Mr W. C. Buchanan, M.H.R. at Carterton.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1783, 15 January 1886, Page 2

Mr W. C. Buchanan, M.H.R. at Carterton.

Mr Buchanan, member of the House of Representatives for Wairarapa South, addressed his constituents at the Town Hall, Carterton, last night, Mr R. Fairbrother was voted to the chair, and the meeting was largely attended, the Hall being quite filled. The Chairman, in introdaoing the representative, asked the meeting to give their member a fair aod impartial hearing. He said he had received a letter from Mr W. Booth, expressing bis regret at not being able to attend on that occasion. Mr Buchanan said—Believing thoroughly, as I do, that it is every member's duty to meet his constituents during every recess in order to explain his past acts, and as well as ascertain the existence of any new wants that may have risen, it was with very much regret that I found myself, through ill health, unable to do so before last session. Two sessions have thus elapsed since I had the pleasure of addressing yon here during the last election. With regard to the session of 1884 it is now so far back in the past that I shall trouble you with regard to it only so far as be necessary to connect its history with the last one. Tou will no doubt remember that Major Atkinson, upon being defeated in the first session of 1884, appealed to the country. Finding himself on a minority when the House met, be immediately resigned. Sir J. Vogel being sent for by the Governor formed what is known as the first StoutVogel Government, but the composition of his Ministry, as well as the programme announced in the Governor's speech, insured their almost immediate downfall by a majority of 19. The mover of the vote of want of confidence, Mr Thornton, of Ulutha, tried to favor a new Government, but failed, as also did Sir George Grey. The latter then recommended that Major Atkinson shonld be sent for. The Governor did so, and Major Atkioson undertook the task of forming a Government. Here Jet me reply te statements which were freely made as to his indecent haste to get into office again. I had the best of reasons for knowing personally from him th&t under the circumstances in which he found himself he bad no desire whatever for office—that on the contrary it was his distinct personal wish to remain in opposition for a time, but a caucus of 53 members out of a total of 95 unanimously agreed that he should be asked to form a Government. This being a clear majority of twelve be would have been obviously guilty of neglect of duty had he refused to attempt to solve the deadlook which the House, and consequently the business of the country, bad got into. But his majority of twelve soon melted away when sundry hungry expectants of office found themselves left oat in the oold, and Major Atkinson's new Government were turned out almost as soon as they had taken their seats to make way for the present occupants of the Government benches. A great deal of time having been up in the many negotiations and trials of strength that bad taken place, and the season being far advanced, it was evidently impossible, as it would have been unfair to expect t he new Government to give full effect to the policy they had announced. This included East and West Coast Railway Act, vigorous prosecution Otago Central and other railways, determining route and prosecution Northern Trunk ; Native Lands ; Repeal of Property Tax ; reduction of depart* mental expenditure; non-politioal railway B’ds; trade and commercial relations South Seas. The principal acts passed were—East and West Coast Railway; Consolidated Stock, dealing with Sinking Fuad ; Native Land Restriction, These 1 will pass over at present as 1 will have to refer to them again. There was also the Married Women’s Property Act, greatly improving their position with regard to property rightfully their own, but which bad been in mauy cases wasted and spent by their frequently foolish and dissolute husbands. Impounding and Police Offences Acts were also passed, greatly simplifying the law by repealing nearly 70 old acts and provincial ordinances scattered all over our statute books. There are only two more that I shall notice. The Workmen’s wages and the Parliamentary Honorarium Acts. The first effects a great improvement on the previously existing law by enabling a workman to get bis wages at first hand from the principal contractor or person for whom the work is actually being done instead of being cheated aud robbed as they so frequently have been by sub-oontrac-tors and other such people who having nothing themselves, thought it no shame to trade on other people's honest labor. The Parliamentary Honorarium Act makes a fixture of what was previously the subject of a yearly parliamentary vote—often occasioning the most unseemly waste of time. The amount fixed by act was 200 guineas each for members of Council* as well as for members in the House of Representatives with a provision that half only is to be paid if there happens to be two sessions in the same year. For my part 1 have always been of opinion and voted in that direction that 150 would ample for the lower and certainly not more than half for the upper house. That however is a matter of opinion and the majority must rule. lu Victoria the amount is £3OO.

Another important question was also dealt with, vi/., determining the route of the North Island Main Trunk Line; but as 1 will have to tonch upon that question later on, 1 pass it over at present. And now we oorae to the last session,'which really tested the mettle and capacity of the present Government. They bad travelled all over the colony during the recess ; they had had ample time to mature their measures, and boasted that they were ready. I need scarcely say, gentlemen, that in the opinion of everyone really capable of judging, the master spirit and predominating mind iu the Government is Sir Julius Vogel, and that from his first public utterance after big arrival in New Zealand down to his latest manifesto to the Tuapeka constituency a few days ago, the key note which runs through them all is that of contempt for what we, the settlers of the colony, have been dciug while he was away, and of unmeasured, almost overbearing confidence as to what he could do for ns if allowed bis own way. He told us bluntly that we had been dozing for the past half-dozen years. That half the property in the colony could be purchased on easy terms—so frightened were its owners. That the frightened laud owners who were longing to sell out and get away, dared not to say so. That the finances of the colony were sufficiently elastic lor the most exacting financier, and that all we were suffering from iu that direction was mismanagement , that, in fact, Major Atkinson was a baby in finance, and that he would very soon put us all right. It was humbly pointed out to this autocrat that we, working ncos.of Npw Zealand, had not been exactly idle while he was away enjoying himself in “■ ■~>*nd. That We had battled with the nnr Moch.B ftod wilderness to such effect innherds had vastly increased; that we now produced much more grain, wool, meat and other produce, and that we had established v ’lions other industries in our midst, but Unit Urn low prices we were receiving lor everything crippled us sorely in meeting our various engagements; that our principal want, in fact, was cash, -oot confidence. But the hen gentleman smiled superior to all this, and told ns in the most confident manper that he would have at progressing by leaps and bounds if ve only did, like obedient children, as we were told. He refuted to believe that the country was dependent upon wool and wheat, and was confident of Ills power to substitute much better Indus tries. Farmers should be growing beet root instead of wheat. Out surrounding seas, be was good enough to tell us, were teeming with fish which would pay much better to catch than growing mutton and wool; but if we would atiok to mutton he would find us a much better market for it than in England, amongst the teeming populations of the Arafnra Seas. The Arafura Seas —“ Where are they ?” you ask. That was exactly what the House wanted to know, aud didn’t. But we very soon found out that they lay sometv fit re in the Indian Seas, beyond Australia; but (but, unfortunately, baring wupto np-

plies of meat aod mottos of their own. they wanted none whatever of ova, besides the slight difficulty of having no money to pay for it. So much lor the Arafura Seas. Then as to the beet root. We have certainly got an Act on the Statute Book, but that does not give us any beet root, and is not likely over to do so. Everybody is perhaps waiting until Sir Julius Vogel sets us a good example and the reality of hie faith in the industry by investing bis own money in it. We are still therefore going en as best we may, producing onr grain, our wool, and our dairy produce, because they are the natural and proper industries of a young country with such a soil, climate and surroundings "• ours. Other industries are coming in and will come in as the country grows and accumulates capital, but private enterprise will surely find out all these openings fur industries that suit the country, aud will just as surely avoid those that are wanting in these conditions, and on which Sir Juliua Vogel is so anxious everybody but himself should waste their time and capital. RAILWAYS. The Government also told us that onr railways had been mismanaged in the past, but that under the able superintendence of Mr Richardson and the non-politioal Boards of Management which they were going to establish in the Sooth lalsod and in Ancklaud, we should soon see a very different state of things. Well, gentlemen, we all know of the previous mismanagement. Many of ns knew to onr cost that in many respects the railways appeared to be worked for anything but the service of the pnblic whose property they are. Bat what we are most concerned about is whether the management has improved—whether the pledges of tbs Government in this direction have been redeemed. What has become of the non-politieal Railway Boards T Not only have they not been appointed, bat we have the extraordinary spectacle of the Premier in ena of bis recent speeches ridienling the very idea as absurd. Be this as it may, there is certainly another side to the question, and 1 believe the right eide. The Victorian Government a couple of years ago placed their railways, costing close en twenty twit millions, or nearly donbla ours, under a non political Board, and tbs nett result is much better management, and a return of per cent on the capital invested, while at the same time the freights have been considerably reduced. Do we find like results arising from the management of the present Government, from which we were confidently led to expect so much. Is it true that we are constantly having complaints from Auckland to the Blntf, that red tape and officialism is constantly standing in tha way of reasonable conveniences being afforded to the public. In this district itself, where we have the advantage of proximity to head quarters, do we not find that the industries ou which the most of their tiaffio depends are being constantly hampered for want of accommodation. I am alluding more particularly to the timber industry. I have bad the most bitter complaints, time after time, of the unreasonable delays and vexations to which saw mill owners are subjected in their business. But perhaps they are eoonomiemg and making money you will say. Let ns have a look at that side of the question. For the year ending 84 85 the amount received from railways was nearly L 70.000 under the estimate, but only 9 mouths of the present year having expired, it is impossible to say exactly how the returns will eventually stand. The Colonial Treasurer’s first estimate for the present year was L 1.116,000, but a conple of months later, on finding that the returns were very unsatisfactory, he reduced that amount by L 47.000. Presuming that the returns came in at the same rate till the end of March next as for the nine months just expiied, we shall have a deficiency of L 91,000 on the first estimate and L 44.000 on the second. That means that it is almost certain the railways will return from L 40.000 to L 50.000 short of the estimate for the year, and £25.000 leas than last year, although a considerable mileage of new railway has been opened. A satisfactory result truly from a minister for railways who was to reform everything in connection with the department. And has this deficiency been the result af a smaller traffic ? Not a bit of it. The railways carried 100,000 more paaaengers, 60 odd thousand more live stock, and 30,000 tons more goods, and should have added to our income in proportion, bnt the increased rates on grain and other goods in the South—the imposition of which was the real causa of the Atkinson Government being turned out, were taken off by the present Government in order to carry favour with the South, and what is the result ? That while the North Island railwavs by the 31st March promise to return L 33.000 more than last year. The Booth Island railways will be L 56.000 less. It is very gratifying to find that of all lines in N.Z. our own has made the very best advance of any and now carries a traffic of £923 per mile higher than any other Hue in New Zealand except the short coal line at Greymonth. This you will agree with me is very satisfactory indeed with regard to the N. Island, still more so with regard to our own Hoe, bat very unsatisfactory with regard to the Southern lines, and, cammed, means that ws paid J million cut of general revenue to make up deficit on railways last year, but will have i<> pay still more tlii-. year, mainly because the < <ovetnmeut bun been corruptly

purchasing support by unfairly Imvtring tba tariff op the Souther u liues. LOCAL OOVKBNMKNT Thie is a question wlm-ii. m you know, very closely affects ns in rnis district. It is but a tiuiam to my that the progrey.- and well being of both old and new countries Img.ly depends upon its satisfactory solution. In England, as well as in the adjacent col' ni. e. tie question is always very deemed it a pn rainent one. I need scarcely go into u description of our system as it enisled here op (o last session. You are already sufficiently familiar with it. The present Government lon Tv proclaimed their dissatisfaction with it ui.ih.ly because they held that too much money out of loans was being spent on roads and bridges under tba Roads and Bridges Act, and because the North Islaud was getting too Urge a share of that money. During th« session 0 I 1884 they proposed appointing a iioyal Commission to report during the recess, but Mr Ormond aud others, threw cold water on this idea, and the Government dropped it. Sir Julius Vogel, io a speech at Auckland, put out a feeler as to calling together a meeting of county chairmen and mayors of boroughs consulting them Th» Dress, however, ridiculed this idea, and the Government conveniently changed lher minds again, but then Sir Julius Vogel, unlike Major Atkinson, is a man of resource and expedient, and when cold water was thrown on tbeae various expedients, he hit upon the famous plan of a partnership with his own colleague. Mr Stout; he (Vogel) to rind the finauce, sod Mi Stout the other portion of the machinery. Sir J. hod made the extraordinary discovery that finauce was the key to the position—that money being once found, the mare would be found to go along merrily enough. To effect wh given •oderstand that the property tax was id be abolished in favor of a Fand tax to be wholly or at all event* mainly handed over to the local bodies. The Government also promised «« an effective system of local government with an assured finance in the shape of a localised land tax. Let us see what we had previous lilt session, and how we got it. Upon ** abol,. nf the provinces in 1870 we got in* county system, with a provision of £ for £ subsidies which were to continue for five rears Upon the land sales falling off it was found impossible to continue the subsidise at that rats, and after coming down to 10a in the £ they had to bo discontinued altogether. The system had, however, continued quit* long enough to show its scandalous unfair* ness. Money was literally poured Into tha laps of a number of the southern local bodies until they were abla to diapeuae with rates altogether, and live sumptuously open thg interest of the euormoos subsidies that had been paid them. SuCh a difficulty had they in disposing of their surplus eaab, that tnllat and miles of roads were formed and metalled which, to my own knowledge, are now actually growing grass with the greatest luxuriance, practically unused by man or baud, except lot paling ty to M|*t ft

ifw On Roads and Bridges Construction AH ms coasted lav, and most of yon are Swan that the general price!,lie in delaying it me to help the districts which had hitherto ham witboot roads. Main roods were decland which were to have grants of £3 for mrr £1 contributed by the local body, and tan years was to be allowed in which to pay this £l. I was always of opinion, however, that this was too liberal —that only (tom ooa third to one and a naif of the money should be granted free, and that tue balance Aoold be paid in small instalments extending over a period of years by the settlers interested— that if the settlers should refuse this in any ease, it was a sign that sufficient necessity did not exist tot the road. 1 was also of opinion that the provision for defining what should be main roade was defective, and a large amount of abuse was perpetrated in this direction, as I predicted. There was also provision in the Act for advancing money to the Road Boards for conatructiug district roads, the money so advanced being repayable in fifteen years by a nine per cent rate for intetaat and linking fund. The Act had its

holts, as I have more than once pointed out, they were easily susceptible of amendand on the whole it cannot be doubted that it has done an enormous amount of good by opening up outlying districts, and bringing profitable trades to the centres of population. Bat the Soath Island was dissatisfied with it. They hankered after the flcati pots of the iniquitous subsidy system, on which they had previously fattened. They pointed out that oat of the total of about £300,000 expended in!the whole of New Zealand, only £122.000 bad been spent io the South-in other words that £54,000 more bad been spent in the North than io the South. It was in vain it was pointed out that a con aiderabla portion of this was secured on the rates that the Government held debenture* representing this portion sod the local bodies were redeeming them every year. It was quite fruitless to point out that they were already in most cases well provided with good roade in the South, while the N Island had large arear* practically locked up from settleant for tbs want of them. We also pointed oat that large earns of money bad been expanded in surveys, plant. Ac., aod that asandsloos breaches of faith would be com

milted with those who had consented to lesvj rates it these rosds were not carried forwarc to oompletioo. Nothing would do them km the repeal of the Bonds and Bridges Act. Ic this they were backed np strongly by Uessn Stoat and Vogel, and in many ways these twc gentlemen who undertook to award the land showed their otter ignorance of the working of the act they were so anxious to destroy Vogel for instance told a deputation from tb< Local Bodies Conference which waited on him that Manawatn County had £50,000 under the aet, while the fact was they bad only £23,000 That Wsirarapa East had £46,000 while they only had £90,861. That this county had had £13,600 while we had only £7371. They thus showed their utter want of knowledge of the working of the act—that in fact all they were anxious about waa to comply with the demands of the South, no matter at what expense and Inaa to the North. But let os bare a look at what they proposed to pot in its plsce. They hare all along profesaed loudly to be a Govt, of colonisation—let ua see how they proposed to carry it ont Simply by nothing more or leas than the system of subsidies in proportion to rates which were before so universally eon damned throughout New Zealand. Can you conceive anything mors absurd than to land Government assistance for the opening out of new roads npon the amount of rates raised for the repairs of old ones ? The bill at intro 1 need, proposed to grant £300,000 per annum lor no lest tuan twentyfive years, and not only that, but gave power to borrow on the security of these subsidies—a power extending to the enormous sum of six or •area millions, and it was also provided that intersat could be p*id lor two or three years oat of the money so borrowed. In order farther to reader the scheme as attractive as possible the Government had an estimate made of amounts that would be payable to each local body and circulated it throughout the colony. This estimate I have taken the trouble to find would give about £21,000 more to the booth Island than to the north, and to give you an instance of how utterly Ulanited the subsidy upon rate aystem is to the real wants of the colony, I will give yon an instance. The County ol Selwyn U a large one and covers the beautifully roaded and cultiTated district which surrounds Christchurch in avery direction. I know of no district iu the Colony to compare with it—so well pronded with roads is it that during the three year* that the Koads and Bridges Construction Act was in operation, they found r “ D, T U to the modest sum ol Llol. This in spite of the fact that the Government found L 3 loi Ll out ol the snm lor nothing. And what do yon think this favoured County was set down to receive under the new BUI according to the list ol i »P<>ken ? Tne modest sum ol LlO.Oft). A Coanty severed with a net-

work of wide well made roads—road* of a width and style ol which there U no example at all u this district, and yet to have -T”?. *"*• 01 Llo '°oo to be literally wasted while settlement in other districts ““ “ * e , kao *’ **** «i9»d lor years for (die want of roads to pet produce to market. Ttus gentlemen, is the Colonising Govern“£?'government which sympathisers with the struggling settler. and this is an example ol the way in which they show it. 1 certainly admit their koow'e ige of how to colonise the Government bei 'iu.». and ol how to distribute the loavaa and lisoes in order to keep their seaU there, but as to colonisation in ite true sense, not a single member oI the Government has Had * n y experience whatever in that direction, and they simply know nothing about it. The House, as a whole—even a great many ol their own supporters-realised this at once with regard to this Bill. and Moated its turn provisions utterly. They threw out clauses. they mutilated the Bill m ait directions, and in the end it came out ol committee with Us twentyfive years ol subsidies cut dowo to su months and with only nine clauses left out of fifty-seven. The goldfields members are the sturdy beggars of the House, and unless their demands are satisfied they immediately take up an attitude ol obstruction to all business. It would consequently never have done to ignore them in the Bill w « therefore a nice little item of £3OOO each annually lor eleven of them set down, but to be payable to them absoutely without any reference as to whether they rated themaelves or not. The rest of the colony wag to be mulcted in this sum whether the goldfields themselves contributed nr not. It was all in vain, however ; the H use remorselessly threw the item out. I have now shown that the House-even their own supporters— scouted their local government scheme, but they take great credit lot having repealed the Roadi aiid Bridges Act. In doing that I venture to state tbst they have done a great wrong in many instances. Urey have repudiated promises under which a great many people consented (o iate themselves for a period of years, and now they have stopped these roads without retaining lor the rates thus unjustly v** last aim west coast bailwat. Prominently amongst the features of the k** een the now famous ****..**? Uoast Bailway; and as the fineskwn u apparently as hr off from settleWmM #?w, l think it is my duty to explain •otnal petition, the 1 J“PP« to know the 2£.l‘£il°«“p T The Wellington and know iLS^? 7 “• M some of yon STf n,0toB « railway under an £ «*’• Uud to th! Hm** th “ll ooet of thl WM *lMtod one ol 9 i^tch nr oh largely <m the 10 obtain ** cShtohLh h^ t b°“hl iajL’a ■*!»■*» ■ Pr * TIOMI J r b«wi appointed to ,* l>d 10 « V «J caae their although in the *•** oi om if tbs* oommiasious the nemhers

were all Christchurch men, and who would have reported favorably if they touM Christchurch had, however, set i:s bean upon getting this line consti acted, und the Government introduced u Bill last session but one to effect their purpose. In my place in the House I denounced the Bill as a most iniquitoas one, offering as it did a concession in land of a million and a quarter acres, and providing also that the Government shonld work the line at a yearly loss to the country, which was estimated by Mr Maxwell, the General Manager of Railways, at from L9OOO to L 42000, while the constructing Company would pocket from four and a half to eight and a half per cent interest. The Government during their first session had such a majority at their back that they were able to carry almost anything, and they carried this Bill, bat the Legislative Council did thoroughly good work by throwing out a good many of its most objectionable provisions. In due time during last recess a provisional contract was made with the Government by the Christchurch and Nelson people interested, and the notorious Meiggs' proposals were the outcome of the London negotiations by the Christchurch and Nelson syndicate. The Meigg's proposals shortly were not only tu bag the million and a quarter acres of land, but that the colony should guarantee L 97000 a year, being 2 j*,on nearly Lt,000,000 of money, but also any deficiency if the line did not pay working expenses. And what did the Government do upon getting this monstrous proposal —to saddle the colony with an enormous burden equal to l-3rd of s Jd property tax on the whole colony. Soontod it indignantly, yon will say. Not a bit of it. Sir J. Vogel in a speech to the House strongly recommended them as being mueh more advantageous to the Colony than construction by borrowed money would be, and gave notice of resolution to accept the proposals. They soon found, however, that they would gst defeated if they pressed the question, and they then proposed a committee to consider the question, but the House, much to their disgust, would have neither Meiggs nor a conmittee. The next move was to put £150,000 on the estimates in order to get the thin end of wedge in, and so commit the country. It was, of course, a silly proceeding, and the House threw this out as they did the other. Knowing the country, ae I have already said, and having now had nearly 30 years’ experience iu connection with land in various parts of tbs Colonies, you will naturally ask wnether in my opinion the land is worth taking a line through it. The demand of Messrs Meiggs and Co., of £97,000 of a guarantee is sufficient proof of what they thinks of it, 1 know the land to be neatly all perfectly worthless and barren for settlement, pastoral, agricultural, or otherwise. It is nearly all covered with dense bush and all attempts to grow anything after clearing have been universal failures. With 25,000 of a consuming population in the several districts, the Crown, in over 20 years, has been able to sell only about 7000 acres. What reasonali,u ur >u would wish for more evidence than this ? But what, you will say, about the coal and timber. We have granted large concessions to the Harbor Board at Greymouth and Westport, which it is hoped will result in deep water harbors at both places. With the steep grades necessary to carry it over the backbone of N.Z., can a railway compete with water carriage ? The thing is ridiculous and the same thing is true as to timber carriage.

PROTECTION, sir Julius Vogel hates the word -would have it pro scribed and banished out of the language—and make me instead „f four ama'l words, Live and Let Live He tells us in one of his speeches that one reason why we should submit with a good grace to a heavier prutective.tanA IS that we pay at the present time les per head through the Customs than we did in 1870 and dividing the total amount of Customs by the papula tion, claims I ha, be has proved his case’ Now some neople might honestly believe thet betas done so, bn i will not do Sir Julius the injustice to think thet hidoes not know much better. On the contrary, lam satisfied that he doss know much belter, and I accuse him of deliberately attempting to mislead, for his ow.i selfish purposes, those he addressed on the occasion Let us lake the c ase of candles for instance as an illustration—an article used by every class of the cotnmunitr. W* all know that Victoria is a great protectionist country, and a few years ago the duly on candles was fixed at such a high rate that presently all the candles used in Victoria were made there—imported candles being shut out altogether. Acoordin - to Sir Juliu. Vogel’s argument, no Customs bein' paid, the people were paying no taxes whatever oil candles Is thi-so? These Victorian manufacturers presently found they were making more candles than they could sell locally and they had to get rid ef the sarplus somewhere New South Wales waa the nearest market, but candles were selling there at Sd whereas they were charging 9d to their own people in’ Victoria But sooner than lower the price at home below 91in fact they conlda’t afford to sell below th.it—(her paid carnage and commission and sold in N S W at si. Exactly on the same principle on which the Louden fishmonger destroys his fish sooner than sell be.ow his arbitrary price. Every candle consumer in freetrade N 8 ff. thus had his candles at Bd, while everybody in Victoria had to pay a penny more—and yet there was nothing paid through the Customs to general revenue. Into whose pockets then did it go ? Into those cf the manufacturers, who employed about 600 people a’together to make the whole of the candles required. In other words, a trade employing only a very few people-clearly unprofitable in itself or it would need no protection-waa bolstered np by a tax on every man who burnt a candle. And so we nave it here aa to the 15 soap and candle factories we have in N Z„ employing by the laet returns 103 men, and with a capital invested of £33,000. I can get no information aa to the quantity of candles produced by these 15 factories, hut there can be no doubt that it is considerable and that we really pay the duty of IJd on them equally as upon those imported from England or elsewhere 1 hare thus shown you that Sir J. Voxel's statement is altogether erroneous and not worthy of consideration. And so with regard to every other article upon which it is found necessary to impose a protective duty before it can be profitably produced The consumer has to pay an enhanced urice in proportion to the duly whether he uses the ;local manufacture or not, and for my part I will never be a party to a protective policy which is bound to increase the cost of living to every inhabitant of the country, and consenusntly prevents our producers from being able to compete in the markets of the world to the best advantage. I have every sympathy with local industries which are evidently suitable to the circumstances of the country I h*fo for iaalance, as you know sud ported to my utmost the two dairy faotoriea we’have in the district because it is au industiy which needs no bolstering up, and which is bound to succeed despite the initial difficulties which are always met with in the establishment of every new industry. We are told by some that because prices iu England for all our Staple products are low that we ought to cultivate a locsl market. A local market is undoubtedly better than a distant cue, but who have we ever found to benefit from seeking the impossible. Can any of you suppose for a moment that in our time we can find a local market for all our am plus wheat, our wool and our other various articles of produce ? Has America after K i years ol protection, dating from the rime of Washington, been able to find a local market for a tithe of her produce? Is not the value of her wheat her Ivet and mutton and her dairy produce as strictly regulated by the daily telegrams of London prices a] ours Is ? Any business man will tell yon that it is and must be SO, and that we should only be handicapping all our best and most natural industries to an enormous extent it we adopted the exploded policy of I rotectioii America has long been cited as the exampie of successtul protection, but all her thoughtful men have new come to the conclusion that it has been a huge mistake, and the causes of distress amongst the working men there hiving been recently enquired into by a commission, they have reported that prelection is do.ug enormous injury to the country and advitean immediate return to free »ade We have atoo 5 ictoria held up as a bright example of what can be done by the adoption of protection, but the facts undoubtedly prove that her Hee trade rival New Sooth Wales is rapidly distancing her in every important direc.ion. In population she is gaining on her verv rapidly and wib very soon surpass her, and I will,mote you statistics to show that inatead of settliua her population on her country lands, Victoria is bet crowding them into Melbourne and her other towns tbua aruflciallv developing the evils that are so much deplored in the Old Country. In 1577 her country population exceeded that of the towns by 18 (joo In load the position waa reversed with a vengeince and no l» ih P °f-'•.‘T* “ t * ed <' d that of the country by no let* than 1(8,V ). I say this, gentlemen that we especially, m ibe country districts, should be no m*. D ! * ut ', h i K,llc - v “ tlu *. l! “t on the contrary Mifi 1 11 *° ,he “'most and struggle oanUnd the Queen of Nation, and float, her ev^ o| 1 ?h fl «Tf* r . de ®“ ~ ul l y with ‘ he ol the federation of the oolonies Mid the ralttuteere, expressing bis opinion that the TT" Do ‘ ye ‘ "P? tor the purpose of S»ai'.i“ i ip ? ke m eologistio terms of the colonial volunteers. He also took no tha subject of District Railways, Csptain Bussell's Nortll bl “ d Trunk Se Land, the San Francisco Mail Service. Bortowmg and Finance, rihaicable Aid and Hospitals. In order that oar readers may have the report verbatim, w. have bOIJ oTer tb ««« subjects, which will appear in ear next. Mr Buchanan finished his speech amid great applause.

Mr Moms asked Mr Buchanan if he disagreed with the 9 miles ol railway through the Waimate Gorge, and received an answer satisfactory to the meeting. Ur CaUutet asked tl the member was is

favour of taking off the tariff on foreign timber. Mr Buchanan replied tl.at he was not prepared to go that length in the way of free trade at present, as it might at the present time be unfair to those who had invested in the trade in all directions in the Colony. He also informed Mr Callister that he was in favour of encouraging local industries by way of bonuses, as new industries have to meet might with great difficulties and might require temporary snpport. Mr Driscoll asked a question re, poor rates which evoked great mirth. Mr Armand Bennett also essayed to ask some questions, but the meeting was not inclined to hear him. A cordial vote of thanks was unanimously passed to Mr Buchanan, amid much applause, also a vote of thanks to the Chairman, after which the meeting, which was a large and orderly one, dispersed.