THE CITY MEMBERS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 5602, 31 May 1905, Page 7

THE CITY MEMBERS.

(ADDRESSES BY MESSRS AITKEN ANI> DUTHIE. Thoro was a moderate attendance of Electors in tho concert hall of the- Municipal Ilnildings last evening to hoar professional addresses by Messrs John U. W. Aitken and John Duthie, two of the city members of the House of Hep reihentativcs. The Mayor of Wellington (the Hon T. W. Hislop) occupied the chair. MR AJTKEN’S SPEECH. "Mr Aitken, who _ was received with applause, said the time had come again p/h-en those member.* who had the great felicity of representing the city m Parliament should como before the electors and tnako some statements as to what had been done, and, probably, what was about to he done in the way of .legislation and in the way of administering the affairs of this colony. _ Tho (Government was constantly twitting the Opposition with having no policy. I The Opposition could claim that the «anio could be wild equally of the Government. Every session of Parliament was opened by an address from the Governor, which was supposed to foreshadow, and really did foreshadow, the Work to be undertaken during the session. He charged the Government that it did not set nut its programme in the Governor’s address, or if it did set it 'mit, that it set out a great deal more than it intended to do, and that, it had objects in view in setting out these things. He thought ho would establish that Mr Sodden was wluit ho had allowed himself (n be called on one occasion —“an opporUimd.” Tn Iho Governor’s ■Speech on Juno 28th of last year they read that tho time had como for an alteration in the constitution of the Begi'dativo Council. A great inany of them believed that, but nothing cainn of it. The only remarks ho ]md heard from tho Premier Council were, “Abolish tho Upper House altogether.” Other members of tho Cabinet did not seem to be at one in the matter, and talked of reforming it in a different way. As they were aware,

our Constitution xvas built upon txvo Houcfes, and it would take a groat deal i more than tho words convoyed by Air Sod-1 don to abolish tho Upper House. Hoi (Air Aitken) agreed xvith those who dn-| sired to see a change in tho method by! which members xvero appointed to the Upper House. ‘ (Applause.) Tho Pro-1 mior had had an- opportunity of making! it an ideal House, considering that about three-fourths of its members had been appointed by the present Government. Tho speaker wont on to refute the charges of obstruction made against tho Opposition, and said the government •of the country was helped forward in every 'possible way by the Opposition. Another matter alluded to in tho Governor’s Speech of - last session was a sohemo for tho superannuation of tho Btate teachers. Tho Government introduced a bill on Juno 28th, tut they had never seen that bill since, and, so far as ho knew, it never was brought ■"'lnto th© House or printed. He thought there was no more important measure promised, and none more needed, as ho n-ensidered tho teachers were very much under-paid. Then there xvas the question of Civil Service classification. There again a measure xx-as put on tho •order paper, introduced, and read a first time, on June 30th, and members felt that they were going to bo allowed to . place the Civil servants on a better footing than at the present time. Now] they heard politicians saying that it .' would be quite xvrong to take, tho Civil Servants out of tho hands of the Government. Had anything taken place because teachers were not in the hands •f the Government? Mr Htrdman had Introduced a bill dealing with tho Civil servants, and, probably, that xvas Why Ah© Government must needs introduce a bill of some kind. Air Herdman was not allowed to go on xvith his bill because tho Speaker ruled that it was an approtion bill, and that no private member could introduce such a measure. Another reform promised was in regard to local govarnmont—that thero was to bo a -reduction in the number of local bodies '-but instead of bringing in such a bill the Government introduced tho Firo Brigades Bill, which proposed to create ■ a largo number - of additional local bodies. Tho necessity of nroviding for the inspection of private hospitals was also referred to in jtho Governor’s Speech, hut no such measure was passed. If it had been introduced and gassed, probably th© recent dreadful ooourrenoo in Christchurch would not have taken place. These were samples of legislation promised in th© Governor’s Speech, and not carried out. Tho High- Commissioner’s Bill had been passed, but it had not boon given effect to. If it was absolutely necessary mi tho 38th of last June that the colony should have a High Commissioner, xvhy had not tho bill been given effect to ? Ho , found also the fact announced that a ■warship had been placed at the disposal of tho Government for training purposes, and that it would be at once prepared for tho purpose intended. That was eleven months ago, and although he believed the Bparroxv was hero, ha had never seen her yet. Ho suggested that tho first Saturday of the ieommg session should bo devoted to a /maritime picnic to seo where the vessel was, and whether she was fit for the ■purpose intended. (Laughter.) Some things were not done last session as they ought to have been done. Tho Shops and Offices Act had created more furore, turmoil, dissension, and aggravation than any other act passed. Ho denied the Premier’s charge that tho Opposition had obstructed the measure no strongly that it had to be rushed through at 33© end. Ho agreed xvith those who said that there was a great deal of good in the act, but considered that clause 3 and other provisions needed very groat modification and alteration; but it was entirely immoral mnd xvrong that it should have been isuspendeo? If something absolutely xvrong were discovered in a measure, it was the duty of those responsible to ' call tho House together and get it ali. lorod. In regard to the Royal Commislion on Land Tenure, he had watched Its proceedings, and what had como before it. Air Seddon, the GovlOTnmont, and every member of tho House knew before it was set up. It ■was costing the country £SOO a week, aid having sat fifteen weeks, had now cost the colony £7500. It xvas nob a matter to set np a Royal Commission over. The Incensing Bill was one of Jho most important, i! not the most important, measure passed last session. As it left the House it was a very different measure to what it was when introduced, and. from a teetotal and

lempenmoo point o£ view, it was a Very much better measure, About twenty bills bad been put on the order paper by members of the Government which never went beyond their first reading. It was simnly playing with legislation to be going on in that way. Tho Premier had opposed the 'Wellington Private Streets Bill on the ground that wealthy syndicates and rich people had made those private streets ; but

some of them had been formed twenty, thirty, or forty yours ago: the original owners had parted with the feo simple; and the only people who could be got at were the poor people who now owned them. There waTj nothing else to do hut accept tho inevitable, and allow tho bill to bo dropped. (Applause.)

WiK DUTHIS’S SPEECH. Mr Hut hie, on rising to address the meeting, was greeted with cheers. He said thero was no necessity for him to enter upon an exhaustive review oi recent legislation. The principal question of local legislation ho had to deal with on.behalf of tho.city was tho Wellington City Ceasing Bill. On the reclaimed lands the tenants had, not unnaturally, in many cases put- up a cnea-p class of’building, which to-day were an eyesore, though they were common •enough thirty years agoj but others had put up substantial structures. Ilm Corporation had tho desire to make a ctimnromiso in Otis regard, and ho was given charge of a hill having this object in view, and which it was thought w'ouhl moot tho case, 'this measure, like others which preceded it, was well met hy (lie House of Representatives, although it found little favour with tho Premier, who had to bo fought in the matter, ami it was opposed in the Upper House. Tho Private Streets Hill had to stand over for another session, and ho was much grieved that this should have happened. The Licensing Hill had been described as a “half-and-half measure.” Personally, ho thought it; was devised to please both sides, and it was disliked on both sides. (Hear, hear.) It was intended alike to deceive the publicans and tho prohibitionists—tho ability of tho Premier yi that direction was beyond compare. In the Simps and Offices Bill, clause 2a was introduced by tho Council, and tho Premier denied all responsibility for it; but when ho rose to object to certain amendments made hy tho Upper House ho made no objection to clause 2a, hut adopted tho clause just as it was sent down from tho Council. For him to attempt now to repudiate it was absolutely ridiculous. (Applause.) When it first came to tho House it was opposed by Messrs Houston. Aitken, ivillis, Barber, T. Mackenzie, and tho speaker. They had learned that tho Premier had been suffering from ill-health during the recess, and during a portion of tho session, he was absent on several occasions on that account; hut ho recovex-ed when tho Shop Hours and Licensing ! Bills wore being dealt with, and never i flinched in tho slightest. In fact, lie rose from tho table much fresher than many of them. (Laughter.) Tho High Commissioner Bill was justified by the Premier hy the example of Canada, and ho said the Commonwealth of Australia required one and “New Zealand would not be long without one.” Thero was no doubt that the bill was intended for tho Premier. His qualifications for tho position wore discussed because he was supposed to be in had health, and no doubt tho billet was intended for Mr Sccldon. But the measure xvas dealt with on its merits, and much as the Opposition would like to get quit of Mr Seddon and see him out of the country, they did their duty. (Laughter.) Tho appointment was originally one for five years, and they cut the tenure of office down to three years during good behaviour. ' Mr Seddon verbally urged tho necessity for a city office, which was inserted by tho Upper House, but that did not find much favour. Tho state of the finances of the colony was a matter of great importance, hut to speak of them was somewhat like taking one’s political life in one’s hands, as one waimmediately denounced and accused of endeavouring to destroy the credit of the colony, and styled a “croaker.” It was said that to make tho simplest inquiry or criticism was part of the Opposition’s scheme to decry tho colony’s credit, with the hope that they would get on to the Treasury tenches. Mr Seddon, at Dunedin, brow-beat Mr Bedford, the senior member, who had made some observations on this subject. He sneered and jeered at Mr Bedford as “the learned ' critic” and as "a nice young man whom he would, take to the I nearest sweetie shop.” This was cer- | tainly not a courteous or dignified man--1 ner in which to treat a member of the | House who was a young man of high education, simply because his views were' 1 in antagonism to those of the Premier. (Cheers.) As the Premier admitted that there was a cloud upon the colony’s credit at the present time, was it well that he should resent such criticism? Such an attitude was indefensible, and it conveyed the impression to outsiders that thex-e was something wrong. Surely Mr Bedford’s criticism should have been listened to, and if ho was wrong ho should have been set x-ight. Personally, he (Mr Duthie) could say that while, challenging and exposing deceptive practices and representations in the colony’s ; accounts, he believed the position 'of lour liabilities and assets was correctly i set put; but there was no necessity foxhaving any mystery about it. It was this mystery and nothing else that largely depreciated our credit with the world of finance. (Hear, hear.) But Mr Seddon always sought to astonish the public by tbe sums of money that were unexpectedly sprung upon him, and his “surplus system was his trump card.” The estimates he put before the House were supposed to be tho measure, in his view, of tho state of the colony’s finances, and it was extraordinary that after twelve years’ experience he was unable to estimate tho income for the coming year, but always found that ho had something in excess of his estimated revenue. If a Treasurer had £761,000 in excess of his estimated revenue, it was a clear sign that the people wex - e grossly over-taxed. (Applause.) It was gross mismanagement, and a recurring surplus was bad finance. (Cheers.) But the House was subservient, and it passed balance-sheet after balancesheet without demur, and without the real state of tho finances being placed before tho public. (Applause.) The Premier had boasted that he had transferred nearly £5,000,000 up to the 31st of March; hut he had passed into this amount £1,150,000 of land fund, which, was used to swell tho surplus, and wfjxch had never been treated as revenue by his predecessors. This mony xvas put into tho Consolidated Fuad, whereas it was intended for the opening up of the country. It was a hocus-pocus affair for the purpose of deceiving the people. (Hear, hear.) With, regard to the railways, a reflective mind naturally wanted to know why thero should ho the differences that were found in what sums should have been paid out of tbe railway earnings and which had been charged- to the Public Works Fund. Tho Minister for Railways admitted that items now’ charged to public works were formerly revenue, and the Minister for Public Works admitted that tho maintenance of roads had of late been charged to public works, and should have been charged to revenue. Even- Air Seddon admitted the practice, though, ho denied tho amount. The -whole system xvas a vicious one, and no one xvith the information obtainable could determine

the true position of the finances of tho colony. (Hear, hear.) Post and telegraph stores were charged to the constructed telegraphs account, and. used as required for either construction or .maintenance. It xvas not legitimate financing that one should supply perishable' articles and charge them to tho permanent debt of tho country; but, that was xvlxat Air Seddon had boon doing. Such a system might dccoix-e little children, and . let thorn build “castles in tho air” by showing savings of that sort, but it xvould never go doxvn with adults. (Hoar, bear.) Air Seddon, when speaking at Dunedin, xvas unhappy over tixo condition of tho colony’s credit, folk ho admitted that our 3 pox- cents, xvero quoted as tho lowest amongst the colonies, with the exception of New South Wales, and that, “rightly or wrongly, a prejudice against the colony existed in financial circles.” But, despite this.- the million of I ner cents, had been absorbed. And then he indulged in a tirado of abuse of the Opposition, laying all the responsibility and blame upon them. It xvas quite reasonable that absentee landowners should be taxed, but xvhen Air Seddon proposed tp triple the tax it xvas a very harsh measure. Tho Oovernment claimed on coming into office that Alinisters nor© land experts, and they at once began to recast the xvhole of the land laws of tho colony ; yet now they had discox-ex-cd that all was wrong, and that they knexv nothing, and so a conference of Land Boards xx-as hold hist December, and noxv a Royal Commission xvas ransacking tbc_ colony for information.- Their special settlement scheme had broken doxvn; the small grazing runs cut off from loxv country had prox-cd a failure; their ballot system was a grave disappointment; tne rangers failed to enforce settlers’ residence on remote roadless sections; tho Land Boards fouml the rotation of crops as defined impracticable—in fact, tlieriji xvas enough trouble to break the heart of a Land Patriot. (Applause.) In conclusion, Air Duthie said that lie and his colleague, Air Aitken, had justified their attitude towards tho Government. They had endeavoured to assist the passage of every good measure, but they had never failed to offer independent criticism xvbieh was essential to brine; about good government. He claimed they had done this in the best interests of the colony, and he trusted their attitude had been such as to earn the continued confidence, of the '-citizens. (Cheers.) A xfote of thanks and confidence was carried without dissent, and handsome bouquets xver© presented to both speakers.