POLITICAL.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1107, 19 May 1893, Page 30

POLITICAL.

Dr Newman addressed the eleotors a<

Taita on Wednesday week, and bade that * part of his oonstituenny farewell, it now being included in tbe Foxton district. Mr Milne presided. At the oonclasion of the address a vote of thanks was passed to tbe Doctor for his past services, and regret was expressed that the alteration in the bound, aries of the electorate severed a connection in which representative and electors were mutually esteemed. Mr J. G. Wilson, the member for Paltnerston, was introduced to the meeting. He addressed a few remarks to the meeting, and intimated his intention of being a candidate at the general eleotion for the new district of Foxton, in which Taita is situated. The Ohriatchurch Press understands that the Hon W. Rolleston intends to offer himself for the newly-constituted Ellesmere electorate, which includes a large portion of the old Halswell district and the whole of Banks Peninsula.

{press association.) Wkstfort, May 11. Mr o'Regan addressed a meeting at Addison's Flat last evening, and was well received. His speech was mainly a repetition of his Cape Foulwind address. He expressed strong objection to the manner of Sir Robert Stout's candidature. He received a vote of confidence. Mr R. Reeves, ex-M.H.E., addressed the Charleston electors last evening in favour of Sir Robert Stout. Several others followed in the same strain. A motion, carried un. animouslv, expressed confidence in Sir Robert Stout, and sympathy with Mr Reeves. Mr O'Regan speaks at Charleston this evening. Mr Reeves left for Reefton tcday. Wangakui, May 11.

A large representative and influential \ meeting of tbe Opposition Party tonight, to select a oandldate for the ooming by-elec-tion, decided unanimously to nominate Mr Gilbert Carson. WANGANUi, May 15. ' It is officially announced to-night that Mr A. J. Parsons has retired in favour of Mr A. D. Willis, who, of course, stands in tbe Government interest. The contest Is now between Mr Gilbert Carson (Opposition) and Mr Arobibald D. Willis (Government). Dunedin, May 17.

Mr James Allen received a unanimous . vote of oonfidenoe at Milton last night. Re. ferring to the Labour legislation he ex* pressed the opinion that oertainly no injury bad been done by the legislation up to the present, but what was to be dreaded was what might be expected in the future He regarded the. notion that a Government could provide work for'all on demand as outside praotlcal politics, Suoh a course would mean the colony becoming a dump-ing-ground for the indigent from the other oolonies and the Old World. He ascribed the surplus to the unjustifiable increase of taxation by Sir Harry Atkinson. Relief should be given by reducing the taxation, and by the removal of all taxes on improve' ' ments, r „ r , , Mr Charles Sampßon, of Green Island, will contest Caversham, in the Ministerial interest, at tbe general election. THE PREMIER AT NAPIER. (PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Napikr, May 17. .The Premier addressed a public meeting to-night. Mr H. P. Cohen was in the ohair. The theatre was crowded in all parts, and a large number of ladies were in the dress circle. Mr Seddon, on making his appear anoeon the stage, was received with pro. longed applause. He eommenoed by referring to the various institutions he had visited in Napier that day, and specially praised the management of the hospital. A report bad appeared in Napier to the effect that the Government were not favourable to the retnrn of Sir Robert Stout for Inangahua, but that w»s totally devoid of faot, and when the present Government favoured a candidate they were determined to do their best to secure his return. The Premier then Made feeling reference to Mr Ballance's death, and said he should ever be remembered. As far as he was concerned he (Mr Seddon) would rather be out of politios altogether than have to oooupy bis present position of Premier, so long as it involved the loss of hla late lamented ohlef, a loss so severely felt by the whole Colony. He then referred to the polioy of previous Ministries, and aaid that the Whltaker-Atkinson Go. vernment had borrowed Beven and a half millions of money, and the late Atkinson Government had borrowed one and a half millions, besides imposing additional taxation to the extent of £680,000, that tended to crush enterprise In all directions. The present Government had determined on the redaction of expenditure and the cessation of borrowing, and he olaimed that they had kept faith in that respeot. Tbe Liberal Party In the Colony were surely entitled to credit for having reduced publio expenditure by £IOO,OOO. The land tax had fulfilled all expectations, notwithstanding the strenuous Opposition predictions that the revenue would suffer. The popula. fcion of the Colony was returning to it, and ' in the last two years over 5000 people had returned to the Colony, but during tb.9 last two years of the Atkinson Minist-y over 14000 fcouls left it; and yet, in the face of this, Sir Harry Atkinson had Baid in tbe House: ' Let thorn go, they will oome back again, and do the Colony good service as ailvertiiing agents.' After referring to the evils of borrowing and the noa-settlement of the publio lands of the Colony, he said the present Government were determined to remedy such a state of thing', and consequently introduced a new system of taxation which would compel people who could afford it to pay more than they had b>en doing. They were told that *ll sorti of disaster would result from this, but It had not hap. pened. It had been said they should remove exemptions from all improvements, bat Government would do so as Soon as it could be done with safety. He been chafed wi'b aWipgio *>«e of bis

that he wished to see all taxation pat on land, but he was altogether misrepresented on that occasion. What he did say was that he hoped the day was not far distant when they would be enabled to exempt all improvements trom taxation. He referred at some length to the question of large estates, and pointed out that in New Zealand there were fourteen persons who owned 200,000 acres of land valued at £2,655,0C0 Yet these people were not taxed out of existence by the new taxation. Ail they said was that if the tax were kept as it was at present they would be thankful and say no more about it. flo wished to eay now that the Government had obtained the revenue required from their taxation. They did not intend to do anything that would oause alarm. That being the oase, he hoped the owners of those large estates would rest and be thankful. The Premier then referred to the land policy of j the Government, which he strongly defended, and said they had given the bast possible tenure by lease in perpetuity, for 999 years, at 4 per cent. They were determined, however, to restrict the amount of land which oould be acquired by lndividua's. The Government were getting land for settlement associations surveyed as rapidly as possible, and they were proving a great success by taking people from tcvna and settling them on the land. This was called New Liberalism by Mr Rolleston, after the style of !Rip ,Van Winkle,' but he (Mr Seddou) held that they must progress and find homes for the people. During the last year of the Atkinson Government 2400 selectors were placed on land, but during the last year of the present Government no fewer than 3000 selectors were recorded. The Government had reoeived offers of laud in Otago, Canterbury and other districts, and he wonld now state that in the oourse of a few days the Government would ask the landowners in Hawke's Bay to sell land for settlement purposes. If land were offered for sale there would be no necessity for the compulsory taking of it. He hoped there would be some patriotism in this , direction, as there could be no prosperity ' for a colony if a seleot few insisted on keeping that which should be used for the benefit of the people generally. The Government gave every credit to the pioneers and early settlers, and he wished to state that they would deal fairly with them if they were met fairly, flo next referred to the question of Native lands, which he said gave Government some axiety. This question had recently occupied soma attention in Napier, owing to the dispute between Mr Bees, Mr W. O, Smith and his collesgne (Mr Cadman). That dispute had now entered a Court of law, and all he should say was that Mr Caiman was most anxious that the case should be settled before Parliament met, in order that it might be decided whether .he was fit to occupy his present high position as a Minister of tbe Crown. Another question that the Government would have to faoe was whether Native lands should not be rated in the same way as European. This was a question that no Government had as yet taokled. The present Government thought the time had now arrived when the Natives who sheared, say, 100,000 sheep, should pay local rates in the same way as Europeans. Tbe Government also thought tbe time had arrived when there should be one man one vote in reality. In the Electoral Bill of last session Governmerit had provided for woman franohiae. They had been told they were notainojre in that aotion; but if they had not been sincere they would not have adopt-d Sir John Hall's proposal in the Government Bill. They had adopted that proposal and passed it through the House, but what sort of treatment did it receive in the Council ? It was suob as the Government oould not acoept; and thay had decided that no restrictions should be plaoed on women's votes, such as that sought to be put on them by the Legislative Council. The responsibility for the Women Franohise Bill not passing rested with the Council, bat the Government were not doae with the matter, although they were determined there should ba no such restrictions plaoed on women, and that no difference should be made between women in town and country. He next referred to the question of the Railway Commissioners, ons on which he thought they would all admit the; e was diversity of opinion. The railwavd were constructed by the moneys of the peoplo, and that being so, the Government thought the people should have a say iq their management. He was of opinion that the management of the Railway Commissioners bad not been a suooess. It was said there was a railway surplus this year, but that was easily done by making low estimates, and it was no argument to say that because there was a railway surplus the management was satisfactory, He strongly objected to the Commissioners such large earns of money as were entrusted to them without any control whatever. He had gone into the question of railway expenditure very carefully, and found thit great extravaganoe existed in tbe d pat tment, He denied that he had had any quirrel with the Commissioners, as had been reported, but they could surtly have a difference of opinion. He thought it had now been proved that the handing over of the railway management to three irresponsible men was the worst thing that could happen to the Colony. After detailing circumstances that led to tbe appointment of the Commls. sioners, he expressed the opinion that any Minister was just as competent to sit on the board as Mr McKerrow, who exercised a power of veto over the two other men. He felt with confidence that the people would decide against the Railway Commissioners' management. He condemned the practice of allowing several offioora of the Railway Department leavo of absence on full pay, whilst men in the railway workshops were discharged on the shortest notice. They would have to decide next session what was to be done with the railways. They might not be In a position to do anything definite, but he felt sure poople would decide at the elections that change should be made in the management. He next referred to the construction of public works on a co-operative principle, which he explained at some length, and strongly defended tbe principle as being

speoially favourable for married men and their families. Work was bo regulated that the prices were not more than was paid for under the ordinary tystem. He hoped looal bodies would adopt the 00-operatlve system, and do away with the old borrowing system. They wera told that with their surplus they should reduce taxation, but that was the advice of their opponents, which they did not t»ke as a rule. Thiy found, however, that after appropriating £200,000 for public works out of last surplus, the country was progressing, and, that being so, why should they make a change. The gross surplus for the present year was about £500,000, and the net surplus nearly £300,000. As to the statement that they should reduce taxation, in oonsequenoe of the surplus, he said it was a serious thing to disturb the finance of a country, aud they should not wish to see New Zealand in the same position as the other colonies. New Zealand stooks were to-day higher than they were before the panic The Australian Governments intended to maintain the honour of the country, and not, at the dictation of their opponents, to alter their policy. After refer* ing at some length to the labour legislation of the last session, be said the Government pnlLy was one of moderation, but it was also one of progression. New Z -aland was in the van today, and the Government intended to keep it in that position.

Mr Carnell moved—' That this meeting thanks Mr Seddon for his address ; congratulates him upon his accession to the high office of Premier of this Colony ; and expresses its entire confidence in the polioy of the Ministry of whioh he is the head ' The motion was oarried unanimously, no hands being held up against it. Mr Seddon moved—'That this meeting aocords to Mrs Ballanca its hearty sympathy and condolence in her recent affliction; it also records its appreciation of the services rendered by the late John Ballance, and takes steps to oommemorate his work in a practical form.' Mr Swan seconded the proposition, whioh was oarried unanimously. The meeting closed with the us ml vote of thanks to the chairman,