THE POLITICAL OUTLOOK.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5567, 16 May 1896, Page 6

THE POLITICAL OUTLOOK.

The " Political Outlook " was the subject of, an address delivered in tlio East Oxford Town Hall, on Thursday evening, by Mr W. W. Collins, M.H.E. The meeting was under the auspices of the local Liberals, and although the night was wet a very good audience assembled. The chair was taken by Mr R. H. Parish. In the course of his address, Mr Collins said that the Liberal party had now been i^power. nearly six years, and it was expected that their works would be subjected to criticism. If that criticism were always, fair and impartial, it could only do. good;, but when they, recollected •that it came chiefly from' those whcsa main object .' was to brin;sj about '■ the defeat of the Government in o\*det that they might secure the reins of office for themselves, they could apprise it at ita true value, and it was easy to discount the bitterness and the malice frequently manifested when they remembered that these came from those who aspired to the posi» tions held by the men whom they traduced. A National Association which comprised but an infinitesimal portion of the peopla h»d sprung into existence. It was not a spontaneous movement of the people, but was engineered by those who hoped by ita means to hoist themselves into power.. This Association protested against all land legis« lation which discouraged the bond.- fult settlement of the land. What that meatii it would bo hard to say, unless then only idea of settlement was that of the wealthy land-owner with extensive acreage; for no legislation had done more to bring small areas within reach of men of smaller means thau that of the last two sessions of Parliament. Landed proprietors .were per« suaded that this policy was one of plunder* ing and blundering, while the workers were asked to believe that a past Conservative administrator put more i>eopla upon the land " than . had the present Minister of Lands. They were next told that this Association protested against all obstacles to industry and enterprise, though what the obstacles were they were not -told. Could it be the Factory Act, which provided that workshops should, at least, be safe and sanitary ; that there should ba such conveniences as were necessary foi decency and comfort, and that child labour should not be employed ? Could it be the Shops and Shop Assistants Act/ which assured for rest and recreation one half day iv the week to the shop assistant; or the Conciliation and Arbitration Actj which did away with the costly and disturbing strike, and enabled employers and employed to settle their disputes by the more rational appeal to the Court of Arbi« tration ? ' The fact was there was no pleas, ing theseadverse critics. With one breath they appealed to ignorance by asking, " What has the Government done for the workers?" yet with the next they declared that so much had been done thai the workers -were put beyond any incen« tive to self-help. They were even asked tc believe that the colony's finances were not safe, that public confidence had gone and must be restored before thej coulddnduce the reinvestment of money; As a matter of fact, so well had the colons been financed that the increase in expendi-. ture from the Consolidated Fund for the past five years was only .£171,563, and this increase was almost more than accounted for by the increased Work in those departments which marked tha progress of the colony. As for distrust money had been raised in London at a lower rate of interest than* ever before* and in proof of confidence they had only just heard from an impartial source that; though West Australia was attracting a great deal of attention in financial circles in London, they might take it for granted there was more money for New Zealand than for any other colony. The crj of class had been raised, but no cry was ever less well founded or more unjust. If the workers had been legislated for, the representatives of capital had been no less assisted. If the Wages Attachment Act secured the laboiirer'a wage from attachment up to £2 pfc-r week the Family Homes Protection Act safeguarded the savings of the more prosperous colonist. If protection had been aifordec! the workers in the cities, pastoral tenants had the Relief Act to help those who suffered loss "through the exceptional severity of last winter. The cry of o1r?3 legislation would only prejudice iL.j.v. v.'kj j were doaf to the logic of facts. "•■'. ;ivacated the;poliey of the Opposition <>< :;}■■ who would adopt any and every ■ ••■;.■•:■ secure office. Again and again 1 • ,:t been told that the demand » by the people was a fictitious . up to justify unwise and uur • legislation, but the evidence of v^.n' last day or two proved its wisdom ■■•:■ •/. necessity. For the 64 allotment- <o . ■ Ardgowan Estate there were no iev.es: dv:.n 1640 applicants. Instead of desolation and desertion overtaking' the country, .the arrivals still outnumbered the departures from these shores, and this in spite of tho gilded attractions of. West Australia and other colonies that did not possess our confidence - destroying legislation.. With the history of the past to warn them, the, facts of the present to guide them and the prospects of the future 'to stimulate and cheer them, the country was little likely to desert that Government which, whatever its niis-takes-and deficiencies, had legislated, not in the interests of class, but rather of all classes of the community. (Applause.) A vote; of thanks to Mr Collins, and a similar compliment to the Chairman, brought the proceedings to a close.