MR MONTGOMERY AT AKAROA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 6591, 30 March 1883, Page 2

MR MONTGOMERY AT AKAROA.

(Pbb Unitiid Press Assooution.J

Chhistchukch, March 29th,

Mr Montgomery addressed his constituents at Akaroa on Wednesday, There was a largo attendance; and the Mayor of the liorough was in the chair.

Mr Montgomery, who was received with loud applause, said he would- refer to Major Atkinson's lectures, the proceedings of last session, one or two acts of the Government since, and the probable course of proceedings next session. When he heard Major Atkinson intended coining to Chriatchurch to address the people, lie, as well as others, concluded that Major Atkinson would bo prepared to give nn explanation of the past conduct of the Government and to set forth a future policy, and that before the men opposed to him, leaving it to them to comment upon it. The party to which he (Mr Montgomery) belonged was prepared to meat Major Atkinson if he touched on party questions. He, with others, was astonished to hear Major Atkinson say became not to speak on party<}uestions,but on questions of principle, which he wished them to think over. Major Atkinson had engaged a hall, and invited the public them. It would have been very discourteous to dispute with him ; but he (Mr Montgomery) would ask was it not an unusual course for the Treasurer of the Colony to speak to the public on questions of high political importance, and ask them to refrain from taking a party view, Xo quo could believe that the Treasurer—a politician—addressed largo meetings simply to speak philosophical truths. Ilia ulterior object was to ascertain tho drift of public opinion, so that ha could shape his policy with safety. He would tell them where he differed from Major Atkinson, but before doing so would mako one remark. Many of his frionds in Ghristchurch thought that lie should have spoken after the Treasurer, but he considered that the fi rat place to do so was there when speaking tobis constituents. He would also address tho Christchuich people before I'arliament met. Major Atkinson, speaking- of the Constitution, carefully refrained from committing himself. Mr Montgomery gave a brief Miuwiary of Major Atkinson's icnurke. "With regard to tho Hare .svet'.'in, nd-.'icated by Maj"r .Ukiniou, ho would a.-:!; if it were not of tin tint importance that the electors should know tho man for whopj they

voted ; therefore, that the man should have an interest in their locality. Under the Hare system a good local man would be kept out of larliameut by a stump orator put forward by a moneyed ring. So ho earnestly hoped that the system would never be adopted here.— (Applause.) He could think of nothing more conducive to the severance of the Colony than a Legislative Council composed of members chosen in equal numbers from each Island. The Council required reformation. It contained -IS members, many of them good men, but others were those whom people refused to return to the House of Representatives. It was an actual wrong to put such men there. Other members were men who considered liberal legislation a thing to bo stamped out. The sooner the pooplo of the country had a voice in returning the members of the Upper House the better. —(Applause.) He was in favour of larger electorates for the Council than the House of Representatives. Major Atkinson said taxation was fair and just, and pressed on all classes equally. He held it did not.—(Applause), In imposing a tax it must be asked if that tax were necessary, and to decide that it must be decided what was tho deficiency for that tax to make good. He would point out tho deficiency there was in the revenue to cover expenditure. It had been said that as soon as tho railways were finished the net revenue over expenses would pay the interest on their construction. It had not done so, and the property tax had been imposed to cover the deficiency. They should ' see if the railways themselves could not be made to pay it. Theße and other public works and immigration had raised the value of land by £20,000,000, but had not raised the value of improvements. The property tax touched improvements, furniture, effects, joint-stock companies, and merchants' or storekeepers' goods. They would thus see it was not fair. He would ask whether these and men who had' made homes for themselves on the land, and bad improved its value, should be taxed on both original and improved value to pay the deficiency on railways which passed through unimproved lands which have risen from £U to £14 an acre, or to meet the interest on £2,000,000 borrowed for immigration. Every immigrant raised the value of land, and who should pay for immigration ? He himself - was for a tax on the lands that benefited by tho expenditure of borrowed money. The Treasurer said in Christchurch the property tax was fair, and yet last session he said the property benefited by railways should be specially taxed. Whatever he said now, he would have to say something very different in tho House, or he and the House would not ajrree. Major Atkinson said the legislation of last session would prove whether perpetual lease or freehold tenure of land was beßt, but really tnere was no such thing in the Act of last session as a perpetual lease, as any man who . leased an agricultural section could buy it after six years. On the goldfiolds land was leased without a purchasing clause, but the Governor could resume it at any time; so there was no perpetual lease there. Major Atkinson spoke of the possibility of bursting up large estates and compensating owners. He would like to know whether the enhanced value given by railways would be considered in computing compensation,, because on the question of compensation it would depend whether the enhanced value was retained by the State or given to the owner. National insurance should be considered very carefully by people, not as a dreamy speculation or theory, because they might be saddled with it as a fact, Was it a scheme free people could adopt, or was it dangerous to liberty? In England it had fallen flat. It was very, taking at first sight, and he himself thought it good at first, but was now convinced it could never be adopted. Major Atkinson spoke very vaguely at Christchurch about the scheme a» compared.with what he said in the House. In reality the proposals meant a poll tax of a million a year. Would employes like employers to stop their money, or would employers like to take the trouble ? How was the money to be collected from those who travelled about the country shearing ? Who was to collect from the idle, the vicious, and the loafew? There would be great difficulties in the way of administering the sick pay, and an expensive department in Wellington would be required. The - system would create an unwarrantable amount of interference in private affairs. No'doubt Major Atkinson was quite sincere in a desire to oncourage thrift, but was it a way to encourage thrift to put people in gaol if they did not pay! The ujo«as* j|is>!fs% ) gßjgvgnt poverty was to pre veujlr^ Ns^'SSSsffiojJoy foolishly, JJOOtoi {<■*% A _^^*- c hiding M 1 4 Ba wwWp*l *9!!s&s§?ed why it should bo obtainable only at such a price that a man of small means could not go on it. In Canada and America the low price of land was filling the country with people, while in Canterbury the charge of £2 an acre retarded settlement. Land should be obtainable for little more than the cost of survey. If every working man were able to acquire land on which to make a home of his own, the evils of having a nomadic population would be done away with. The last session of Parliament was very unsatisfactory. Ministers, in spite of the wishes of members, kept back tho Estimates and' important measures till a late period of the session. Not a member except those whose districts benefited by them knew a single thing about them. When the Koads and Bridges Construction Bill was before the House, Major Atkinson eaid it would prevent amounts being put on the Estimates for roads and bridges; yet when the Estimates came down sums were on them for Wanganui, Taieri, and other bridges and roads. He charged the Treasurer with having broken faith, and Sir John Hall said it was wrong to force the Estimates through so late. It was done_ because Ministers wished to secure a majority. The districts represented by their majority were well attended to, and those represented by opponents of the Government badly attended to. He thought Government would be prevented from doing so next session.—(Applause.) Mr Whitaker had said the Canterbury people were asleep about the West Coast railway. They had not been asleep, but had been very confiding. They thought they had a member of the Ministry who would see justice done to Canterbury, but they had been mistaken. The Otago people got their Central railway in spite of the report of a commission, and the Canterbury people cpuld do the same. ' He considered that on the eve of the session of Parliament Government should give forth their policy, but he believed that Major Atkinson was fishing for a policy. The Opposition had been tame last session, as they wished to show they were not obstructionists or "talkUts." They knew the public would not be on their side if they went in for breaking down things and not building up. The Opposition would next session insist on Government measures being brought down early. It would be better for them to be out of the House altogether than^to have another sessionsuch as ast. Mr Montgomery concluded by saying that he would go amongst his constituents and make himself acquainted with their wishes and wants.

A voto of thanks and confidence was unanimously carried.