PRE-SESSIONAL ADDRESS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 243, 13 October 1902, Page 8

PRE-SESSIONAL ADDRESS.

ME • HERRIES AT WAIHI

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent)

WAIHI, this day.

Mr Herries addressed a large meeting of electors on Saturday at the Academy of Music. Mr Benge presided. Mr Herries said. it -was his business to explain what an opponent to ; the Government really was, beciuse it had been stated it ..was no use an opponent of the present Government coming- to Waihi. Mr Seddon had referred to an imaginary Opposition, which, if in power, would repeal most of the present Government's laws. Such a statement was totally erroneous. There were liberalminded people in the Opposition as well a-s in the Government. .A strong Opposition would be a good thing for the country, preventing autocratic rale. If the people had seen some of the bills brought down they ..would be thankful there was an Opposition to alter them. The Opposition did not intend to repeal tlie present Government's Acts, but they said the present administration was wrong. Mr Herries repudiated the statement that the Opposition , members got nothing for their districts, quoting figures to show respective amounts procured by members of both Government and Opposition. The Opposition complained that the Government did not spend the money voted. He contended there was no greater fallacy than to say the Opposition had cat down wages or that there was no community of interest between _ a farmer and a miner. He also criticised the fiscal policy of the Government, The indebtedness of the colony, he said, had increased £14,134,----000 during the past eleven years. He contended the railways were valuable assets, but the work of construction was being done in an unbusinesslike manner—bits here and there. Indebtedness and . taxation per head were gradually increasing, but the surplus was decreasing. Revenue was not decreasing', 'but extravagance was increasing in an alarming manner. Investors lost £5 on every hundred by the Government systeni of borrowing from the Savings; Bank and Insurance Department. ; The country had lost £25,000 ihrough a mistake made by the Defence' .Department over a week's leave toTeturned troopers. He accused Sir Joseph Ward of "burning the candle at both ends" by his methods of floating the new loan. He believed the future'of the land would be one of small freeholds, and urged that every person should have a chance to turn a leasehold into a freehold. Maori titles to land should be individualised: the tribaJ system was the curse of the Maori. Kef erring to the constitution of the Government, Mr Herries said he thought every Minister should be in charge and responsible for his own department without interference. He favoured an elective Upper House. He had opposed the clause in the Mining Bill dealing with wages and hours of miners, as he contertded the Arbitration Court was the proper' authority to deal with the matter. In reply to numerous questions asked, Mr Herries said he-was hot personally in favour of Bible-reading ,in. State ■Schools, but favoured a referendum on the question. Mr,Herri"fes / was frequently applauded, and- at .tKe *cloae of the meeting" a vote of thanks was returned.

Mr: A. Kidd will give his reply to the requisition asking aim to stand at the forthcoming election at 4 p.m. tomorrow, at his rooms in the. Municipal Chambers.