THE COMING ELECTIONS.

Evening Star, Issue 7247, 25 June 1887, Page 1

THE COMING ELECTIONS.

MR ROSS AT ROSLYN.

The interest being taken in the approaching general election was evidenced by the very large attendance which assembled in the Council Chamber, Uoslyn, to bear Ur A. H. Roes, the late member, give an account of bis stewardship. Fully ISO persons were present, the hall being crowded. The Chairman (Mr A, 0. Begg) said: Yon are aware that we have met to hear an address from our member Mr Ross. You are all aware that we are on the eve of a general election, and it behoves every elector to eee that he votes for no one who is not prepared to pledge himself to insist that no further taxation stud) be imposed, and that a very large saving of expenditure shall be secured, not less than L 300.000 or L 400,000 per annum. This unfortunate Colony has been almost ridden to death by political quacks, and tbs only cure now proposed by the Government is still further taxation—a virtual bleeding to death of the Colony. The cry of Protection is merely raising a cloud of dust to blind the electors to the true issue, which it is to be hoped they will not for a moment forget. Mr Ross said that the. predictions of the Treasurer in 1884 had-not been realised ; the indebtedness had increased from L 29,574,903 in 1884 to L 34,102,337 in 1837; the annual charge for interest had increased during the same period by L 297.645 10s, this charge now amounting to L 1,727,293; and there was a diminishing revenue from almost every source. It had been found imperatively necessary to imp-se a crushing increase of taxation, or to enter upon a vigorous measure of retrenchment. The Government had proposed to adopt the former remedy, which was perhaps the least troublesome to them; but the House of Representatives was in favor of the latter, wh'ch, in his opinion, was certainly the preferable course. Many people supposed that the question of

FREBTRADB AND PROTECTION ' was that which was considered in the House when the tariff proposals of the Government were introduced ; but such was not the case. The question at issue was “Taxation or Retrenchment” It suited the purpose of some members Of the Government t use “ Protection to Native Industries" as a ery to go tp the oeuetrjmpon; but, he hoped that the people of the Colony would.jjpt allotv their attention to be drawn from the extravagant, and in some.instances illegal and unauthorised expenmtarqoltheGovernment. To raise the cry of Proteqtrori at the present time was absurd. Was New Zealand otfw’a Freetrade Colony ? Why, the Customs dutUS holleoted last year amounted to nearly one-fifth of the total value of the imports. Was that i Freetrader or anything like it? He hid not heard anyone advocate the reduction of the duties imposed by the existing tariff; but what was maintained-by-a large majority of the House was that the people of New Zealand were already heavily taxed, that it was unnecessary to increase the taxation, and that by a policy of retrenchment an increase of taxation would be rendered unnecessary. But it must not be thecheeseparing, huckstering retrenchment of a Government that would dock 3 or 4 per cent, cft salaries of 1200 or 1300 a-year, or. that would reduce the wages of a hard-working charwoman -frOm LS to 12 per month (equal to 33J per cent;), whilst deducting a paltry 7£ per pent, from their own salaries. The proposal of the Treasurer be looked uppn as a,hollow sham. Protection to native 'industry! -"Let them took at a few of the items. On macaroni, sage, vermicelli, tapiooa, aqd semoline—articles of food that could not be produced in the country, and that bad previously been free—it was proposed to put a duty of 2d per lb. The duty on' maiseoa and cornflour- was to be increased from Is to 12s 6 i per 1001b, and rice from Jd to Id per lb—causing on addition to the cast of that article of ford of U0,147. Where did Protection to native industries come in in these items? . It was true thitthe duty on windoWsashes was to he increased as follows :—Uaglazed-from 2s to 3s per pair, and glazed from 4s to Os per pair. This certainly, looked like protection to native industry—an addition of SO per cent, on articles that could be manufactured here; but the fact was that last year nngljtzed sashes contributed L2 10s to the revenue, and not a single pair of glazed 'sashes were - imported;—(laughter ) The increased duty on boots he considered unnecessary. It was admitted by many of the boot manufacturers that the present duty was sufficient to protect the local manufacturers, who had been able to shut out ail classes of goods for which their labor and appliances were suitable, and the Customs returns showed that, the: muster of boots and shoes imported la-it year 'was less by 92,796 pairs than were imported during the previous year, Tne proposed duty cn boots would increase their cost, as the increase in duly was from 250 per cent. on infants’ boots to 500 per cent, on gum and grain d leather knee-boots. Another, point from which this matter might be cf interest to the consumers was that last year the duty oh imported boots and shoes amounted to over 115,009, and if the increased duties entirely prevented the importation of boots and shoes, the public would have to pay an increased price of 4s per pair on men’s helots, and the L 15,000 lost to the revenue would have to be’contributed in some other form ot taxation to the State. There were, however, seme anomalies in the existing tariff which ought to be removed, and one of these Which hod been pointed ont to him was that a duty jWas charged upon what was called cathedral glass, but if the glass was made up into windows itoame induty ’free. Anomalies of the tariff should be geotified, but an increase o( taxation through the Customs should be avoided.

EDUCATION. The cost of our educational system amounted to L5C9.033 annually, of which 1.409,675 was disbursed by education boards, and might be taken at the coat of Government primary schools. There were now being educated at these schools about: 110,000 granted uy Xmrawcr .tt—.—MMwaflarwt . raise the school age from fue co six or seven bad, after thought, arrived at the conclusion that this would be a step id the wrong direction. Children of five years of ago,’ especially the precocious children of ibis Colony, were susceptible of receiving and retaining impressions in a remarkable degree, and if they were excluded from the schools many of them would be educated|in the streets—most certainly in an improper direction. The secretary of the Otago Education Board had informed him (Ur Roes) that it the school age were raised to six or seven years onehalf of the country schools in this district would have to be closed. In Roalyn electoral district no fewer than 200 children would be excluded from the schools. There would be retrenchment in the lessened ntlmher of teachers and pupil-teachers, but was it not possible to effect the same saving without refusing admission .to children between tbs age jof five and six | - It bad been suggested to him by a teacher that, reoigoisiog the necessity of reducing the expenditure, teachers would not object to a reduction, evbn to the extent of 10e, in the capitation allowance. If this ooold be done without pressing more hardly upon teaohers-than the reductions in other brandies of the Civil Service would do upon the officers of other departments a saving of L 60.000 would be effected in the vole lor primary education alone. By a j ndicions pruning pt expenditure in connection with school buildings, the cost of inspection, travelling expenses of members, of education boards—the loumber of which might he nished by SO per cent.,' if even they could not be superseded altogether by' some equally efficient and less expensive machinery—the reduction of teachers’ salaries consequent' nhon the Suggested diminution of the vote, would 'be kept-Within reasonable limits, and the apprehensions; entertained by many friends and admirers of oar system, that it might (all to pieces by force of its own weight, would be in some measure removed. higher ednoauuu, the amount expended upon it during the year 188#. wal a large proportion of which was derived from endowments and school fees, L 5,500 only haring been appropriated by Parliamentary vote. No portion of the amount thus voted was required Ky the Otago University or High Schools, which, thanks to the, prudent foresight of the early settlers, had been amply provided! for by endowments set apart for the purpose by the Provincial Council. There were permanent charges in connection with university education on the Consolidated Fund amounting to L7,ooo—viz., by the New Zealand University Act, 1874, L 4,000; and by the Auckland University College Act, 1882, L 8,000; and the time would come when members representing Otago would have to struggle to preserve the fruits of the self-denial of the founders of this settlement intact to their successors.—(Applause.)

RAILWAY MANAGEMENT. The Bill circulated at the close of last session'* 1 for establishing boards of advice in matters relating to the public traffic on railways" showed the utter incapability of the Minister to deal satisfactorily with the question oi railway reform. In the speaker’s opinion it was an abortion snob as ought never to have seen the light, and it very properly disappeared .in the slaughter of unoonsidered Bills prior to the prorogation. There was a widespread feeling, which ne'himSilf shared to some extent, that L 700.000' was much too large a sum to expend on the managem-nt of the railways, and that if in the hands of a private company th y could be managed for a much lees sum and more satisfactorily to the public.—(Hear.) The next Parliament would, he had no doubt, force the opnsideration of the question upon the next Government and insist upon a thorough inquiry into the best means of working the lines economically, either by the reconstruction of departmental government or by tbe appointment of a non-political board of trained and competent persons, or by teasing the lines in sections to responsible parties on euoh conditions as would ensure efficient maintenance of plant and rolling stock, and fixing the maximum rates of charges lor tbe conveyance of passengers and goods traffic.

LAND SETTLEMENT. A good deal had been said about the expenditure on the village settlements which had been established in the province of Auckland. During the previous session the sum of L 5.030 was voted to be expended in the establishment of village settlements, but to the surprise of the House it was found that L 7.000 had been expended and liabilities had been incurred to be Eaid within the next two years of no less a sum than 62,000. There was no authority from Parliament (or the Minister of Lands to enter into these engagements, and great dissatisfaction prevailed on account of this, and also because a person named London, who had beenmoregraphically than complimentarily described, appeared to have been very busy, and to have possessed a good deal of authority in connection with placing the village settlers on the land,. He very much doubted whether these settlements would prove successful; indeed, he was afraid that .many of these settlements, though they appeared to be started under such favorable auspices, would turn out signal (allures. In concluding, the speaker intimated that be should speak more fully on the land question at a meeting at Mornington; that he should then deal with the Representation and other Bills; and that he would now answer any questions upon subjects dealt with in the last Parliament. ; ■'

QUESTION'S. Mr B. M'Artbdr : Will the candidate support or briog in a Bill whereby the excessive salaries now being paid to school-teachers may be reduced to the same ratio as a first-class tradesman, that the poorer classes may not be deprived of the benefits of a free education, and looked down on by the; dominie so far above them in social scale ? (Laughter.) Mr Ross; I think from what I said on the anbjeot of education you will see that even the teachers themselves would not object to a reasonable reduction of tboir salaries. I think it is qultereasonaMe that the teachers—and they see it themselves—should be subject to the same reduction as the Civil servants.

Replying to other questions, . . - Ur Ross said on income tax had pgveßhSeq:oon_

sidered by Parliament, but he was quile iu layer «;t ii. It would b'i easy of collection, and might bo the boat, way of contributing to the revenue The tax would require to be carefully considered and hedged round with many restrictions. As regarded village settlements, it was a fact that the settlors had to pay 5 per cent, on the money advanced, but at the b.iuio time the liability ought not to have been incurred without the consent of Parliament. In reply to a query as to the absence of his name from a number of divisions, Mr Ross said ho had not been absent from his duties tout days during the four sessions, and had no remembrance why he had not recorded his vote on certain occasions. He had never absented himself from the House with the intention of shirking a division. He would be in favor of reducing the Governor’s salary and allowances, but it could Dot he applied to the present Governor, and he would also reduce Ministers' salaries by muoh more than 71 per cent. He thought 20 per cent, should be taken off their salaries, 50 per cent, oil the honorarium of the Upper House, and 15 or *2O per cent, from the Lower House. —(Applause.) He was in favor also of a reduction in the number of members, and had arranged to vote for Mr Fergus’s amendment for a reduction to seventy-iivt, but thought seventy-one too swooping When the Bid was re-committed to increase the number again he voted against the restoration of the number to ninetyone, and would have voted for seventy-one in preference. Perhaps the most disrepntaM’—no was almost saying nefarious-transao ion of the Government had been the creation of a dozen new Legislative councillors, on purpose, lie believed, to gain a majority to pass their District Railways Bill. The number Should be half that of the Lower House. He was in favor of Bible-reading in schools, believing it to be a reprehensible thing to exclude the Bible from the public schools by Act of Parliament. Iu his opinion women should vote upon the licensing question-indeed he had supported the Bill to grant them the electoral franchise He had always been in favor of local option. If the Volunteers were properly treated, he believed there would be little necessity for any other military force, and he would relegate a large number of those employed on the fortifications to the tanks of the un-.mployed. As to plural voting, he had voted in favor of limiting the number of votes any person could give to two. He had consistently voted against the Law Practitioners Bill, believing that the limit within which our lawyers could be admitted was now sufficiently wide. Mr Wilkinson moved, and Mr Hasty seconded a vote of thanks to and confidence in Mr Ross as representative of the distiicr.

Mr Powell desired to move, as an amendment—- “ That Mr Ross he thanked for his address and past services, and, believing that ho is horn to shine as a mayor of a borough or a chub man of a harbor boa* (I, we therefore recommend him to give the whole of his time to those duties in future.”—(Laughter.) The Chairman : I decline to acc. pt that amendment.—(Hear.) .. , Mr Powell : On what grounds do you rule it out of order? . . • The Chairman : It is an insulting statement to Mr Ross, and is not a proper amendment to the motion. —(Cries of “ Chuck him out! ’ “ Choke him!” and interruption). Mr Ellis then moved and Mr Powkll seconded—- “ That Mr Ross bo simply thanked for his address.” They objected to tho meeting being called on to pledge themselves till tho other candidates had been Tho amendment was lost, and the original motion carried by a large majority.