Mr Hunter at Pourere.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5990, 4 November 1890, Page 3

Mr Hunter at Pourere.

fnWN COBR'SPONDWfT.*]

[by TKLKOB.PH ]

Waipawa, This diy.

Mr George Hunter addressed the elecors of W'.iipawa at Poim-re lust night, and was most tuthusiastically received The followii g is a si_.itinia.rv ot his address : —Mr Chairman and gentlemen,—l propose |o divide my address to y.u this c-ening into three pur s. In the ti.-st part i intend to srivi- »■ >11 th-' reisons of a p r.nn.il nature that h ivo actual.-tl me in i.onsentiii_r to c 'in.- forward and co-.tesf. this In the si-.- md pirt. 1. -bi I tou.-.h iip->n iv'n-.t app. ;,r to mo In Ii- the hadiu..' p diti.-.-i! qu-srioiis of the ib.y. In the tlilid p-rt I Ai-M h-prep-.red to aus'.vi i an- q ,c.-li-.H, of a public ntfuie fhut miv b■■ pur. to tv ■- v. r!ia ly, bu; do not intend to itu-wer any qip>sl.iim rh-.t 111 iv Ik: Ir-mded to mc iti writing lam quite prepired t-i meet, face to face ntiy q.ii-tion..r, and (■> give a plain and s-riigh'l'orsvard answer to .111 ipivsiion that in -iv be put. to me, but, I have decided tlir..iu'bout this poliiical eampMiirti not to rep'u to written questions. I i-oii-iili-r that if it is clearly shown by a number of the electors that they desire a vi in to come forward and place bis services at their disposal, that bo is not. justified in refusing to comply wi)li teijuo.st, whatever his personal feelings iv the matt, r may be. I hope yon will believe mi. when I say thai ill consenting to contest tliis se.it I am actuated solely by a desire to bo of use to my fellow-men, and the mitu al ambiliou any 111111 has a righr to feel in wishing to occupy tho pmud position of representing his fellows and country iv the hich-st " Board in th_ hind. Gentlemen I hold certain vi-:ws, which I intend to give expression to this evening If on the poling day those views are found to be acceptable to tho majority of the ('lectins, no man will he prouder than I, but if on the other hand your verdic is against mo I will accept your decision without repining, and at once tho day after the p .11 prepare to again contest the. seat ut the first opportunity, f atu not here this evening fur the purpose of endeavoring to ascertain wh.it your opini ms are, hut. to give you tbo conclusions 1 have arrived at after a careful study of politics. I miiintuin that at the present, time you should return to Parliament men who luivo the capacity to understand large questions of public policy, and who have the honesty to give effect to their principles by their votes in tbe Houso. I 11 in well aware that the (.■lectors are being asked to vote against rue on the ground that I am young and 1111----tried, and have not political character. All this I am prepared to admit, but ! ask you to believe me when I say that if I am elected I will do my best to r. present all classes of the community fairly and honestly. There is a strong community of interest between labor and capital, and in order that file resources of the country muv be fully developed labor and capital must go baud iv hand, otherwise tbe country will not progress at the rate we a!! desire. lam not the nominee of nuy particular section of the community, and hope to represent a majority of all classes.

TAXATION.

The first on . most important question we have to deal with this evening, i- the question of taxation, and the problem all thinking men are trying to solve is how shall the burden of taxation bu placed upon our shoulders in proportion to our ability to bear it... The colony is at tho present timestaggering under a debt of £3H,-t>7.'.>'»'), and tho rato of interest for the last three veirs has amounted to £l.oG't,ooo. So long as this large amount has to bo provided we must submit to taxation. lam in favor of repealing the property tax and substituting a laud and income tax in li"ii thereof. I di-approve of the property tax as a tax upon improvements and upon the improving .si'ttl-r. Under the properly ti.. the man who improves hi- property Ins to submit, to taxation upii.i his improverneiils. and the man who does not improve often hcii-fitsby th.- improvements of his neighbor. A. laud lax would reich those who hive land, am 1 , an ineomo tax th '." who have no land. 1 think tint the Government should appoint, permanent valuer- f-T the p.irp «i- of unking the values under the same tax. The valuations under the property lax are me.de in such a hurried m lure-i- that ii is- impossible th y could give Kiti-fiei'ion or be at all uniform. This y"ar, lam glad to *ny, the Government were able to briny forward a fiirplus of £1.;,!.n.1., but owing to thpreseni labor trouble it is estimated I hat n-st year the Government will havo to me-!, the bouse with a d.-fwit of c..1.,im >, therefore I fear that no remission in the incidence of taxation will be possible, but if possible 1 am favorable to reductions throughout the Customs upon the necessaries of life, such as ten, su-ar, etc. What, we n-.juire at ihi. presen. time is to place the finances of the colony upon a sound basis, and thereby encourage fnieigti capitalists to iunest their money here at low rate,, of interest. This would enable tlio colonist to improve his property and iiicreas.. his business, ami thereby assist in developing tit - resource., of this country. I tbinit that we .-Mould borrow in moderation, bur. only for tbe purpose of improving aud making p.issahie. roads to the different lines of railway. The road» act as feeders to ]he ruilivity, and unless tbe roads are in fair order, trattle upon them is restricted and they cannot perform their proper function.

KDUCA'fIOM,

1 now come to i large and important 1 question--that of education, and up-m this question I hope to make my views quite plain. lam in favor of the principles ;;f the free, (.ocular, and compulsory system in so far as it app ies to the country schools, but I think in the large towns it would only be fair to allow the capitation allowance upon ihose children wh > are now being educated free oft* cost to the country. I consider that tho country is not in a position to continue the secon.lary system, and that; it. goes beyond the requirement., of the i-ouniry at the present time It is a luxury we cannot afford. The secondary system is supposed to benefit tbo children of th* working classes, but really does nothing of the locd They have to bear their share of the cost, but owing a- a nil.: to their ehil-di-en f >r various reasons ha-.-imr lo 'leave p.-liool at an early age, they cannot take tid van cage of it. I tbink the State should provide "primary education only, and that those who wish their children taken beyond "that stage should pay fot them directly. I think that instead of having hisrh schools in all the large towns tbcru should bo one hiuh school f..r the North Island ami one for the South Island Scholarships should be provided for in the primary schools which would enable children of marked ability to continue their studies at tho two jiiiuonditry schools free of cost to their parents. I. am io favor of doinir away with the reserves for boundary education, and devoting the whole of the income from these reserves to primary education.

education. i'RVK TKAIIK. '•"'!.! vi '.t question i h,,-,. to briii..- (stiver you,- UOl! ■(! isi.D. o|!e , olhi;-... t |, ;l . ~ ,;,:,( ry uudieUeer' take. X) trri.-at :m inter--:-,, jo a 7 t-ixifion or i-iliie;ition ; it. L, m-v-i rb,...... , a most imjiortaut one to :!ie ,-,,;.,:, y L . ■~,.'. niliy. H is thai of Free Ti.do us..-jab si I'l-oV'ctiot). (.Mintli-men, 1 am a |-'i:„ f , ~i. i pure and .-implo. I belit-v- that. Krve f'r-.de mentis tbo gnaiest. good t. ih,, g,-,. uU ,.. number, ai d that nl'rer all is wi-ai, we should | all work for. I maintain that. !•,.,.,. j,- I alroarlv sufficient ['rnt'-climi tin-oiul, t|,,. Customs, and that ir. is in t de.-in,b;e thai local industries shoul.l b_. fostered and kef,!, iilivo at the expense of ihe. eou_iiry ;.■;. neruilv in order that i-mployui. Nt should be s-riven to a fo..- people, l should lino lo .„ive you a simple example, of .hat I im-.m. We will take, b.r the purpo.se of iilustr./tion, an articio of wearing apparel. For overy

one man who in-oduc-is that, article thero anal least, fifty who use it, and you must at • met. see that it- benefits tlio one man who P'odiices it hi. tho expense of the fifty ivhi v-« Ihe ariicio. VVe now have a disguised system of I'rotivtion through the Customs, and I maintain thai this is only justifiable for purpo-es of revenue, not as a mentis of fostering local industries. Within the last, three years we have had a system of Protection iv this colony with tho result that at the pit-sent time wages are no higher than tie y were thro:- years ago, tbe necessaries of I fo are dear or, and there is a strong feeling f di-content among the wage-earning ••lasses iv the larger towns, which aro un'uubredly most affected by Protection. I would like to draw your attention to tbe cm.Hi ion if Xew Soul h Wales and Victoria at tlie present timo. l'lie former has always ulopted a Free Trade policy, the latter that of Protection. No •- fr'ouili Wales is steadily progressing, and now occupies the position of being the most flourishing place in Australia, whereas in 'Victoria there is a strong feeling of depression, insecurity, and in many nudes almost stagnation. I believe that the difference in their respective positions has been largely brought about by their different fiscal policies.

LOCAL GOVKBNMHSJT

I consider the present system of local government, much too cumbersome and oxpensive. I think a number of tho local bodies should he done away with, and without returning to Provincialism, we .should give extended powers to either the County Councils or Road Boards. By abolishing a number of local bodies thero wuuld be a large saving in the cost of local government, and I believe more general oaiisf.ictiun given than at the present time. In IS"I the expense of governing the country amounted to £530,000 a )ear ; now it is nearly double that amount, and by no means as sad-factory as iv 1871. If elected, I am prepared to support a Bill to consolidate the system aud to abolish a number of the minor bodies.

LAND SETTI.KMKNT,

If elected I shall do my best to get tho Waikopiro block of -0.000 acres thrown open for settlement, also tho I'iratu block of 9,000 acres, th. Piripiii block of 18,000 and tho Amaki Muck of '_..').000. These should, 1 think he cut up into sections of not less than two hundred acres, and sold upon det'eried-pstyineiit terms, aud thoso settlers in the hush now in occupation of small holdings should have a prior right of selecti m that, is to say, that before outsiders are allowed to come into competition they should have the right, of nuking their choice of selections. From what I have seen travelling through the bush, I am satisfi■ _ that most of the holdings are far too small, and that every facility should bo given to those who hold these small places to increase their holdings. I thoroughly believe in the d.-ferred-payment system, as it enables men with small capital to take op land, and to make their improvements as their position improves, and it really encourages settlement upon the laud. I feil strongly that the Civil Servants of the colony havo not receive.! fair treatment from the Government, nor from tho Opposition, during the pa. . session. Tho Government were, I think, to blame for taking back their ostiin.it.es, and in allowing the party known us the "Skinflints" to make reductions to the extent of nearly £.10,000. thereby doing a serious injustice to many of the liov.-rnmt.nt servants. Members vo'e their own honorarium, amounting to

n-arly £13 Oflo, without, much discussion, nut waste tbe lime of the country in dis•us»iug a i7*i or £10 reduction in the >alary >f s.-me uiifo-tunate clerk. At tho • rceiit time there is a feeling of

disc intent and dissatisfaction ihroiighotit 'he Oivil So-viei. of the country, largely br mght about by tbo unfair treatment the m"n have re-.c-veil. I consider that the time has not arrived when this colony sh .vi I federate with Australia, and that New Zealand has noihiag to gain by being unite 110 the other colonies. In the meantime this colony should, I think, bo entirely fn-e to make its own commercial treaties as its position requires.

UN-lONS AND THE STKIKK

Bcfm-e bringing my address to a conclusion, I would like to refer to a question that is now largely interesting the public mind, althuti/h it is not, perhaps, strictly s -caking a political question. I refer to the question of unionism and the present strike. I quite agree with the formation of these unions, but not with the strike. My opinion is that the men who h-ivo gone out on Hti-'s-i havo no red grievance, that the unions are necessary, and it is desirable they should exist, most of us admit in order ihut tbe working classes should have the power of making thoir wants known and getting their grievances redressed. The Maritime Council lias plunged this country into a labor difficulty without any real reason, ami without considering that this striko must mean misery and loss to thousands of men, women, aud children. The longer the strike c'iit-inucs the worse it. will bu for both labor and capital, and I think that every effort should bo made to brimr about a peaceful end to tbe present dilKc-ulty. Thero seems to me to be some misunderstanding in the minds of many people as to the objects of the Free Laborers' Association, and many men are under tho impression that it has Lui.ii started with tlie object of crushing the unions, when nothing of the kind is really intended. Its object i" to protect those who wish to be entirely free, and to enable the laborer to employ his capital to th" best pos-ib!e advantage, as. after all, bis labor is his capital, and he must place it into the best market.