Mr C. E. Bellringer at Opunake.

Opunake Times, Volume V, Issue 221, 16 October 1896, Page 2

Mr C. E. Bellringer at Opunake.

There was a fair audience in the Town Hall on Tuesday evening to hear Mr Bellringer's address.

The Chairman of the Town Board (Mr G. W. Rogers), occupied the chair, and introduced the candidate.

Mr Bellringer, on coming forward, was. greeted with applause. He said he appeared before them as an Independent Liberal because he did not think it was a good thing for any electorate to be represented by a member who was led by the nose by any party. There were two out before he came forward, one of whom was the sitting member. It had been asserted that he only came out for the purpose of splitting votes but there was no truth in that assertion. He was not connected with either side and he was an Independent Liberal because he considered the aims and views of that party were the best. The Left Wing, as they were known in Parliament, deserved the best thanks of the country for the influence they had exercised in checking the Government in some of their attempts at extreme legislation. They had done much more in this direction than the Opposition. The Opposition showed very few signs of vitality or union. The only point they were united on was trying to get the the Government out. The Opposition would not declare their policy, and Sir Robert Stout bad given as a reason that before you sowed a crop it was necessary to take the weeds out, and _jihat if the Opposition declared their policy the Government would collar it. He did not look on this as patriotic. If they knew of a better policy they should only be too glad to make it known and give the country the benefit of it. There was such diversity of opinion amongst the Opposition that even if they turned the Government out they would not be able to form a party to carry on the Government. Buring his address he would have to condemn a great deal of what the Government had done. Most of the troubles, had however, arisen from our system of Party Government. Parties in the colony were not defined as they were at Home. There, there were distinct lines laid down and the electors in exercising their votes could do so with the assurance that any stated line of policy would be carried out if the party they supported got into power. In New Zealand, on the contrary, no matter what party got into power, they went in for the same legislation, and on that account Party Government was not desirable as it htd an injurious effect on legislation. As an instance of this he quoted the trickery of the Government in putting up two of their own members to balk Sir Robert Stout who, at the instance of the Opposition, was to oppose an item in the Public Works Estimates of £200,000. He considered the House and the country should have full knowledge, and that there should be free criticism of all such matters. ELECTIVE EXECUTIVE. The system which would effectually do away with Party Government was to have an elected executive. The leaders of parties were strongly opposed to it, which was no doubt due to their having tasted the sweets of office and the p>wer such office placed in their hands. He described how a Cabinet was formed, and pointed oat that owing to party considerations the leader who was entrusted with the formation of a Cabinet was debarred from calling to his council and aid the best men as he had to conciliate the various parts of the colony and in doing so he had to select men from the different provincial districts. Examples of this would be found in the late appointments of Minister of Public Works and Minister of Defence, who were not appointed on account of their fit; ess but to favor Otago and Auckland. This was not in the interests of the Colony. It was urged against the Elective Executive that it would lead to undue button-holing of members aud competition, but he did not look on that as a materi il objection. Another objection was that a minister might be elected who would find>him3elf called on to carry out a policy to which he was personally opposed, but that again was not tenable because so long as the policy was in the interests of the colony he should bury his personality. An instance occurred under the present system showing desirability of a change. .A tariff commission had been appointed, which made recommendations in submitting a tariff nauseous to the present party in power. If the Goternment attempted to force the measure on the House, they would have been defeated, aud would lose the Treasury benches. The Treasurer therefore quietly dropped the suggested tariff and brought in another, and before one was accepted three or four new ones were brought in. This did not apply to the present party only but to both parties. It was contended that the best men would not submit to the chance of election, but that argument was not good as they had to submit to election in order to obtain their seat in the House. He believed under it they would get better men and better measures. Another great advantage would be that members would be at liberty to give free expression to their opinions and not be driven with whips into the lobby. REFERENDUM. Intimately connected with the Elective Executive was the Referendum. This would prove one of the greatest safeguards of the liberties of the people. Ministers often carried measures with which the people had no sympathy, but if such measures were submitted to the popular vote this would remove such a state of affairs and give the people a solid voice in the Government. It was agreed that this would destroy the responsibility of Ministers, but such would not be the case as it would only cause minister to be more careful in only introducing measures which they knew

would be backed up by the people, and introduce reforms which the people desired. When manhood suffrage was introduced it was said it wonld result in returning members of a lower type but such had not been the case. It was also said that the cost of carrying it into effect would be very great, but that did not necessarily follow, and the benefit of purer legislation would compensate for it. It had also been said that tSo people would not vote intelligent! \ o i large questions but he thought differently. .^ DIRECT VETO. On this question he contended that the State should legislate to give the power into the hands of the people. Each elector should have the privilege of voting. He would oppose any prohibitory measure being passed by the House, as the question of settling it must be left to the people. So long as each electorate only voted with regard to prohibition within the electorate, whilst adjoining electorates might retain the sale of liquor, he would favor a measure providing for a substantial majority, but if it were to become a question of national prohibition as had been passed by the lower House, then a majority should decide. He favored a substantial majority in separate electorates as a matter of expediency. EDUCATION. He favored the continuance of the present educational system, and was opposed to denominational education on the ground that in a new land it bred illfeeling amongst communities. The present system he considered was was the best for the country. He also Objected to Bible reading reading in schools. He thought inspectors should be itinerant as when too long in one district teachers very ofter get to feel that tbey are under a ban. There was in hirf opinion too much tendency to cram under the present system, and in the matter of management it might be amended profitably as now there was too much overlapping between Boards of Education and School Committees. In fact there was too much local government, nearly every second man you met was in some local body. LAND POLICY. He was a supporter of the Land Policy of the present Government. The perpetual lease was a better tenure than the deferred payment because the lands could be purchased at any time within ten years. There was a great deal of sentiment about freehold tenure, but it would die->out and the lease in perpetuity would take its place. This was now the most favored tenure with people taking up laud. LAND FOR SETTLEMENT. This measure also had his approval as it tended to keep families united, by allowing children to take up land near to their parents homes. Under it the Cheviot estate had been profitably settled, and many other places had been similarly dealt with. WEST COAST SETTLEMENT RESERVES. With regard to. these lands he thought there should not be a distinction made in administration. They should be administered by the Land Board like Crowu lands, as it was not conducive to settlement to have them dealt with as they had been in such an autocratis manner by the Public Trustee. BORROWING AND FINANCE. On tue subject of finance he must condemu the Government, as their financial policy had completely broken down. They "profess to be non-bor-rowing and now it turos out that they have been borrowing in all directions. The public debt of the colony was £43,271,000 and the interest charge £1 ,788,000 per annum. The Government now intended adding another million of debt this year which would increase the interest charge by £35,000 a year. For the greater part of the debt we had valuable assets in which respect we were wiser than the old countries, whose debts had mostly been incurred for war purposes and there was nothing to show for them. The Government were to blame for anticipating and spending £400 : 000 of the million to be raised this year without submitting the proposals for its expenditure to Parliament first. They also proposed to expend the large sum of £200,000 ou goldfields, which looked like an attempt to purchase support from those districts. Last year £35,000 had been found sufficient, and he thought a much smaller sum than the amount proposed would be sufficient this year. PROPERTY TAX. He disapproved of a Property Tax, because it taxed the industry and frugality of the people. SINKING FUNDS. He entirely condemned the Government for seizing the £85,000 of trust funds, which consisted of the sinking funds, on account of Loans to Local Bodies. These fnnds were paid in by the people who had raised money under the Act, and should have been kept in trust to liquidate the loans. Now, when the time expired these same ratepayers would have to join with the geueral body of ratepayers and become responsible for the amount a second time. If a private individual did such a thing he would be made to suffer for his misdeeds and the Government might be reasonably looked to to set a good example, but instead they seized the trust funds without having any claim whatever on them. TAXATION. The amount of taxation raised from the people by means of the customs, was £1,650,000, and he thought a reduction might be made in this taxation. New Zealand was very heavily taxed, paying £3 14s 6d per head, Victoria paid £2 18s 3d, New South Wales £2 17s 4d, and Great Britain, £1 18s Bd. As long as taxation was raised through the Customs people did not pay full attention to it, and to bring about reform he believed a system of direct taxation should be introduced.

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS. The system of keeping public accounts was bad, and he thought it would be easy to introduce a simpler and better plan. The accounts should be at once evident. As they were now kept one party said there was a surplus and the other party twisted the accounts round and showed there was a deficit. This should not be. If there were a surplus the money should be there and the accounts should be so kept that there would be no doubt about it. CHARITABLE AID. The charge for charitable aid was growing larger every day, and people were coming to look on it as their right. Poverty was no crime but people should be made to feel their independence. Tne funds for charitable aid he contended, should come out of the general revenue, and license fee 3 should be paid into the consolidated revenue for the purpose of meeting the demand for charitable aid. RAILWAYS. He favored the Government control of railways as it produced much better results that when under the control of r Commissioners. The railways gave a return of £2 16s per cent on the cost of construction. The Government, he thought, should acquire the Manawatu line in the interests of the settlers on this coast as it was absurd to have the Government lines acting a 3 feeders for this line. OLD AGE PENSIONS. Whilst feeling that some scheme would have to be introddced providing old age pensions the weak spot in the Government scheme was that there was no self help provided and it discounted thrift. More light was needed on the subject and prospective parti- . cipants should be made to contribute something. STATE FIRE IN3URANCK. He thought the Government should do something to alleviate the exorbitant charges now made by the ring of insurance companies. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. The Government were deserving of great praise for establishing this department, as it had done a great amount of good. There were, however, seme points in the management which he had to condemn. One was the appointment of Mr Valentine who was brought to the oolony at great expense, and then accepted a position with a company of which the Minister of Lands and the late Treasurer were directors, and there seemed to be j something very peculiar in the resignation and sudden departure of Mr Mac Ewan. CONCLUSION. In conclusion he would urge the electors to vote aocorording to thair consciences and to be only actuated by the highest motives. In exercising their votes the greatest good for the greatest numbar should be their aim. He resumed his seat amidst applause. QUESTIONS." Mr Breach: Are you in favor of the construction of the railway between Opunake and Eltbam ? t Mr Bellringer: If it could be shown that their would be a fair return on the expenditure it should certainly be constructed, as the settlers in this part had every right <to be placed within rapid and easy communication with other parts of the oolony. Mr Guy: Was this the first and only time Sinking Funds had been seized ? • Mr Bellringer: No. A previous Government had also seized the sinking funds. Mr Brennan: As you have stated that the Government have broken down in their finance; that they propose to distribute £200,000 as bribes to the goldfields ; and that they have seized the local bodies sinking funds would you support them if returned. Mr Bellringer said he did not know that the same Government would be in power, as very likely a great change would be effected by the election, he could not say what party would be in power, but he would not support the Opposition. Mr Brennan said his question was: If the same Government were returned again would you support them, or not ?

Mr Bellringer said he would support them on general lines of policy. Mr Guy was understood to ask if in his opinion the members who were forced into the lobby to vote for the Government did not do so rather than vote for the Opposition. Mr Bellringer said he believed so. Mr Brennan : Do you know of any country where an elective executive had been tried ? Mr Bellringer: No,

On the motion of Mr Brennan, seconded by Mr Guy a vote of thanks was given to the candidate. The usual compliment to the ohair terminated the meeting.