PARLIAMENT OUT OF SESSION.

Press, Volume L, Issue 8479, 10 May 1893, Page 6

PARLIAMENT OUT OF SESSION.

MR EDWIN BLAKE AT PAPANUL Mr Edwin Blake, member for Avon, addressed a meeting of bis constituents at the Papanui Town Hall last night. Mr C. Burgess was voted to the chair. • There was but a moderate attendance. The Chaib_-A*s in opening the meeting said that though opposed politically to Mr Blake, he sympathised with him under certain circumstances which had occurred lately, and considered that those who had published certain advertisements had not acted honourably. They might have waited until the member had spoken. Mr Blake expressed his deep regret at the loss the colony had sustained by the death of the late lion. John Ballance, who was a cultured gentleman and a patriotic politician, aod said all would sympathise with Mrs Ballance in her sad bereavement. After a few words of introduction he alluded to various promises he had made and what he had undertaken to do, aud referred briefly to his actions in respect of the incidence of taxation, the Land Bill, borrowing, the exodus, and the Revenue Bill aa showing that he had fairly kept thoae promises. He gave an explanation of the incidence of the present taxation to show that, in his opinion, it was not unfair to the country as against the towns. Those who did gain an advantage were the owners of £500 to £3000, because they were exempt altogether. The people who suffered were the 300 or 400 at the top who had to pay the graduated taxation. He did not think Government would carry out any land nationalisation scheme unless they had a larger majority than they had last session. He held that money was not frightened away from the colony by the Government, but by the monetary institutions. However more was being let out of the Banks now than previously, and when a good land system was established money would be withdrawn from the Savings Banks. Mr Blake theii spoke for some time upon his independence as a politician, and observed that he was not sent to give blind support to either the Conservatives, the Liberals, the Radicals, Socialists, the publicans or the prohibitionists, the denominationalists or any clique or class. He considered himself a Liberal to the backbone and believed in a democracy; that the majority should rule, but not with a rod of iron. Nothing hut the broadest justice and truest equity could produce good rule in any country. Speaking upon Bills that had been passed or amended during the last session, he explained the chief features of the Factories Act, Employers' Liability Bill and amendments, the Contractors' and - Woikmen's Lien Bill and the Shop and Shop Assistants Bill, which latter he approved as preferable to the Shop Hours Bill. The Land Bill, which possessed some defects, was, on the whole, the best piece of legislation which had been passed for settling the people on the land, and had such a measure been in existence in the early days there would now be no cry about laud monopoly. He expressed his approval of the perpetual lease system as better than the fee simple. The Laud for Settlement Bill provided for the settlement of people on land near the towns. The objection to it was that it allowed settlement up to 320 acres. Had it been up to £320 worth of land it would have been better. In respect of the Cheviot estate he would not say whether the policy of the Government was right or wrong, but they had to purchase. In his opinion the buildings should have been sold aud the land leased in decent sized grazing runs. A mistake would be made to try to let it in small holdings. The Public Revenues Bill was a continuation of one of the previous session in which Bill Government were allowed to anticipate their revenue to the amount of £190,000. The one of last session was to allow them to anticipate another £100,000 and convert £450,000 worth of debentures into cash. This was so equivalent to borrowing ; or meant getting so deeply iuto debt, that he felt himself compelled to Oppose it, and because the Premier was unable to be present on the occasion when the Bill came forward, he left the House rather than vote for it. There was a great hardship under the old property tax, and though he would rather have seen a revision of that he had to acknowledge that under the present land and income tax a very great many who could ill afford to pay under the former were relieved from taxation. Then there had been au complaint about the income tax, and it appeared to him that satisfactory returns had been made under it, and the Government had accepted reasonable ones. In respect of Native lands, he said this was a question which was of very great importance. The trouble was how to remedy the cheating which went on in connection with the purchase of these lands, and it would never do to keep giving one-third of the purchase money to the agents. Until the fast election the members'ihonorariums were considered too much. Immediately afterwards those people who held that opinion changed round and voted for the increase. He had opposed it because it would lead to political professionalism. Concerning the co-operative system of labour, he thought the weak spot was that it required less men to do the work, because those to whom the jobs were let could work longer hours and it consequently shut many out. The Labour Bureau wotked satisfactorily, and though it was subject to abuses, it was the means of discovering good men, who might otherwise not have been found out. The Electoral Bill possessed the objectionable feature of including the female franchise. Upon the matter of the railways he considered an attempt was being made to give the Minister too arbitrary a power when it was proposed to include him on the Railway Board, with a power to veto what the Commissioners did. If the Commissioners did not please everybody, they had done very well, and he considered that as the receipts advanced certain reductions might from time to time be made, until charges came down some 25 per cent. Though not wishing to see the railways brought again uuder immediate Parliamentary control, the Government ought to have some say in the expenditure of so much money. He considered the colony had to be congratulated upon its progress, and in conclusion said that anyone who liked could contest an electorate, but no matter who came forward he should stand, unless shown that he was not wanted. He intimated that if he stood at the next election he should contest Riccarton for several reasons which he gave. (Applause). In answer to questions, he said he should oppose an increase in Ministers' salaries. He would vote against any proposals for a loan. Next session he would give as general a support to the Seddon Government as he did to the Ballance, but he declined to allow himself to be ordered into any lobby the Government suggested. If the Government did not introduce a Bill to alter the manner of local taxation, he would do so himself. He was emphatically opposed to the granting of the female franchise. (Loud applause.) Mr Wilkin moved and Mr Morgan seconded a vote of thanks to Mr Blake for his past services and present address.

Mr Andebson moved and Mr Jones seconded an amendment of thanks to and confidence in Mr Blake.

The amendment was carried, and the usual compliment to the Chairman closed the meeting.