THE MINISTER OF LANDS AT INVERCARGILL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXXII, Issue 85, 12 April 1898, Page 3

THE MINISTER OF LANDS AT INVERCARGILL.

SPEECHES BY MR M'KENZIE AND MR WARD. (United Press Association.] INVEROARGILL, April 10. Mi* John M'Keuzie, Minister of Lands, ' addressed a meeting in the Theatre here ' last night. The weather was wet and 1 stdttny, and the attendance was only moderate. ' Mr M'Kenzie's remarks were on the same lines as his addresses delivered re- [ cently at Clutha and Wyndham, with Borne references to local matters. As* a 1 reason for- his presence he said that his ' opponents were spreading poison in the shape of false statements against the | Government and he was there to set mat- ; ters in the true light. This was the ! more necessary because the Press of thte ' colony generally did not give the Govern--1 ment fair play. ' Tho Press Association also was a political machine in the hands of opponents of the Government and the National Association. Referring to tbe ' purchase of tbe 0 tohu Estate, abo ut which " a good deal of comment has been made locally, Mr McKenzie asserted that no member of the Government knew who the owners were before the estate was purchased. Speaking of the alleged poor quality of the land and the disinclination to take it np, he said that 640 acres had beeu applied for tbat day, and that if the sections were not taken up he would next year do as he had done with' a portion of Pomahaka, farm it himself and show what was in the soil. He denied that political " colour "' had anything to do with Government appointments, or the selection of Justices. Kegai ding Mv Seddon's expenses to England, the speaker quoted the' cost of missions of previous - Ministers. He did not say that these oharged too much, but he , did Eay that their figures should be published by those who objected to tho Premier's expenditure. He admitted that the Government had had to vary the Ballance polioy, but he asserted that Mr Ballance, if alive, would bave approved of so doing. *- Comparing the old Property Tax.with the Land and Income Tax, he admitted that the Government received more l money ont of the latter, but it came out of the pockets of tho large land owners, ' and 8000 farmers had been relieved. Mr ] McKenzie described at length the sys- , tern of land tenure he had introduced, and asserted that it had been fairly successful, and would be more so as time i nent on. He then stated that he was in a position to announce that the result . of the financial year just closed would be , a surplus of not less that £480,000, and it p might be ,£49d,000, including the balance i from the previous year. The customs had produced .£55,000 in excess of the estimates, stamps £49,000, Land and Income Tax .£17,000, beer £6000, railways £91,000,' miscellaneous receipts £17,000, and territorial revenue £12,0u0. ' At the close of the address a vote of thanks to Mr McKenzie and confidence in the Government was carried with one dissentient. Mr J. G, Ward also spoke at some length, his prinoipal points being a denial tbat he had, as alleged by Mr T.*E. Taylor, favoured the Colonial Bank by placing Consols with it for 4160,000, that sum having been paid a year before the Consols Act was passed. As regarding tbe aspirations of the Left Wing to Control the Government of the colony, he said he would fight shoulder to shoulder with the Opposition to prevent the Left Wingers coming into power.

A parent at the New Plymouth Court the othßr day accounted for the, disinclination of his boy to attend school by explaining that the big boys amused themselves by filling the children's mouths with soapsuds. gjiai^

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