POLITICAL.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7265, 26 January 1889, Page 6

POLITICAL.

MB BLAKE AT PAPANUL

Mr lE. Blake, member for Avon, addressed a meeting of his constituents at the Papanui Town Hall last night. There woe about 100 electors present. Mr Good, land was Voted to the chair, and introduced the member, who on rising was applauded.

Mr Blake thanked these who were present to hear him. He had an idea that the best thing he could do was to state something about the financial state of the country. We had gone through something like a crisis, between Customs duties and retrenchment. He thought that.generally too little interest was taken in polities. In stating the financial position of the country he would first tell them that our indebtedness on the 31st of next March would be something over £37,000,000. At the last Financial Statement our indebtedness was £35,600.00U, which was increased to £36,000.000 odd. Then, there was an introduction of Bilw for borrowing, but some hitch occurred, and Government raised money on debentures, and anticipated the North Island trunk line, which further increased our indebtedness. We had spent as near as possible £23,000,000 on our railways, or £7,000,000 in Native wars, immigration £2,000,000. buying Native lAnAf £LJ23O 000, and £1,860,000 which had never been obtained. This largeitem had come from the cost of raising £37,000,000, and we had been payinginterestallthe time. There was a sumof about £2,000,000 which had been spent, and he could not find how that had been disposed of. Several times he had been questioned about borrowing, and constituents had different views about it. On our borrowed money we had paid 6 per cent., 5 per cent., and so on; and then there was £1,860,000 which had never been received. He would ask if the money had been' borrowed economically. He remarked here that Major Atkinson was a Rood "v» t> at borrowing. If he were not, then practice had not made him perfect. Our money had been neither borrowed economically nor spent judiciously, and so, he argued, we should abandon such measures. During the last twenty five *raa» we had dragged the colony \nfn debt, and had bound our children Miyji children's children to the moneylender. Until we had a greaterpopulation and oar land laws were improved, or some* thins: was done to improve our position, an borrowing should cease. The total receipts amounted to £3,338,000. Our expenditure showed a total of £4,250,000. We were consequently face to face with a debit of over a million. So long as a million a year was borrowed we got along all right. As soon as it ceased how were we going to get along—that was the trouble. In the future ne supposed our Customs duties will increase the revenue, and the 1 per cent, primage to pay the £128.000 was not likely to be taken off. Until the sinking fund was met we should still be face to face with :& big. deficit. He did not know how muc:h more _retrenchxneat could be made, bat it would no doubt be something considerable. Until he knew this he could not say how much oar receipts would be deficient. He had now to account for the promises he had made, It was impossible to vote for anything else than the primage duty, which was to pay off the £128,000. He was not a freetrader, nor was he a protectionist, and since he had heard the debates in Parliament he had not .altered his opinion. He only cared to support such measures as * weald bring tc and keep work in the colony of New Zealand. From what he had read of late he was inclined to think that freetrade was doomed in England. He, personally, was what might be called a"necessary trader/because he would vote for or oppose both protection and freetrade, just as the one or the other affected the interests of the colony. He had found both freetraders and protectionists inconsistent. If both h,id voted on their own side matters wouAd have come oat lest as they were. The retrenchment was Just about equal to the Customs duties. Beductions were made which were heavier than the retractions he had promised to support. i3eductions were heavier than he expecasd in the Civil Service department. The last year's expenditure was heavier .than it is likely to be next session. He had broken one promise. He had voted for an extra 2d on tea. They were promised if they voted for 2d on tea that the sugar should go free, They found that Id on sugar would produce about six time* as much as j 3d on tea. Then they found tihat 2d on tea would supply subsidies for local bodies. It was for these reasons that he voted for the 3d on tea. (Applause.) This was the only promise he had broken. Stonewalling was the greatest nuisance in the House, and he walked out one night bemase he did not like stonewalling. The next thing he had to speak upon was ectae&tkm. He had promised to oppose S&r measure which interfered with our pessary education or raised Sic school a#e. This department was on a footing ' telthall others, and he would ask whether it was not as fair to begin at the top-of the Education Department as well as at every other department. He voted against the increase of school age, because he thought children here were one year ahead in preeoctoGsoees of those in the North of Europe, aad oar child of five years was equal to theirs of six years. Children were better going early to school. These were t"*™ig the reasons why he had stuck to no raising of the school age. He had little to say about the railways. The Comiaiaaioaers had been appointed. Hβ had ye* no fault to find, bat would like to say something about the cost of railways. They bad in a total roughly cost which ais per cent, meant £800,000. There bad been a dead loss of £500,000 a year on them. There must be considerable saving in this, which was - nonwtffofog for the Commission to da He opposed more railways because of these heavy expenses. He should vote consistently against more railways or more borrowing until the Commission showed that some improvement could be made. In regard to the West Coast railway, he said that there appeared to be every prospect of the work Deing carried on, else wfcy would the company import plant and carriages. In respect to land settleoeat, he referred to the work of the Comrnfetdtm which wai now travelling the 40ontry selecting land for division into lots for settlements. He had assisted in trying to obtain labor settlements, but fafcwT Regarding the runs, we had in Canterbury 2,800,000 let on pastoral lease. A quarter of a million was held by one gyyxsa company here, and half a million tras held by companies and banks in their oirß names. He told the electors this beeaase he thought they should know all about it. In the matter of taxation he add that there were only four ways in which its burden could be relieved. We xnust either borrow, suffer further taxation for a time, retrench heavily, or do with fewer officers. He would overthrow the grst, and thought that the other three most contribute towards it. He was in a < jifscnlty to know exactly how he should vote on taxation, and asked that he should be left to bis own discretion. On the Question of Hospitals and Charitable Aid, be said that the average per head of the ■svhoie population wasosTd. The thing was crowing fast upon us, and was a question which would require a deal of consideration. As far as the representation was concerned he should abide by the seventy members, and support a single electorate. Onr Harbor Boards were difficult things to manage, and as time went on each Board would get into difficulties, ana be forced on the Government. So long, howemsraa he was a member he should onpoae Government granting them any more money. He also felt £Se that more money was spent tn the Native Department than was SeJ£ary. Our defences had cost about SsffluQQOu There were a lot of little Mtauxs fit only for a man-of-war to exerSmToii with its eiins. The money was He referred to the mad the electors for their vote of thank* ■•J to the Chairman termlthe proceedings.