MR LAURENSON AT LYTTELTON.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12173, 19 April 1905, Page 7

MR LAURENSON AT LYTTELTON.

CRITICISM OP THE GOVERNMENT

LAND AND LIQUOR QUESTIONS.

Mr G. Laurerison, M.H.R., addressed a meeting of his constituents in the Oddfellows' Hall, Lyttelton, last night, the Mayor, Mr S. R. Webb, presiding over a good attendance. The member stated at the outset that there wa? so much that he wanted to plaoe before them, that it was difficult to boil down his remarks to come in a speech of an hour's duration. Touching on finance, he declared that the condition of the oolony was very satisfactory, but he did not propose to go into detail on that question. Dealing with th* work of last session, he said they had passed a number of more or less interesting bills last year, and steps were now being taken to consolidate the various Acts. Some people grumbled at the great number of Acts that wero passed, but it was essential to keep on legislating if they wished to progress. Touching briefly on the Acts which had been introduced, Mr Laurenson referred to the necessity for amending the Divorce Law so as to mako it possible for a married person to secure ( a divorce after the other party to the marriage had been in an asylum for seven years. He introduoed that measure believing that no portion was fit to become a father or mother after having been in an asylum for seven years. Referring to the Shops and Offices Act. which bad caused so much discussion, ho explained its various provisions, and claimed that it was necessary, and ho would vote for it again if it had to be brought forward. Another matter that required taking up was a universal Saturday half-holiday, of which he was strongly in favour. Referring to the Government Accident Insurance Act, ho urgod that the Government ought to collect their premiums through the Post Office. Tlie whole expense would not be more than 10 per cent on the premiums collected, and that would reduce the present rato by 33} per oent. Coming to the Licensing Act, he referred to the fact that previously if any irregularity were proved to havo taken place, the poll was capsized altogether, no matter whether tho majority was affected or not. They had amended that by providing that the poll should not be capsized unless it were proved that the result had been affeoted by the iqjeguiarity. That, ho claimed, was n judicial sto to take, and would obviate the possibility of anything like the Newtown affair recurring. Ho expressed himself in favour. of tbe clause closing clubs when prohibition was carried, and also favoured tho closing of railway refreshment rooms for the sale of liquor.. Touohin? on tho land question, ho said tho system of land tenure ought to be adjusted so as to give moro people tho opportunity of going on tho land. It was a most vital question affecting every class of tho community. Eventually tho question would have to bo dealt with, and probably under more serious circumstances if it xwero left in abeyance. In New Zealand thero wero 67,000,000 acres of land, but 8,000,000 were of barren mountain tops and river beds, which left 59,000,000 acres. Of those 59,000,000, only 11,000,000 wore left to them, and those of the worst class. There were 115,713 land-owners ia the colony, and of those only 15,000 paid land tax at all, and but 6500 paid £5 per annum. And yet they wero shout* mc that tho Government was trying to kill the poor cockatoo. Those 6600, ho declared, were not paying their fair share. Mr Laurenson went on to argue that, owing to the all-round increase in articles of food, the working man was worse off to-day than ho was fifteen years ago. Meat had risen abnormally, and in spite of all the prosperity, the only man who had been a winner was the large landowner. In 1893 the average wealth of tho population -was £232; in 1903 it had risen to £306. How many working class families' wealth had increased by that proportion? The general wealth was increasing, but not the wealth of tho working class. Referring to tho petition made to tho Government from owners of leases of native land on tho West Coast of the North Island, that an Act should be passed giving them the power to purchase the land from the Maoris, he said they wanted to get land worth £1815 for £399. That demand was not a bit more immoral than the demand that the State lands should be sold on their original value. Mr Laurenson went on to criticise "Tho Press.}' "The Press' raises a tremendous noise," he said, "because a man named McCullough stated in his evidence before tlie Land Commission that he would revalue the existing lands, and they want to pin tho whole party down to that statement. He was very careful to make it plain that he was not speaking on behalf of the Trades and Labour Council, but was giving his own individual opinion. And yet 'The Press' wants to pin us down to that opinion of McCullough's. We have always main* tamed that an existing contract, is a sacred thing, and that we would not interfere with it, however detrimental it might be to tho State, because wo believe we have no moral right to interfere. And in spito of that ' Tho Press' is trying to associate us with a statement mado by a single member of Trades Council, when giving his own private opinion. How would 'The Press' like us to associate them with** a statement made by the Hon. J. D. Ormond in Hawke's Bay, who said wo ought to maintain houses of ill-fame in Now Zealand? Tho Hon. J. D. Ormond said that, but wo do not, therefore, say j that all the Conservative party hold j that we should maintain immoral houses. He is individually responsible for that statement, but ' how would i ' Tho Press' like us to associate them j with it, because they are Conservative also ? Or how would ' Tho Press' liko us to associate them with the statement made by Mr Scotland in tho Upper House two years ago, when he said wo ought to put tbe working men of the colony in their plaoe, and tell them to pack their boxes and clear out of New Zealand, because we could get Japanese and Chinamen here to do their work better and moro cheaply P We don't associate tho Conservatives with that, because, ignorant and impotent as they are, they don't identify themselves with such a statement. And yet for such ' The Press * want* to identify us with the opinion of an individual liko McCullough, and I amy it's outrageous."

Continuing in reference to the land question, Mr Laurenson quoted the remark of Mr Rider Haggard, that land monopoly waa the tragedy of civilisation, and went on to emphasise tho fact that land monopoly existed in New Zealand, one-twelfth of the land in Canterbury, for instance, being owned by twenty-three people. Referring to education, he said a more scientific body of men was required at tbe head of the teaching profession, and tbe children should be taught by "doing" things. He also urged the need for better payment of the teachers. During the past few years tho curriculum had been largely extended, and yet the teachers were paid an average salary of only 44s a week. Ho remarked on the fact that only 862 students were attending the colleges of tbe colony, equal to one in a thousand of the population. There ought to be throe times that number attending tbe universities. He declared that the longer be.remained in I

Parliament the more dfagasted be came with the system of part? gorana-MB ment. There ought to b» ».ay*iaftiH under which Munatora of should be responsible to FlriiipiM alone, end Parliament iseponaibW.WtWie people. He believed in tb© MOMetyJM for reforming the Upper House. Fet*||H sonally he did not ccc that they want-iM ed the Upper House t»t all but events «w present system of »PPofrH|M ing members to it needed reform. . B»|H wanted to see potter given to cities u>4JM municipalities to acquire land •*«-§■ doeer wttloment; he wanted dmBoJ reform in legal procedure; etill Wβ advance in the «duc«Aionve*«nf «« they wanted to stop all borrowing. Thittj|M was the platform of tho Liberals, and he wanted to we it put « into foroe. Hβ vu a, aupporter of <|H the present Administration, but be vouxi against the Government at Uμ mm on questions of principle. He' D voted against the major port 1 0" °] **•, JH Publio Revenues Act, ana be hea posed the Rebate to Crown Tenant*. V Hβ had opposed measure after measure, aj The present Opposition wai utterly J"fl impotent. The Government had Pf** :B posed to vote £15,000 as New land's contribution to the. coat of erect-. ing a monument in London to the late Queen Victoria. He had opposed that, because he oonsidered it wae *, wae * #~H of public money, but because Mr Ma—eg -im voted for it, the Opposition followed' him into the lobby like a flock of iheep. '4H Neither did the Opposition help to pre- « vent the granting of rebates to Crown im\ tenants. On any question of far-reaen-ing import the Oppoeition was- unpe* tent, and was likely to continue 60, •V-'iH long as the present men in Parliament. He was utterly a dissatisnod with the way Dofenoe Department was being, &■ administered. The defences at Lyt- ,|S telton had been severely, oondemned three or four years ago, and the report ;•">?■ laid on the table of the House, but fJβ nothing had been done by the Govern-,'IB ment. He was also dissatisfied with ',-jB the working of the Education Depart- mm ment. He bra had occasion to oommuni*c&X cate with that Department about '**i|B certain matter, and one day he *eoeiv»dJj|H a letter signed Richard Soddon, *Mm»|U ister for Education; another week, Wm.'sjH Hall-Jones. Acting-Minister: then tbaygS Hon. A. Pitt, Acting Minuter,' *"*fie afterwards the Hon. C. H. Mills, ing Minister for Education. The workifS of one of the most important ■ < klj***4|le ments was turned over from' to Minister, until nobody knew howVJrtftJM was being administered. That very bad system. .He then to refer to the Bill paesed, making neoessary for the ingredienU of medicines to be notified, Mid deplunnlMW the fact that the Government modified it because of the noise ™>MMl||H by interested parties.. ■ ' "~l||H Coming to the licensing question; 'Q*J|H declared himself a. bare-majority' and said the people ought to have MjeowfiH lute control of the traSo. They going to carry no-lioense in the next election. (A Voice: will lose you your seat, old lißurenson said he did not care did. He believed Lvttelton would a better place if it had no liwneoa. to the arguments in favour of the pubf&|H lican, he declared that they the publfcans a cruel injury by them to carry on the trade. Think the publicans who had gone to a ! P r mature- grave during the peat ! years! And how many nad* toneP He oonTd not count mem two. The bulk of their earning* weesfie to swell the peckete of brewers. On behalf of Hoans tbemselvee he nrged shut every licensed hoase in And he believed they were it. Let them look at the effert ; e&aitt|aH license in A«bburton. In a were 353 convictions for dntnkenmmH and aaaaaltn in Aehburton, andjbi 143. In 1904 tkey opened count* in the Post Qfioe &vißto??Mp||H than in any prerlooe year, crease in depoeits amonnted to Aβ to the argument about the "• wjtJOTJBM man and his beer, let him beer in hw own houa«. < PeraMM«Ng§H was not a teetotaller. Th* o^W louse, however, with the KameaMwfflM billiard room, and the tractions, did more drunkenness than anything *fce*3mun|H be invented. The liquor JxM&miWmm not be regulated; the only sweep it away altogether. '\Wf9ill9H anyone present whe wmld, cur' MailiH not been hurt, either or hw relative*, by the ■ dflnlwfflj|HgggJ (Tea, I eta, end my n»me'> JM&WS&mm\ "Well, you are the exception the rule," any man e*y the dnnfc "»?:■»" yoodP Lanrensonr") . . Vlj*sarsS^B Mr Laurenson: I and at eonsiderableJoM that is beside the speaker concluded a two hour* , duration ,witt expression that Be P* o improving. <■ ' ' .•; w- Mss®mßmu On'questiona being amneement was caneed by good-tempered oppdnenta at w* !f*^^^| * "my do yen go Premier?" asked on*; «wdat **&*smm Mr LsumMwm said• gone' back on the Pretnief..vy*t|g§g||B opposed him when in the'. supported him when in if I cannot do that at my «ra *raiMfM pleasure. I don't want to, t^' all." ("You won't go back *Jf»|J|^H Questioned as to with Ihe legieletfen of the Mr .Laurenson eaid be bad i habit of playing a game penny point*, bufc he knobfe that off now. ("I. you.") Continuing, he_ it was a disgraoe to New a Chinaman abould be • p raaegataj| J(MM playing fan-tan ana toe VOmUbshnmhh He would totalisator the aame a* rent the. Chin»men pUring 'MfiH ("You must be nnlaelnr.vj ')*■ 'h "I want to move,* vote ot JpOMMJjNJiaH denoe in the Government, ,, , ehoated <§mmm of the rear-guard. "Do yon the Seddon Gk>vernm«ntf''. ba»>i«rae another, but the Chairman- inttrwooj mM ac a written question had bWftTaiWWEM In reply to a aoestion, Mr' «sid he did not think that Mr J. lfaiklfH bad been fairly treated; received a more eubsfcantial amn. \ "I want to t*k yon » etraigftHWllM question," said a member of ence: "If women teachers aame amount of. intellect aa-ottr,. teachers, are they entitled to the amount of pey* ■ ' .-'//^Hai Mr Laureneon eaid they were if did the same amount of men. and did it aa well. hundred girle who started ap however, eighty left the within ten yeans, whereas DW up the profession, intending to remMß^M In reply to another queatfon, member said that the Blble-ReadinK : Schook question ought to be decided Js:%|« referendum. i *»P"fl™ Mr Laureneon aim oomderea the cadets should get a bigger Oowa*lg ment subsidy, as they were being etarved. - C«->f^B On the motion of Mr W. RaedbnW^H * vote of confidence and thaajta'wafjggj accorded to the member. t /^B