THE MEMBER FOB TUAPEKA.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4900, 16 October 1901, Page 3

THE MEMBER FOB TUAPEKA.

The following concludes Mr Bonnet's speech on the Financial Statement : —

Mr Bennet : No, we are not getting the lion's share. The railways in the South are more than paying for themselves, so that does not come into the question. Now I will deal with new roads. Tbe following are the figures : — Miles. Cost. Auckland .. ..365 £37,026 Hawkt's Bay . . 81 13,137 Taraoaki „ .. 86 30,099 Wellington .. 146 51,036 Nelson .. .. 47 3,248 Marlborough .. 59 6,839 Westland .. .. 20 6,461 Canterbury .. 5 2,201 Otago .. .. 31 13.141 Southland.. .. 108 14,714 Total . . . . 948 £176 923 The fact that Otago does not get its fair share of this is very strange to me. Then the Premier, in his closing remarks, says :— " The settlement of the people on the land is of paramount importance. What we have done, are doing, and must do is to extend our operations and increase the number of our settlers ; and to those goi'u^ on Co the back blocks and tbe fcush lands cany terms must be given by way of relieving the tenants from payment of rent for the first few years, and also by way of insisting on improvement conditions being complied with ; at the same time affording relief from rent until the tenant is enabled to get bis bead above water and to pay his way from the produce of the land itself."

Now, this is bringing the thing exactly to the recommendation 1 made to tbe Premier last year when he introduced his Bill for the rebate of rents to Crown tenants. I think the member for Auckland City will agree with me in [ that. I then poiuted out to him that he was taking a wrong course, and that the thing was unworkable. I stated then that the proper course was to allow those back-block settlers to have their land rent free until they were in a position to make something out of their holdings. The Fremier, however, at that time was determined to go on with his Bill. He made all sorts of threats, by telling us that there were local Bills' to be passed and other matters to be attended to at the time, to try to force the Bill through. He tried to make the rebate universal, but members would not be bounced into doing what they kpew was wrong. Those who wore not In a position to pay rent gob no assistance at all. That Bill was brought down without any classification as to who should get assistance and who should not. It is pleasing, at all events, to know that the Minister of Lands has now come to see what tbe position igf and is following the advice J gave the Government last year. I believe if this is carried out it will make Auckland as prosperous as the South. I have not been to Auckland myself, but from what I have heard from others there is a bright future in store for that part of the colony. I think the Government last year distributed the money as fairly as possible on the large works. There is the Otago Central Railway. We have an enormous amount of machinery to be conveyed to the interior, and on tbat account tbe railway ought to be pushed on, so that some revenue would be derived from the Hue. Now, here is another matter: — 41 In respect to industries, however, the horizon is somewhat clouded, but in a short time this cloud will pass away. The employers and employed should shake hands, and both work together for mutual benefit. What will help oar industries more than anything else will be to have complete technical and manual j instruction for the young of our colony. ' This education is being afforded, and the country will be recouped for this expenditure a thousand-fold."

Now, this is an important matter. We know that there has been a revolt all over the country, and I suppose this is what is referred to. What is it that has brought about this discontent ? I say it is tbe Eight Hours Bill that was brought down by tbe honorable member for Kiccarton. As it was brought down by the honorable member for Kiccarton it wonld not have had much effect had it not been that the Premier announced that be wonld support it, That is what has caused the revolt. The Bill was quite unworkable, and the peopla would have resisted il by every means in their power. During the time I was in tbe South not long since a number of people came to me and spoke about this and other measures. There is the Factories Bill: that has had something to do with causing this revolt, and if these Bills were passed into law there would be no end of trouble. Farmers do not come under these laws, but they do not know when they may be brought under them, &nd ihey are making arrangements to protect themselves with reference to this Eight Hours Bill. There was one man came to me who has a contract for ploughing. He has 20 horses and some six or seven men, and be had been wailing in camp for some five or six weeks, and up to the present time, I believe, has never had a horse in a plough. He was under contract to have tbe work finished by a given time, but I do not think he has got anything done up to the present time ; and he said that when tbe men commenced work, if they were restricted to eight hours a day, and he had to pay extra for overtime and give a half-holiday, he could never possibly get the work done. The same applies to farmers who might have a stack half finished and rain threaten for tbe night. Then, there is the case of the mail-contractor. He has about 200 horses employed to carry mails, and one thing and another, and he said that where he now employs one man be would bave to employ two, and where he employs two he would require three ; and the same thing would apply all along. Then, there is the manager of the Blue Spur Consolidated claim, that employs about 80 or perhaps 100 men. When there is extra work to be done they have sometimes to work long hours, and he said if he had to pay estra wages for those hours he might as well shut up the' claim. In additionr to that the men were only too anxious to be allowed to work a little overtime to make up for lost time. The bank clerks that 1 have conversed with ' have also said that they are opposed to the Shops and Offices Bill, and say that if the Bill was passed it wonld do them a great deal of harm. At present they get a week or two off, and if they are Bi'ok they are paid, but if this Bill comes into force all that will be withdrawn. 'And the Act, too, provides that they shall work hoars in excess of the hoars they are required to work now. These are the things that have brought about

this great rovolfc in the whole country, If the Premier had not supported it it would not have been taken much notice of ; bub when he told ns that he would vote for the second reading, and would try to improve it in Committee, the whole of the people thought it was going to pass. The Factories Bill, again, has caused some disturbance. There must have been hundreds of people before the Labor Bills Committee Riving evidence abouc it. Of course, I have not been there, and it is only hearsay, but I know a great number of people have come to the room, and I know a lot of them have said that it is impossible for them to go on with their work if that Act came into force. One man stated that be was a tanner, a fellmonger, and he said he was employing some 70 men, and intended to employ double the number, but that if the Factories Bill was passed he would have to shut up his businesss and get the work done in England — that that would be the result. I think, seeing the effect that these laws have had and are likely to have, it should show the Premier tha<» he ought uot to force more labor legislation upon the people for some time to come. I think that we have had enough of this legislation for many years to come, and that we should now let the thing go down, and the people will then, perhaps, be able to shake-hands; but if he keeps on with this legislation I am afraid there will be a lot of trouble arise through it. Now, we have heard a great deal about the settlement of the back blocks, but there is ona road between myself and the honorable member for Wakattpu that would open up a very large extent of country. It would save a distance of 20 miles each way, and an expenditure of about £9,000 would open that road. All that we got last year for it was £1,000, but I hope the Minister of Lands will complete that road this year Much of the land round about has been lying idle for many years, and until this road is provided it will remain in a useless condition, but if properly opened up I am sure it would be occupied. Now, I wish to say I would like to see an alteration made in the method in which the Estimates are made up. Another column, I think, should be added to show the proposed new expenditure. As the Estimates are now compiled it is almost impossible for anyone to understand them. Last session, when I asked the Government to take over the main roads, the Minister of Lands told me there was a large amount on the Estimates for the work. He said there was £500 set apart for the county boundary. That was perfectly correct. He also said there was a sum of £1,300 for the road to Clyde, but the county gob only £125 of that amount. That shows the position we are in. Even the department cannot tell, apparently, what the real position is, I ure;e, there* fore, thac another column should be added to show the exact amount of the vote, so that members would know what amount they were really entitled to have spent in their districts after the Estimates were passed.