POLITICAL ADDRESS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 8663, 4 November 1899, Page 4

POLITICAL ADDRESS.

MR FITZROY AT TINIROTO. [Prom a Correspondent.] Notwithstanding the inclemency of the Wtalher, a largo audience gathered in the Tiniroto school to hear Mr Fitzßoy deliver the first address of the electoral campaign. The chairman, Mr Sutherland, with a few remarks, introduced the speaker, who, on rising, was greeted with applaud. Mr Filzßoy than proccetied to show that, despite the largo surpluses, the Government did not reduce the duties on the necessaries of life. Quoting from the 1 ear Book, he showed Mint the cost of the Civil Service and administration had increased by £300,000, and ft large p.trt of this increase was owing to the great number of useless otiices created by the Government. Dealing with the Old Age Pensions, tinPremier had stated that the cost would only be £90,000 per year, and the actual cost for the year ending March 3 1 at, ult., ■was £128,733. Mr Fitzßoy contended that the colony was stinted to enable the money to be spent in Weetland, where only 2 per cent of the population live. Thus the cost per head of population of old age pensions was for Westland 19s Bd, and for the rest of the colony 3s ; for hospital and charitable aid 4s 9d and Is 10s respectively ; for co-operative works 10s 2Jd and 7s ; for Magistrate, Warden, and District Court costs 4s 2d and I Is ; for gaols the average cost per prisoner wa9 £ 9<l and i'3s, while the colony paid £590 in salaries to enable an average of seven men to be kept in Hokitika gaol ; for school inspection the subsidy i.er pupil for Westlaud (the smallest Board) was 4s 4d, and for the rest of the colony only Is lOd. Dealing with the actual expenditure on public works for the year 1898-99 the average per head for Wsstland was 26s 4d, and for the rest of the colony Us, while the proposed expenditure for the year 1899-1900 was 42s 9d an.l 255. In reply to the statement of the Hon. James Carroll in Gisborne, he showed that although the present Government have voted from 1894-99 £125,808 for this district for public works, only £36,912 has been spent, instead of the £06,000 claimed by Mr Carroll, and of this £36,012, £10,000 was spent on the Wairoa-Waikaremoana road. Dealing with the lands question, Mr Fitzßov said that the Government monopoly in Native lands was injurious, and that the true solution ol the landless Maori trouble was in returning to the old system. H« declared thai th« Government did not pay full value for the land, and that they expended large sums of money to no pur- 1 pose. He therefore strongly supported a return to the old system of free purcha-c of Native lands, after ample unalienablc reserves had been made. Ho also sun- j ported a scheme by which a suttltr could, if he desired, change his lease in perpetuity into a freehold. In regard to the OM Age Pensions, he opposed their payment out of a surplus that might not always oxist. He opposed the age limit, which he said should be altered to inability to nork, and also the poor amount payable, which should be enough to enable the holder to liva in comfort ; while lie also pointed out thut on the payment of 6<l per week a young man could at. 65 obtain better terms from the A M.P. Society than from tho Government. He was in favor of the Advances to Settlers Acts, and in answer to the contention of the Government party, he showed tlxit Hie Atkinson Admiiiist ration had passed ninny Liber.il measures. He declared that the Government had added £8,000,000 to the colony's debt, although they had declared for a nonborrowing policy. He also showed that the Government was compellei to borrow £260,000 to enable them to carry out railway repairs, w hile the Commissioners did bo out of revenue. He declared that the Government had lost the confidence of the people by their departure from tho non-borrowine policy of the late Mr John Ballance, and also by tho numerous Bcandals that had arisen during the last aix years. 'He aUo condemned the action .. action of the Colonial Secretary in going back thirty years and more to rake up fictitious scandals against the leaders i>f the Opposition, Then amidst loud applause, after a speech of an hour and a quarter, during which the speaker was frequently interrupted by rounds of ! applause, Mr Fitzßoy expressed his willingness to answer the usual questions. In reply to Mr Whyte, he said ho was in fuvorof making railways wherever they were shown to be reproductive. Mr Lissant Clayton, after a brief speech, moved "That this meeting tenders a hearty vote of thanks and confidence in Mr Fitzßoy, and considers him a fit, and proper person to represent Poverty Bay in Parliament." This was seconded by Mr Woranop, and carried unanimously, A vote of thanks to the chair, proposed by Mr Fitzßoy, terminated the meeting.