THE PREMIER'S TOUR.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 275, 17 November 1905, Page 3

THE PREMIER'S TOUR.

SPEECH AT HELENSVILLE.

(Ey Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.

H____srSVTLLE, this day

The Premier spent a quiet afternoon j at D"elensvil_e yesterday. He rode out and inspected the hot springs, where a deputation of the Town Board asked tor a larger grant than the i" 200 on the Estiniat_s for the improvement of the springs. It was pointed out that a full supply of mineral water was available, and that the baths could be made an attraction to tourists and visitors from Auckland, the springs being very handy to that town. The Premier considered that it would be best for the Board to receive a report from Dr. Wohlinann, Government Balneologist, as to the best method of fitting up the baths, otherwise the money might be wasted. Dr. Wohlmann would be able to show them how to expend the money so that additions might subsequently be made. He would communicate with Sir Joseph Ward, head of tbe Health Department, with a view to obtaining a report from Dr. Wohlmann. He would 1 promise them that an expert opinion would be given so as to prevent waste. """THE PREMIER __s___-TAINED. After his visit to the springs, the Premier was entertained in the Foresters' Hall by the residents, Mr. Cameron, chairman of the Town Board, presiding. The chairman warmly welcomed the Premier to Helen sville, and in responding the Premier thanked them heartily for the warmth of their greeting, and said that he noticed a great improvement in the district since his last visit eight years ago. He recognised that the great need of the back districts was road metal. (Hear, hear.) He could imagine the difficulties suffered by the settlers in getting to the creameries in the winter time; no doubt they wpuld have liked to see hini there three or four weeks ago so that he might have been bogged. (Laughter.) He recognised that cheap metal and plenty of it would be the salvation of the country districts. Dealing with humanitarian matters, the Premier expressed his pleasure that the death rate in New Zealand was the lowest in the world, and added that more would have to be done, especially in the way of training nurses. For the great mass of the people no nurses were available, and between 500 and a thousand were wanted in tlie c*»"ony. He hoped before long to establisn the nursing homes for which Parliament had granted funds. (Applause.) The Premier was loudly applauded, the gathering joininsr in tbe singing of "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow."

ii_ SEDDON'S SPEECH. At the evening meeti'.7 Mr. Cameron. chairman of the Town Uonrd. presided, and the hall was densely pr.t. Ed by an intei-ested audience of about 500. Mr. Seddon was received with loud applause on rising to speak THE COLONY'S PROSPE3_TY. The Premier next contrasted the state of things existing when the Government too*, office with the present general prosperity. A voice: "What rot."

The Premier: "If the gentleman means that 2/G a day, the soup kitchens, and shelter sheds are rot, he is quite right. (Loud applause.) It shows a rotten state of things and a rotten Government." (Hear, hear.) After dealing with the Mapourika-trip and the North Island picnic, the Premier said that he did not desire to bring up these matters, but the Oposition would insist on trotting out the Mapourika trip. He would fight them with their own weapons, and if be did so it meant their extermination. THE LAND QUESTION. Touching on the land question, Mr. Seddon said it had been stated that he was sitting on a rail. He was not. He knew where he was —his opponents did not know where they were. They were ' simply Oppositionists, trying to catch votes. It would be a sorry day for New Zealand if the leasehold were abolished, ! because it gave a poor man a chance to get on the laud. He could utilise his I cash for fencing and stocking; if there I were no leasehold lie would have to go into the hands of the money lender, and iin the end the mortgagee would have" the land and tbe settlers would have the roads. Mr. Seddon supported the homestead system on the poor lands in the North of Auckland, where he believed that the settler who brought the lands under cultivation should be given tb.p freehold. Mr. Massey proposed to give the freehold to Crown tenants at the original valne. This was the biggest bribe ever offered the people of NewZealand. It meant taking from the people of New Zealand a sum of nearly a million, and this would be wrong to the rest of tbe colony. After the election nothing more would be heard of the j land question, and if Mr. Massey were Prime Minister to-morrow he would not be prepared to give away the property of the colony. There was a large section in the House who favoured giving the freehold at the present value, and this was a much fairer position than that taken by Mr. Massey. Another proposal was that a man should lie able to pay off a certain portion of the value of his land without doing away with the lease. Ho was altogether opposed to givhig the freehold to settlers on estates acquired for closer settlement. To take the freehold from one man and offer it to another was an immoral proposal, and would simply result in the reaggregation of the estates in process ot time. REPLY TO C___TCISMS. Mr. Seddon replied to statements in the "Herald." That paper had said that the taxation per head was now £4 S/2, and had been increased by £1 a head. But the taxation per head was £4 3/11, the "Herald" having excluded the nativo population, which it should have included, since the Maoris consumed dutiable goods. The paper did not say that the Government had transferred nearly £1 per head from taxation to public works, nor did they point out that stamps and death duties were included in taxation. There were a large number of these paid last year, and the "Herald' 1 included these in taxation.

THE GOTOF_N T MENT"S COAT. He believed that their .member was masquerading round the district taking credit for the royalties from timber and flax going to the local bodies. In the speech from the Throne the matter was mentioned as. a question of policy, he had spoken of.it after a trip fromKaivakawa to. Kamo some years ago, and yet Mr. Harding was going round the country saying, "See what I have done." He had also claimed credit . for telephones for backblocks, when as a matter of fact the matter was included in the Government's statement of policy at the opening of the session..

| THE GAMBLING EVIL. ' Something would have to be done to lessen tbe gambling evil. There was too much gambling and tote betting in the colony. It would have to be fougbt and fought bitterly. He knew that be | would meet opposition over this, but he intended to'speak plainly on the ___tter. I THE HIGH <X____KaO___K. They had been told that he had made tbe High Commissionersbip for himself. He bad just been in the electorate of the Leader of the Opposition "giving Mr. Massey a turn," and he knew that the Premier was not in London. (Laughter.) THANKS AND CONFIDENCE. Mr. Seddon concluded his speech amid a great c—tburst of cheering, which was renewed when _f"vote of thanks and confidence, proposed by Mr. D. Donovan and seconded by Mr. J. Thompson, was put and carried. Cheers were also given for the Government candidate, Mr. J. Stallworthy, the Premier e_pressing pleasure at the warmth of the reception that bad been accorded him, saying it was one of the pleasantest surprises he had ever had since he had been informed that he would be very coolly received.