INTERVIEW WITH MR NINIAN MELVILLE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2057, 27 July 1893, Page 17

INTERVIEW WITH MR NINIAN MELVILLE.

Mr Ninian Melville, M.L.A., of New South Wales, who is at present on a visit to Danedin, was interviewed by a representative of this paper on Monday morning with the view of obtaining some information with regard to the present condition of that colony. Mr Melville very readily consented to supply any information he could, and on being asked as to what effect the entrance of the Labour party into politics, in New South Wales had had on legislation, he said :— " The Labour party came into existence as a parliamentary party at the last election, and bheir success was phenomenal at the polls. The expectations of the general community were that it would become a power for the amelioration of the labouring classes in New South Wales. It has been claimed by some of the Labour party in recent speeches that though they have nob effected reforms as a party, yeb they have been successful in defeating and preventing legislation which they claim would have been in the interests of the capitalist and •boodler.' The one-man-one-vote bill was the crowning piece of legislation of last session. The bill provides for one-man-one-vote, single seats, registration of votes, and a reduction in the number of members by 16. In the first instance electors' rights will be ißsued through the post, by registered letter, tp every elector on the present rolls. Any elector who is not on the present rolls and entitled to vote can procure his right by applying to the registrar without any payment. The polling is to be all-on one day, and musb take place within 28 days after the dissolution of Parliament. The electorate must contain in number between 1800 and 2200 electors. _ The electorates are being divided by a commission appointed by the Government, who will define the boundaries ; such boundaries to be submitted for the approval of the Assembly. It is proposed in the measure that in the event of the population changing hereafter the commission will have power to alter the boundaries so as to regulate the number of electors within the electorate. The general opinion as to the effect of this measure is that ib will be disastrous in many electorates to the Labour cause, because^ there is now to be no deposit of £40, and any" person who chooses can become a candidate by securing the signature of six electors. Thus, should there be more than one contest for a seat in tho intereßt of labour, the inevitable result must be to divide what should be a solid force into one or more parts, and the probable resnlt ! will be the defeat of the party." In reply to a question as to what was the present position of the Labour party, Mr Melville said : " Upon the accession to office of the Protectionist party the Labour party divided into two equal parts— one part supporting the Government, the other taking their . seats on the - Opposition benches and becoming strong party men on all questions affecting the life of bhe Government The arresb and imprisonment of the Broken Hill strike leaders was seized hold of by the Free'brade party, who jusb ab thab juncture were j moving a vote of censure, and the support of the Labour party was claimed against the Governmenb on the ground that they were unjustly and unrighteously persecuting the labour champions. The political manoeuvre of the Freetrade party was made apparent by Frank Cotton, one of the pronounced Labour members, moving an amendment on the vote of censure, with the intention of fixing irrevocably the votes of all the Labour members againsb the . Governmenb," on the ground that Sir George | Dibbs had received £1000 from the Treasury for bis expenses to England. This was met by a further amendment moved by Mr Cann— a labour member sitting for Broken Hill, who had proved himself a man of exceptional ability. This amendmenb expressly called upon all who claimed or professed to represenb Labour to record bheir vobes as an expression of ' no confidence in the administration of justice

by the officers of the Government at Broken Hill. The proposal was voted for by every true and loyal representative and sympathiser of labour in the Assembly, bub was ignominiously defeated. A number of the Labour members then refused to walk into the trap which had been set for them by the opposite party, and having failed to displace bhe Governmenb on the direct issue of the labour troubles ab Broken Hill, voted bo keep bhe Governmenb in power in preference to bringing the other party into power, who declared that they would have done bhe same thing with regard bo bhe administration of the law at Broken Hill as had been done by bhe Dibbs Administration. From bhen till now the Labour party have been divided." In reply to another question, Mr Melville observed : "It is very uncertain as to when the next general election will take place. Some bhink ib will be before the end of bhe year, and obhers are under bhe impression thab Parliament will laab bill ib expires by effluxion of time." ' On being interrogated as to bhe disbress prevailing in New Soubh Wales, and as to what sbeps were being to meet the unemployed difficulty, Mr Melville said : " The rejection by the Legislative Council of bhe income tax, which was passed by overwhelming majorities, and received the most unanimous support of the Labour party in the Assembly, forced the Government to drastic retrenchment in their Estimates, and has led to the dismissal of a large number of civil servants, which has had a very injurious effect upon the labour market, thab market being already overcrowded. There can be no doubb bhab in the next session of Parliament further taxation, either in bhe form of an iricome tax or land tax, will have to be adopted, as bhe revenue, in consequence of bhe exceedingly depressed times, is falling far .short of what was anticipated. Jusb before Parliament prorogued, with bhe view of meebing bhe unemployed difficulty, we passed a measure for bhe establishment of village settlements. Under this measure bhe Governmenb appoints boards of management, which have the control of bhe settlements, These boards select from the applicants bhose whom they consider most suitable. The Governmenb find the land, and, as a commencement, have taken- some laoj near Windsor, in close proximity to our railway, and only some 30 or 40 miles from Sydney. The measure provides thab the Governmenb shall grant as a subsidy, through the board, to married men, the sum of £25, and to single men £15. Of course ib is impossible to say whab bhe result will be ab present, as they have nob yeb commenced with the scheme." "Oar distress," said Mr Melville, on being asked as to bhe .origin of bhe present condition of New South Wales, "began with the_ failure of our building societies, coupled wibh the inability of bhe Government, owing bo wanb of money, either to proceed with the public works in hand or to initiate new works. The want of public works and the cessation, bo a large extent, of the investmenb of private capital in the erection of private dwellings, &c, forced a large number of our people into bhe ranks of the unemployed. Following closely upon bhe collapse of the building societies came our bank troubles. This again tended to close up bhe avenues of private investment, and as these avenues were closed, so numbers of our working population became distressed. It is painful, bub nevertheless true, bhab the pinch of poverty has found its way into many homes in New Soubh Wales. Many families bhab otherwise were fairly comfortable, and noted for bheir energy and indusbry, are, by these circumstances, forced to accept what to an Englishman is mosb objectionable— charity or assistance from the Government. This is afforded to all who require ib through Mr Joseph Creer, superintendent of the Labour Bureau. The Goverment have made provision bhat no family who are honestly deserving shall want provisions, which are granted wibh as little of the pauper elemenb as possible. The reopening of the banks upon bheir reconstructed basis is beginning to be slightly felb in commercial circles, and there is every prospecb in the course of a few months of ab leasb a slight revival in our business relations. There can be no doubb bhab had nob bhe Government stepped in, and by legislative enactment protected the issue of the remaining banks, and released one half of the current deposits of the depositors in the closed banks, that financial collapse and failures of the mosb dreadful characber would have inevitably followed. The distress in the mining districts of the north, south, and west is very acute, especially the north. The average work has been about from two to three days during the past 12 months ai^ each mine. Jusb before I lef b Sydney the West Wallsend mine was shut down, displacing 204 men, 150 of whom ab leasb were married men. Thus over 700 souls were left wibhoub the prospect of a day's employment, or bhe means of earning a loaf of bread. At Pl&ttsburgh the proprietor of the Co-operative mine imperatively declared that half the men would have to be cabled oub, and refused positively a request of bhe men bhab, instead of one-half of their number being thrown upon bhe labour markeb wibhoub means of employment, the full number should be retained and share whatever work there was. The result was bhab half bhe men were cabled out, and in the cabling many men with large families, and several who were the oldest employes ab bhe mine, were bhe victims. It is proposed in the district thab the men who are at work shall submit themselves to a levy, to find ab leasb some portion of bhe necessaries of life for those who cannot get employment in bhe district." ■ Mr Melville, when asked as bo bhe feeling in New South Wales with regard to intercolonial freetrade, replied : " Not very long ago the Hon. Edward Barton, Attorney-general, who is interested in the question of federation, book bhe initiatory\steps to form a federation league in the city of Sydney. A public meebing was called for that purpose, under the presidency of the mayor of Sydney, and Mr Barton was assisted at the meeting by Mr M'Millan, one of the leading members of the Freebrade and Opposition party. The meeting, however, waß packed by a number of republicans and socialists, who carried an adverse resolution in favour of an Australian republic. But this does not in any wiy indicate the feelings of the majority of the people in New South Wales. The question ab presenb dees nob seem to have extraordinary vitality in it, and, strange to say, Sir Henry Parkes, who claims to be the father of federation in Now Soubh Wales, has taken umbrage ab bhe Hon. Mr Barton moving in bhe matter, notwithstanding that Mr Barton asked him to join him, and offered even to follow his lead. The greatesb objection to federation has been brought aboub by tho cumbersome measure adopbed by bhe convention, and a sorb of fear thab has baken possession of the people that it is a covert abtempb to bring about Imperialism of the worst form and character under the -guise of federation. But bhere can be no doubb bhab bhe paople of New South Wales are ready, and would be willing, bo join hands with their brethren in the sister colonies, realising that a united confederacy would bo more powerful than the present state of the several colonief. As to bhe question of intercolonial freetrade, that under federation would be a foregone conclusion ; ' bub without federation ib is very questionable whether ib can be arrived ab."