MR FISHER'S TOUR.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10684, 3 February 1913, Page 1

MR FISHER'S TOUR.

SPEECH AT HOKITIKA. WORK OF THE PAST SESSION > REVIEWED. [Pan Pbess Association.] HOKITIKA, January 31.

Th« Hon F. M. B. Fisher, Minister of Marine and Customs, addressed a largely-attended meeting here to-night, under the auspices of the local branch of the New Zealand Political Reform League. The Mayor presided., and tho meeting was an enthusiastic one. The Minister compared the Government's present majority with their big minority some years ago. He referred to tho Prime Minister as being a courageous statesman, and said that although some people differed from Mr Massey in his politics, they could not say ho was not every inch a man. Mr Fisher replied to critics who said that the Government represented the .squatters' interests bv stating t!iat these gentlemen supported both sides of the House. He oontended that tho dominion was capable of holding at least five times-its present number of people. \ •. ! '"- CIVIL SERVICE. ' Referring 'to the Civil Service, tho Minister said that when the Government had come into offloe it was laid down that those in their employ should receive what they were entitled to. In ] this connection he mentioned that when j he went into the question.of the wages of those employed in 'the Printing Department, of .which he was in it was found that girls who had worked there for as long as twenty-six-years were only, receiving £9O per annum. He contended that a living wage ■ should 5 be paid to all. This wage, he said, should be, sufficient to enable a man to keep his wife"and family in comfort,, and *to provide for.) them in sickness. The system which had been in vogue was wrong arid, rotten, and would have to be changed!. RAILWAY. SERVICE. < The opponents of the Government, continued the Minister, had preached the' doctrine of soup kitchens, and said that the Massey party would,be paying 3s 6d per day to navvies. He said that during their first session £28,000 had been added to the salaries of Civil Servants, and those in the railway service were receiving £12,000 per annum more than what they had been paid during the time the so-called Liberal Party were in power. These iri- - creases had been withheld in- order that-,the railways should •• become more popular with the people. " He mentioned that Mr Myers, although he was a political opponent, deserved the credit of increasing the salaries to part of the" sum mentioned. Next year the Minister hoped the salaries would be further increased. Wages should not only be paid according, to ability, Imt proportionately to the hazardous nature of the employment. He instanced underground work, which should be specially well .paid for, for the rea&on that a man at any. time might. contract a disease, or lose a limb, and thuß be incapacitated. For such occupations he contended thai; .a man should be well ..rewarded. They had been told that if a Government wished to remain in power it was necessary for them to be on good terms with the public. . His Government wished this to be the case, but so long as they were in power they were going to carry out the laws of the country, and everybody was going to be treated alike. PENSIONS ACTS. Tho Minister went on to deal with the Old Age Pension, Widows' Pensions and Military Pensions Acts, and said that, one" of the reforms that would be carried, out was the granting of pensions to women of sixty years of age, instead of sixty-five .as heretofore. Under the Military Pensions Act those old'veterans who had fought for their country were■ entitled to £36 per annum. The Government had already received 500 applications, and these ' had been satisfied. The late Government had distributed the sum of £350 among veterans as a result of inquiry into such cases for something, like four years. In the meantime many worthy old men, who should have been assisted, had died paupers. SIR JOSEPH WARD. ,Mr Fisher referred to Sir Joseph Ward politically, and said that as a politician the late leader of the Liberal Party was a complete failure, but he deserved great credit for rising in the Civil Service as he had done, ultimately attaining the high position of Postmaster-General. THE RAILWAYS. The Minister touched upon the railways, and romarked that the Government wanted a man to take charge of them. The salary of £3OOO per annum was offered for 'the position, and ho contended that if the" successful man was worth his salt he would save the £3OOO in tho first month after his appointment. POLITICAL 'PATRONAGE.

The question of political ■ patronage wi** referred to, wswaarkiiig

that the political tout was'nearly as extinct as the moa, and he felt snro that his demise would be recorded when tho Civil Service Commissioners took office on April 1. Ho did not boliove in Ministers giving positions to their relatives, and, Mr, ;■ Fisher declared, '' Wo would not give them i f wo wero asked to." They had no time for tho man who sat on a Minister's doorsteps, and this class of individuals in tho service was no doubt feeling very miserable.. Tho speaker, went ou to refer to the practice of appointing members to the Upper House. He never did believe in the system, and the Government wanted the people to have a vote, as was the case with the Lower House. LAND LEGISLATION.

Land legislation was briefly mentioned. The Government wanted to break up the land monopoly, and thus provide for tho smaller settler. Ho said that he would recommend the Primo Minister to experiment with somo swamp laud which had beeu brought under his notice that day. He felt sure that if such areas were drained and cultivated they would become valuable farming country. If half the monev spent on their public buildings had been expended in improving land on .the West Coast it would have resulted more beneficially to the people. It was the business of the State, continued the Minister, to experiment and demonstrate to the people what covtld be done With land, such as existed on'the'-Wast Coast. FINANCE.

The speaker,, in referring to finance, said that the Hon James Allen had gone Home to-provide for a loan of £175,000 to nieet present requirements. In addition to this the Minis-ter-of Finance had to arrange for loans totalling £16,000,000, which fell due during the next three years. In 1929, continued the speaker', loans totalling £29,000,000 will have to be arranged for, while in 1940 another £16,000,000 will fall due. He remarked that the difficulties in regard to finance wero very considerable, as China., Turkey, Roumania, Servia and other countries would also be looking for dollars at the present time. He said that it not because the security offered by the dominion was not good enough; it was tip-top. The railways alone represented millions' worth, and if any persons purchased them for £60,000,000 they would get them cheap. The Minister dealt with the question., of secret payments, which, he said, had done a great deal of damage. All vouchers were now open in Wellington for public inspection. This had not .been the; case with the previous Administration. :

The Minister concluded by saying that every district would now be treated on its merits, and he favoured assisting the struggling settler rather than those in prosperous districts. The Prime Minister would shortly visit the district/ and probably the visit would be followed by one from the Minister of Public Works and Mines, and he was sure the requirements of the West Coast.would be fully considered. The speaker, on resuming his seat, man stated that the Minister would reply to any questions, several of which were forthcoming, and were answered

satisfactorily. A resolution was carried -unanimously expressing confidence in the Reform Government" and • approval '-of itsllegis? lation and administration.

DEPUTATION AT HOKITIKA,

-"-. WESTLAND'S NEEDS

[FeOJI- OUB . COFEESPONTJEXT.]

GREYMOUTH, February 2

At Hokitika yesterday, a deputation from.the Westlapd County Council brought under the notice or the. Hon F. M. B. Fisher several matters af local importance, viz.:—(1) The, necessity for a mooring buoy at Jackson's Bay; (2) the navigation of the Mahinapua stream for launches; (3) the threatened danger to the Teremakau bridge; (4) the question of'the ■Department's refusal to subsidise the work with the keystone drill; (5) the bridging of "the Mikonui' River; and (6) the extension' of the railway from Cass to Kloridyke (Bealey), to shorten the overland journey from Christchurch.

In reply, Mr Fisher said that the question of a mooring buoy would be reported on by Captain Collins. If it were warranted there would be. no difficulty in putting it there. The navigation of the Mahinapua creek was a desirable work in the' interests of the tourist traffic. It should be cleared, and was a work that should be carried out. With regard to the bridging of the Mikonui River, he would refer the matter to the Hon W. -Fraser (Minister of Public Works). The £1 for £1 subsidy for the keystone drill had probably, been refused • on' account of it being applied for by a private individual, whereas the /"regulations provided that such grants should go to the prospecting associations only. He would communicate 'with the Department and find out the exact reasons why' the subsidy had been refused. A pood 1 case had been made for the immediate, construction of _ the Mikonui bridge,, and; he would'bring the matter under the - notioe of the Minister of Public Works. The extension of the Cass, railway, was tilso a matter'for Mr Fraser to deal with.

With regard to a request for concessions in connection with the, Westlimd goldfield3 jubilee,■" ho promised tho same for Westland as had been*, given by' the Government to the Dunstan and Gabriel's Gully celebrations.

As to tlio Otira tunnel contract, Mr Fisher said it was desirable that the work should he completed as soon as possible. Roughly £2,000.000 hud been spent on the work: and was not yet earning interest. They could rely on the Government to ' put the, ' work through. Personally he had always doubts, and oven now ho doubted if it would ever pay for the grease for the wheels.

MR FISHER AT KUMAR A.' [Per Press Association.] - HOKITIKA, February 2

The Hon F. M. B. Fisher Minister of Marine and Customs, addressed a largo political meeting at Kumara on Saturday night, under the auspices of the Kumara branch of the Westland Reform League, Mr J. A. Murdoch, Mayor, presiding. The Minister's speech was on the same lines as his Hokitika address, and at its conclusion a motion of thanks to Mr Fisher and confidence in the administration of the Government was unanimously carried on a show of hands.

Subsequently Mr Fisher was entertained by the Reform League at a social gathering, which passed off most successfully.

The Minister will address a. public meeting at Gr-eymouth to-night.