DEPUTATIONS AT ALEXANDRA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2672, 31 May 1905, Page 33

DEPUTATIONS AT ALEXANDRA.

(Br Otjb Special Repobteb.) ROXBURGH, May 29. The Rig-ht Hon. the Premier visited the - schoolhouse at Alexandra, this morning, accompanied by Mr H. Schaumann {Mayor and ohairman of the School Committee) and other members of the committee. Mr Schaumann brought under the Premier's notice that there was not enough ground adjacent to the 6chool for the children, and that if the master's residence, which was an old building', could be shifted to another Government section near by the site it now occupied could be added to the present recreation ground. . In addition, a site , would then be provided for a gymnasium. ' Under present conditions the children had -to play on the roadline, which was dangerous. Mr Seddon showed that he did not think the proposals were worthy of much consideration. There was an old fence there, he said, that might be knocked down, together with some fruit trees, and if the present area were thrown into the portion thus cleared there would be any amount of ground for the children. Some districts in the back-blocks had no school at all, and in these days of economy it was a question as to what was best to be done with the money that was available- There was a larger ground at Alexandra than was attached to some schools with an attendance of 700 or 800 children. He considered the present application was in the nature of a luxury. As long as they could give a spacious playground by simply removing the fence, which would still leave plenty of ground for tht master, he did not see what else was wanted. In reply to Mr Seddon, ihe master (Mr Closs) said there were 200 children at the school, which was full, and the attendance was increasing. Mr Seddon, addressing the children in the playground, expressed his pleasure at meeting them. When he saw the school children clean and healthy it gave him an idea of what the homes were like. He was very well pleased with the children he saw before him, and was satisfied that at Alexandra they had good parents and good homes. After giving some advice to the children, he went on to say that as the world progressed the better educated had the higher -walks in life open to them, while the uneducated would hold the inferior positions. He was happy to say that in the colony there was a band of teachers who were doing good and noble work, but they must have the assistance of parents in their work. Under the present educational system there was nothing to prevent the children of this school going to the High Schools and then to the University. He earnestly entreated the children to take advantage of the opportunities now within tfieir reach. Under the new syllabus and its conditions teachers oould at any time lift a pupil from one standard to another on being satisfied that the pupil had qualified for advancement. In that way boys and girls might shorten their school days if they were gifted and studious. If the schoolmaster found he was practically keeping a pupil back, it was his duty to place that pupil in the higher class. He hoped teachers would not fail to adopt the working of the system in that respect. The scholars gave three cheers for the Premier, the School Committee, and the teaohers, and were given a half-holiday in honour of the Premier's visit. DEPUTATION. Mr Seddon received several deputations on- matters of public interest. There were present — Messrs J. Horn, H. Schaumann, J. Rivers, J. Butler, A. Japp, W. Pitches, J. Nieper, A. Iversen, the borough councillors, and others. Mr Horn mentioned the matter of making the proposed railway bridge a combined traffic and railway bridge. The other day Mr Blow, under-secretary of the department, was in the district, and said the department was prepared to put up such a bridge provided the local bodies were prepared to make the approaches and pay a perpetual maintenance fee of something like £oT a year. Mr Blow said the cost of the approaches would be about £1000, and that to make a road to lead to the approaches would cost another £1000. The Vince-nt County Council recognised the necessity of the bridg-e, but it was a matter of pounds, shillings, and pence with it, and as it had other works on hand it could not undertake this responsibility. In reply to a question, Mr Horn said that the local bodies received the goldfields revenue from the dredges, together with the rentals, which came to £2500 per annum ; but the amount was decreasing through dredging claims being worked out. He would suggest that the Lands Department should give £1000 to make the road, and that the Mines Department should give a similar amount fox- tne approaches. Mr Schaumann and Mr Butler als •> advocated the erection of a combined traffic and railway bridge. In reply to the Premier, Mr Horn said they had borrowed nothing under the Loane to Local Bodies Act. Mr Seddon said that if. as Colonial Treasurer, he let them have a loan of £5000 it would mean that they would have> to pay about £150 a- year in interest. If the work was to be of any service to the community the small interest payable would compensate for the outlay, and as they had no borrowed money at all in the district it seemed to him that was the solution of the matter. Mr Horn remarked that if the people of Alexandra were willing to be rated fox 1 a loan that would put a different complexion on it. Mr Spencer said that the borough had already borrowed £7700 for -waterworks, and it was doubtful if the people of Alexandra would agree to be rated any higher. Mr Seddon said that if the interest came

to £150, and the borough paid £50 and the, county £100, it woulcl mean that the borough would pay £1 a week. The bridge was now being constructed, and if the matter was not settled quickly the opportunity to alter the plans would go. Mr J. Rivers, speaking on behalf of the working men and the business people, drew attention to the irregular way in which payments were made to the men working on the railway line. If it could be arranged that there would b& a set day for payment in •each month it would be better for the business people. Mr Seddon said it was the desire of the Government that there should be punctuality in paying, and that both business men and working men should know definitely when the payments were made. No doubt ' there was anxiety on the part of the business people, and the Government would lw only too pleased to give them all iht security they could for the credit they baud giv&n to the working men. A PUBLIC ADDRESS. At noon Mr Seddon addressed a 'iaj%+ meeting of ladies and gentlemen in tS? Town Hall. Several of the business pi&oea were closed, and quite a number of people were in from different parts of the district, The Mayor (Mr Scha-umann) was in th« chair. Mr Seddon, who was warmly received, congratulated the people on turning out in such large numbers. The attendance showed the interest the people took in the politics of the country, and it was very cheering to him to see so many of them present. They had had a. visit from the Leader of the Opposition. — (A Voice : " A good man too.") He quite agreed that Mr Massey was a good man as Leader of tho Opposition, and the longer he was kept there the better it would be for the country. — (Applause.) He had read the report of Mr Massey's address in Alexandra. Talk about corruption and bribery 1 After giving his address he was presented with tomatoes and grapes and onions, — (Laughter.) It was unique. The onions tickled one's fancy. — (Laughter. ) Mr Massey had said -it was the duty of the Government to go to the large centres to lay their policy before the people. He did not say they should go to the country districts ; but he (Mr Seddon) would take good care that Mr Mass&y did: not have th© sole right to speak to the country people. — (Applause.) When Mr Massey was in Alexandra he was there with the object of keeping Mr Bennet from being returned at the next election. He did not say he was there to speak in support of Mr Gilkison, but that was his real object. — (Applause). Mr Massey posed as a Liberal, but his action had proved he was nothing of the sort. He had! said he -would oppose the compulsory taking of land for settlement. It was the intention of the Government, however, to take land for settlement wherever it could get it, and whilehe would pay due deference to the squatters and the miners as the pioneers of the land when land was required, so that men and women might live under close settlement conditions, the squatter must give way to the pressing demand of the people.— (Applause.) He would be no party to doing the squatter an injustice. Every man, rich or poor, should have fair play, but if the land was required for olose settlement the Government would take the opportunity of taking it as soon as it could! get it. — ("Hear, hear.") The intention of the Government was to burst up these large estates for close settlement, and to take the land now leased to the squatters for the same purpose aa soon as it could get it. — (Applause.) He had been told that next Thursday the member for Bruce (Mr J. Alien) was going to defend Mr Massey from, the attacks made on him by the Premier. Well, he supposed he would survive it. — • (Laughter.) Mr Massey had said that in his (Mr Seddon'*) visit to different parts of the country he had left behind him promises as thick as the leaves in Vallambroea. People appreciated leaves of that kind. The country ought to have its resources developed and the convenience of the public studied.— (Applause.) Mr Massey had also said that he (Mr Seddon) was going round the country purchasing support. That was not so. The Government had a. very fair working majority, but what he would at ■a.ny time try to do was to prevent Mr Massey or any other member of the Opposition misleading the people and undermining the Government, and taking away its support by misrepresentation. — (Applause.) Mr Massey's railway construction policy, judging by his speech in Alexandra, meant that he would make railways in Auckland first, and then the Main Trunk line, and take up the Otago Central in about 10 years' time. If Mr Massey was Premier to-morrow he would be Premier for the Auckland district only. Mr Massey had a secretary now who was paid out of funds at the disposal of the people. It was well that the people should remember that the Opposition had a fighting fund, and the expenses came out of that fund. The party could well afford . that fund, because Mr Massey represented the wealthy people of the colony. — (Applause.) Fron* the utterances of the Opposition he took ifc that it meant to bring all leaseholders im as freeholders, to reduce the exemption under the land tax, and to reduce the graduated land tax to the great bulk o£ the men who supported it. If he stood oni the platform and warned the people of what was coming, and if afterwards th. e S' scorned his advice, the^ must put up wit-9 the consequences. — (Applause.) Mr Maspey, had also told the Alexandra meeting iiLxG a lessee had been informed that his lease would be forfeited for the reason "that U-« owed one shilling of rent." It was ati entire fabrication. He had made inquiry into the allegation, and could find no trace of anything of the kind.— (Applause.) Then there was a matter of which ho would like to give Mr Massey a chance to put himself right. At his Alexandra meeting Me Massey, according to the Daily Times' report, said : "If an Irish landlord 25 years ago had threatened to evict a, tena-nt fof. being one f-hilling in arrea-rs with hi 3 rent, what would have happened?"^ Someone mi the audience interrupted'?* s ' " Shoot him," end Mr Massey, the coming' Premier, this Leader of the Opposition, said " Quits right." Why did the hon. gentleman allow his feelings to overcome him to such! an extent that he made himself al p^rtv to the taking of human life?-— (A Voice : "He niaant to shoot him rff th*y stage.") ITo did not know what Mr Mej.-_h-_ meant. He took the words that were given; to the public, and he expected that, as usual, the explanations would bo that the reporter was incorrect. If ifc -went to tha outside world that in any dispute between' landlord and tenant the coming Premier* said the landilord ought to bo shot, whati would people- think of the colony? If Mrt

Massey did not make the statement credited ] to him, the sooner he corrected the report the better. Mr Seddon went on to deal with the -need of irrigation in Central Otago. If private enterprise would not do anything In tiuit direction the State must step in. SThe .Government had had surveys of reseTroirs made, and were ready to proceed with the construction of them The dredges pad done good work, but gold was a nonrurring crop, and if water was provided Central Otagc there would be a large infcrease of population who would be engaged £t pofitable employment. If this water was bsect for mining purposes first, it could be -Used lor irrigation purposes afterwards, and judging by Mr John Wilson's property and ©tier- lands that had been watered he fcelieved^ that money spent on irrigation *rouH be well spent.— (Applause.) If the Government spent £100,000 in Central Otago for water for mining and irrigation purposes the money could not- "Be better spent anywhere in New Zealand.— (Applause.) If the -expenditure on the Otago Central Tailtvaywas to be a wise expenditure they must Jhave an increased population, and that population would come if -mining- was encouraged and mousy was found for irrigation works .—(Applause.) •In -speaking of -fche pipenditure on the Otago Central line, . Mr *Seddon -' asked the last Tory Go- " vernment-hadgiyen-to the railway in itslast three years of office? In 1888 it voted £78,528; in 1889, £45,«69; and in 1590, •£31,780. .For the last three years, what - had^the present Government given? In 1902 it gfcve £105,278; in- 1903, £46,296; and in 1904-; £55,515. Since *he Ist of April, 1901, to the 316t of March, 1904-, the present Government -had spent on 4-he Otago Central lailw«y £2*7,097. The Government could jbe judged by the amounts it had spent en -fee Otago Central as compared with the sums spent by.-the Tory Government. At Snyrate he trusted that, en his next visit to JUexsmdra he> would be taking parfc_ in the *>pemng of the railway to that point, and they wculd Have a jolly good* time. — (Applause.) In concluding his speech, which occupied about an hour and three-quarters, 3tfr "Seddon .had a -vrord -to say on behalf of Mr '.Bennet, the member for the district. Mr SBennet was a, gentleman against whom not •« ,word of complaint had been uttered, and -as a - representative he ' had done his duty -faithfttUy to the people.— (Applause.) SBufrjMr Bennet was to be set asidei and the district was to give another vote to Dunedin by -sending -to Parliament a gentleman •who lived in the city.— (A^Toice : "Never.") JWell, that was a matter for the people to decide. When a member had done his duty and supported what was for the good of the people, it. was his duty to that member, as well as to the Government, that he should -state "the facts freely on the public platform. — (Applause.) ,Mr J. JHora moved a vote of thanks to the' Premier for his address and of confidence in. him and his Ministry. The motion was seconded by Mr W. Fraser and Mr?/. Theyers, who rose simultaneously, and was carried -unanimously »m(d clieers. Cheers were - also given for the Premier pnd Tkfr Bennet, and the meeting closed with the singing of ""For he's a jolly good fellow" as a compliment to' Mr Seddon. Mb 3 o'clock the Premier left Alexandra, was given s. very hearty send-off.