POLITICAL,

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5212, 20 March 1895, Page 1

POLITICAL,

_ — * MR G. W. RUSSELL AT ADDINGTON Mr G. W. Rusaell, the member foi Riccarton, addressed a meeting of hit constituents at the Oddfellowß' Hall Addington, last night. There was a gooc attendance, including a number of ladies. Mr J. Munnings occupied the chair. Mr Russell, who wbb well received, said that having spoken fully in other parts oi the electorate regarding last session, he would now discuss somewhat the future. At. present, Canterbury especially was suffering from depression. It was ridiculous to say that the land legislation of the Liberal Party was responsible for this. Under Mr Ballance legislation waß initiated which had tended to mitigate the intensity of the depression; and in so far as the present Government had proceeded on the lines laid down by the late Premier it had gone in the right direction. Land settlement had progressed, and the interests of the workers had been considered. The question at present demanding attention was, Can the depression be removed ? From this flowed other questions— Could capital be unlocked? Could labour be employed ? A large section of the population were unemployed, and all classes looked forward with anxiety, if not, indeed, apprehension, to the coming winter. The Government had made one step in the right direction by cheapening money. The Advances to Seotlers Act, imperfect though it wa3 in many points, went on the right lines, and interest had dropped from half to one per cent on good securities. But that, after all, only benefited the mortgaged settler whose loan fell in. What was wanted was a plan by which all the producers of the colony could share in the benefit. Bir Robert Stout and Captain Ruasell had both delivered speeches recently, but he (Mr G. W. Russell) had looked in vain in them for any attempt to show a way out of the depression the colony was in. He thought?, the way to meet the depression was by ordinary business methods. A business man who found he was not succeeding always tried to do two thingsfirst, cheapen the cost of production, and second, increase the output. That should be the policy of this colony. The railways were now in the hands of the State. They | should therefore be run as an engine for promoting the prosperity of the colony. The Government should at once announce that for next harvest the railway freights on grain and all farm produce would be lowered by at least 25 to 33 -per cent. They had made a step forward by lowering the freight on sheep. They should also lower the freight on frozen meat, which was now 83 6d per ton for fifteen mills— ls per ton higher than butter — and generally ease the freight on lime, manures, fencing material and everything that tended to increase production and employ labour. These reductions should be guaranteed at once, so that farmers would be encouraged to prepare land for cropping. That would ease the labour market. Without some such method agricultural labourers would be forced into the eitiee. The next thing would be to increase the output by finding new markets. Me could not favour opening our ports to the Japanese, even in order to secure their trade. They were an alien race and would demoraliseburlabourmarket. But we ought--toL-BHtabliah^-Bories of Government agencies in China, Japan, South Africa, India and other countries. At these agencies samples of Hew Zealand manufactures should be kept, and all information supplied to merchants aift, traders. It waß no use io expect private enterprise to undertake this work. It must be done by the State, or -it would be left undone. The German consuls and consular agents were all engaged in pushing trade, and there was no reason wby thiß country should not trade direct with foreign countries instead of, as at present, almost solely with Australia and the Mother Country. If side by side with these two methods, the tariff were readjusted, and close settlement near to towna largely extended, aided by cheap money, the colony, with its magnificent resources and bountiful soil, would soon lise above the depression. ,By retrenchment in our expenditure— cutting down big salaries, dispensing with superfluous officerß and economising as business men— the colony could obtain the direct and indirect benefits of the scheme ho had outlined without increasing taxation by one penny. At any rate, he should next session advocate such a policy as that he had sketched. He also spoke on the Undesirable Immigiants Bill, Licensing, Advances to Settlers and other questions. Mr Russell answered a few unimportant questions. Mr J. Efford moved — " That this meeting accords Mr Russell a hearty vote of thanks for his able address this evening, and expresses its continued confidence in him for his independent actions in and out of Parliament." Mrs Ross seconded the motion, which was carried -unanimously. The meeting closed with a vote of thanks to the ! Chairman. •