WELLINGTON SUBURBS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVI, Issue 108, 3 November 1908, Page 3

WELLINGTON SUBURBS.

' MR. J. P. LUKE AT KARORI. There was an attendance of about 50 people at the Parochial Hall, Karori, last night, to listen to an address by Mr. J. P Luke, who is contesting the Suburbs seat. iThose present included several women, and the meeting was presided, over by Mr J. W . Henderson. The candidate, who was received with applause, said he was a supporter of tho present Government. 'He had not asked Sir Joseph Ward to make him the Government candidate, and he was not concerned as to whether he got the Government imprimatur or not. As long as thn Government administered " the country on honest and vigorous lines as at present, he would support it, but he would be no rail-sitter, and would not support it in "any measure that he did rtot consider for the good of the country. THE LAND POLICY. When the Ballance Government brought forward its land policy he supported it, and he had 'since supported the development of that policy as evidenced by the Seddon Government, and now by the Ward Government. The land question was paramount in New Zealand politics, and must be fully considerpd in any election. New Zealand was favoured in its climate, the country could not be excelled in any part of tho world, and the conditions were distinctly better than those prevailing in Europe. The prosperity of the country depended on the farmers, who deserved the fullest consideration. (Applause.) In 1891 the Ballance Government altered the incidence of taxation by doing away with the property tax and substituting a land and income-tax. Later cams a demand for clober settlement of the land, and to-day the Cheviot Estate was an outstanding example of the closer settlement policy of the Government. He Was in favour of a progressive policy of land settlement. He stood before them as ■ a leaseholder, as he believed that otherwise they would have the same heartrending conditions as now -prevai.' in Great Britain. It was, h9 urged, our bounden duty to haug- on to the land, so that the people might have tho advantage of the increase of value. Elected or not, lie wp.s not in iavour of selling an acre of Crown lands. LAND FOR SETTLEMENT.. He tnought it was about time that the people ceased to pay high values for estates for closer settlement. It would be better to spend the money on purchasing native lands, and opening them for public settlement. The large private, estates would be cut up by tho process of the graduated land tax, for which he expressed the highest appreciation. THE LEASEHOLD. Turning to land tenure, he said he knew that people would say that as a business man he took a peciiliar stand in advocating the leasehold, but he pointed out that a great portion of business Wellington was built on Corporation perpetual leases, and contained ; many big buildings.

CLOSER SETTLEMENT. The sum of £4,807,000 had been paid for the acquisition of land for settlements ; £409,000 had' been spent on roading these lands, the capital value of which is £5,217,000. WORKERS' HOMES. He expressed approval of the policy of the Government in erecting workers' homes, urging that'' by encouraging thrift they would solve the problem of housing and increase the sense of citizenship in the mind of the individual. Years ago he had expressed the same opinion in the Wellington City Council. In fact, it was more a question for the municipality than. the Government, and he suggested that the carrying out of the scheme might better be left to the local authority. Already, he added, advances amounting to £285,000 had been made to 1134 workers, and he hoped th<» policy would be supported by whoever was the representative of the Suburbs seat. CHEAP MONEY. On the subject of cheap money Mr. Luke said that when he started in business thirty years ago he paid 10 per cent. The Government had reduced the rate of interest by its Advances to Settlers Department, in connection with which a great deal of money had been borrowed. He supported a continuance of that policy, but he thought that the Government should borrow more largely outside < the Dominion, leaving local money for development of local industries. So long as the Government borrowed funds locally, there would be difficulty in carrying on local enterprises. (Applause.) EDUCATION. He v was a firm believer in secular education and an opponent of Bible-in- ! schools. (Applause.) He had lived long enough to see the danger of interference by religious bodies with our education system, so long as the State schools were in their present position. The sysj tern, he urged, required extension from ! the primary schools up to the university, and he would put his foot down against any discrimination between one °pupil j and another. The present scholarships were very extensive, and he believed they had a very capable administrator of the Department, in Mr. Fowlds — (applause) — but he thought the scholarship should provide for Jhe maintenance of the pupil while he or she was at the high school. (Hear, hear.) He had had considerable experience of this subject, and it was to the credit of the Government that it had done so much in this • direction. Technical colleges must not only be established, but equipped, and he regretted that more funds could not be devoted to that purpose. The Wellington School was being starved through lack of funds ; that was not the fault of the Government; it arose through want of sufficient money — but anyone who went to Farliament should assist the Government to put the system of technical education on a more satisfactory footing. (Applause.) LABOUR. He expressed general approval of the new Arbitration Act, and at the same time remarked that if strife did not cease between ej/ijiloyers ond employees they would stultify the energj and ability of the general body of pepple. POPULATION. The present shrinkage of population was very deplorable. Huge debts had been built up, md unless population was attracted here, those wh-> inhabited tho country would have a peat burden placed upon t,hem. MANUFACTURES. Ho urged that competent experts should, be appointed to go through ohe country, and see what articles could be manufactured as cheaply here as they could be imported, and that then the manufacture of those articles ehould bo oncouraged by means of an increased import duty. TAXATION. On this subject he urged that the burden rhould be placed on the shoulders of those best aWe to bear it, and thus relieve the buiden of those not so well off. Probably the condition of trade at present would render it necessary *o give full consideration to the question. Careful administration was necessary, and in this respect he said he thought we had gone quite far enough 'n expending money in attracting tourists to the Dominion. (Hear, hear.) INCOME TAX. If any alteration of the system of taxation was to be made it should, he urged, be by way of a development of ! th.2 income tax. (Hear, hear.) HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE \ '" AID. I The present position in this respect j was unsatisfactory, and the Government should carefully consider it. They would never get satisfactory administration unless they increased the areas of the variouo districts. They should also further classify the inmates of mental hospitals and charitable institutions. Benevolent homes should be located m the country, wheres the labour of the inmates cvuld be made remunerative. (Applause.) Also, he urged that with larger areas the administration of"" consumptive sanatoria could be dealt with on a more satisfactory basis. OTHER QUESTIONS. Tho candidate went on to advocate a system of national annuities, local bodies' superannuation (an Act relating to which was passed last session) a resonable contribution to the British Navy, encouraging the volunteers and tho cadet system (particularly the latter), and also referred tp the railways. Hb believed that the system was a good one, and that the Government and the officers of the department were actuated by a desire to do the best for the Dominion as a whole. The system, however, required to be looked into, and it was a question for Parliament as to whether all the concessions now given should be continued. The sooner that was done the belter, so as to enquire why the earnings of the railways had not bsen proportionate to the increase in the traffic. (Hear, hear.) Also, -ie urged that instead of having a large aunual surplus the amount otf income should approximate as nearly as possible to the expenditure.^nd thiit they should enquire what bearing the surplus had on the taxation of the community. In conclusion, he referred to his past services as a business man and a member of the City Council and so on, and said ho regarded that record as sufficient for his seeking further favours in a wider sphere. (Loud applause.) In answer to a question, Mr Luke said he was not there as the nominee of the Government or anybody else. (Loud applause.) He regarded tho Government as progressive, and was prepared to support it. The chairman remarked that it would put the Government in a very invidious position if it selected any of the candidates as its particular candidate. Mr Fitzgerald's supporters were saying what was not tha case if they said he was the candidate selected by tho Government. In answer to a further question on the subject of no-license, Mr. Luko said he was a "three-fifths" man. If the Government brought in any legislation in opposition to that he should oppose it. (Applause.) He was in favour of au elective legislative Council. On the motion of Mr. Agnew Smith, seconded by I\lr. Burn, the candidate was unanimously accorded a vote of i thanks and confidence.