MR JOYCE AT LYTTELTON.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4670, 14 June 1893, Page 1

MR JOYCE AT LYTTELTON.

Last night Mr J. Joyce, member for the electorate of Akaroa, addressed his constituents at the Lyttelton Oddfellows' Hall. There was a large attendance, and the chair was occupied by Mr J. T. Brice, Mayor of the borough. Mr Joyce, who on rising was greeted with applause, said it was twelve months since he had met them, and then there were grave misgivings aa to the future of the Ballance Government. But as things progressed they saw that there was no need for fear, and he was pleased to be able to Btate that he represented a constituency which had helped in a small manner at leaat to keep that Government in power. Looking at the surplus which bad been obtained by the present Government, they would observe how favourably it compared with tho position of things under the previous Administration. Tbe two Governments had taken very different ways in managing the finances of the country. For instance, the Atkinson Government wanted and tried hard to reduce the ages at which children should be permitted to remain at sohool, and also to reduce the standards. In this attempt it was defeated, but only by a narrow majority. This and other things in which their late Premier, Mr Ballance, had worked co bard in the interests of the masses, had cost him his life, and he (the Bpeaker) wished to move the following resolution: —"That this meeting desires to express its deep regret for the loss which the Colony has sustained in the death of the Hon John Ballance, late Premier of New Zealand, and tenders its sympathy to Mrs Ballance in her great and sad bereavement. A opy of the above resolution be sent to Mrs Ballance and the Hon E. J. Soddon." The Chairman put the motion to the meeting, and it was carried unanimously. Mr Joyce then proceeded to speak on THE LAND AND INCOHE*!rAX. When he last addressed them, the Colonists of New Zealand were not aware of the benefits which the new tax would bring them. It was generally supposed that the new Act would suffer the same fate as the Act brought forward some years ago by Sir G. Grey. But their late leader, Mr Ballance, was aware of the defects in Sir G. Grey's Act, and therefore he was in a position to improve on that measure, and as a consequence, the Land and Income Tax Act was with them still. Under the Land and Income tax the small tradesmen and farmers were not taxed, as they were under the old Property tax. Such a bad effect had thiß Property tax had on the small holders, that in Auckland, he understood, a large number of small shopkeepers had determined to use their beßt endeavours to keep any Government out which would not move in the direction of getting rid of the Property tax. The best illustration be could give them was the state of things on the Peninsula. If they aßked their friends down there how the Act worked out they would probably be told, as he had been told by the residents of the Peninsula, that they paid less under . the Land and Income tax than they did under the Property tax. This, he thought, was sufficient. The Bimple fact was that the revenue was now paid by thoae who were better able to afford it. (Applause.) There were, he would admit, several anomalies in the Act as first introduced, but these were remedied by an amendment brought forward last session. By this amendment there were various exemptions, such, for instance, as the money in Savings Banks, Friendly Societies, Building Societies and other such institutions, and these were now exempt from taxation. In the case of Building Societies they were relieved up to the extent of .£6OOO, and this be thought was a relief that to the working men was very acceptable. (Applause.) THE LAND QUESTION. This was, of course, a most important eubject, for they all recognised that the land in the Colony should be for the people of tbe Colony. The Hon J. M'Kenzie had framed a Bill for the session of 1890, bnt the Upper House had so mutilated it that it was dropped. In the nexb session the Minister again submitted practically the same measure, which was carried, and was now on the Statute Itook. They had practically now carried the one-man-one-run principle, and if a man could not make a living on one run he had only himself to blame. With iegard to settlers, he might tell them that for the year ending Maroh 31,1893, there were 3071 selectors, being an increase of 552 selectors on the figures for the previous year. (Applause.) Before leaving the subject of the land policy he might say that there was now placed on the Statute Book an Act for the purchase of lands. He knew before be left Wellington that a Bum of about £50,000 was set apart for the purchase of laud in Canterbury. This was used for the purchase of the Cheviot estate. They knew the outcome of the dispute which had arisen over the valuation for taxation of that estate, and which led to it being purchased. During the coming session a Bill would be brought in for the management of the eßtate, and be had reason-to believe that it would be satisfactory to all concerned. Mr Valentine, a gentleman who was the representative of large landholders, and a gentleman who in the House had fought the Land Bill line by line, had recently declared to hie constituents that it was to the benefit of the people of the Colony. Captain Russell, another opponent of the Government, had been unable to find fault with the policy of tbe Government, but did not like the Premier. When they found the opponents of tbe Government agreeing to this or that part of the policy of the present Administration, they would come to the conclusion that the Ministry of the day was entitled to the thankß of the colonists. (Applause.) THK RAILWAYS. A question which concerned them in Lyttelton, and, of course, residents all over the Colony, was the management of the railways. He did not for one moment say that the Cabinet should have the sole control of the railways, but be did think that the Cabinet should have some say in the control of the three-quarters of a million of money invested in the railways. This waß the case wUh tbe Post Office, Customs, Insurance and Public Trußt Departments. There was a Minister in charge of each of these departments, but when they came to the railways their opponents said, "No, you must not let the Minister in anjj way control them." To this he objected. (Hear, hear.) His opinion was that when Sir Harry Atkinson's Government found that its xevenue -was not coming in as it should, ife invented this huge taxing machine, and gave the control oi the railways to the three gentlemen now managing them. These gentlemen weje not conducting the railways on the same idea as one would roads, bridges and the like, but were running them simply in the interests ci

■ i revenue. They wore replacing men by i boys, and thus reducing the coat of management. No 1 * he would give them art I Idea as to how the ciwrgea weze arranged. Goods were taken from Lyttelton to Timaru for 20a lid per ton, but from Timaru to Lyttelton tbe cost was £2 10s lOd per ton. (Laughter.) Another amusing thing was that they could get- two pianoa down from Addnigton to Port for tbe same cost as they could bring one from Christchurcb. Those persona who were "in the know " were in tho habit of sending their things from Christchurch to 1 Addington to be forwarded to Lyttelton. This was what took place under the bright geniuses who were supposed to be conducting the railways for them. One thing he was blamed for was tbe mode some of the labour was put on in Lyttelton. Men came from Cbriatohurch to do the work, and took their money back to Christ' church, which was, of course, quite right from their standpoint, but, at the same time, it was a question in which he could' do notking. He had' always been against the Commissioners officially. Personally he had nothing to say against them, but he hoped to be one to effect a change, and that change to be in the direction of having a Minister at the head of affairs the same as in other departments. (Applause.) There was another point, and that was the employment of boiler makers, &c, at Addington. He knew of an instance where a youth had served his time for five or six years in the Addington shops, and when he left there he knew very little more of his trade than on the day he had joined, and had consequently had to join one of the private firms as an improver. This system he regarded aB a disgrace. women's franchise. He was a supporter of this important measure. Up to a certain point he had followed Sir John Hall. He voted with Sir J. Hall as far as giving equal rights to both man and woman. The Bill then went into the Upper House, and there it was amended so as to do away with the ballot box for women. The Upper House wanted women to vote by rights, in a similar manner to seamen, shearers, &c. Those who were in favour of the franchise to women were in favour of supporting the Bill even in that form; but when he saw that it was being made a party question, he made up his mind without hesitation and voted with the Government, and thus retained the land policy and other important measures. Of the two—- the Government and woman's franchise— be chose the former, for which he had been working hard for so long. He did not know what the present Government would do with regard to the Female Franchise Bill, but he did not think it possible to pass it into law in time for the next election. The question had never been threshed out by the electors, and he thought that they should be given an opportunity of saying whether or not women should have the same electoral right as men. (Applause.) THE LICENSING ACT; This was another burning question.. The idea of to-day was to obtain the direct veto. Some sessions ago be had introduced a Bill which, however, had been withdrawn in favour of another for local option purely and simply. Tbe question was one on which they mußt be educated. Now, in Lyttolton, all who were ratepayers were, in a sense, publicans. There was one house in Lyttelton owned by the Borough, and tbe rent'derived from it went into the funds of the Borough. They would all admit that there were too many publichouses in Lyttelton. Suppose they closed one house each year they would soon bring them down to the actual requirements. Leaving their town out of the question, what he thought Parliament should do was to pass a law again3t any more licenses being granted. That would be the first step, and the other reforms would soon follow. LAST SESSION some very important Bills had been passed, viz., the Dairy Act, Factories Aot, Land for Settlement and Purchase Act and others. There was one, however, which he was sorry to say, was not carried, and that was the Conciliation Bill. He noticed that Mr J. Mills, of Port Chalmers, who was retiring from politics, was in favour of this important measure becoming law. He would do his best to get the Billpassed if it .came before the House again. There was another matter in which he thought the Government deaer 7ed the thanks of the electors. It had set aside land for Natives who bad no lands, or not sufficient to support their families. In various districts blocks of land had been set aside for Natives of the claßs be bad mentioned. In all 130,000 acres had been so set aside, and he thought the Government was to be commended for its action in that connection. •RECIPROCITY. He bad taken a great interest in the question of freetrade between the Colonies, and hoped to peg away at it until he had accomplished his aim. They wanted their harbour charges brought down to a minimum. They wanted to encourage trade, and to get vessels to come and take their produce away. Lyttelton and Wellington were vicing with each other to make their ports free. Lyttelton at present was about the cheapest port in the Colony. They must attend to the dredging of their harbour, and at the same time keep their charges down to a minimum. Then they hoped some day to be in direct communication with Canada, a place which could keep twenty large factories going if it could only get their wool. America was charging them sixpence per pound on this produce, while the Colony was paying a large amount in support of the mail going through there. They had allowed Victoria to derive" a largo revenue from them by taxing things from New Zealand, in some cases as much as 33 per cent — (on ploughs). What they Bhould do was to say to the Australian Colonies : " Take our produce free of duty and we will take your Klines, &c, in a like manner, free of duty." THE COMING SESSION. They hoped during the session of Parliament which was just upon them to be able to get through other measures for the benefit of the people, and in this connection he might remind them that they bad now a new friend in the House—Sir Eobert Stout (Applause). Their colony was in a flourishing condition compared with the other colonies, for without going into figures, to any very great extent, he might remind them that after putting aside £200,000 they had a surplus of .£282,000, just about enough to purchase Cheviot, and if they could only get a Cheviot every year out of their revenue, he thought they would be doing splendidly. In this connection the question arose that, having a surplus, the taxation might be reduced, but he did not see the necessity for that. His idea was that if they got reciprocity with Australia they would, of couree, have to take offsome of their duties, and this Bhould be done at once; for to ba continually altering and revising the tariff was objection-, able. Then the surplus might well be used for the puroljaae of other Bush fine blocks of land as Cheviot. Such estates as these would be of immense valu© in providing educational grants, for he coujd not help tbiniing that their educational system was always in danger so long as the grants had to be obtained year by year from Parliament as at present. With a few such, valuable estates, as those he ba.d named vested as grants for education, their all-important system would he kept intact. He, thanked, them fop their attendance, and hoped that h'g actions in the future would always be in their interests, and when ac returned fsom Welling con. '&«.

fct jsted he would be again worthy of their •uppo r fc at the general election (Applause.) QUESTIONS. In answer to questions, Mr Joyce said ho was in favtfur of a State bank, which was coming gradually. West Coast coal could nob be obtained as cheaply as Newcastle, eimply {weans* the West Coast coalfields were in the bonds of a monopoly, and he thought the Government ehould lake early steps to secure those coalfields to the Colony. (Applause.) The Department of Prison* and the hours of labour of the warders were not undsr the control of the Minister for Labour. Here he could tell them that they had not * better friend in Tsrsw Zealand' than the Minister for Labour. He had move* in the matter mentioned in the question, and the Government had written to the other Colonies, asking for particulars of the hours of labour of the prison officials. This iaformation he hoped to get when he got back to Wellington. Native ssbools were now being supported ' wh'are no other schools- were in existence, provided the teaching was up to the standards of the Government Bflhoole. He would be in favourof nationalising the coal-fields of the Colony,. The Colonists themselves should decide what sftould. be done with regard to compensating licensed houses, the licenses of which were taken away. The matter should be entirely in the hands of the electors; He thought the totalisator should be strtpt away. In his opinion it was wrong £©r the Government to make money of gambling of any sort. He would inquire into the particulars of the caße of a lad "who had been sentenced to seven months hard labour in j Lyttelton gaol for throwing * stone. He was in favonr of the Merchant Shipping Act being 'amended so as to place the seamen on a better footing in the matter of penalties for crimeß such as assault, &c. He was aIBO in favour of the Act being amended bo as to enable seamen to be discharged upon arrival at any of the chief ports of the Colony. He would endeavour to have- the- railway fares between Christchurch and Lyttelton reduced. He was in favour of primary, secondary and university education being free. He hoped some day to see a training ship obtained I for Lyttelton. The Chairman said, if there were no other questions, he had been asked to invite anyone wishing: to join the Liberal Association to remain' behind at the close of the meeting*. Mr Q. Laurenson moved— "That this meeting pass a vote of thanks to Mr Joyce for the address he has delivered to it this evening,, and confidence ia him as its representative." They had sent Mr Joyce to Wellington to support the Ballance administration, and he had faithfully fulfilled his trust. Mr J. G. Wood seconded the motion, which, was carried unanimously amid applause. Mr Joyce thanked those present for the vote, and the usual compliment to the Chairman- closed the proceedings.