THE MINISTER FOR LANDS A.T NASEBY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2200, 30 April 1896, Page 22

THE MINISTER FOR LANDS A.T NASEBY.

(Bboh O<tr Own Corhbsposdent.) Nasbbt, April 27. The Hon. J. M'Keozie addressed a crowded meeting of his constituent* at the Town Hill, N*seby, thia evening. Several ladies were among those present. The Mayor (Mr W. Game) occupied the chair.

Mr M'Kenzie, who was enthusiastically received, apologised for visiting his constituency bo seldom, owing to public business keeping him in Wellington and otherwise attending to the business of the country. He referred to the abatement of Captain Russell at Auckland that if the Conservative party came, into power they would oot alter the laud and income tas and Labour legislation, which were two of the ••lost important plauks that the Government had been found tauit with. This he characterised as inconsistency, and showed that the Opposition now approved ef the ' Govtrnmeut policy whioh in the past they had opposed bo bitterly. Referring to the 6p«eca at Pivlmercrton the other night, ,he had stated that the Press Agency was being turned into a political machine. The Press Association received certain privileges from the people of this colony in the way of the distribution ef news through the telegraph offices, also protection of their copyrifht. The association had a monopoly, and if they circulated accurate information no one would have anything to say in the inalttr. He again said they did not do so, and would give an instance. On Friday night be. read in the newspaper a Press Association telegram which gave the bare statement that a certain member of the Liberal party had addressed bis constituents in Auckland and received a vote of thanks ttnd confidence. In the tame papar in tbe next column was a report of a speech delivered by a Conservative member there. If the association was fair it should have sent a summary of the' other speech, and placed both members on the same level. Another case" was in connection with a report »boub himself, which had been j circulated- all over the colony. It was sent from a -sin ill place ' .named Levin, near Wellington, and . not by a pressman at all, but by a private gentleman, who had no right whatever' to use the Press Agency in the matter. And thiß gentleman, by means of the report which he circulated by this means, bad traduced and minrepresented the speaker. He had been told by three reliable gentlemen who were present at Levin that the report was far from being correct. He would leave the matter here. Again, with regard to His speech on Friday at Palmerston and ths summary whioh was transmitted by the association over the colony. On Saturday morning, before leaving PalmerstoD, he received a telegram from Wellington asking if no vota of confidence was pasted at the meeting. Two minutes later he received another telrgram from Invercargill to the same effect. He had not seen the association report hirmelf, but the newspapers would be in the district in a day or two, and people could nee for themselves the truth of the statement. Referring to the OUgo Central, he said that anyone who had travelled over that part of the country wmld admit that the Government were doing all they could and all that should be expected from them in respect to poshing on the line. He found the only ones the Government could not please in connection with the Ota go Central was the Railway League in Dunedin. He termed them once a political board, and they did not like it. Hia opinion had not altered since, and he was of opinion that if the league would let the matter alone the railway would go al<.ng just as fast. The present Government, duriug its term of officp, considering the amount of money available and the nature of the work, had done as much as possible to push the line on. Th?y intended to continue pushing it along, and he hoppd before long tbe residents of Naseby would have it much nearer than at the present time. In connection wiih what had been ?aid about the meeting of the Advances to S^tt'cf B ard, which he hid attended in (he ahv. c f the Colonial Tit-afurer. he assured ihe Audience be had no axe to grind there aud no interest in the matter personally. He simply had a desire in his capicity as Minister its attendance to see what was right and just in the matter dene as between the applicants for advances and the Government. But when he saw complaints so numerous from settlers who wished to obtain adT*nces, for which purpose the act- was passed, he thought it was time the Government interfered. He went fsr that purpose, and acted accordingly. Previous

to this period anyone who applied for an advanaa and whose apulioitiou was refused was simply informed fcfrab the application was refused. No-w when the money is taken for the valuation the applicant, whether successful or otherwise, is supplied with the amount of 4>he valuation of the valuer^ and is thus enabled to see waat the valuation is aad, if not satisfied with it on the ground of being too low, he can have a valuation madefy another valuer.- He was convinced the aefr would now work more satisfactorily and more in accord with the requirements of settler's. The various other questions of the day were dealt with by Mr MKerzie, who resumed his seat amidst applause, after a very able speechrof two hours and a-halF. •

Mr J. Brown moved a hearby vote of thanks to Mr M'Kenzie for his addrefs and confidence in him as their representative, also In the Government of which ho is a member.

The motion waa seconded by Mr R. Glen, and was carried unanimously amidst applause.