MINISTERS AT CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1354, 10 February 1898, Page 17

MINISTERS AT CHRISTCHURCH.

ADDRESSES TO THE BALLANOE LIBERAL ASSOCIATION. AN UNINVITED PRESSMAN. Christchurch, February 4. The Premier and Minister of Lands were engaged all day on departmental business. This morning the Executive Council met at the Governor’s residence. Amongst other business transacted was the ratification of the Police Commission. In the evening the Premier saw a large deputation of bootmakers, who asked for facilities for getting on the land, as modern labour-saving machinery was driving numbers out of employment. The Premier sympathised, and promised to bring the matter before the Cabinet, in the meantime advising the men to accept the cooperative work offered. Both Ministers leave for Wellington to-morrow night. Christchurch, February 5. The Premier and Minister of Lands addressed the Ballance Liberal Association at Sydenham last night. The Press this morning contains a report of the meeting, over which the Mayor of Sydenham presided. The Premier, who was enthusiastically received, offered some advice to the Liberal Association as to their plan of campaign at the next election. If they were agreed that the policy of the Liberal Party was in their interests, they would sink minor differences. He affirmed that'the policy of the Government was such that the Opposition had nover dared on the platform in Christchurch to advocate any one of their measures. The land policy of the present Government alone would bet supported by a majority of four to 1, and the Old Age Pension Bill by sto 1, yet at election time they were in that unfortunate position of having a natural majority reduced to a minority. They were not going to have such a position. They must organise. He reminded them that their organisations in Christchurch were as far apart as the poles when it came to choosing representatives for Parliament. After advising them Dot to lose sight of the main principle and get divided on minor, questions, he went on to explain the working of the system for a second ballot, which the Government introduced last session, at. length. He com-

bated the arguments against it, and assured them that the second ballot, if placed on the Statute Book, would have the effect of placing the government of the country in the hands of the majority, instead of the minority as sometimes occurred at present. After stating that the Conservatives had, at election times, split the Liberal vote by getting men to stand who had no chance of election; he said they must follow one of two courses, either legislation or organisation to prevent it. The Opposition would not dare to suggest the repeal of the Land for Settlement legislation, by the aid of which there had been a saving of a million of money to the colony. No one of their opponents was prepared to repeal the Advances to Settlers Act or any of the measures in that connection passed by, the present Government. Neither would they repeal the labour measures, and if there was an election tomorrow not one Oppositionist would tell them that he was prepared to repeal the Arbitration and Conciliation Act. Again, who would repeal the Workman Lien Act or the Wages Protection Act. Harking back to the land for settlement, he affirmed that the Canterbury settlement had-in-creased from 250,000 acres to 500,000 acres.

The Minister of Lands referred to the late Mr Ballance, and said he was sure he (Mr Ballance) would have given his approval of every measure which had. been placed on the Statute Book by the Liberal Party. In defence of -the Ministry regarding the aspersions cast upon them in stumping the country, he said it was the only way for them to lay their views before the people. Capital owned the press of the colony, and people only heard one side of the story. He instanced Dunedin, where both papers were Conservative, and Christchurch, where one was Conservative and the other goodness only knew what. At the conclusion of the Premier’s address, the promoters of the meeting discovered that a representative of the Press was present, and .before the Minister of Lands had got any further the representative was waited on and requested to leave, under threats of ejectment.

The Premier saw deputations this morning from engineers complaining of tho delay in the arbitration proceedings as to their dispute. The right hon gentleman exp.ained that he could not interfere with the Court, but he would see if another Judge could be appointed to facilitate matters.

A deputation from the Samaritan Home asked for assistance either in money or powers to forcibly detain inmates. Mr •Seddon promised to bring the matter before the Cabinet.

A deputation on the subject of old age pensions thanked the Premier for what he had done in the cause, and asked for his guidance in the future. The Premier said he had the money to meet the claims if the Act had been passed. He advised keeping the question before the country by moderate agitation.

The Right Hon the Premier and the Hon J. McKenzie, Minister of Lands, both returned to Wellington by the Tutauekai on Sunday morning. Mr Seddon was kept busy while at Christchurch hearing and replying to deputations. Both gentlemen are looking exceedingly well, especially the Minister of Lands, who has apparently benefited largely by his rest at his home in the South, The Premier states that though the season has not been a good one in the South Island, the setters everywhere

appear to be in good heart, and Mr McKenzie makes the same report of the parts of the colony he has been in lately.