New Zealand had been destroyed, Mr Seddon quoted from the London 'Daily Mail' the result of the last loan raised in London. Applications totalled over three millions, and the average price was £96 11/. The market was qiiite out in its reckoning, having expected to get'a proportion of the loan at a much lower figure. South Australia went on the "market subsequently, and got £9.4 11/ for their hundred pound debenture. Victoria followed. Their loan was wanted for conversion purposes, and they got only £05.3/6. New Zealand got £96 11/, the highest in the whole of the colonies (applause), and yet it had been asserted that her credit was destroyed. INCREASED INDEBTEDNESS. They were also told that our indebtedness per head had increased. .To combat this he quoted figures prepared by Mr Coghlan, the well-knowii Australian statistician thowirig the Increase of indebtedness in proportion to population in the years 188.1 .to 18.95. New South Wales £25, Victoria £15, Queensland £9, South Australia £28, West Australia £39, Tasmania £32, New .Zealand £2 4/10. (Applause.) THE SURPLUS. At one time they were told that the Government had no surplus, and, again, that, having a surplus, they should reduce expenditure on' the necessaries of life. The Conservative party played that on the Stout-Vogel Government, and they turned that Government out. Sir Harry Atkinson brought in the same tariff, and it.was the tariff they were working on now. He (Mr Seddon) had never induced a man to drink an extra glass of beer, but if the man did drink it he (the Premier) had to take the additional, revenue and look pleasant about it. ' (Laughter.) It was the same with spirits and tobacco. He would rather —if there was to be a surplus—that it should come from other sources. The object of the cry for decreased taxation was that by cutting down revenue the Government would be forced, in order to provide for their old age pensions scheme, into a borrowing policy and into disfavour. He submitted to the people. that they were better off with things generally prosperous and able to pay taxation than under reduced taxes, low wages, and relief work.. If it ever fell to his lot to alter the scheme of taxation it would ba in the direction of a further income tax, and a further graduated and increased land r tax. (Loud and prolonged applause.)' JTheir country was now very prosperous, and he said, with a-,full sense of his responsibility, that unless there was absolute necessity for it, there would be no alteration in the tariff. In support of this assertion, Mr Seddon illustrated the general disorganisation of trade cW^d-l^Mlte pering with the tariff, ><Dhe great . majority, -of tie . masses-,., he said, ■ go.* the advantage of our State.education^ in the interests of the masses tb«y had got the money for. the old, age pensions scheme. He tirged them to have these reforms placed upon a firm foundation before they madfe any change. • Having administered their policy and brought about prosperity, to disturb it might mean a retrograde movement. He askM them to let things be till the end of this coming year, and then determine what should be done.' (Applause.) THANKS AND CONFIDENCE. Dr. Me Arthur, M.A., LL.D., moved, 'That this meeting- of Auckland citizens expresses its thanks to. the Eight Hon. E. J. Seddon, Premier, for the very able address just delivered^' and also wishes to place on record its continued confidence in the policy of the present- Government, of which th& right Iron, gentleman is the head re^ presentative.' Dr. McArthur said when that vast audience had . listened to what had been done by the Premier and the party to which he belonged in providing cheap' money, the settlement of people on the land, the establishment of a better feeling between the native race anrl ourselves, in doingsomething for the working classes, in making their-position something better than it was, and, last of all, in the way of doing something for those who had helped to build up this country and had done little for themselves— taking all these things into consideration, Dr. McArthur thought they were prepared to say the best they could, and the least "they 'could do was. to vote heartily for the resolution. : Mr. E. Salmon seconded the motion, which was put by the Ma^r andLv^r* riecl.with loud applause antf cheering. , : Mr Seddon, after acknowledging1 the vote, moved a .vote of thanks to His Worship the Mayor, next to himself he supposed the most abused man in Auckland. - (Loud Laughter.) The motion was carried with cheers and the meeting concluded.