SIR J. HALL AT LEESTON.

Otago Witness, Issue 2045, 4 May 1893, Page 15

SIR J. HALL AT LEESTON.

Christchtjbch, April 26. Sir John Hall addressed a well-attended meeting of his constituents at Leeston last evening. He expressed sincere regret at the illness of Mr Ballance. Though opposed to his politics, he gladly recognised the courtesy with which the Premier always conducted parliamentary warfare. The present recess had been dull compared with the preceding one. Ministerial supporters grumbled at the Opposition for not speaking, and when Mr Rolleston did speak they grumbled still more that he was not sufficiently partisan and did not strike out a new policy. New Zealand had been the victim of new policies. Steady work was what was now wanted, and the absence of violent partisanship from Mr Rolleston's speech was to be applauded. The mass of the settlers did not care who was in office so long as they got good government. The task of speaking for the Ministry seemed to have devolved upon Mr Reeves, who had made the best of a bad case. His charges of obstruction against the Opposition were unfounded, but were serious, because his party were authorities on the subject of obstruction. Mr Seddon had stonewalled himself into office, and now stonewalled his own bills. In the financial debate Government supporters made more speeches and took up more time that the Opposition. He agreed that there was too much talk in Parliament. Ministers had a majority with which they could have amended the standing orders if they had wished to do so. The finance of the colony was not now so critical as the Liberal party left it in 1887, the Atkinson Government having placed it on a sound footing and left a large balance in the Treasury. The year's surplus of £300,000 was made possible by £165,000 from the previous year (the result of Atkinsonian finance), £80,000 of interest postponed till next year— £2Bo,ooo of Treasury bills being issued to provide for the sinking fund. With regard to public works, Ministers had repeated the boast of providing for them out of income and not borrowing until they had come to believe it themselves ; but they were only following Mr Skimpole's injunction to "live within their means even \i it was necessary to borrow the money to do it with." The public works expenditure depended on released sinking fund Treasury bills and the balance of Sir H. Atkinson's loan. Ministers had abused the latter for raising a loan, but had lived on its proceeds. If alive he might have repeated the well-known complaint : "If they have given me gall instead of honey, all I can say is they have had my money." Treasury bills for large amountswere authorised — £150,000 for roads, Native lands, and land for settlement, £100,000 to anticipate revenue, and £450,000 to be pawned if required. Altogether Ministers took authority to increase the floating debt by £700,000. The assertion that they had abandoned borrowing and were relying on revenue only was pure fiction. Mr Reeves now only said they would not borrow in London. So long as money was cheaper in London than in New Zealand it would be drawn from London, and the interest would go thither. Sir John denounced the assertion that the net debt had been reduced by £117,000, and went into figures to prove that the debt had really been increased. Upon the subject of taxation he had not changed his opinion. The new system should have a fair trial and its defects be pointed out. Some of them had been corrected last session. He condemned the different manner in which exemptions were allowed to partners in land and partners in trade, and also the hardship of the graduated tax imposed upon trust property like Canterbury church property. This had necessitated a reduction in many small stipends, and was not putting the burden on the shoulders best able to bear it. In reply to the charge of inconsistency in now condemning an improvement tax, he said that the act of J. 879 did not increase a man's taxation if he

spent money on improvements, which the present act did if exceeding a given Bum. This was what he protested against. If graduated taxation was right, why not apply it to all property ? Jay Gould would have paid at a lower rate in New Zealand than many hard-working farmers. On the land question, he said Ministers had practically had to surrender the perpetual lease. The substituted eternal lease" would not last. As soon as leaseholders were numerous enough they would abolish the present system. The silence about land nationalisation was owing to expressed public disapproval and the approach of a general election. He deplored the disagreement between the two Houses which wrecked the woman's suffrage. He disagreed with the Council's amendment, but said Mr Seddon's pretended alarm at it was a mere dodge to shelve women's suffrage. He also argued at considerable length on the necessity for the representation of minorities, especially in large cities, where at present they were practically disfranchised. He favoured an elective Council, which could provide for the representation of the people as well as guard against hasty legislation. He had never been opposed to the Labour Bureau, which should have been called a Labour Exchange. The Government should give temporary work to those who stood in need of it, but on terms which would discourage them from continuing to depend on the Government. He objected to the provision in the Conciliation and Arbitration Bill which practically confined it to labour unions, and also to the compulsory provisions. This was opposed to the weight of opinion in other countries, and would be quite unworkable. He hoped these points would be reconsidered next session. He dwelt at some length on the drift of the policy of the Government and of their supporters towards Socialism. Referring to Mr Ballance's statement that individualism was a doctrine of "devil take the hindmost," he said its abandonment would mean that in this sense the devil would take the lot. He congratulated his constituency and Ministers on the improved condition of the colony. Mr Seddon had said that Ministers had wiped out the depression. The Egyptians thought that the dog star caused the overflow of the Nile, and there was as much truth in that superstition as in that the rise of the Seddon star had brought prosperity to New Zealand. The export of frozen mutton, which caused 1£ million sterling to be distributed amongst all classes, had done ten times more than Ministers. Sir John then announced his intention not to seek re-election. This was purely on personal grounds and had, after the election of 1890, been intimated to his friends. After nearly 4-0 years of public service, he desired to leave younger men to carry on the work. He concluded with an expression of continued interest in public affairs and of gratitude for the confidence which had been reposed in him by that and many other constituencies. A unanimous vote of thanks and confidence, and regret at Sir John's intended retirement from politics, was passed.