MR. BARBER M.H.R.

Evening Post, Volume LXIX, Issue 122, 25 May 1905, Page 7

MR. BARBER M.H.R.

PRE-SESSIONAI, ADDRESS AT NKWTOWN. Mr. Barber, niombor for New-town, addrossed a meeting of his constituents at iho Vicloria Hall hist liiyht. Mr. \V. ircginbothtttn wn.i in t'lt^o chair, hut there was only a. moderatfc attendance of tliQ public, a fact piobably duo to the unpleasant iiuturc of the weather. Mr. Burlier, in tho comae of a .speech lasting for tin hour ami a half, «ikl probably tho most. interesting mcauiue to tli*.' distiiel wjw i ho Licensing Act Amendment Act. 'Iheio wan (i,i vat need for an umundmonl of the licens-ing law, mid ho proceeded to give an iitcoiml <>f the Act as it wya introduced, :uul as it : po-ssed, moie especially with j c^aid to tho provision for a new pull— .1 mo\isio!i ol which ho quite appiovcit. With 10gaid to "lapsed licenses" lio pointed out thai it would now he impossible to trnns-fer ,1. licen.se from tho Lily to a district like. Xewlown. He thoughl it would ho .uhnilled that tho new law lomedied v goi.d many defects, and that it would tend to regul Ue the fcjlc of liquor in Iho colony. THE DENTISTS ACT. Another meaMiio pa^cd was the Dentists Act, which pioyided for the regulation <if tho profos'ion of d.ntiat and for tho pioteclion of tho public. Dentists wcro lcquircd to 1)P le^i.sleicd, nnd ho thought that thn Government would in a short while h.ive to IU-uI with (his subject in a uumpieheiiMvo manner. Unle*» something was done to preserve the tooth of tho rising gcnointiun wo would all have to rely on a f.ilf-e- s»et. The Government should endeavour to discover tho cause of tho defective- teeth of pcoplo in New Zealand. THE LAND QUESTION. Turning to tho hind question, Mr. Barber said them were over 20,000 Crown tenant", with a largo number of pooplo dependent on them, and tho bulk of our exports were tlio product of tho soil. To Ilia mind the system of leading was tho boat for tho poor man. (Tl»ar, hear). Further, if wo de.Mied to i eta in the coiilidenco of the foieiun moneylouder we could not do it hotter than by iclaining tho Ivhincc of our Ciown hinds u,s security. Ho lcgudcd as monstrous tho proposal that h .i«ch.i!der« should bo enabled to acquit o tho freehold at tho priro at which tho land v a.souginally lakt'ii up. Such an agitation showed the necessity of being watchful in protect ing tho Liheiiil lawn of the colony. Ho w.t.s not expin^'ing a tlofinito opinion on tho subject of the l.md laws, thinking it would lie hotter to hear the opinion of the Laud C'omniinsion. His present opinion was that the best way to settle the laud win by tho leasehold system. THE HIGH COMMISSIONER. Last hCMiion ho opposed tho appointment of a High Coinniivcioner, becauvc ho did not think theie was any necessity for it. The colony had been well h-prved by tho AnenMSfnoi'il, mid theieforo ho voted against the meiiMiie. (Applause). SHOPS AND OFFICES ACT. As to the Shop* and Ofh'ccs Act, ho said ho opposed the measure in tho foim in whioh it hocunic law I'msious to its passage,' howuvei, ho Jiad Icui cauful of tho interests of hi?) (onstiiUiMitH, ami on the Kucnml ro.idinu' !io suppoitoil n proposal by Ml. Boll.ml to ICl'er ihe Hill to tho Labour Bills ('umnutUe, an hr bo'ioved in yi\ jipj cvtry one an opportunity of <\\pic«Miin an opini.m upon it. However, thnl inotimi \\,c« not ,'gii'ed to, and no oj)|)orttintiy win to pcoile to gi\e evideijie upon it. The liiil was intioduved to gi\e tho pulilic lliu opportunity of voting on the (|U.Jition of a Saturday half-holnl.iy. 'I hat, however, was struck out, but tho Hill w«.«i pioweded with, althotiirh to his mind the principal fcuiuio had ben .Munlc out. Mr. Bnrbor wont mi to »\plaiu how tlie Mrly-elovimt o'.'iusoh weic insi-ited /ii"t by tho LegiMalirn L'onnrii. pmnting out that h« opposed tho amendment mndo by the Upper Hoh.m>, on the «ioiiiid thai it would mean ruin to n i;i<Mt many peoj>lo at Neutown, who were not iiwuie of tho pioposal tlmt wns beinic inmlo ii< t)io lavt hours of Uie fcf-sion, Tho proposal coming ff 1 0111 the second confidence that the early-closing clauses shotild only apply to tho four centres of the colony j;ot rid of all tho opposition to the Hill, as tho country nicnilifrH did not one t>o long us their di.vtiiets were not alTecled. Ho was the only member who piote.slud against the proposal, which was agreed to. He had been b'.amed for not calling for a division, but ho explained that ho could not get another "teller," he did not know u)io would tell with him, and tho JToumc was anxioiut to get away, this being the hist business of tho session. (Applause.) WELLINGTON PRIVATE STREETS. Tho Private Sheets Hi'l, he went on to say, was one of the nieas-uiCH that did not pass. Mr. Seddoii wn.'i a strong opponent of the Hill — there wiui no good mincing matters. Ho (Mr. Bui her) proteslod against the opposition .«ho\vn to Iho Bill, which chielly nlfeclcd his constituency, «nd endeavoured lo persuade the House to ngree to it. Ho had a little "spar" with tho Premier over it, but it \\-ns eventually "blocked," the I'icniicr moving that consideration of the Bill in ComnuUio be postponed. That motion was curried, Mr. Aitkeu agreeing to the withdrawal and stating that the responsibility must rest with tho Premier. The Bill would bo brought up again during tho coming s>e*«ion, and ho hud hopes that it would bo cairied, i\n ho now had tho Mipport of Mr. Lauren801) and other members who had formerly opposed it. (Applause.) LOCAL MATTERS. Ho considered that Nowloavii was badly situated through want of a telephone ! exchange. Ho had tried to yeL one csi tabliahed several times, but had so far failed, although he would continue to persevere until ho did hiicceed. Tn this connection lie urged tho justice of there being iv universal chnrgc for telephones! — (applause)— and suid he had 'told the Poslmnsler-Uciioral Unit if a telephono oxclmngo was established at Now town ho could guarnnke that it would start with Olio hundred subset ihci.H. Siuco Iho hcvsion ho had wiggostod that tho Kxohange should be removed to Mount Cook, which would be fur more, ecnlial than its prosent position, and do away with a great deal of the trouble of taking wires through the congested parts of tho city. (Applause.) Turning to the question of State coal, Mr. Harbor lemiiidcd his nudieueo that he had piotestod agaiimt tho sale of tho coal to a syndicate, and ho still held the opinion that the State should deal with tho cnul without it passing thiou^h a middleman. Tho (!ov•cinnitiiit was not earrjing out the tibjent for which the mine was opined, which whs to let o\eiy one get the coal less the piofita now obtained by tho middleman. (Apphuibe.) Mr. Harhcr also ie.feireil to tho question of buck-kilns in the district, and quoted fiom Hansard to show (hat lie liP(l supported a proposal lo enable a lefciendum to hu taken on I hut and .similar quo'tion-*. In eonehiMon he said he war eiuleaumuni; to get a police station erected at New town. (Hoar, hear ) He was in favour of mhicinnnuution for whool teachiis and Ci\il Servant*}, and uiged that the colony wus

apomUug top much money in developing the tourist traflic (notably on t lie Wanganui river) without re«i])ing sufliciont benefit from the expenditure After aiihweiiug quostioim Mr. Baiber was, on tho motion of Mr. J. H. Taylor, accorded a hourly vole of thanks for hi» uddreh.s. In lop'.img lie said he would conleal the sent al the gcucial election.