POLITICAL ADDRESSES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 8948, 3 December 1890, Page 2

POLITICAL ADDRESSES.

MR ELLIOT AT WAITARA.

Mr J. Elliot delivered his final address to the electors at Waitara on Tuesday night in the Town Hall. There was a very large attendance, many ladies being present. Mr T. Bayly was voted to the chair. Mr Elliot, who was received with applause, gave his views on the political questions of the day. He advocated prudent and careful administration of the finances of the colony, and gave credit to the present Government for practising the system. He strongly condemned the present system of party Government, which he considered had done more to drag the colony into the present difficulties than anything else. Under party Government money was voted for useless works in localities, in order that ' the Government could secure the votes of the members who represented such places. The speaker gave instances of this. If returned he would endeavor to get a reform in the system of Government, and considered that a Ministry should be elected for a period. Sir J. Hall, Hon. J. Bryce, and many other leading men in the House had expressed their opinion that a change in the system of Government was wanted, and a resolution to appoint a Committee to enquire into the best form of Government was lost last session by only 2 votes, which showed there was an earnest desire in tho House for a change. He did not beleve in further borrowing to assist immigration to the colony, but considered a better plan to increase the population was to get the waste lands settled. In order to do this, and to enable settlers to live on the land, he advocated the liberalising of the land laws. He would give land on the deferred payment system over a 15 years period, and the first five years he would not call on the selector to pay any money. This would enable the selector to live on the land, and keep his family in comfort. He would also like to see the land laws so amended as to enable a person to take up Grown lands at once, and not be kept waiting for weeks or months to obtain a piece of land he had applied for. The Minister of Lands had informed him recently in Wellington that the Government might make the first 2£ years of period of deferred payment lands free. The speaker thought that if the Government were prepared to make 2} years free of rent, then they could go the other 2£ years, and thus make it 5 years. If returned, and such a bill was brought into the House, he would do his beat to get the rent free period fixed at 5 years. The speaker went fully into the settlement of waste lands, and pointed out the millions of acres of fine land lying to the north and east of this district, which had yet to be settled. He contended that every inducement should be offered the farmers' sons and others to take up land, and thus add to the colony's prosperity. To settle the land they wanted a system of roads, which the present Government was carrying out in this district. Mr Elliot then referred to the East Road extension, the Junction Road extension, and the making of a road up the Mimi Valley. These roads, he pointed out, would open up a large area of . land which was now lying idle. He advocated a simpler method of dealing in native lands, and held that if Government vvould not buy the land from the natives then they should allow the natives to treat with European individuals. The speaker then referred to the vast area of native land, quite open, in the King Country. Through this country a railway ran, but it was useless, as the land did not show a sign of settlement. A tiain ran once a week, he believed. If the restrictions were taken off Maori land he was of opinion that such land v/onld soon show signs, of European progress in the • shape of settlement. This useless line, he pointed out, was securely fenced to prevent stock, which were not visible, from straying on the rails, while in this district where there was plenty of stock there was not a chain of fencing along the line to prevent the settlors' cattle from straying and getting killed by trains. He advocated a reform in the Hospital and Charitable Aid Bill, as he considered the charges for the same fell too heavily on the land, which had to bear about ono half of the whole charge. He thought that a fair share of the burden should be thrown in property and capital, and he considered an amendment should be made in that direction. He said there was a great deal to be said about the abolition of the property tax. A good substitute would have to be found before they could abolish it, and one of his opponents proposed a land tax, which he considered would mean ruin to the farmers. He would not be justified in voting for the abolition of the property tax, until he could see a certainty to raise the revenue thus obtained by some other less burdensome process. Ho was of opinion that the property tax could gradually be extinguished by reducing the charges for which the colony was liable by getting the loans when renewed at a much lower rate of interest. The speaker then gave figures to show that without the property tax the administration of the country could not be carried on, and until he could see his way clear to get a' substitute for the tax, or abolish it by reducing the charges on the colony ho could not promise to vote for its abolition. He was not going to make any rash promises, like his opponents, who promised all that was asked for and more. He favored retrenchment in the Education vote, but not in the primary, but the secondary branch. He believed that the children of the colony should be educated to a standard, but after that the parents should pay. He said that by the abolition of state aid to secondary education a sum of £35,000 to £40,000 a year would be. saved. The speaker attacked the defence expenditure, which amounted to i 600,000. There was a Permanent Force, j which cost £86,000, but the Minister for Defencs said this number was ! only a quarter of the required total ; in fact, it was only enough to keep the guns clean. They had guns without ammunition, ' torpedo boats without torpedoes, submarine mines without gun cotton, and forts with men who did not know how to manage them. This would show what a grand state of defence they were in, and how tho large expenditure of money had been Wusted. He considered that our defence was like holding a rod rag before a bull, as they invited rather than repelled attack. Mr Elliot then touched on the Naval Military and Volunteers Land Act, and said that he would endeavor to see that justice was done to the Taranaki Militia, whose services had been of the best. He condemned the present system of local taxation, as he considered the industrious man was too . heavily handicapped as compared with the man who held land only for speculative purposes. Ho considered a man should not be rated for his improvement* 1 . He supposed that two men look up sections alongside each other at, say, A'soo. Ono man improves his so that for property tax purposes the value rises to £1000, the other man leaves his alone. Now, tho industrious man would have to pay just double the other ono in rates because ho had been industrious. To remedy this he advocated that the improvement value should hideducted, and the rate then struck on the balance. Under the present properly tax system this -no.ifd be the more equitable way. With respect to the New Plymouth Harbor, he had been told that it would be on this point he would lose the election, on account of his opposition to the work in the past. Now he had never opposed the work, but he hau opposed tho inclusion of the rating clause io tip bill, ri he know that that ntipg

would become a burden to the district in the end. He had favored the central prison being built at Moturoa, and thus getting the work done by prison labor. The people of the district were in favor of this, the Government had favored the project, ', a"site was purchased, tenders called, but I what happened ? Why the man who was r loudest in his condemnation of him at the ' present time went to work by a back door process, and got the whole thing knocked on the head. He wanted to know who was the real enemy to the district, himself, who had only fought against the inclusion of the rating clause, or the man who stopped the work being done by prison labour? The speaker then went on to describe how the work wouli have been carded on by prison labour. The person who circulated the reports about him was going about telling people not to return John Elliot, as he would injure the district. The person said that Elliot would not <lo it openly on the floor of the House, but would go about the lobbies in a hole-and-corner way, and thus disparage the breakwater. He wished to be plain with them. It was not his intention, if returned, to represent any part of the district, but tho Avhole. It was madness on anyone's part to suppose that ho' was trying to secure a position to injure the breakwater or any other part of the electorate. He would work for the good of the whole electorate. Tho speaker then touched on the Government's responsibility to the bondholders in reapect of the rate, and contended that the Government were responsible for the present state of things, and would have to remedy the matter. He pointed oat how the finances of the Harbor Board had became impoverished through the alterations in the land laws. He would do his utmost to get the rate abolished. The speaker said he had warned the people of the rate on several occasions. On one occasion, at Inglewood, he did so, and Mr Hughes followed and addressed the meeting. Mr Hughes said that, supposing all Mr Elliot had said did come to pass, don't we get the £200,000 spent amongst us. He considered that Mr Hughes would have to blush when he considered his action in the past, and was not one who could fitly advocate the harbour cause in the House. Mr Hughes, on another occasion, stated that ho was in a position to know that unless the loan was . raised three-fourths of tho storekeeper in New Plymouth would become bankrupt. (Great laughter). This was the person who asked them to send him to Wellington to get the rate taken off the district. [Laughter; and A Voice: He is a great lawyer, John]. Another point on which he had been taxed by Mr Hughes, was, that he had proposed a resolution in the Taranaki Council to rate the taxpayers without their consent. He did propose a resolution in the Council to ask the Government to amend The Loans to Local Bodies Act, bo as' the Council could borrow for the purpose of rebuilding bridges, without asking the ratepayers' consent, but then it was only to take advantage of this excellent act, which could not be enjoyed now by this district on account of a peculiarity which he would explain later on. He did not try to gain great power for the Council as Mr Hughes asserted; in fact, Councils possessed greater power than he tried to get. At present a poll of the ratepayers had to be taken to get loan money, but there were so many difficulties in the way of getting a satisfactory poll, on account of the many small town sections held by absentees in the district that he deemed the better course was the one he had pursued. He pointed out that if three-fourths of the actual population voted for a loan, then the remaining quarter with the absentees' votes would be a sufficient propoition to put a veto on it. The Council could raise money from the Bank at 7i per cent., they 1 could get it from moneylenders for 7 per cent., or they could get a contractor to build a bridge and then pu!, a toll on till the expenditure was paid off. These were powers the Council possessed. Now all he did was to endeavor to raise money at 5 per cent., including 1£ per cent for sinking fund, witha 26 years' term. They could not get an amendment as asked for in the resolution, and there the matter ended. He considered that his oppo lent Mr Hughes had not scored much against him in respect of this. Mr Elliot then referred to Mr Smith'B charges relative to Taranaki County Council finance while he was chairman. He made certain statements respecting the state of finance when he took the chair and when he vacated it, when he addressed the electors in New .Plymouth. He still adhered to those stat n ents despite all that Mr Smith had sta.ed. [The speaker then gave the figures, which were tbo same as given by him in New Plymouth]. Now Mr Smith had stated that the figures were wroag, and that he (Mr S.) had himself gone to the county ofiice and got the correct figures from the next balance-sheet issued after he left the chair. This balance-sheet showed that the overdraft was £2,600, and not £1,700, as he (tho speaker) had stated. Mr Elliot eaid he went to the county clerk, who supplied him with his figures, and asl^ed him about Mr Smith's visit. The clerk distinctly stated that JMr Smith' had not been there at all. [Thk speaker here read a memo, from tho clerk, which stated that the overdraft on the March 31st after Mr Elliot had left the chair was £1622, and there were rates amounting to £2,200 due to the county fund.] The speaker pointed out that the county was then actually in funds, and there had not been the muddle made of the finances that Mr Smith had stated. The speaker then referred to Mr Hughes again in connection with the harbor rate. He also said that Mr Hughes had fallen in his opinion because he had sacrificed his temperance principles to gain support at the elections. He had been told by Mr Pigott, of Urenui, and Mr Cottier, of New Plymouth, both publicans, that Mr Hughes had been to thorn and said that he was not the publicans' enemy. He also referred to Mr Smith's railway scheme, and classed it as chimerical. He also referred to the great promises Mr Hughes had given the Maoris at Mokau in the way of ' bridge and road making. In conclusion, he said that he could not offer such great promises, which he knew would end in disappointment. If returned he would do his best for the district and the colony in genera] . Mr Elliot then sat down amidst great applause, to which he also had been treated I liberally during his address. | A couple of questions wero asked, and then Mr Snell, chairman of the Town Board, proposed a vote of confidence and a hearty vote of thanks for tho address. — Mr J. Old seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously.