Mr Jas. Allen at Waihola.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 57, 22 June 1908, Page 3

Mr Jas. Allen at Waihola.

On Wednesday evening last at Waihola about 60 people were present at Mr Allen's meeting, including some ladies. Mr Smith was in the chair.

Mr Allen prefaced his remarks by an allusion to the new hall they were in that night, and expressed the hope that it would soon be furnished, and provision made for the new Library, which he hoped would be improved and much used. It was the first time lie had spoken in that hall, and probably it would be the last, as the electoral boundaries of Bruce would in all probability be changed at the next general election. The work of the Boundary Commissioners had been in the South Island very unsatisfactory, and it was evident Parliament should effect some change by which common interests and natural boundaries should be more carefully considered in fixing the electoral boundaries. Mr Allen explained the principle on which the electorates were fixed, namely, representation according to population, with a quota allowed in tavor of the country districts. Reference was also made to the margin allowed to the Boundary Commissioners in fixing electorates. The Taieri river was a natural boundary; the interests of those on the south side of the river were with Bruce. Still the new boundaries allotted this portion quite unexplainably to Taieri. Either the constitution of the Boundary Commissioners should be altered by Parliament, or the margin enlarged, or specific provision must be made to conserve common interests and natural boundaries. Mr Allen's being a farewell speech to that portion of the elf-c torate, was to some extent retrOspi tive. It was curious, he said, that tin. one great policy measure put forward by the Government was in principle Tinch the same as th«- National Annui Scheme propoutvkd by Sir H. A, iuiunson about iBBd.- S;i H. A. was a liberal statesman. Hi>uwth. n,a-s----sity for encouraging provision for old age, and though the country was not then ripe for so far-reaching a proposal it appeared to be nuw within the region 01 practical politics. .The principle was endorsed by Mr Allen, who believed it was a proper thing to do, provided that due encouragement was given to thrift and independence, and also that the scheme was established on a sound financial basis. Reference was made to the existing superannuation schemes much on the lines of his Milton speech.

A reference was made of the land legislation from the time of Sir J. M'Kenzie's Land Act, in which occurred the 999 years' lease, a com promise at that time with the free holders. That same conflict between freeholder and leaseholder was evident during the recent land legislation, The far-reaching character of the Land Bill of two years ago was explained ', reference was made to compulsory sale in a limited market, and to the obnoxious provisions with regard to mortgages, and the Attorney-General's opinion of the Bill, "that it was impossible," was quoted as evidence of what might be expected from the Government, constituted as it is to-day without sufficient check and ample criticism. He reminded them that the Bill of two years ago was stated by the Minister to have been the most carefully prepared land bill ever brought before the House. Criticism, however, and public opinion had caused its withdrawal, and three Acts now on the Statute Book replaced the Bill of two years ago. These were dealt with on the lines of previous speeches. Then reference was made to the labor laws. Mr Allen thoroughly favored all the past legislation in the nature of factory acts, which provided for the better conditions of work, also the Workers' Compensation Act, which made accidents a charge on the cost of production. He then dealt with the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, pointing out that though the Act had failed to do all expected of it, still the principle of arbitration was one he had favored before the Act was ever dratted. Proposals made in 1888 by the late Mr Downie Stewart were supported by him, and he was sure conciliation and arbitration was better than strikes and variance. Further reference to the arbitration question on the basis of his previous addresses was made. The question of .coalition was dealt with, Mr Allen pointing out that no member of the Opposition, notwithstanding what newspapers may say to the contrary, had urged coalition. What he had said was that if the Prime Minister wished to leaven his lump, get rid of his socialist tail, his single tax and socialist colleagues, and found he wanted help for good sound Government it was for him to make suggestions, and no doubt his suggestions would be considered and dealt with for the best interests of the country. Mr Fowlds, the single-tax

Minister, advocated p ,;,i riples which meant the seizure uf.ii w cap : »-il va'ne of land by increasing taxati .i :i! m« full rental value was paid by uic owner. Mr Fowlds repudiated the idea that that was Socialistic. And yet the Socialist demands that the means of production shall be in the hands of the State, and to secure the land the same. Socialist would confiscate straight away ; others would tax the value away as the single taxer does.' Mr Allen pointed out that no system of Government, either the present, the Socialistic, or any other, can be perfect without presupposing that the individuals themselves undergo a reformation which would remove avarice, greed, laziness, and various other evil qualities, and that given the change the capitalistic system would itself be reformed, and individuality, resource, energy get its due reward. Under Socialistic regime all these would receive a check; there would not be the same inducement for ambition, for work. All, according to one of the leaders, would revert to the primitive village settlement style, and the many hundreds of years of civilisation would count as naught. According to others the idea has to be carried to its logical conclusion, and what bars the destruction of capital which is the savings of the individual must be wiped out of existence. Some Socialist leaders feel that the family marriage tie and the Church are such bars, and in their idea these must gc. Mr Allen presented to them the continued gradual improvement of the conditions under which we lived; the continned improvement of the individual, and emphasised the need for equal opportunity as far as possible for ill as the practical thing for the present. Education should be perfected; there is much to be done to make it so, and this channel offered the most effective opportunity for each to is vail themselves of.

Mr Smith, who was in the chair, proposed a hearty vote ot thanks, and expressed great regret at the possibility of this portion being severed from the electorate, which had been so ably represented by Mr Allen.