PRE-SESSIONAL ADDRESS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3040, 19 June 1912, Page 4

PRE-SESSIONAL ADDRESS.

HON. G. W. RUSSELL AT HAMILTON. HAMILTON, June 13. The Hon. G. W. Russell to-night spoke at length on politioal matters, giving a stirring defence of the Mackenzie Cabinet. There was a good meeting, which" was well attended. Mr Russell spoke for two hours. The politics of tiie country, he said, were entering a very interesting stage. Had the Opposition changed its name and become the Reform party, possibly because it was thought desirable to hide something or draw pubho attention to it? Mr Russell vigorously defended the appointment of the commissions, which were destined to do important work. He referred to the Reform rallies as a Christie troupe on tour, made chiefly to keep up the peckers of their supporters. The Government had been called a stop-gap Ministry, but this he denied. It had worked hard in its 6hort life so far, and carried out some good work. The Ministers had left nothing undone that was connected with their departments. They had certainly not spared themselves The Mackenzie Government would not stay in office if it was the wish of the representatives that they should not do *o, but he opined that the people were determined that a Liberal Government should manage the affairs of the country. He believed that an election would prove that the feeling of the people was Liberal, and that if the Mackenzie Government was turned out only a Liberal and progressive Government could stand the test.

With regard to hospitals, Mr Russell said ho was not in favour of small and inefficient hospitals, but he thought the larger institutions should act as bases, fully equipped with modern appliances. One source of income which was very largely increased was the tax paid by banks, and another source was that from the totalizator. When anyone spoke of the Dreadnought tax coming out of the producers he was talking nonsense, and doin,g so merely to tickle the ears of trie groundlings. Mr Russell referred to the great outcry with regard to borrowing at the election, but this had now disappeared, as it had served its purpose. When the Opposition thought it was goinp to be placed in power it quickly dropped this outcry, for it was faced with the problem of how it was going to get on without borrowing-. He asked, if Mr Massoy were in power, would he stop the money for railways, loans, local bodies, telegraph and telephone extensions, advances to settlers, eto. Taking the expenditure generally, if progress and prosperity were to continue they must continue to borrow money. The only alternative was that the people must be taxed themselves for these works. The question of immigration was of great importance. It was time the Government realised that in orrlor to reduce the national

debt there was required a constant stream of immigration into the country. The Government was going to try an experiment in petting out a trial shipment of girls from the orphanages of Great Britain. All fhe £firl« wi.i have had a superior education, and would be placed under proper control. He believed the" experiment would be a success. Another aspect of the immigration question was that tho shipping companies had combined," and it hadbeen arranged to increase the fares of immigrants. As, however, the Government was anxious to obtain peoplo for the country it would foot the bill, an additional £2 per head, so as to enable the residents of New Zealand to get out friends and relatives, and 10 assist the work of colonisation.

Among the new proposals to be given effect to regarding the hospital and charitable aid institutions, was that officers would make nn inspection of the school children. It was necessary that every effort should be made to prevent the white plague ravages. In connection with the maternity homes, the Government intended that wives and husbands drawing up to £4 could uae these homes. A steady stream of trained mid wives would also be turned out to go into the baok-blooks It had been said that the Government was a body of single-taxers, but thi3 was away from the truth. There was not one single-taxer in the Government to-day nor one land nationalises They were leaseholders so far as to say that the nine million acres which had been set aside for the revenue and other national purposes should be handed down as a national inheritance to the people who were to come after. He defied anyone to say that the Government interfered with the freehold tenure. They stood as a Liberal party, and had always done the best for the people on the land, and the country could rest assured that as soon ao possible the land would be settled by cutting up the large estates owned by the people who did not use them, and they would bo placed in the hands of persons who would make good use of them productively. As a proof of the prosperity of the Dominion ho emphasised the fact that the last 15 yeans, and especially the last five, had been a period of, .mexampled prosperity, therefore, why should they seek to turn the Government from office and put in a Ministry of untried and inexperienced men? Referring again to the land, the speaker said the people will have an opportunity of getting on the land during the next few years such as they never had before. The Government was very determined to place every opportunity in the way of those desirous to go fanning to do so. The speaker foreshadowed cheaper railway fares, the extension of agricultural education, and other reforms for popularising agriculture amongst the young men of the country, and to induce the young men of the cities to go on the land The Minister was listened to attentively throughout, and frequently applauded. He received a trreat reception when finished. A resolution of thanks to the speaker and confidence in the present Government, wishing it a long and prosperous career, waa carried unanimously.