NEW ZEALAND'S PROGRESS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6290, 22 September 1898, Page 1

NEW ZEALAND'S PROGRESS.

UNDER LIBERAL ADMINISTRATION.

Mr W. W. Collins addressed a meeting of the Women's Political Association at Hobbs's Buildings on Tuesday evening, when there was a good attendance, Mrs Bobison presiding. Mr Collins took as his subject, "The Progress of New Zealand Under the Liberal Government," and said that as the present Administration had been subjected to such severe criticism from its . opponents — some of these opponents being professed Liberals — it might be well that evening to, look into what a Liberal Government had done during the past eight years. During a recent trip, which extended from one end of the colony to the other, he had found the people not only contested, but prosperous, a.n.d. bptk. political sides were alike agreed that they had but little to grumble at. This showed at the very outset that the Liberal Administration had at least done nothing to retard the progress of the country. They must also remember that the criticisms aimed at the Government came either from dissatisfied Liberals or from the Conservatives, whose chief aim was to capture the Treasury Benches, and this being so, their criticisms must not be accepted without caution. During the reign of the present Government bankruptcy had steadily declined. While this was not altogether due to the Government, it at least afforded proof that it had not, as was prophesised by its opponents, ruined the country. In 1890, 652 persons went bankrupt for a total sum of .£381,121, while in 1895 there were 485 bankrupts, whose insolvency represented a sum of .£239,562, thus proving that the business of the colony was in a sounder position than it had been for years past, and that the feeling of security in business was such as had not been felt for a long time. On the question of increase of population they naturally . expected an increase of births over deaths ; but if for a period of even -one month the departures happened to exceed the arrivals the .Conservative journals asserted that population was leaving the colony. Some few years ago, owing to the outbreak of the gold fever in Western Australia, many people had left New Zealand from a cause with which political considerations had nothing to do ; but the fact remained that from 1885 to 1891 the total increase of population was less than the natural increase by excess of births over deaths. | From 1891 to 1896 the proportion of arrivals to departure;? had steadily increased, so. that ..there was.;a big balance over the natural increase, and this proved that under the Liberal Government the population had been steadily increasing. The colony had not only kept its original population with the increase, but had incorporated others for whom employment had been found. Now, if this fact was true, a corresponding growth would be found in industries. Comparing the years 1891 and 1896, it would be found that in the former year there were 2254 establishments, employing 25,633 hands, who earned .£1,808,640 in wages. In 1896 there were 2459 establishments, employing 27,389 hands, who earned .£1,907,592. This was a very substantial increase, and these facts and figures, having been taken from official sources, might be relied upon as being absolutely correct. Mr Massey, an Oppositionist, had called attention to the very table he (Sir Collins) had quoted, and had asked whether the industries of New Zealand were flourishing, and if the demand for skilled labour had increased. Mr Massey answered his own question, his reply b«ing "Nothing of the sort." If Mr Massey's reply was a just one, it might be said that there was something radically wrong with the Government administration. It was quite true that MrMa&sey had found ' some industries, which did aofc appear to

ije nourishing. Mr Massey had made much of the fact that employment had been lessened in sixteen industries, but entirely suppressed the equally important truth that in forty-three trades employment had been greatly increased. Mr Collins quoted official returns to show that in six of these trader alone there had been an increase of 3108 bands, while the losses alluded to by Mr Massey only showed a decrease of 1058. These facts spoke for themselves, and showed that employment had improved since the Liberal Party came into po»ver. Again, they might take the question of exports of frozen meats, which, in 1886, amounted to 38,755,1601 b, and had risen in 1896 to 123,676,5441 b. He did not say that the increase was because the Liberal Party had come , into power, but it did show that under the i.ib&ral Administration trade had not declined. The dairy industry, which was one of the most important in the colony, was in a nourishing condition: In. 1890 the export of butter amounted to 34,816 cwt, and had risen in 1895 to 71,353 cwt, The cheese export in the first year wag 40,551 cwt, in the latter 71,327 cwt. lii 1891 there were 74 cheese and butter factories in existence; 1896 there were 170 factories and 105 established creameries. The number of hands employed in these in the years quoted were respectively 269" and 676. In 1890 the total amount of butter produced was 1960 tons, of a value of .£150,957 ; in 1896 4323 tons, of a value of .£501,274. They all knew what an outcry there had been about Government interference with the dairy industry, and tho figures quoted would show what the Dairy Act had done, and that in this industry the colony had fairly progressed by leaps and bounds. If further proof were needed of the substantial character of this improvement, they had it in the fact thai'the private wealth per hpad had increased from .£228 in 1890 to .£238 in 1896. These splendid results had chiefly sprung from the vigorous laud settlement policy pursued by the Government, and he did not hesitate to say that thousands of. contented people had .been placed on the land by that policy. During the time tbo present Ministry had been in office 9535 acres had been sold for cash, 59,648 acres had been occupied with right of purchase, and 62,229 acres bad been taken up on lease in perpetuity. Thus they would see that the demand for land under the two last-mentioned tenures had been about equal, and they could see from these figures the good result of enabling men to obtain laud on easy terms, and to keep the money which they would otherwise have spent in freeholds for the purpose of improvements. Under the small farmers' associated settlements 349,899 acres had been occupied by 1770 settlers, and 70,196 aares under the small farm system. In 1894 the Land • fcr Settlements Act had been. altered, giying the Government power of -compulsory purchase. Up to March 31, 1897. 33 estates, aggregating 95,348 acres, had been purphased by the State at a cost of .£471,960, and upon these 1051. persons had been settled, and this was outside the Cheviot Estate, which had been previously settled, and they all knew that these people were mainly so prosperous that few would care to go back. The arrears of rent in 1890 amounted to .£52,891, while this year -they .were only. 414,437, a re-, duction of .£38,454. This proved two things — first, tho carefulness of the administration ; ■ and, secondly, . the improved condition of the people. These facts should at least prove that the colony was progressing. No measure had been more adversely criticised, or bandied from pillar to post, than had the Advances to Settlers Act. This was a measure which tho Conservatives would neyer have passed, but had the title of the Act been "Advances to Farmers " the opposition might not have been so great. From February, 1895, .£1,404,065 had been advanced to j settlers, and 65 per cent of these applications came from people who wished to get rid of old mortgages at more than 5 per cent. It was no use saying that the .Government had not cheapened money ; it had done so, and by so doing had increased industry, and had saved the country from the clutches of the greedy money-lender, who insisted on his usury of 12 to 15 per cent. Now, how did they stand in the eyes of the world ? They had carried into practical effect legislation which was only theoretical in other countries. Captain Russell had i predicted that the colony was going to " drop, drop, drop, and rot, rot, rot." Captain Russell's remark was a quotation from Shakspere, and by no means original, but they were further off rotting now than [ they had been when the Liberal Government took office. Now, how did they stand in the eyes Ci the financial world ? There was one little spot in London which gave a clear indication, and that spot was the Stock Exchange. There was no question of sentiment j about the Stock Exchange, for it merely dealt with actual values. During the last years of the New Zealand Conservative Government 3? per cent consols averaged 94, and 4 per cents 105, while to-day these were 106| and 1151 respectively. If the value of New Zealand securities had not increased, why had these stocks gone up ? At present New Zealand 3 per cents stood at 98J, as compared with the 95 of the 3? per cents under Conservative administration. The London Stock Exchange was as clear an indicator of New Zealand's progress and stability as the dial of a gas meter was of the amount of gas consumed. It was truly a matter of congratulation to find that the colony l^ad made such all round progress under the Liberal Administration. But there had been another kind of progress on which they could also congratu'ate themselves, and that was that they had been the first to introduce a system of graduated taxation, which, though capable-, of still further improvement, had caused a fair imposition of burdens throughout the colony. In the direction of the three "L'p," viz, labour, land and liquor, tbey had attained the most ad.vanced laws of any country in the world. They had the female franchise also, and it was no use saying that they had not progressed under Liberal Administration. The facts remained, whatever their political opinions might be, that they possessed at the present more comfort and a greater sonse of security and stability than they had yet experienced, and also that' a better feeling existed among the various classes of the community. They should ponder over those facts, and remember that all possible means would be resorted to in order to discredit the Liberal Party at the next general election, and he warned his audience to accept no isolated instance or half-truths. Then, again, the question of old age pensions was now practical'y before, the Legislature, while elsewhere it was still in the department of theory; and the continuance in power of a Liberal Government was {heir only hope of that pension scheme becoming an established fact. The colony should render honour and credit to whom that honour and credit were due, namely, to the Liberal Government for the progress which had been amply evidenced during its term of office. A hearty vote of thanks to Mr Collins for his address was carried by acclamation at the close of the meeting.