Mr. Stout at Dunedin.

Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 152, 24 December 1885, Page 4

Mr. Stout at Dunedin.

LBT TELE'IUAPH.J [UNII«D I'ttKiS ASSOCIATION.] Dunbdin, 23rd Deoombor. The Hon. R. Btont addressed tho elector* of Dunedin Fast in North DunedinDrillshod this evening. Mr. H. Cslder, Mayor of North-onst Valley, prosided. Mr. St:nt ¦aid he mot the electors to-nitjht in fulfilment of a promiso mado when ho addressed the electors last month. Ho proposed to avoid going over almost any of tho ground herwent over thon, and as to most of tho hostile speeches made against the Government, ¦ome of them displayed so muoh ignorance of politioal affairs in Now Zealand that it wonld be wasting time for him to reply. One member of Parliament who, in addressing his constituents, had found fault with the Govornment for not resigning when their tariff rf solutions were rojooted by the House, was one of those who reqneated them not to resign ot tho tiruo—nay, more, pledged them that if they did not ho wuuld give them a cordial support throughout the session. Major Atkinson, in his speooh, had shown in ¦ome things an exceedingly short memory. He aai'l that the presont Government bad got into office by abuse of his Government. The beat way to answer that was this—the Atkinson Government were defeated in Jnne, 1834, before throe members of the present flovornment had even Beats in the House, and at the general election which followed that defeat the verdict of the conntry was against the Continuous Ministry. The present Ministry took offioe not by abuso of tho previoua Government, but booause the country demanded a change, and because a majority of tho Homo would not have the late Government restored. Unfortunately Major Atkinson had not propounded a polioy in hia speeoh. Thore was not a shadow of polioy. It was fiimply a rnnning critioism on the aotions of the Government. Some of the Major's oritioisms were entirely wide of the mark. For example, he twitted him (the speakor) for having failed to fulfil his pledge of saving from £80,000 to JBIOO.OOO a year. He wonld show that that plod go had been fulfilled. What was the case with respect to tho Dofenoe Department? Tho Armed Constabulary force on the Ist 3eptembor, 1884, oonsistod of 429 men, looated in native districts at a oostof £54,550. On the 19th of the present month the total number of Armed Constabulary in nat'vo districts waa only 84, and their ooat, inoluding the depots for Armed Constabulary, only amounted to £15,215; so that ao far as * tho Armed Constabulary was oonoernod there was a saving of about £37,000. It waa true that the Government had had to oreate another permanent force in tho shape of a Tor§edo Corps and Artillery Force, bnt deapito lis additional expenditure oanaed by the war soars, a saving of £10;000 had been made. Not only had this saving been mado, but it had been attendod by peaoo in the native dißtripta, and the Maoris had never been more friendly than they wore at presont. As to the Survey Department, there had been a saving at tho rate of from £20,000 to £30,000 per year. Major Atkinson admitted that, bnt ho said that the surveys had been allowed to lag behind. On reading that he (tho speaker) wired to Wellington aud reoeived a reply that tho surveys had not been so far forward for years pant. Savings had also been effected iv tho Charitable Aid vote, and in other votes, and linos had bean laid down for further saving. Ho charged the Atkinson Govornment with continually increasing tho taiatioji from 1879 to 1884. Tho Major first got into office mainly by abuse of the Grey Government and when ho left ofttco he left a deficiency of £150,000 for the year ending 1881. Had the Government proposals of laat year been given effect to, an amount of that defioienoy Would have boen wiped off, inatead of being addad to tho permanont debt of the oolony. As to the loan sohemea, he charged Major Atkinson with having misapplied the throe million loan. The money bad been so manipulated that it had to be set down nine months before it aotually oama to oredit; and thia he regarded aa ono of the most disgraoef al episodes of financing a oolony could well have to disoloee. As to the extravaganoa of this Govornment with respeot to the East and West Coast Railway, he pointed out that the Atkinson Govornment, in 18S2, proposed two parallel lines'from the West Coast to Christohuroh. It was hi* opinion that tho colony wonld not be ripe for two suoh parallel lines for the next 50 years to oome. The oritioiema of the leader of the Opposition showed that hia memory was either weak or failing. Speaking of railway management he stated that non-politioal Boarda were absurd—and bo absurd that he hoped they would never be revived again. As a matter of faot these non-politioal Boards wero proposed by the Atkinson Government in 1882, as the only means of getting rid of political pressure in the management of railways. He now came to deal with the future polioy of tho Government. With referenoe to railways his own views with reference to borrowing were that thoy should only borrow for works whioh wonld be reproductive, and here there woj a contrast botween himself and Major Atkinson. The lattor oared little for railway ¦ extension. He wanted to borrow for roads and bridges. They ought not to pledge the credit of the colony unduly for roads and bridges, whioh gave no direot return. If they borrowed money they could lend to tho looal bodiea, who would, howevor, have to pay interest on it. That would bo a means of helping the road districts and bush districts, and at tho same time not unduly burdening the colony. He did not say the system arrived at by the Hospitals and Charitable Aid Act waa perfect, but it waa a long step in advance of what had previoualy oxiated. It had been predioted by Major Atkinson that there would be a deficiency at the end of the yoar. He (tuospeaker) did not know that there would be any deficiency, but if there were it would not bo largo. In conclusion, he stated that if the Government did not get a loyal support from the Houso they would not remain in offioe. They were carefully and economically administering the affairs of tho oolony, and it was to thoir credit that not a single fault in their administration could be pointed ont. The members of the Cabinet had no desire to hold office for a day unless they believed they wero doing some good for tho colony. (Applause.) If they did not get a loyal support from the House, and, in tho event of dissolution, from the country, they would placo tho trust in other hands. Thoy woro not going to hold office Bimply to please Homo malcontents anxionß for office themselves. Ho advised the eleotors to tske an intelligent interest in politics, and not merely to rely on the statements and criticisms of politicians, and they would have political questions discusser! with an interest and with a knowledge whioh they had not yet had in Now Zoaland. (Applaußo ) In anßwer to questions, Mr. Stout said he favoured an income tax, as he believed true taxation should bo of a progressive oharaoter. With respeot to borrowing, he wonld not pledge himself to borrow ten millions. The matter had to be considered by Government. As he had stated, he would not favour any wild sohemo of borrowing. Money borrowed should be employed on reproductive works that would pay some interest. A unanimous vote of thanks to Mr. Stout for his address and of continued confidence waa carried.