POLITICAL ADDRESS.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 126, 7 June 1901, Page 3

POLITICAL ADDRESS.

MR A. L. D. FRASER BEFORE HI CONSTITUENTS.

RESENTING UNFAIR ATTACK ON CAPTAIN RUSSELL.

By Telegraph—Press Association. Napier, last night. Mr A. L. D. Fraser, M.H.R., addressed his constituents this evening, the Mayor (Mr McVay) presiding. The speaker traversed the statements of Messrs Hutcheson and Atkinson with rogard to the leader of the Opposition, and defended Captain Russell from tho charge of absenting himself from the House and neglecting the interests of his party and the welfare of the country. He said it was well known that during tho session Captain Russell was very ill, but he nevertheless attended to his Parliamentary duties as long as he was ablo. Tho receipt of the news of his son’s death prostrated Captain Russell for a time, and it was that Messrs Hutcheson and Atkinson called neglect of duty. THE SO-CALLED “ £4O STEAL.”

With respect to what had been styled “ the £4O steal,” Mr Fraser defended the action of tho Government. He said that at a caucus of the Government party held last session, tho Premier laid before them a proposal for increasing the honorarium and extending the period of Parliament, and this proposal was considered a proper one, and it was agreed to support it during the coming session. A suggestion thon made by a Southern member that membors bo granted somo concession with respect to telegrams and letters sent by them to Ministers and Government Dopartmonts on Government business was discussod at tho time, and Ministers promised it should be considered, but nothing tnoro was heard of it until within a few hours of tho Estimates being brought down, when they woi;o told a sum of £4O each had been placed on tho Estimates to reimburse them for such tolographic and postal charges. That was the truo explanation of tho affair.

NATIVE LAND MATTERS,

Mr Fraser oxplained his position with rogard to the native land legislation. Prior to 1863 the Government held by virtuo of tho treaty of Waitangi tho preemptive right to deal in native lands, but this was not altogothor satisfactory, and with tho consent of tho Crown they waived that right, and from 1863 to 1881 free trndo in nativo lands was pormittod, and it was a matter of gonoral knowledge that during that poriod thoro had been transactions which could not bo callod by nny othor namo than that of robbory. But this state of things was remedied by the- Act of 1881, which protected tho natives to tho extont of reserving for each enough land to livo upon, and of making it compulsory that a fair price should bo paid. In 1894, however, tho Govornmont, without asking tho consont of tho Crown, resumed tho preemptive right to deal in nativo lands which they had previously waivod, but without the restrictions they had placed upon private owners. Thoro was. no protection of nativo rights, and paymonts on behalf of minors, instead of boing made to tho Public Trustoo to bo hold in trust, wore now paid to nativo trustees and froquontly squandered. Ho did not hesitate to say that under tho present systom thoro had boon great injustice to them, and if privato purchasers had acted in tho same way thoir conduct would bo described by a vory harsh term.

RAILWAY CONCESSIONS.

Tho speaker indicated that the Government would probably during tho coming session mnko fnrthor concessions in tho railway charges for the carriage of wool, shoep, cattlo, otc., by train. Last year concessions to tho amount of £75,000 wore grantod, yot dospito this there had boon an incroaso in tho rovenuo amounting to .£780,000. Tho oarning of tho railways while undor the control of the Commissioners amounted, ho bcliovod, to £2 14s 6d por cont. on tho capital investod, while last yoar tho figuros wore £3 9s 5d por cont. It was proposed to grant concessions to tho extent of ovor £3 por cent.

A voto of thanks and confidonco was passod.