INTERVIEW WITH THE PREMIER. THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1994, 12 May 1892, Page 18

INTERVIEW WITH THE PREMIER. THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

ARBITRATION AND CONCILIATION BILL.

Upon the arrival of the Premier, the Hon. J. Ballance, in Dunedin on Tuesday evening, a member of the Daily Times staff called upon him at Wain's Hotel and inquired whether he desired to amplify the statements made by him to the Wellington correspondent of .this journal prior to his departure from the seat of Government on the 2nd inst., some of these statements having sinse been much criticised. Mr Ballance declined to admit the accuracy in some respects of the published version of that interview in Wellington. He stated, for example, that the amount he had spoken of by which the debt had been reduced was not correctly given, and the tone of some of his remarks was not properly conveyed.

" Iv accordance with the promise that was made last year in the Financial Statement," he said, "we have reduced the floating debt by L 150,000, and in addition L 50.000 of stock has been paid off, making a total of L 200.000. Of that amount LIOO.OOO has been paid out of consolidated fund and LIOO,OOO from loan conversions. I did not say that we should appeal to the country before asking his' Excellency the Governor to appoint a sufficient number of new Legislative Councillors. We shall probably insist upon the right to have the Council strengthened in accordance with the dominant opinion of the other chamber, entirely apart from the question of a dissolution." That will be upon the arrival of the Governor, before there is any chance of a further disagreement with the Legislative Council ? — the reporter suggested. "Yes," replied the Premier. "If our measures are rejected, we reserve for ourselves what course we shall take. We have a constitutional right to appeal to the country. We may do that, or we may do something else. I am incorrectly reported by the Press Association to have said at Invercargill on Saturday night that the Government wanted to make 10 nominations to the Council. I mentioned no number, except that I spoke of five supporters whom the Government have in the Council ; and I am confirmed in what I now say by several gentlemen to whom I have spoken on the subject. My reference to Sir George Grey in the interview at Wellington was not as to what Sir George Grey is going to do— of that I had no knowledge whatever — but as to what he is said by the Opposition to be contemplating. I did not suppose for a moment that Sir George Grey would stultify himself or play into their hands. My reason for that is that he could not do so without contradicting himself, and that bis position and that of the Opposition would be totally irreconcilable. I had, of course, no information as to what line Sir George Grey will take, and I only referred to the rumour that he is to assist the Opposition, and that he is going to make an attack on the question of th'i tax on improvements. I have not the slightest idea whether Sir George Grey means anything of the kind — the rumour has proceeded from the Opposition. I did not intend any reflection whatever on Sir George Grey, aud simply meant to show the absurdity of the rumours "

"With regard to tho new scheme to provide pensions for the civil service," the Premier went on to say, referring to another portion of the account of the former interview, "it is wrong to say that the scheme will only apply to those who may _ join after it comes info force. What I did say was that there would be no compulsion upon those already in the service to join, but it will be quite applicable to them and they can come under it. In fact, the scheme has been framed to allow those who are already in the service to cjme under it with every advantage to themselves ; but in tho case of those who may join the service after it will have come into force, it will be compul: o yon them— they must come under the scheme. But it is an important feature that the scheme has been drawn up to attract the attention of those in the service to it."

In the course of further conversation, the Premier gave son c interesting infoimition as to the intentions of t eft vernm ;ut. The full Cabinet wi 11 meet in WelJiuj. ton by the 20th inst. It has bitn arrange 1 that ihe Colonial Secretary, the Hon. P. A. Buck'ey, will proceed to Sydney to welconu the n w Govern r, Lord Glasgow. Mr B tckley vill probaby leave Wellington on tie 23rd in t. The question of the revision of th ■• tariff is i n ler corsideration, and will be fully discussi d by the Cabinet in the com se of a few weeks. The Conciliation and Arl itration Bill, which was spoken of last year, will be oie of the fi -st me. su es brought before P« H i.i enhnf erits.neetingonthe23rdprox. The bill povide f .nheesta 1 1 shmentof councils of conci ii l ion in each district where necessary, for the p rpose of trying to arrange trade disputes iv a friendly and amicable spirit ; and a court of arbitration, which is to be the ultimate court of appeal, is also provided for. It has not yet been decided how this court shall be constituted. The Electoral Bill and Land Bill will both be introduced at an early stage of the session. The principal features of the Electoral Bill will be similar to those contained in tho bill when it left the House last session, except that the Government have Inserted a provision

for the issue of electors' rights to shearers and commercial travellers, placing them on the same footing as seamen. ' The one-man-one-registration, or the one-man-one-roll principle, is, however, the main principle in the measure.