The Premier at Gisborne.

Hastings Standard, Volume III, Issue 805, 13 December 1898, Page 3

The Premier at Gisborne.

A TWO HOURS' SPEEECH, ACHIEVEMENTS OF LIBERALISM. (Per Press Association.) Gisbobne, Dec. 12. The Theatre Royal was crowded to the doors this evening, when the Premier delivered a political address. Mr Seddon was accorded a splendid ovation on entering the building, and his remarks were punctuated with frequent demonstrations of applause. After speaking m terms of pleasure and surprise as to the amount of fine country he had seen in his drives : through the district, stating that he had seen land equal to the best in Canterbury, and acknowledging it to have been the most neglected district, and wanted closer settlement, the Premier male brief mention of the application for railway connection. He said it would be for the Government to give careful consideration to the reports on the various routes proposed, and decide by which route the line should go, or whether the expenditure necessary was warranted, but this would involve a change of policy, as they knew the Government had gone in for a borrowing or squandering policy. He was not,-in favor of a borrowing policy, but if the people declared for it he promised the people of this part of New Zealand, who had just claims to have their isolation removed, they would have full justice done to them. Personally he was not in love with the Napier - Gisborne connection, but thought there should be a good road, and good roads always precede railways. Leaving local matters the Premier proceeded to describe political parties in the colony, stating there were three—Liberal, Conservatives, and extremists, who generally went by the name of " Left Wing," and joined with the Conservatives in harassing the Government. Extremists, however, he pointed out, had nothing in common with Conservatives, and could never agree upon any form of Government. The Opposition had no policy, but said wait until they go into office, and then they would give them policy. He said it was a " Wait till the clouds roll by " policy. It was treating intelligent men and women like children. The Opposition had not proved a single charge against the Government, for with all their faults they had imps oved the colony's condition from one from which the people were fleeing to one that was prosperous, and had since had an increase in population of 80,000. He claimed as factors in that prosperity the progress of the Government in changing the incidence of taxation, and throwing land open to settlement, and other liberal measures. He said there was danger to-morrow if the Conservative Party came into Power that they would go back to the property tax. Captain Russell said time after time that tax was fairer than the Land and Income Tax. As a test of how the country progressed during the last seven years liberalism, he pointed out to an increase of 104,675 depositors in the Post Office Savings Bank, and the increase in savings of £2,303,000. There was a disaster for them. The average in 1890 was £lO 3s Gd, as against £ll 18s 3d per head now. In addition there was an increase of £BO,OOO in private savings banks, making three millions more money set apart for a rainy day. The increase in the wealth of the colony in ten years had been twenty-seven and a-half millions in real estate and three millions in trade. This was the disaster which had overtaken the country. (Cheers). The admission of the Opposition that they had to combine last session to obstruct against the autocracy of one man was an admission of weakness on their part. He charged Captain Russell, from his remarks at Mr Buchanan's banquet, with wanting to introduce a breeches pocket policy, a means of corruption for the purchase of support. Referring tben to Mr -Scobie Mackenzie's admission that he had never charged Mr Ward with doing wrong in connection with the Bank of New Zealand, he said it was important, but it would take a long time to remove the impression from the public mind that the Opposition had charged the Government with wrongly using their position. If the Government had allowed the Bank of New ZealauJ to crash, it would have been a disaster to the colony. There was now with the prosperous times a possibility that the State would lose nothing over the bank. In saving the bank the Government had only one object—patriotism and the responsibility they felt for the people of New Zealand. The Premier referred to many other matters, and the meeting closed with a unanimous vote of continued confidence in the Government, and cheers tot the Premier.