SIR JOHN HALL AT LEESTON.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 9356, 27 April 1893, Page 3

SIR JOHN HALL AT LEESTON.

BY TELEGRAPH.] Christchuech, Wednesday. Sir John Hall addressed a wellattended meeting of his constituents at Leeston last evening, He expressed sincere regret at the illness of Mr Ballance. Though opposed to the Premier's politics, be gladly recognised the courtesy with which Mr Ballance always conducted Parliamentary warfare. The present receas had been dnll compared with the preceding one. The Ministerial supporters grumbled at the Opposition for not speaking, and' when Mr Bolleston did speak they grumbled still more that he was not sufficiently partisan, and did not strike ont a new policy. New Zealand had been the victim of several new policies, and what was now wanted was steady work. The absence of violent partisanship from Mr Kolleston's speech was to he applanded and nob decried. The mass of the settlers did not care who was in office so long as they got Rood government. The task of speaking for the Ministry seemed to have devolved upon Mr Reeves, who had made the best of a bad cass. His charges of obstruction against the Opposition were unfounded, bat were serious because bis party were themselves anthorities on the subject of obstruction. Mr Seddon had stonewalled into office, and now stonewalled bis own bills, During the financial debate Government supporters made — ** > fflere Bpeechea-ftnd_igok up more time than the Opposition. He {Sir John Hall) agreed that there was too much talk in Parliament. Ministers had a majority with which they could have amended the standing orders if they hod wished to do so, and thus prevented the hindrance of bnsiness by too much talk, bnt Ministers did not like to do so. The finances of the colony were not now in as critical a position as the Liberal party left It in 1887, The Atkinson Government had placed the finances on a sound footing, and left a large balance in the Treasury. The year's surplus of £300,000 was made possible by £165,000 from the previous year — the result of the Atkinsonian finance by £80,000 of interest postponed till next year, besides £280,000 of Treasury bilh Issued to provide for sinking fund. With regard to public works, Ministers had repeated the boast of providing for them out of income and not borrowing until they had come to believe it themselves, but they were only lollowing Mr Skimpole's injunction to "live within their meanß if it was necessary to borrow the money to do it ■with." Their public works expenditure really depended on realised sinking fund, Treasury bills, and the balance of the late Sir Harry Atkinson's loan. Ministers had abused the late Sir Harry for raiding a loan, but had lived on its proceeds. If he were now alive Sir Harry might have repeated the well-known complaint, "If they have given me gall instead of honey, all I can say is they have had mj money." Treasury bills for large amounts were authorised. There was £150,000 for roads, native lands, and land for settlement; £100,000 to anticipate revenne ; £450,000 to ba pawned if required— altogether Ministers took authority to Increase the floating deht by £700,000, The assertion that they had abandoned borrowing, and were relying on revenue only, was pure fiction. Indeed Mr Beeves now only said that they would not- borrow In London. But so long as money was cheaper in London than in New Zealand It would be drawn from London, and tbe Interest would go thither. Sir John Hall denounced the assertion that the net debt had been decreased by £117,000, and went Into figures to prove that the debt had really been Increased. Upon the subject of taxation he said he had not changed his opinion. The new system should, however, have a fair trial, and Its defects be pointed ont. Some of them had been corrected last Bession, but others remained. He condemned the different manner in which exemptions were -allowed to partners in land and partners in trade, and also the hardship of the graduated tax imposed on trust property like the Canterbury Church property. This had necessitated a redaction in many small stipends, and was not patting the burden qu the shoulders best able to bear it. In reply to tbe charge of inconsistency in now condemning tbe improvement tax, Sir John said that the Act of 1879 did not increase a man's taxation if he spent money on Improvements, which the present Act did If exceeding a given sum. This was what he protested against. If graduated taxation was right, why not apply ib to all property ? Jay Gould would pave paid at a lower rate in New Zealand than many hard-working tanners. Speaking on the land question Sir John said that the Minister of Lands had practically had to surrender the perpetual lease, and the .substituted "eternal lease" would not last. As soon as the leaseholders were numerous enough they would abolish it. The present silence about land nationalisation was owing to tbe disapproval expressed by the public, and the approach of a general election. Sir John Hall deplored the disagreement between the two Houses, which wrecked woman suffrage. He disagreed with the Legislative Council's amendment, but Mr Seddon's pretended alarm was a mere dodge to shelve woman snffrage. Sir John argued at considerable length on the >«^ necessity for the representation of minorities, especially, in large cities, where at present they were practically disfranchised. He favored an elective Legislative Council, which would provide for. the representation of the people as well as be a guard against hasby legislation.'; Referring to the , labor question, 'fie said that he had never beeD opposed to '■;■■ - ft 8 -bureau, thengh he thought it should

have been called a "labor exchange." The Government should give temporary work to those who stood in need of it, but on farms whloh would discourage them from oouMnning to depend on the Government. Ho objected to the provision In )»' '"oiiolllntlon and Arbitration Bill tvliioli |iraotlo(illy confined it to labor unions, nnd also to the compulsory provision, whloh was opposed to the weight of opinion in other countries aud would be quite unworkable. He liojhM that tliose two points wonld l>o reoonfldored npxt session. Sir John d\vt<lt at some length on the drift of tho polloy of the Government and of their supporters towards Socialism. Ro forrluc to Mr Ballance's statement that individualism was a doctrine of "the dovil take the hindmost," he eaid that its abandonment wonld mean that the devil wonld take tbe lot. He congratulated Ills constituency and also Minister on the Improved condition of the colony. Mr Seddon had said that Ministers had wiped out the depression. Well, the Egyptians thought that the dog star caused the overflow of the Nile, and there was as much troth in the superstition as in the supposition that the rise of the Seddon "tar had bronght prosperity to New Zealand, The export of frozen mutton, . which caused a million and a half sterling to be distributed amongst all classes, had done ten times more than Ministers. Sir John then announced his intention not to seek reelection. That decision, he said, was purely on personal grounds, and had after the election of 1890 been intimated to his friends. After nearly 40 years of public service he desired to leave it to younger men to carry on the work. He concluded with an expression of continued interest in public affairs and of gratitude tor the confidence which had been reposed in him by that and many other constituencies. A nnanimons vote of thanks and confidence, and regret at his intended retirement, was passed.