Rangitikei Election

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 66, 20 November 1890, Page 2

Rangitikei Election

MB. ABKWBIGHT AT FEILDING. Mr Arkwright addressed the electors at Feilding in the Assembly Booms last night. There was an attendance of up« wards of two hundred, among whom were several ladies. Mr F. Y. Lethbridge, the Mayor, presided. In introducing Mr Arkwright, the Chairman said ha was certain a fair an impartial heating would be accorded to him. Mr Arkwright said he could not flatter himself he was a favorite in Feilding, yet he had always found in this country that candidates got a feir and impartial hearing, much more so than in England where party spi^t ran much higher. Here they gave a man a patient hearing, but afterwards some of them rushed into print, and found a safety valve in writing letters to the newspapers. This was earned to excess in this country. He had no objection so long as the writers signed their own names, which waa the more manly course, and he cited Mr Benjamin Gosling as an instance, he always signing his own name like a man ; but those letters which appeared over the signature of • 4 Elector," •« Colonist," " Fair Play," and so on, might just as well be signed by — the editor. However, the eleetiors would soon be over, and the small animosities excited during the contest would soon be forgotten. He had looked forward with interest for Mr Macarthur's opening speech. He hoped that the worry of the election would not aggravate his complaint, and that he would soon recover. He referred to Mr Macarthur's statement that he would not address the electors in Feilding again unless he found it necessary. He (Mr Arkwright) hoped that Mr Macarthur wonld not have to do so if the effects were likely to be injurous. Although they differed from each other on certain points and would have to give each other many hard knocks, he expected there would be no deminution of their respect for each other. He referred to the personal allusion Mr Macarthur had made to his having sat in the House of Commons, stating that this was bo fit training for a seat in the House of Representatives ib New Zealand. Of course the electors in England made mistakes, jnst the same as they did in returning men to the Colonial Parliament, and the mere fact of his having sat in she House of Commons was no recommendation. Bat he did say that six years training there was good teaching for a*y Assembly i& the world. There, wew many peculiarities in the Nsw Zealand Parliament whioh he hoped he wonld never learn. Mr Maearthnr had referred to him as a " silent member." Such had bees the oase, bat the real work of Parliament was clone by the more useful members, who never took part in the big debates. He had never put himself to the front. Many

a man who was a big man in New Zea> land would not. be listened to in the House of Commons, where even Mr Macarthur would find it hard to obtain » hearing. Mr Macarthur had blamed thjT Ministry for agreeing to call the House together if the electors place them in a. minority, which would cause a second session of Parliament next year. It seemedto> Mr Arkwright the only course they could pursue. It might be desirable to avoid the consequent expense, but it was far more desirable that they should not display an unseemly desire to cling to office. TAXATION OK HAND. He was not in favor of the single tax, nor could he support a land and income tax, which was not suitable to thi» country. He approved of the Property Tax on personal property. He waaopposed to taxing agricultural implements, and improvements, because that pressed most severely on the Mnalt settlers. He referred at length to the fact chat the smallest properties had thehighest valuation placed on them, and quoted sereral instances in the Ran* gitikei where the imposts were Tery unequal. He said it was true many small. ' farmers did not pay Property Tax, bat they paid Local Bates On the Property Taxation valuation, and he could nofc see the justice of taxing improvements for local rates. In speaking of taxing absentees or specuUors holding land, hethought they received undue benefit* from the neighboring ratepayers making roads, and than inbancing the value of their lands without their paying a fair proportion of the cost of making and maintaining such roads. Their land might lie idle for years, but the moment an industrious settler: got upon it, and improved it, he was taxed for his in* dustry. This was a monstrous things If he was seat into Parliament he would oppose any more taxation on land. H* wauted to see the burdens of taxation mere equally distributed. He wanted the largo landholder, and the speculator to pay more. He would not support am Ineqme Tax. He would prefer a gradu* ated tax. He would endeavour to reduce the monstrous Customs Duties, which, press mo->t heavily on the working classes* who pay 10 per cent of their incomes while the man with a jEIQOO a year, does not pay £100 unless he is foolish, enough to go* in heavily, for luxuries. He was not going : to discuss the question of Free* trade and Protection. According to Sir i Harry Atkinson, the . Protective Tariff ; was a failure, the - revenue . from that source being £55,000 short of his estimate. The fact a was that tariff could sot be a protective and revenue .one at the same time. If the present Tariff were reduced the revenue would be increased by the greater consumption of dutiable i goods, which people could then afford to buy. He found fault with the Freetrade i party in the House for not pointing out [to the Colonial Treasurer where the ; deficiency in the revenue could be made up He would suggest a graduated tax, . so that rich men who could afford it would have to pay a- higher tax than the poor man who could not . afford it. Above a . certain amount he would allow no exemption. He quoted Mr Mill, who was opposed to a gradu* ated tax on industry, but he was sure Mr . Mill would prefer even gradual ated tax to the New Zealand CustomsTariff. Besides _ many of the great for* tunes in if ew Zealand had not been made by industry, but rather or lucky epeculatioas. He would not suppose •> graduated tax merely to bunt up largentates. These had bees .acquired with the consent o the State, and often at a. time when the Government were very glad to sell at the low rates; H> thought the Government should have the power to resume these lands by the payment of a fair price, sot a^ fancy price, but at a value equal to the revenue the owner* were deriving front the land. That is, he would find out what stock it carried, and pay for it in Government stocks equal to the income. H» would not take away the whole of tho 1 property, but would leave a homestead of eycn 5000 acres if the owner wanted it. He* did not mean the Government should buy up all large estates, because some of them were net worth it. being only fit for sheep. The Government should have, the power :of taking land suitable for settlement. It < was no use trying to put new chums on bush land, and he could not imagine anything- raore helpless than an English firmer in. the bush. He aaust be put on open land like that to which he had beea accustomed, and if the Government had /ot that at their disposal they most acquire it from thelargeholders. He referred to Sv letter written by a Mr Abraham on the subject, and as Mr Abraham was not an elector in this district he considered it was no business of his. As to the future disposal of Crown Lands he was in opposition to Mr Macarthur. Hethought it wasr time to . CKASff-SEfcUN/O CBOWN KANBB, because for one thing; most of theland sold for oish fell into the .handa of speculators, and the .only way to preye&t that/ wa» to .stop selling: the land. He did not at all agree with, the remarks rode by Mr Macarthur as to acquiring freehold, to the effect that people in England would not come out tosettle unless they could become freeholders. Now he (Mr Arkwright) knew a, great deal more about. the peopta in England than Mr Macarthur. What should be done in their case is to thoroughly explain to them the working of the perpetual leas» system which was far bettor suited te persons of limited means. He> (Mr Arkwright) would like to know how many freeholders there were here ? He* did not believe 90 per cent oi them ever saw their title deeds. It was far better for farmers to be tenants- of the State* than wriggling m the clutch of the mortgagee. Mr Macarthur must know well how many there were who were not masters of tkeir ewn. He was convinced that the coloay would be better off if never an acre of land had been sold and we were all tenants of- the State. He alluded to a certain class of absentees, who bad purchased, lands in New Zealand as an investment for their sons, and had greatly improved their, estates. H» did not think they 'ahoHld.be included if a special tax were placed f on absentees. If he were Coloaial Treasurer, (which* Mr Arkwrighfc piously remarked " Heaven forbid M ) he would not put on a tax except for purposes of revenue, and worth, the treuble of eoileetoe, which would not be the case \t you taxed absentees. He said be had beea called an " absentee" himself because he had property in England. This was true, but the. said property was of such small value, that he had never received a sixpence* which he could spend in ibis country. Me Mftcapfchur had not referred to the subsidies to local Bodies. At one time Mr Maearthur was in faro* of doings away with these, but he , had sine* modified his proposals.. He made the, following quotations from ipeaohes of Mr Macarthur reported in Hansard (1886) 44 1 perceive that subsidies are to b* given to local bodies the .same as last year. Last year the subsidies were only a temporary cxpedirnt* and to a great: ex tea* I think they oughtrt'o be unneoessa ary if this other scheme (loans to local: bodies) is carried into, effect. I think M any ; assistance from" tbeS-Government should t>niy be for roaa construction and not- for maintenance of roads, au& : ajjjg

other expenses of that kind should be .vbprao -by. local taxation. I think that is the sound principle and hope although if »s'« popular thing, this scheme will not ;be carried into effect "' Air Arkwright "thought it seemed unfair that the whole of the cost of maintaining the roads should be thrust on those who ■ paid the rates, -because the roads were of benefit to the whole colony as well as those who paid the local rates. In 1888 Mr Ormond moved, (1) That the school age be raised to 6 years, (2) That the payment of subsidies to local bodies be abandoned,(3) That the raising of additional revenue by the imposition of primage duty is inexpedient. Mr Macarthur voted against the subsidies to local bodies. He also voted against the tea duties being raised, which were to pay these subsidies, and had. he been able the subsidies would have been done away wiih. In 1890, Mr Macarthur said, " I think our subsidies . are. applied on a wrong principle altogether. I consider that the system of giving to those who have is altogether an improper one. . . What the Government should dp, in my opinion, is not to .help those who can help themselves but to help the weaker outlying country districts ; and it is because that has not been done that our system has failed. I say these subsidies ought to be applied strictly to purposes of settlement, and the Government should give them to the local bodies ■with the stipulation that they shall be expended' on certain roads to open up waste lands of the Crown. . . I think that the proposition that the Boroughs should not have subsidies ia a proper one." Mr Arkwright thought the Government should make more roads and bridges but the money should come out of loans. He read the following extract from a speech made at Mar ton, last June, by Mr Macarthur, " His proposal was to devote ~the subsidies to the purpose of providing an insurance fund for the construction and maintenance of large bridges, and the balance to making roads of access to new blocks. The proper object of Government subsidies was one of that nature. Many local bodies would grumble at losing their subsidies, but the money would be better employed than now because it would be more equitably spent. The payment of subsidies was based upon a wrong principle in giving mostly to those who have." Mr Arkwright considered that the Government should help the poorer country districts, but not by what belongs to the -older settlements. It appeared to him as if the settlers in the Manchester Block had been taxed up to the eyes in order to enable the Corporation to sell their lands and open up the land for sale in the poorer districts. He sincerely hoped Mr Macarthur would not get his own way about the subsidies. education. In referring to his views on Education, he went over the old ground to a great extent. As regards denominationalism he considered that some concessions should be made to those who considered religious education an essential part of the instruction of children. All that was asked was that the Government should make a. capitation grant. He believed this could be done without injury to our educational system. He said our system had been- called Godless. He would not .go so far as that, because owing to the .great variety of nationalities in New Zea- ; 4and, secularism was the only system j jßossihie, but few people know how far the system was carried. In the Deaf and Dumb Asylum in Canterbury, the ohildren had received no religious instruction whatever; and according to the evidence of one of the masters given at a Commission which sat in England, even the Xord's Prayer and the Ten Command-ments-were not allowed to be taught. This was a most shocking fact, and a disgrace to the comjijry.which allowed it. In the case of ordinary children they have their parents and their clergymen, but these, poo; mutes have not that advantage. Invthe country districts and small iowJttSvhe would not propose anything to interfere with them. He had said where the attendance was 150 he would make the grant, but had since raised it to 200. In fact it did not matter what the member was. He was quite aware no denominational schools would start in Feildiag or Marton, as the expense was too great. It -would not be the Eotnan Catholics who would build new schools, because they -were too few and it could not be the <3hurch of England people, who were too poor even to pay their clergy decent stipends, or clear off the mortgages from their churches. He did not think the denominational system would be unpopular. It was notorious that in the large .towns the schools were overcrowded, and there was room for other schools. He said he would rather have left the subject alone, but there was a great principle involved, and ha would like to see the State contribute where religious instruction was necessary. He had been told the Roman Catholics would profit. He was not a Roman Catholic, or even a High Churchman, but he belonged to the Low Church party, and was a strong Protestant. The Roman Oumolics had shown a noble example which made him ashamed of his own church. He read an extract from Lord Shaftesbury where that gentleman had said he would sooner support the Roman Catholic system, than the Birmingham. Many people were of opinion some concession should be made, and thus do away with the ill feeling which exists. His reasons for asking to he returned to Parliament were not that he might be able to tack the letters M.H.R. after his name, because that was a distinction he would share with some of the biggest blackguards that ever set foot in the colonies. It was not for that. He had been brought up to think that hard work -was a good thing. He was willing and desirous to work hard for the public. He had therefore determined to make one fair try to get into Parliament where there was plenty of work— and very little thanks for it. If returned he would work to the best of his ability in the interests of the electors. (Applause.) The speaker concluded his address witb an intimation he would reply to an} questions. Mr Gould asked whether the candidate considered they should gire capitation fees to denominational schools according to the work done. Mr Arkwripht: Yes, there ought to be a certain percentage of passes or he would not give a grant at all. Mr Arnott asked if Mr Arkwrijrht would cnt up the large estates into 3mall portions. Mr Arkwright: Yes, as small as a man could make a living oh. Mr J- C Thompson referred with pleasure to the kindly remarks Mr Ark* wright bad passed with regard to the health of Mr Mncaithnr. He moved, That a hearty vole of thanks and confidence be given to be Mr Arkwright. This was seconded by Dr Monckton. Mr Gosling moved, as an amendment, That a hearty vote ot thanks and no confidence be pasied. Seconded by Mr -"■ Thomas Evans. Mr 11. Wofsfold moved, as a Further Amendment, That a hearty vote of thanks be passei. This was seconded by Mr Thomas Hull. A show of hands was taken, and as <26 voted Oft each side the chairman gave h^s casting vote in favor of Mr Worafold s amendment. A. *ote of thanks to the chairman doled the proceedings.