POLITICAL ADDRESSES

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6887, 24 June 1890, Page 4

POLITICAL ADDRESSES

ME E. W. HUMPHEETS AT ST LUKE'S SCHOOL. Mr E. W. Humphreys, M.H.E. for Christchurch North, addressed a meeting of his constituents at St Luke's schoolroom yesterday evening. There was a fairly good attendance, and Mr C. Louisson was voted to the chair. Mb Humphbeys reviewed the last session, saying that he had at first been opposed to the Hare system, but after the , speeches of Sir John Hall and Mr Saunders he found that his prejudice against it was largely the result of ignorance. He doubted the wisdom, however, of placing a young country like New Zealand in the van in making experiments in so vital a question. The ! Government substituted the Bill, which practically reduced the voting power of the town electorates by 33. per cent as compared with the country. The credit of discovering the little arithmetical jugglery of that Bill was due to the member for St Albans. The stonewall followed, aad ended in a compromise by which 28 per cont was added to the country districts' quota. This was a vicious, non-democratic state of affairs. (Applause.) He thought that the surplus was genuine, and that the taxpayers of New Zealand had every reason for gratitude to the strong, courageous, and prudent man, Sir Harry Atkinson, who had restored our credit at Home. (Applause.) With regard Jto the Colony taking over the liabilities of defaulting Harbour Boards, the electors might rest assured that their representatives would not fool their money away in bolstering up any rotten concerns. (Applause.) He could not see any prospect of much lightening the present burden of taxation if the public service was to be maintained in the required state of efficiency. While the increase in the number of agricultural holdings indicated that progress of settlement of the right sort waß going on, there was an amount of dummyism which amounted to a grave scandal— (applause)— and showed that the present Land Act must be amended. (Applause.) While he believed that the education system should remain intact, free, secular and compulsory, he thought that more attention should be given to the enforcement of the compulsory attendance clauses, especially with a view to preventing juvenile crime. In his place in the House he had asked if the Government would take measures to enforce them, and was told that it rested with the Boards of Education. This answer he thought unsatisfactory. He had found that the appointment of truant officers rested with the School Committees, who were afraid to enforce the clauses for fear of incurring odium. He thought this responsibility should be placed directly on the Education Boards. Whatever might be said about our financial surplus, there could be no doubt about our exports, which amounted last year to £9,000,000 sterling. The fact that the exports exceeded the imports by £3,000,000 merely proved that the Colony had devoted £3,000,000 to paying off our just debts. (Applause.) With regard to intercolonial federation, though it was right that New Zealand should bear a share of the cost of the fleet necessary to protect the Colonies, Captain Eussell's 1200 reasons against Federation were unanswerable. If intercolonial reciprocity were introduced, perhaps the matter might be reconsidered, a but at present the Colony did wisely in keeping out of Federation. (Applause.) He thought that we could not do too much — within our means — for the Volunteers, for not only was a military training of great value to our young men, but it must be remembered tbat the Volunteers stood between the citizens and the Militia Act. (Applause.) He thought that the Fire Brigades should also be treated with the greatest generosity. (Applause.) The number of producers in New Zealand was about 120,000, and that these 120,000 men had produced and exported, after providing for the wants of the Colony, -.9,000,000 worth of stuff was a feat unparalleled in the history of production, and should make ns proud that we lived in such a splended country. (Applause.) Let them go on in the present course of patience and prudence and people would flock to the country. Patience, prudence, and no more borrowing for a long time to come should be insisted upon by the electors. (Applause.) He had not neglected the subject of juvenile crime, but he found that there was one great difficulty in the way, and that was the great poverty ot many people, which prevented them from providing boots and clothes for their children to goto school in. A new force had, however, arisen Bince he last spoke on the subject here, and that was the great advance made by the labour organisations. He was pleased •to see thiß, and hoped and trusted that he would have a Btout ally in the Trades and Labour Council in his efforts to remedy juvenile crime. He hoped that the labour organisations would become strong; that their affairs would be guided with moderation and wisdom, as well as with firmness. He was pleased to see that the Trades and Labour Council had kept out of politics, beyond exercising the right, belonging to every citizen, of questioning candidates, with the object of electing men whose views were in accord with their own. He waß opposed to selling the railways, and thought that the management of the Commissioners had been faulty from the beginning, and their condemnation in this part of the country, at all events, was practically unanimous. On account of the good weather this Beason the farmers had come through it without sustaining the loss which they would have, had the . weather been such as to injure the grain stacked at the stations. The unfortunate carters who undertook to take the grain to the railway stations had, however, suffered great loss through there being no trucks at the station when they took grain there, and their having to unload and to reload it when the trucks did arrive. (Applause.) After •• the session he would speak to the electors .again as a candidate, and would give them politics hot and Btrong, and clear and free. (Applause). Mr Crooks moved a hearty vote of thanks I to Mr Humphreys for the' satisfactory way in which he had explained his conduct in the House, coupled with confidence in him as one of the future members for Christchurch. Mr W. Moor seconded the motion. Mr S. Brooker spoke at some length to the effect that the time had come when Government should do something to check the present exodus of population, even to the extent of borrowing upon economical terms. After some farther discussion the motion was put and declared carried unanimously. A vote of thanks to the Chairman closed the meeting.