THE PREMIER AT GORE.

Otago Witness, Volume 23, Issue 2074, 23 November 1893, Page 23

THE PREMIER AT GORE.

(By Our Special Reporter ) Gore, November 22.

The Premier on arrival here by the express train was met by the mayor and councillors, and also by the Gore branch of the Amalgamated Shearers and Labourers' Union from whom he received an address of welcome. In the afternoon Mr Seddon was on various local matters, and promised to look into them. Respecting the traffic bridge, he stated that he would obtain a report from an expert as to a suitable site. The Premier addressed a public meeting in the evening in the Town Hall which was inconveniently crowded. The mayor (Mr A. Dolamore) presided, and the Hon. H. Feldwick, M.L.C., was among othei'3 present on the platform.

The Hon. Mr Seddon, who was greeted with cheers on entering the hall, said that the present election was one of the most important that had taken place in New Zealand. It was important in sevcal respects. It was the first election which had occurred since plural voting had been abolished. We now had simple manhood an womanhood suffrage. It was the first time in the history of the world that women had the great power which was given to the women ot this colony by law passed last session. The election was important also in respect that electors had to decide at the ballot box whether the people of the country were to govern the country, or whether they were going back to a state of affairs which had previously jjroved disastrous, the ciuse of the disaster being that only a select few were allowed to govern New Zealand.— (Applause ) He deprecated personalities, and was astounded on arriving in Dunedin to read some of the charges levelled against himself and colleagues, and he was more particular'y astounded when a paper was placed in his hands containing a report of the speech by Mr G. F. Richardson at Wyndham, a speech in which an attempt was made to mislead the electors in an unfair and unjustifiable way.— (Applause.) At the present moment thegaudience had before them the best ■abused man in New Zealand— (laughter)— and abuse came from the quarter from which it might be least expected, for they would suppose that the educated and wealthier classes, who affected to be superior people, would behave in a gentlemanly manner in a political contest. When his late chief was alive the Government were termed the Ballance mob; but now they were called the Seddon push.— (Laughter.) Not satisfied _ with that, Aie read that a gentleman holding a good political position in the colony had said the Government were political spielers. — (Laughter.) He did not intend to descend to abuse of a sort which only showed the weakness of the side of those who used it, and he would say to the Liberals of the colony that they should show to the Conservatives a good example and return good for evil. The policy ot the Government was now before the country, and he would endeavour to convince them it

was a policy in the interest of every man, woman, and child in the colony. Contrasting the present position of affairs with that when the Government took office, he claimed that they had so adjusted the incidence of taxation that it now fell on the shoulders of those best able to bear it, and that the pockets of farmers convinced them that under the land tax they were better treated than under the property fcsx. When they took office the indebtedness of the colony was £61 19s 4d per head, but that had been reduced on September last to £59 4s 4-d, or a reduction of £2 15s a head. He quoted the banking returns to prove that capital had not been driven from the colony, and met the charge that the credit of the colony was being destroyed by referring to the quotations of New Zealand stock on the London money market. Replying to the allegation that the Government had increased the indebtedness of the colony by lean conversions, he denied there had been borrowing on the sly or any loan raised by the Government. The act under which the conversions were made was passed by their predecessors, and Sir Harry Atkinson 'when in office converted as much as he could. Having read Mr Richardson's definition of legitimate conversion, as being conversion of a loan shortly to fall in, he said that under the present Government the gross indebtedness had increased by £2,400,000 less than under the Atkinson Government, and whereas their predecessors had saved £33,132 annually in interest by loan conversions, the present Government had gained £53,482. He asked, however, whether loans converted by Sir Harry Atkinson had matured, and mentioned that the 5 per cent. £2,200,000 loan which was converted in; October 1889 would not have fallen due until 1915, whereas it was alleged as a serious crime against the Government that they had converted a £500,000 loan which had ?2 years to run. As to the latter loan the ascertained value was £124 per ceDt. at the time of conversion, but the Government managed to convert at £117, and they had saved £3000 interest a year. He repeated that the Government in giving effect to the law passed in 1884, were only following in the footsteps of their predecessors, and challenged the Opposition to say whether there should be no more loan conversion. He dealt with the economies effected in the public service and with the public works fund in similar terms to those employed by him at Lyttelton on Monday night last. He had no fear that anything like a deluge, as predicted by Mr Richardson, was going to overtake the colony. He had an able colleague in Mr Ward— (applause)— who was a very safe financier, and who would, if there was the slightest danger, be the first to warn him and the country. The Government finance was strong, and, with the country prosperous and the people contented and happy, the deluge was a long way off. But the electors would soon bring it down if they returned Conservatives to power once more — (Applause.) He hoped that never again in the colony would we go in for a borrowing and squandering policy. Passing on to refer to land settlement, he said this was the true solution of the difficulties which the colony must grapple with at the present time, and claimed that the fact that 6262 persons had taken up land since the Government assumed office, spoke volumes for the administration of the Hon. John M'Kenzie. — (Applause.) In connection with the purchase of the Pomahaka estate, he said that an experienced farmer estimated the value of 2000 acres at £4 and of the other parts about £2, and had tried the poorest parts of the land without touching clay lft 6in deep, but had found soil of tip top quality. It was monstrous to say that the purchase of the estate was made for political purposes. Though two wrongs did not make a right, the Government were bound to defend themselves against charges of this kind ; but language should not be used by public men such as was used at Naseby, when it was said, while his late chief was on his deathbed, that if the Premier and Administration were in Australia they would be treated like fraudulent bank managers and deprived of their liberties, and this in connection with loan conversions. He charged the late Government with having made a serious blunder in the purchase of the Polhill Gully rifle range, but there was a much more serious blunder which he was called upon to make known to tfiem. Mr Richardson said at Wyndham that members of the House were compelled to look with suspicion upon documents produced by the Government, and this conveyed a charge against the Government and every officer in the seryice that their public documents and statements were not to be relied on. He detailed the particulars of the transactions in connection with the Ofcekaike runs while the Atkinson Government was in power, and said Mr Richardson had in the House publicly accepted blame for a serious aistake by which 30,000 acres of land were locked up from the people for years. He asked why that Government did not by bill cancel the sale to Robert Campbell and Sons, and whether the actions of that Government were to be looked upon without suspicion. — (Applause.) Were they to look with confidence upon the action of the late Government in appointing Judge Edwards, or upon the interference by a Minister of the Crown with the administration of justice by Judge Ward. Replying to Mr Richardson's statement that Ministers had declined to give an account of pocket money, he pointed out that there was an allowance fixed by act of Parliament, and he undertook to say there was nothing saved out of the allowance. That an ex-Minister should speak of pocket money in the language used by Mr Richardson was not what might have been expected, and what was more, the amounts had to be passed by the Auditor-general. As to the future, it was absolutely necessary for the South Island that the Land for Settlements Bill should be passed, so that in districts where large estates blocked the way of settlement the Government might have power to acquire land by paying the owners fair value for it. Tie bill must go through next session. The people would have land for settlement, and no injustice would be done to the owners by settling the land. They increased the producing power of the country. Having quoted the returns of the exports of the colony, he said the time had trrlvid when New Zealand must deal with the question of trade and commerce, and it ought to have an opportunity of considering whether the other colonies would take its produce. The Government were prepared to-morrow to reciprocate with the other colonies, and they would be wanting in their duty if they did not ascertain where there were markets for the produce ot the colony. For this reason he thought the time had arrived when the colony required a Minister for Trade and Commerce. — (Hear, hear.) Coining nearer home and referring to the needs of this part of the colony, be said that in the first place the construction of the Otago Central railway must be expeditionsly proceded wibh, and roads must be made to enable settlers to get upon the land. He quoted a return of expenditure in Otago and Southland since the Government took office, showing that the total was £221,589, deluding £106,400 for roads, bridges, and railways, £22,900 for public buildings, £20,57 7 for harbour extension, £55,508 for roads ai d bridges (Lands department), £1639 for harbour defences, and £15,426 for mines • so tha this part of the

colony had not been neglected. — (Applause.) The Government intended to complete the Seaward Bush railway to a payable point, and other railways had been mentioned which the Government would inquire into with a view to see that justice was done to the particular districts affected. But his opinion was that in New Zealand too much money had been spent on railways and not enough on roads. — (Applause.) He asserted that the Government must look afar to see whether they cannot find a market for their coal output, and he then explained the action taken to encourage the dairying industry. The Premier went on to refer to the question of railway management, insisting that the public should have control of the expenditure. He might be asked what the Government were going to do on the expiration of the commissioners' term of office in the beginning of next year ? Great doubt was expressed in the House last session on this point, but after consulting the law officers of the Crown the Government took the advice of the best barristers in the four large centres, and he had been advised that at the expiry of the present commissioners' term of office the Government could appoint whoever they liked, and that they were not bound to reappoiat the present commissioners. — (Applause.) At the same time the Government wore informed that the railways did not come back to the country, for the commission was a corporate body and remained in existence. He could assure them that the Government, having a free hand to deal with this question at the expiration of the commissioners' term of office, would not shirk their responsibilities, but would do what was just and right to the great bulk of the people of the colony. — (Applause.) The provisions of the Alcoholic Liquor Sales Control Act were sketched by the speaker, who urged that? the measure should receive a fair trial. Respecting clause 21, he said that clause was not drafted by Mr W. P. Reeves, and was not retrospective or intended to meet a special case in Canterbury, but had a general application, being intended to meet cases that might arise from time to time under the act. While he was not in favour of an elective Legislative Council, he thought it would be a desirable thing if a certain number of Councillors retired each year and were replaced with other nominated members who reflected the views of the community. In conclusion he said the Government only claimed credit in connection with woman's franchise with having passed the bill, and expressed a belief that the women would exercise their power in the interests of the colony.

After speaking for about three hours and a-half, the Premier resumed his seat amid prolonged applause.

Mr John M'Kenna proposed a vote of confidence in the present Administration.

Mr E. S. M'Coll seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously .

The Premier, in returning thanks, said the Government had accepted Mr M'Nab as the candidate for the M^.taura seat, and they trusted the constituency would elect the man they thought best fitted to serve their interests.