SIR GEORGE GREY AT AUCKLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 1858, 1 July 1887, Page 10

SIR GEORGE GREY AT AUCKLAND.

Sir George's Opinions for Retrenchment— Too Many Miiistets-The Land QuestionProtection.

In his address to the electors of Auckland City East Sir George Grey advocated the reduction of the number of members of the Assembly, as getting rid of local claims and local prejudices; also the reduotion of Ministers to four. The colony had now nearly got- to the end of its tether in the London money market, and the taxation was more than they could bear. , In a few years, he believed, the colony would be again prosperous, and the period of doubt, distrust, and financial difficulty which they now had to encounter would pass away. In the North and South cities were growing up capable of manufacturing everything they needed. Roads and railroads were opening op the country on every hand, but there wa9 no , large , agricultural population settled upon the land in the vicinity of such centres of population. To accomplish this, object was the task now set before them, He urged them to keep steadily in view three points :— (1) The reduction of the colonial expenditure ; (2) phe reduotion of taxation in consequence of such diminished expenditure; and (3) the settlement of the waste lands of the colony/ For three successive sessions he had endeavoured to bring forward the sphome outlined in his Land Bill, but it had been delayed or obstructed on one pretence or another in Parliament till his heart was nearly broken. If he had been allowed to go Home, or his constituents could have have spared him, and pur his scheme before the emigrating classes, he could have brought out hundredsaye, thousands — of desirable settlers with' some capital, who would have settled on the waste lands in the vicinity of the cities. An impetus would thus < have been given ,to trade, and work found for their artisans in supplying the wants of these people.' As to" the concessions in land to the Midland Railway Company, they were simply a robbery of the' colony. Sir George denounced the present village settlement scheme as in its terms unjust to the settlers and in jnrions to the future welfare of the country ; while the conduct of the Minister of Lands in withholding information as to the expenditure and' liabilities under the scheme till the last hour of the session could' not be too strongly condemned. It was when the streets were crowded with unemployed that these village settlements were formed, and, terms imposed on the settlers" which no free man would accept. He would resist such a state df things to the last. Some of the regulations were illegal as outside the terms of the act, and he could tell these [special settlers that they would never have to pay the increase of rent as provided for under the regulations. , As to the civil service of the country, many men were underpaid, many overpaid, end there was a good deal too many of them. They were out of touch with the public, and people ' could not get redress 'and did not know how to get it. The number of Ministers was too iarge, as was shown by the way ia which the r Premier gave so much ;time $o private business; and so one Minister at least could be 1 'dispensed' with, but ' he <I believed four would be enough with a simplification' of the civil service, into four departments instead of ten or eleven as at present. - .Things would go on better, and there .would be less injustice done and a, great reduction of expenditure. As to the education vote,, it was possible to make considerable reductions without diminishing the efficacy of a system which was the best in 'the world. The question of Protection had been suddenly raised, It should have been raised at the .beginning of the session instead of being largely nsed^ as an electioneering cry. He was agreeable to the fair, protection of local industries., In 'manufacturing England the poverty was' dreadful, but in countries where everything was protected the poverty was greater— as in Germany,' for instance, at present. By a manifesto he had' seen from the South,' the workmen' were promised constant employment. Nothing was said about improved wages, but to merchants and manufacturers the bait was held out of accumulating' fortunes. "Who were 'to contribute 'to 'make .these,fortunes ? ' He would not agree to unqualified protection unless the manufacturing power 'shared the fruits of their labour with capital, but would aid in the settlement of a just tariff, and that could be done when the House met.

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Auckland, June 24.