THE MOTUEKA SEAT.

Colonist, Volume XLIII, Issue 9651, 2 December 1899, Page 2

THE MOTUEKA SEAT.

MR R. McEENZIE AT WAKEFIELD.

Mr R. MoEenzie, the Liberal candidate for the Motueka seat, had a very favorable reception at Wakefield on Thursday night, when he addressed about one hundred and fifty electors in the Oddfellows' Hall.

Mr Joshua Bird, chairman of the Waimea County Council, presided, and in formally introducing Mr McEenzie said that a chairman was supposed to say something nice of a candidate, but in the present case they had been told how Mr McEenzie was demoralising the constituency by getting road and bridge votes, so he (the chairman) supposed he should not Bay anything of the kindrbut he really felt it his duty to give Mr MoEenzie the recommendation of being one of the very best representatives the district ever had.

Mr McEenzie, who was received with loud applanse, said that he had (to address the electors in a double sense, to give some account of the last Parliament as their representative, and to advance his views before asking a renewal of their confidence at the approaching general election.

j THE FAST SESSION was like former ones in that members went with the intention of getting through the work in 13 weeks, but persistent obstruction led to the sessions being extended to 15 or 17 weeks. Personally, he waa not convinced that quinquennial Parliaments were not best, for there were certain drawbacks attached to triennial Parliaments. In the first session 20 or 30 new members new to the rules of debate and standing orders retarded progress and were chary of allowing fresh legislation to pass, during the second session useful work was done, but during the third members were a good deal guilty of talking .to their constituents through Haniard. Another objection was the cost to the country of ft general, election some

£40,000, but he would not support quinquennial Parliaments without a safeguard being provided by which the majority of the eleotors in a district could by petition cause the Speaker of the House to declare a seat vacant and have a fresh election. With such a restriction he believed quinquennial parliaments would result in more well-considered legislation. (Applause). The past session had not been barren of good work, but he could not dwell more, upon that point, but would speak more particularly up the present position of politics and the FINANCIAL POSITIOK of the Colony was the great matter for con sideration.Tbo public debt was £47,000.010 but When that sum was analysed it would be sfleen that rio serious burden was laid upon the taxpayer's. Except for a few millions spent for war, most of the sum waS sunk in work that was profitable, as for instance £17,000,000 in the Railways, which if sold on the London market to-morrow would more than pay off the whole debt of the Colony. (Applause). • Tho Opposition were fond of making the bald statement that the debt had been increased by' between eight and nine millions of pounds since the present Government came into power, but they stopped short at this and never explained the purposes for which the additional debt was incurred. As a matter of fact the greater part of the £8, 07,000 increase in the debt was interest producing, but this fact was carefuily passed over by the? Oppositionists. They said nothing of £2,000,000 being borrowed for advances to settlers, £1,500,000 for the purchase and cutting up of large estates, £914.000 for loans to local bodies, £050,000 for the pur Chase of native lands, £386,000 for New Zealand CorJsolsj and £500,000 for Bank of New Zealand preferential shares. Parenthetically, Mr MoKenzie said that the Government action in saving the Bank of New Zealand was the salvation of New Zealand financially, but for that the Colony would have been put back 15 or 20 years, and everyone in it would have felt the pinch, whereas financial disaster was avoided and the Bank was now recovering, and the taxpayers would not have to pay one penny in the end. Approximately, seven millions of the increase of debt was thus interest earning, and tbe interest charges on the debt had actually decreased. A great deal had been sftid about THE SELF-RELIANT POLICY of non- borrowing of ll Q O, having been forsaken, but there was an ample and satisfactory explanation for this. Before the Ballance ministry came into power, the Colony was in such a state financially that it was impossible* nti matter who was on the Treasury benches, to borrow in the London market, and it was only by the Colonial Bank coming to the rescue of Sir Harry Atkinson with £850,000 that the credit of the Colony was saved. The Ba M .ance Government came into this legacy and drastic measures were necessary. But the Colony was a young country, and its resources deeded development, and it could not reasonably be held that ft non borrowing policy because it was the best in 1890 (after a period when in 3 years the departures exceeded the arrivals by 15,000) that it would be best always. (Applause). Facilities for settling the back-country had to be provided, and no less a sum than £1,750,000 had been expended on public works out of the surplus revenue. The Opposition after long denial had now to admit these surpluses as genuine, It was a moot point whether these works should be done out of surplus or loan money. Personally he favored strong finance instead of reducing revenue. (Applause). Another matter of finance regarding which had been made to the electors was the CUSTOMS TARIFF He defied anyone to prove that under the Act of 1895 taxation had increased, and he strenuously denied that by re-ad] ustment of duties burdens had been placed on tbe poorer classes. Twopence per 1b reduction on tea meant a loss of revenue of £35,000, but he doubted if the consumer got the benefit of this, he rather thought it went into the pockets of the merchant. As in- * stances of relief by the revision, he pointed * out that the farmers now had fencing wire, * corn sacks and wool bales on the free list, ' and as a comparison he referred to the fact ' that the Atkinson Government had placed a £ primage duty of one per cent on every ' article that came into the Colony. (Applause.) ' He referred to ' ADMINISTRATION , and contended that formerly the under- ( secretaries were allowed to run the several | departments, now the ministers themselves \ attended to their several departments and { were responsible to the Parliament and { people. A lot of clap-trap had been used i about terrorism of the * civil service, etc., ] while as a matter of fact the service was never , so free, and they were the most independent : public service in the Australasian Colonies, i (Applause.) < THE PARTIES j were now three in number, and a good s Opposition was as necessary as a good < Government, but the Left Wing was neither f use nor ornament for good legislation, it £ had no power, and its only purpose was to t harrass. (Applause.) He then described ( how it was generally understood that the i formation of the Left Wing was due to cer- 1 tain legislators being disappointed in their 1 desire for Ministerial office, and described ( how the leakage of information led to the ( exclusion of the Left Wingers from the t Liberal Whip's room. This party was as s little liked by the Opposition as by the Gov- 1 ernment followers, and one of the most t respected of the former, Mr Charles Lewis, I had stated that that he would not contest an c election jointly with Mr T. E. Taylor, and t if he was expected to do so, they could get J someone else. (Applause) When first elected he had some leaning to an c ELECTIVE EXECUTIVE, but the knowledge he had since gained of . the working of Parliament proved to him that ( such an Administration would be useless . under tbe present Constitution. To have a t Ministry which included, say— the Premier, j Mr Geo.JHutchison, Hon J. McKenzie, Messrs t Pirani, Hall-Jones, and T. E. Taylor, would be no better than having a parcel of Kilkenny cats, and at the best the system would mean tbe formation of as many parties as there were Ministers, and there would be all kinds of combinations to carry out the ' particular schemes of individual sections, and confusion and demoralisation would be ' the result. (Applause.) The . INCIDENCE OF TAXATION was the principal bone of contention between the Government and Opposition parties, and the latter wanted to go back to tbe property tax and put the burden of taxation on the shoulders of those least able to bear it, while the Liberals wished to place the taxation as fairly as possible upon all. Anyone who had contribnted to both taxes could for himself tell which was the fairer tax, the Land and Income or the Property tax, {the latter of which taxed all improvements. The Opposition dare not state their wish to revert to the property tax, but they made the most outrageous proposal that all exemptions for land and income tax should be done away with. This would mean that the man who owned half or a quarter of an acre of land, would have to pay land tax, and the man getting an income of a £100 per year would have to pay £2 10s of it in direct taxation. The innocent young man who was contesting the seat with him stated that £3,000,000 would thus be added to the revenue, which was the essence of assurdity — (Applause and laughter.) The two taxes at present yielded under half a million, and the proposed change would result in an addition of about £125,600, and this would no doubt go to reduce what the wealthier class now pay. (Applause.) The RAiiWATS. were another bone of contention. Under the old Autocratic system of Commissioners these paid about 2$ per cent at the best, but since Mr Cadman had had control there had been a gradual improvement, and the railways now paid 3J per cent on the whole. The reason that the House had required for two or three years to vote sums to the railWays for repairs was that the Commissioners had allowed rolling stock, &c, to run so low that the railways were unable to cope with the trade, and new and additional rolling stock had been largely added, and there had been a great improvement in the permanent way also, as wooden bridges, whioh had had their life, had been rep'noH with more lasting material. Mr Cadi nun ' had fun the railways creditably and profit* '

- ably, and was the best administrator of 3 railways they had ever had. (Applause.) f With regard to uncompleted railways he ( i favored the completion of the North Island ' c trunk line, which ho was convinced wouk „ pay 4J to 5 per cent. The Midland railway - also as soon as the case before the Privy c Council was disposed of, should be proceeded i. with. He referred to the efforts which Mr if Graham and himself had made to get the c interests of Nelson recognised in this matter, . and he gave great credit to Mr Graham for s his untiring energy in connection with this matter, and that of Nelson harbor improvement. (Applause.) The matters of freezing works, Midland railway extension to the Tadmor, and harbor improvement were the most important as affecting the people of | Nelson and the district, and, indeed, each * was a good deal bound up in the other as ' far as concerned the prosperity of the dis--3 trict. He felt certain that the line would " be pushed on to Tadmor without delay. 1 (Applause.) The Opposition now stated ' that they had no fault with the ! LIBERAL LEGISLATION, and that they would not repeal it, but would administer it more wisely and honestly. He scouted the idea of this, and referred at length to the manner in whioh such Acts as the Advances to Settlers and Lands for Settlement had been bitterly and persistently opposed in the House by the Opposition, obstruction which had resulted in years of endeavor being required to get some of the most beneficial legislation through the tipper House; (Applause). He defended the purchase of large estates, and pointed out that in one case only, that of the Hatuma Estate, had the compulsory clauses been put into effect, and there the owner of the land was an absentee who came from England once in 3 years regularly for the purpose of avoiding the imposition of the 90 per cent additional tax on absentees. That land now maintained halfa dozen shepherds or so, while it conld support 150 families. That policy had been a grand success. (Applause). Also the Advances to Settlers which had been so successful'y administered that a profit of £15,000 had resulted last year," and the interest had bten reduced to 4£ per cent. What were the Opposition doing with regard to those measures. The great loan companies and the representatives of those who obstructed those measures in Parliament had men tied to them whom they were put ting up as candidates all over the Colony to try and force themselves on the electors. The purpose was simply to render this legislation inoperative for if the Party got into power they would retain the statutes, but would refuse sanction of borrowing for the purposes of carrying out the provisions, and not another estate would be resumed nor a penny lent out to settlers. (Applause). With regard to an ELECTIVE UPPER HOUSE, he would be in favor of this if the franchise was similar to that for the House of Representatives, but the Opposition proposals were something on the lines of the Victorian Upper House, the qualifications for a member of whioh was £5,000 of property, and for voters £2,000 of property. If the principle of the referendum which was now in operation with regard to the licensing was extended he thought that the Upper House could be done away with altogether. He referred to the obstruction which had resulted in keeping such an Act as the Arbitration and Conciliation Act back for years (an Act now being copied in other colonies), ', and justified the Government appointments I to the Legislative Council, and contrasted I the act of the Opposition in 1890 when they appointed twelve members to the higher Chamber after they had been defeated, and placed Sir Henry Atkinson in the positiou of Speaker of the Council. The Opposition : had been very industrious in raising VARIOUi SCANDALS, in fact some of them were out and out scandalmongers. Mr Scobie McEenzie started with the Pomohaka Estate scandal, which came to nothing. Then there was ; the Otahua Estate scandal brought forward by Mr James Kelly on wrong information, which he withdrew and apologised for. The third was the Bushy Park affair, regarding j which Messrs Scobie McKenzie and Mr Geo. Hutchison had prepared long speeches, but they had to tear them up, as Mr William Fraser, an Oppositionist, spoke before them, and completely disproved the assertions made. Then there was the Police Coramission, where Mr? T. R. Taylor made 24 oharges, which wer9 all disproved or withdrawn, excepting one where a constable was proved to have carried the corpse of a child on a train — a trivial offence. Then the Opposition jumped round, and asserted that the report was not in accordance with the evidence, but he had no need to say that the honor and veracity of Colonel Pitt would rather be trusted than that of Mr T. E. Taylor. (Applause.) Colonel Pitt, he ventured the opinion, was as much respected as any man in the district— (applause) — and few, if any, more so in the whole Colony. (Applause.) The Opposition were indeed hard up when they had to resort to such means to try and discredit the , other side. Then there was the Bun Tuck : scandal, which was hatched in the office of a Wellington merchant. A letter written out was given to a Chimaman to copy in Chinese, and on this the accusations were \ made. It was a put-up job, and the last he . heard of it was that a company of Christy , Minstrels were playing Bun Tuck, with Mr George Hutchison as the villain of the piece. , (Laughter and applause.) He then referred to the marine soandal. He referred to a , speech made in the House by Mr John , Hutcheson in 1897, when it was stated that the marine records of the Colony were not j properly kept, and men who wanted copies of their discharges were unable to find them. He (Mr MoKenzie) knew Captain Jones 15 or 20 years ago, and knew that he was in point of service entitled to go up for examination, but in consequence of the looseness with which the records had been kept he could not obtain the necessary evidence. It was quits wrong to say that Captain Jones oould not write. He could write as well as he could. The mistake that was made was made by Captain Allman in allowing Jones to go up for examination. The fact was that Allman was the

Ctatinuzticn of News see Fourth Page.

viotim of a. man who wanted his billet and another. It was quite wrong to argue that fcbe certificate Jonea was applying for would give him the right to trade across the ocean, a home service certificate applied to the coast of New Zealand alone. The* Opposition also attacked the personnel and fairmindedness of the Commissioners in this case also, but he had only to state that Dr Giles was President for several years of the National Association, and an uncompromising opponent of the Government, to show I that there was no ground for the assertion that ■ the Ministers were favored when exonerated" of any wrongdoing or intent. (Applause.) Judge Ward also was above reproach. The Premier had been accused Of FAVORING WESXUND in the matter of publio expenditure, Last financial year there was spent in the Premier's electorate £B,ood in grants of tine kind and another, and in the same time there was spent in the Motueka electorate £12,000. (Applause.) It was quite wrong to state or infer that the Government supporters oonld get more from the Ministry for public works than Opposition members* the public interests were considered not the member, and, as an instance, Mr George Hutchison (a bitter opponent of the Government) had more money spent in his electorate (Patea) for loads, eke, than any in the Colony, and had had for years, and this was because settlement required it. (Applause.) A charge had been made that the Premier was going to spend £15,000 in Westland in sinking a shaft for mining purposes. He gave this an emphatic denial. Some years ago £50,000 was voted the three mining centres— Auckland, Otagoand Westland — to subsidise certain mining schemes. Iv Auckland a company found £50,000, and the Government granted £25,000 subsidy out of this sum, and the shaft was sunk at ! the Thames, Otago preferred to go in for water conservation, and some of the money was spent for this, leaving £15,000 available for Westland, and there had been a standing offer for the last three or four years of this sum as subsidy to any syndicate that would find £30,000 additional to sink a shaft at Ross. His own opinion was that if £45,000 was thus spent it would prove the best paying mining venture in New Zealand. Theße were the sort of ridiculous charges that were made against the Premier. The cry of

SPOILS TO THE VICTORS

had been made much of, but as far he could judge it was on many ocoasions spoils to the vanquished. In all but two depart ments entrance to the Civil Service was by examination, and it was only fair to assume that those better able to give their children higher educational advantages had more obance than those not so well to do. The Eailway and Postal Departments were differently worked, and members of the House, without any distinction as to party, were able in turn to make nominations. He had been six years in Parliament, and had made two nominations only, and he had for five years tried 'to get a you&g man perfectly eligible into the police force without success, which went to show, that there was not any partiality to Government members. Then there was the ory of

ROADS AND BRIDGES BRIBES.

which was perfect, nonsense. His trouble was to get one-fourth of the requirements of his distriot. attended to in this matter of grants to open the country, and they could call it bribery or what they pleased, he would work just as hard as ever if re-elected to see that the out parts of the distriot had their fair shart of public money. (Loud ap plause). It was senseless to say that these districts, contributing their share of revenue as they did, should remain at a standstill and not have the advantages the more settled portions had in the past, because such a ridiculous cry was raised. Bribery or no bribery, he would do his duty in the matter II elected, and supporters and opponents would be treated alike, as he recognised that a representative's duty was to the whole constituency. (Loud applause). In conclusion Mr McKenzie thanked his hearers for the kindly hearing given him, and stated his willingness to answar any questions, and on resuming his seat was loudly applauded. The Chairman said that he did not think there was a better authority in New Zealand in mining and public works than Mr McKenzie, bnt on any subject an intelligent answer could be looked for from him.

Mr H. Batt, respresenting the Nelson Fruitgrowers' Association, asked Xv McKenzie if he would oppose all orchard and garden pest legislation on the lines of the Bill before Parliament last session ?

Mr McKenzie said that he would oppose similar legislation, but he would not bind himself to oppose any equitable provisions that might be brought forward. (Applause.) Mr McKenzie eaid that he had a written question, asking if he was in favor of a reduction of licenses, or a trial of the Gothenburg system. In reply, he said that the people had the thing in their own hands by referendum, and he certainly favored the decision being placed in the hands of the people every three years. No more questions being forthcoming, Mr James Thomas moved a hearty vote of thanks to Mr MoKenzie, and confidence in the Seddon Government. He expressed himself as quite satisfied with Mr McKenzie's explanations of the scandals, and also with the manner in which he had carried out his duties as representative of the distriot.

, Mr T. Shea seconded the motion, which was carded without dissent, fully half of those present voting. The usual compliment to the ohair concluded the proceedings.

Mr R. MoKenzie addressed a large and enthusiastic meeting at the Foxhill School on Wednesday night, Mr Campbell Ellis oocupying the chair. The speaker was listened to with much attention, and the applause was frequent and Binoere. Mr McKenzie spoke with great vigor and rapidity for two hours, and then answered a number of questions. At the close a vote of thanks was proposed and seconded by two influential residents of the district to the late member for his very interesting and instructive address, coupled with a vote of confidence in the present Government, which was carried but with three dissentients.