THE PREMIER OUTLINES MINISTERIAL PROGRAMME

Evening Star, Issue 12652, 4 November 1905, Page 2

THE PREMIER OUTLINES MINISTERIAL PROGRAMME

| A GREAT MEETING. [Special to the Stab.] WELIINGTON, NovembeT 4. A tremendous audience assembled last night at the Opera-house, at the invitation of the Premier. Every seat was filled by seven o'clock, and all the standing room was gone ten minutes later. After that hour pantingj palpitating crowds began to stream awav from the portals of the Operahouiw. When at eight o'clock the band began to play inside, the streets- were filled by the overflow from the meeting for eeveral blocks. It may be that Wellington does not elect Ministerial candidates, but the citizens certainly turn out in their thousands to hoar the Premier and the Ministerial chiefs. I speculate on this anomaly while the band are discoursing the music of I don't know what, and nobody cares. Every now and then tlte appearance of some citizen on the platform is noticed by some denbonstration. A well- i known editor, wandering in, found his way I through the packed chairs, and calmly sat down in one of a row of vacant front Beats. Ho was very serene; the crowd yelled; he remained still serene; suddenly It was borne in upon him that ho was tatting in the seat reserved for the Premier. The crowd divined it by some curious intuition, and yelled like a kalf-farnishad menagerie. The editor, however, remained serene, but lie had the sense not to stay. He rose, promptly tainted the jeering house, and jauntily strutted off. Scum after there is a shouting, the band play 'He's a jolly good fellow,' the Ministerial party walk in, take their places, and l>r Findlay (the chairman of the evening) got to business, introducing the " 6peakable and unspoilable Grand Old Man of New Zealand" and his capable colleague. Sir J. Ward. The learned doctor was quick and lively and literary, and the audience showed impatience with hie literary allusions, but he kept well to his text, and made a better impression than I have ever seen him make on the platform, here. He introduced Sir Joseph Ward as the first speaker. Sir Joseph, who was received wirii cheers, opened with the remark that it had fallen to his lot to fire the first shot in the campaign, so far as Ministurs weie concerned. It was very soon evident thait war had been declared. Firstly, he declared that no charge against the Admimatration made during the last fifteen years had been made good. Secondly, ho alluded to the continued prosperity of the country and the large surpluses, in the face of enormous concessions of revenue and increases of pay and pensions. These were the staple of the first shot. The queries of the quiduncs, the Opposition Press, and otherwise he proceeded to demolish. In railway wages alone he asserted that there had just been given an increase of £63,000, and so far from being an electioneering dodge that sum was only the last of a series of increases ranging-over several years, and aggregating £370,000. This information was received with great cheers. Then followed a strenuous defence of the railway management, and more particularly the bookkeeping, which charged new tilings to loan instead of to expenditure The concessions given to the users of the railways were over £600,000, and the increased wages came to £370,000, and yet the railways prospered and the real benefit was with tl» public. He went through the Railway Superannuation scheme with the vehemence of a cavalry charge. Ho also j reviewed the railway ]>osition and tlie financial position, easily turning the tables on a persistent interjector, and ending a great j fighting speech by predicting victory at the elections for a party who were determined to do their h.st in the interests of the best colony under the sun. A great roar of cheering proclaimed at nine o'clock that the Premier had risen to r peak. When the prolonged cheering ended, Mr Seddon said, in his big. dear voice, which rolktl over the large hall, that those cheers had taken off his shoulders the whole of the critkiwn of the Opposition of every sort. Following up the stroke, he made fun of the New Liberals, and other parties, and exchanged smiles with Mr Dutbie, who beam-rid at" him from the upper benches. He dealt sportively with Mr Massey at Puktitohe, replying to the Leader of the Opposition with force and emphasis to idl the charges under the financial head, demonstrating tltat the Auditor and ControilerGeneral is as truly Controller and Auditor to-day as he was long ago. There were cheers wlien the Premier said that he wonld alwavs oppose all proposals to hand over the Civil Service and the Railways to a board appointed by a political party. There was a rciiL-wed burst of cheering when he discussed the voucher incident. He went into figures, and worked up the cost of not finding that mythical document to £3,044, and had a remarkably lively meeting with him. He next proceeded to exhaust the voucher, going into details with withering force, punctuated by plaudits at every tern. The Mapourifea trip gave hkn a picnic He said that the Opposition had asked for the outing, everybody who went on theateamer bad enjoyed it, and then they had the bad taste to blame the Government for it. As a precedent,' he referred to the famous little picnic of the North Island Railway in 1890, with its bills for corkscrews and a bux of insect powder. In burlesque manner ho said : " In reply to the Mapourika affair, I throw the box of insect powder in their faces." Escaping from the laughter caused b\- this sally, ho went through the London Stock Exchange quotations, and defended the amendment made last session in the Criminal Code BilL In other days a man who had been slandered had to meet his slanderer with lead or steel, but this Act gave a better method of protection. The meeting was now very lively, and when the Premier worked up to a climax about slandering the honor of families there were cfiieers and counter cheers. He next proceeded with the defence of the whole policy of the session in detail, the detail ending by making him " proud of the session," and the meeting agreed witd him. At mention of the Factories Amendment Bill brought in by Mr Taylor, ho said that the cheers for Mr Taylor interrupted him. On resuming his address he remarked that Mr Taylor got no further than its introduction, but the Government took it up, improved it, and passed it: The Shops and Offices found Mr Seddon in his element, and got him applause for the line he has made us familiar with. The Workers' Dwellings Act next made its appearance, but its mention did not evoke a single remark or duiwiistratiou of any kind. He went into details without much sign of interest, but l when he got to the result", ** ten shillings a I week for comfortable places, instead of 265," a fine cheer went round. A few words about Meikle (about whom an order of reference for the coming Commission had been asrreed to), and some local allusions, thero followed a comical incident. In the midst of a dreary detail of works and their prices in Wellington, a little terrier trotted briskly to the footlights. The crowd began to whistle, and the canine looked at them intelligently, woLKoed \tttiat tail be had, and intimated solemnly in dog fashion that he was ready for anything- in TOason. The crowd yelled with delight. "Good dog," cried a wag. " Come here to keep me from the rats," came from the Premeir promptly, and there was a great cheer for the man and the dog. Unity and Imperialism brought a brisk speech nearer to an end, but before reaching it tflio meeting heard that after spending nearly £900,000 on public works, the Public Works Fund still has £1,500,000 to the good, while the revenue of the Consolidated Fund is better to-day by £133,000 than was the the revenue at this period last year, or a gross surplus of £761,000. Mention of the surplus brought up the announcement that a reduction of taxation on the necessaries of life should be proposed next year, and it would be in the direction of a free breakfast table There would also be a reduction of the duty on tobacco. The humorous way of dealing with these things as Mt Seddon rollicked from side to side of the stage kept the audience in great glee, which got an extra glesas when the probability of increasing the Graduated Land Tax was announced. Then Old Age Pensions and all its details, past, present, and future, were reviewed. This led to the announcement of a National Pension scheme —a thine to be applied to> everyone in the

1 oommunity. It would be based an voluntary contributions, regularly paid to the State and subsidised by the State, The Premier spoke of it as the logical consequence of what had been done already. The result would be to provide for every thrifty soul in the colony, and to make every colonist comfortable in his old age. A few warm remarks on Imperial Unity, a warm eulogy of the two Japanese treaties, and a strong assurance of the constitutional independence of this country brought a great fighting speech to a close in the midst of a storm of applause. [From a Sfeciai. OoßJixsroNDErr.] Sir Joseph Ward, who was warmly greeted, said he was proud to be associated before so large an audience with the chief of the Liberal party of New Zealand. Despite adverse and undeserved criticism, the Government hod never feared to come before the people. They were now on the eve of a political tattle, and it behoved the liberal party to have their forces well marshalled Though differing on minor matters, perhaps, yet on larger questions they should all work in unison for that which concerned the well-being of the country. After fifteen years of office not one of the charges levelled against the Administration had been sustained.—(Applause.) Yet one of the clap-trap cries they had beard so much of lately was that of "clean government." An effort was being made to sot Town against Country, and to engender a feeling as between the workers. Sir Joseph quoted figures show ing the concessions made by the Government on the railway to the farmers and other sections of tbs community, and referred at length to certain criticisms appearing in the ' Evening Post' regarding the action of the Government respecting the Hutt Railway Improvement 831, and to the increase of wages to the railway men. It was not a right principle to allow any municipal corporation to enter into competition with a railway belonging to and constructed by the State. As regarded the cry that the wages of railway workers liad been increased in the recent session for electioneering purposes, Sir Joseph said his answer to that was that the railway, being l a classified department, nothing could be dome wititout the authority of Parbament. The Governrneot had alreadv dealt

with the railway men three times "during their term of office, and the amount of the increases, as computed on the number of hands originally employed at the time of classification, came to £370,000. That was a complete answer.—(Applause.) In regard to the railway hands coming under the Industrial Goocilratkni Act, five-sixths of the railway service, on a special poll, had voted against it. The Minister of Railways next defended the policy of not charging money spent under the additions to open lines vote to revenue, as the Oppositsom critics urged ought to be done. He also stated that next session the Government hoped to be able to place on the Statute Book a satisfactory measure dealing with superannuation of the Cvii Service. The best means of dealing with the Civil Service was not by establishing a Civil Service Board, but by classification. An Act had been passed last session for this very purpose. Sir Joseph spoke for just an hour. The Premier was received with long and continued cheering. He expressed his great pleasure art meeting so large a gatherrmr of the electors of Wellington so soon, after Parliament had finr-hnd. He of all men believed in fajr plav, and he had not received fair play But" in fighting the battle of reform one" had always to be prepared for dastardly attacks; but once place the facts before the public and there was nothimg to fear.— (Applause.) He might tell them that be was as yourtqi in spirit and as determined as ever. He referred in strong terms to the calumnious charges that had been thrown at has colleague, and stated that tliev were entirelv and absolutely without foundation. The "Premier next referred to the r<:cent meeting of the Political Reform party and —The New. Liberatein Wellington during lire session, and stated that the latter, which had started with some eleven members, wore now practically reduced to three, and after this election there would probably be still further reductions. In the criticism of the Political Reform party, which included! the big guns of the Opposition, there was not much to reply to. TltOTe was the same old cry about the audit of the public accounts", the Public Revenues Act, and the finances i*enerally, yet not a single policy measure passed by "the present Administration did the Opposition dare to attempt to repeal—such, for example, as the Land for Settlements and the Old Age Pensions measures, which the Opposition had originally opposed. —The Policy of the Opposition — would sek to embrace an alteration of the powers of the Auditor-General, the repeal of tho Public Revenues Act, an Elective Legislative Council, the establishment of a Public Service Board, and tba opportunity of acquiring the freehold of all classes of hind. It was

A Policy of "Threads and Patches."— Referring to the audit of the public accounts, the Premier staled that the AuditorGeneral had power to audit every shilling of the colony's expenditure. There had been no alteration in the system dlurmg the last fifteen years. The change in respect to the audit within the Railway Deportment was effected by the Stout-Vogel Government, and that in respect to the Customs audit by the Atkinson Government; while in regard to the Lands Department it was done at. the instance of the Ballance Government. But in respect to each of these three departments of the public service, as with all the others, the Auditor-General had still the supreme control. Mr Seddon said that the Government were strongly opposed to the setting up of any Public Service Board, and he would be no party to it. It meant tho taking away of a proper and just responsibility from the represntatives of the people, and putting the control into the band* of three or four rrresponsiblo men.—(Loud applause.)

—The "Voucher Incident.— Tho Premier stated' that some 490 columns of ' Harvard' had been taken up with, the debates over this subject in Parliament, occupying some thirty-five hours. He quoted figures showing in round numbers that the cost to the country over this business was some £3,044. —The Colony's Finance. — The Premier quoted from the 'lnsurance and Banking Record' of October 20 last to ehow that the criticism of Mr Jas. Allen, M.H.R., in regard to our Consols was unfair, and that sudh attacks on our finance seriously' injured tho credit of the colony outside. The colony hail every good reason for standing well in the Mother Country.—(Applause.)

—Tho Work of Last Session He claimed that the Government had dealt with the Harvester Trust question in an eminently sensible manner: The Agricultural Implements Act enabled a Board to be set up to deal with ~ the matter. "This Trust or any other was not going to crush the life-blood out of our industries) for the enrichment of any set of American jjiaWjoiiaires. Parliament next year could, if necessary, go thoroughly into the whole matter." Meantime, he maintained that the question had been dealt with in a very intelligent manner.—(Applause.)

—Freedom, of Speech.— The Premier defended tbe Criminal Cods Amendment Act, and denied that there was any repression of the freedom of speech. Speech .was as free to-day as before the Act was passed, but as a result there would be a better and purer public life in this country. —Education.— The passing of the Education Act Amendment Bill, which provided'for £30,000 of increase in teachers', salaries, arid the Teachers' Superannuatjon Act, were acts'of justice to a deserving sectieai of the oommunity, and would give widespread fratisfaction.—(Applause.). They were further evidence that the Government had the best interests of education at heart.

—Employment of Our Young People.— There was the Factories Act Amendment Bill, under which no boy or girl could be employed for less than 5s a week, whereas formerly the employers said to them: " We will take you tor twelve month* on tcjal.

and if yon work to our satisfaction, at the end of that time we will take you on permanently." Bui experience showed that at the expiration of that period they were turned adrift, and another batch were taken on to whom nothing was paid. This Act now compete an employer to give young people not less than 17s a week for the fifth year, and after the sixth year not leas than 20s a week. Any industry that could not afford- to give a young man or woman 17s to 20s week, then the sooner that industry perished the better. —(Loud applause.) —Shops and Offices.—

He (the Premier) had a lively recollection of what took place at the Druids' Hall last year, when he wa* hooted and blamed for the famous flmifw 3. He was surprised at the amount of lung power possessed by the local shopkeepers when tlhey conceived tuat their interests were menaced. He said to them on that occasion: " Bide a wee; you will want me to get you out of this-mesß " ; and subsequent events proved that ho was right. Justice had been done to the assistants and bo the small shopkeepers, and with the exemptions there should be an end to all heartburning*. Some members of t/he Opposition allowed the original Act to pass without protesting, but when the mistake was discovered they said: " Oh, it was the Government."

—Maori Land Legislation.— They had put upon the Statute Book the Maori Land Settlement Act, and under it he saw half a million acres of land in sight for settlement.—(Applause.) But in acquiring this land justice would be done to the Maoris, by their receiving fair value for tUieir land. He believed that they would get half a million acres from the Maoris for less than half a million sterling. There was no question greater than that of

—Land Settlement,— and the expediency of settling the people upon the Maori lands could not be overestimated, as well as upon the Crown lands of the colony.—(Applause.) These surplus lands were retarding settlement. He referred to the fact that there were only about 5,000,000 acres of Crown lands now fit for settlement, tidulst the Maoris had about 6,000,000. The time would come when they wouV do justice to the Maoris, and in the interest of both races these lands must be settled.—(Applause.) —Tlie Workers' (>nrpensation for Accidents. — A great improvement had been made as far as the worker was concerned. As the law stood formerly, the compensation paid to a worker was based upon the length of time he was employed in the situation when the accident took place. Thus, if he had only been employee; for a week, the compensation was a mere pittance scarcely worth receiving, notwithstanding the fact that the person maimed or injured might have left employment in which he had worked for years. Under the present Act, if a worker received over 30s a week, and met with an accident, he was entitled to receive £1 a week, irrespective of the length of service. This made no difference to the employer, as it fell upon the insurers, and was only just to the employee.—(Cheers.)

—Workers' Dwellings.— The Premier said this Act was a universal necessity. There was no part of the colony where it was more urgently required than in Wellington. The various Corporations had possessed during the past five years the right to establish these homes, but they took no action whatever. They had so much to do in respect to other matters, such as tramways, etc., that they appeared to be unable to tackle a subject like workers' dwellings. Speaking of Wellington, Ihe had said that he did not think they would be able to carry a loan for that purpose. The State bad now passed an Act, under which workers' homes could be built of timber up to £360 and of brick to £4OO. He had gone very carefully into this matter, with the result that the State could afford to let these houses (containing about five rooms, with every convenience) for 10s or 12s a week, whist for similar houses the people were at present paying 25s and 26s per week.—(Applause.) It would be asked w4ty it was the Government could do this, and his reply was that it was owing to the low rate of interest at which they could borrow the money. This reduction in rent would be equivalent to a corresponding increase in wages, which he felt sure would be appreciated by the workers. The Premier stated that the Government had suitable parcels of land in view in the different centres. It was not too mudh to say that at least a third of the workers' earnings was going in rent—(applause)—and this, with sickness and other drawbacks, rendered it almost an impossibility to live. They would find these cottages going up, and it was not a question to wart until the clouds rolled by, not was the Act introduced for electioneering purposes.—(Loud applause.) He was looking forward to the time when it would ho his pleasant duty to open the first of these homes. —Meikre's Case. — In reply to some interjections respecting the Meikle case, he said that "the present stage of the Meikle case is this: that the Government have submitted to Mr Jamieson (secretary to Mr Meikle) and to Mr Meikle himself the points of reference in respect to the Commiesion of Inquiry, nind I have received replies of a very satisfactory character. The inquiry will be just and impartial, and as result of that inquiry the Government and Parliament will do their duty."—(Cheers.)

—The Incidence of Taxation^ — The Premier now made an important announcement to the effect that Cabinet had decided to submit a proposal to the new Parliament for the reduction of indirect taxation. Last year they had a surplus of £761,000. —(A Voice: "In the books.") The Premier met this interjection by saying : " The people who build our bridges and railways and carry out the public works of the colony want something mare substantial than a leaf from a ledger." When he heard stupid men talking like that be said "Go away and take a lesson, and don't bother me." The time had now arrived when we could afford to reduce indirect taxation in this colony.—(Prolonged applause.) The amount received in the shape of direct taxation 'was disproportionate when contrasted with the vast sums re-, ceived indirectly through the Customs. This issue would be submitted to the people at the coining elections, and the new Parliament would be asked to reduce indirect taxation. The reduction would be in the direction of

—A Free Breakfast Table.— He also thought that the time had arrived when they might take into consideration the question of reducing the duty on tobacco. It might probably be said by nonsmokers that the Government were pandering to mdulgers in the weed, but it was wonderful 'the number of people who smoked, and he had to take into consideration the workman's earnings, and contract therewith what he spent in tobacco. Some people said that it was a leuxury, but he was not able to admit that altogether. A duty of 3s 6d a pound on. tobacco was very heavy.—(Applause.) With the surpluses they* had had in post yeans, and with the evidence of £260,000 more this year than last year, he thought they could give a coosiaeratoio reduction As Tenanted —Direct Taxation,— he did not think we were receiving enough in that direction. He was aware that the aggregation of large estates was going on, and that the owners of large estates were evading the law by a scheme which they had patented. There was a probability that if it were found that in consequence of the rednctiofl* made in indirect taxation the expenditure and the revenue approximated so closely together, 'it appeared' to him that it would be proper to increase the Graduated Land Tax. The large estates were blocking settlement, and we were paying huge prices for the land' the colony resumed. It was said that the fact of the Government purchasing land tended to increase the price, but they had to do what was just to all concerned, and, as already stated, in the event of a discrepancy. in revenue, the- craestioauof a readjustment of a Graduated Land Tax would have to be considered. —Ok! Age Pensions. — He'referred to the struggle he went through in order to increase the old age pensions. He sat at the committee table for seventythree hours, and defended this principle durinc that long tiflae. Those who were,,

opposed to the Bill, with a view of killing it, resorted to the subterfuge, when the second reading was pioposed, of trying to nuke the scheme universal. He asked the people to read the division lists since the inception of this measure. The opponente of tine Bill said that the money would be better epent in making roads to the back-Mocks, but he thought that tie old people who had borne the heat and burden of the day had a, stronger claim upon us than fc few yards of metal on a public road. To have made i£ universal aifc \he present stage meant throwing out the Bill altogether, and the opponents who proposed this amendment knew that in making their proposal they really voted against the second reading.—(Loud and continued applause.) A vote of thanks and confidence in the Government was carried with great entboßtasm.