POLITICAL LECTURE.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6978, 4 October 1884, Page 3

POLITICAL LECTURE.

Mr G. Dorney delivered a lecture at the Protestant Hall last evening on " Our Political Wants," Mr W. Harker occupying the chair. There was a good attendance, but the proceedings commenced fully 20 minutes after the advertised time. The speaker was introduced to the meeting by the chairman in a brief address, in which he referred to the fact that he was now doing for Mr Dorney what the latter had done for him (Mr Harker) when in Christchuroh, viz., acting as chairman at a political meeting. Mr Dorney, who was received with applause, prefaced his remarks by thanking j the audience for the kind reception accorded to him. He then referred at some length to the meeting addressed at Christchurch by Mr Harker, which was described as a most successful gathering. The speaker condemned the property tax in strong terms, adducing several illustrations in support of his contention that the property tax was an unjust method of raising revenue, and pressed heavily upon the producing part of the population. He next dwelt upon the apathy usually displayed by the working classes at election times, and traced a great number of the evils in legislation now existing to the fact that working people were not represented in Parliament "by men of their own class. He showed that twothirds of the population were working people, and said that although there were a few honest and true men in the House, there were not more than two who could be said to belong to the ranks of the working classes. As interest for the public debt of the colony £1,500,000 had to be paid yearly, and this sum was not raised fairly, the chief burden of it being shifted from tho shoulders of the propertied classes oh to working people by the operation of the Customs duties. He dwelt at considerable lenth on anomalies in connection with the land question, referring to the writings of political economists on this head, and urged that the bulk of the revenue of the country should be raised by a tax on land. In support of this proposition ho contrasted the present value of land in New Zealand with its value a few years since, and contended that the major portion of this increase was due to the expenditure of public money in carrying out the publio works policy, and that therefore a part of this increase was justly dae to the State. He stated that 17,000,000 acres of land had been sold by the Government, of which only 1.500.500 acres were returned as under cultivation. Of the remainder he said 11,000,000 acres unimproved lands were in the hands of monopolist holders and speculators, and the rest comprised town lands. He stated that the export of wool raised on the lands referred to was only £3,000,000 worth, and that of this amount for every £1 which was expended within the colony, £5 was spent in England or went to speculators and money lenders. He referred to the objection of the Legislature to raise revenue from the land, and said that the general rule was when there was a deficiency, to say, " Oh, stick twopence per lb on the coffee, and a halfpenny on the sugar." Ho urged that upon a just settlement of the land question depended the true future of the colony, and. instanced the condition of Ireland as a proof of the- evil results of . apathy and bad land laws. He then went on- to- ■ describe the platform of- the National Reform League, as under :— Abolition of the property tax arid : substitution of a land tax ; imposition of an income tax if necessary ; abolition of the Upper House ; abolition of free immigration until Crown lands are opened for free selection upon payment of an occupancy tax to the State ; abolition of plural voting ; general election days to be public holidays, or else the hours of polling _ex- . tended to ;9 p.m.; legalisation of -a-stan-?. • ••■ dard working day ot eight hours ;; aboli- ■ '"tion'Of pen'sipns; opposition of all candidates at' elections who refuse to pledge themselves to the League's platform; establishment of a national bank of issue.

Mr Dorney, who was frequently applauded during the delivery of his address, concluded by exhorting all present to join the League. Mr Lloyd moved a hearty vote of thanks to Mr Dorney for his able address. —The motion was seconded by Mr M'Aneny, and carried unanimously. Mr Ward moved that a branch of the Reform League be established in Napier, to consist of all persons willing to subscribe to the pledge card, and that Sir George Grey be asked to accept the position of leader of the League throughout New Zealand. — The motion was seconded by Mr Henry Cohen, and carried. The following pledge of the league was then read:— "l, A. 8., hereby pledge myself to use every means in my power to assist the National Reform League in carrying out the platform initiated by the said league from this date. I also pledge myself to assist, by every means in my power, to return to Parliament representatives who pledge themselves to carry out the measures advocated by the League, and I also promise to obey faithfully the orders issued by the League's council." Eighty persons signed the pledge of membership and donned tho red ribbon, and the proceedings terminated with a vote of thanks to the chair.