POST-SESSIONAL UTTERANCES.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XX, Issue 5746, 16 October 1885, Page 2

POST-SESSIONAL UTTERANCES.

Mr Biiudß at Marton.

La^t evening the 'member for Rangitikei addressed his constituent* in the Foresters' Hall, Morton, A large audience assembled to hear his account of his stewardship, amongst those preseut being a number of ladies. At a few minutes after the bom announced (7 30), the chair was taken by the Mayor of Marion, on the motion ot" Mr Milne. The Chairman bespoke for Mr Bruce a patient hearing, and without further remark called on the member for the district to address them.

Mr Bruce, on rising, was received with applause. He at ones plunged into his account of the session's doings, prefacing his remarks by thauking those present for their attendance. He knew, he said, that his actions had not met \\ iih general approval, but he thought he would be able to show that he had endeavoured to act in the interests not of one clas3, but of all classes, knowing that j the interests of all were inseparable. The sesbioa lately terminated had been a very eventful one from the large quantity of important legislation brought down by the Government, and for the rejection of some o£ the moat important measures as well as successive defeats of the Ministry — defeats which uudfr ordinary circumstances would have been tantamount to votes of want o£ confidence, ide had told them on a previous occasion that the policy of the Government was Vogel'j policy, and such it would continue so long as Vo^ei remained in the Cabinet. It was not, as had been tsaid, Vogel's with the brack of his colleagues on, but Vogel's with the brack of the House. After deprecating the custom of a G jvernment bringing down so many important measures m one session, as had beeu done this year, tending to hasty and imperfect legislation, Mr Brace went on to refer to some of the most important measures of the session. First he referred to the Financial Statement and. tariff proposals. The former was, from some poiuts of view, an able one ; the latter said to freetraders "We put on this tariff for revenue purposes," while to protectionists it said " Ideie you are, this will suit you." He, with several other freetraders, became alarmed at a policy which proposed to increase the taxation of the colony £250,000 by protective duties. They believed that these duties would have pressed heavily on the poorer classes of the community, and thought that if iucceised taxation had to be resorted to it should have been in the direction of increasing the Property Tax, The ■ uv. turnout j'ri'posals were defeated, and this formed their first great defeat of the session. Many thought they fahould have re&igucd then, but he did not think co himself. Referring next to the

LOCAL BODIKS FINAisCK POWERS ElLt,

Mr Bruce said that the Government had in tilt; previous session promised to bring down a groat scheme of local Government. He, for one, had not expected that there would be any great improvements on the present or lather lale byati-.m. He was not, however, going lo give the measure the unqualified condemnation that some had done. 1 he greatest fault of the bill, he considered, lay in the borrow ing pow er it gave to local bodies. Mr Bruce then nave a nummary of leading points of the bill, which he said might bint M me outiyirjg districts? very well, but it would give rise to extravagance all over the colony. It had bceu alleged in the House that the local bodies would have given them power to borrow 7i millions, but that was not his own opinion, as he did not believe they could go into the market on the same favorable terms that the Government did. The most important clause in the measure was that repealing the Hoards and Bridges Construction Act. In reference to the Jatter he said that he considered it an honest att< mpt at the solution of the great problem, the colonisation of ttiis colony. The Act, however, was only a tentative one, as it provided only for sub&idies for six months Details of the bill as it aflected the various classes of local bodies %veie given, and MiBruce went on to the HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE INSTITOTIONS BILO,

which he said he considered an honest attempt to grapple with a very difficult question. 'he details of the measure in this instance were also entered into at length, and tho speaker then proceeded to state that while it had much to recommend it, theie was also much in it he could not approve of> He believed that under it the maiutenance of the sick and poor would fail with undue weight on the large cities. They appeared to gravitate in the direction of centies of population rather than remain in. the country. The act, however, was at least woith a trial, Ihe next measure dealt with was

THE LAND BILL

which in Mr Brace's estimation was ono of the most imf ortant and useful measures introduced during the session. It was principally a consolidating Aofc, and contained some improvements on previous measures. One of tl c most important of these was the extrusion of the homestead system to all parts of the colony. .Another improvement was that giving Waste Lauds Boards power to relax the regulations as to residence. The alteraticoi of the system of putting up the Crown Lands to the ballot system instead of of by auction, had his support. With regard to settlement he would like to &cc the three systems adopted, cash, deferred payment, and leasing, as by these means they would get the rich and poor mixed up together. It was becaube the special settlements did not provide for this that he was inclined to think thsy Avould fail, lie believed that Mr a3 Minister for Lands deserved a great deal of credit for the energy he had diaplayed in opening up the lands of the colony for settlement No one could gainsay that, everyoue in the House gave him that credit. While approving of his land policy he could not approve of his proposed method of disposing of native landa.He ( Mr Bruce) could not speak with any great authority on native matters, but he had been told by such men us Mr Donald Fraser, of Rangitikei, th.it the system would be absolutely ua workable; and further, that it was in reality playing into the hands of the very land rings that Mr Ballauce waa co anxious to avoid. j".s a Native Minister, he had been svid by some to be a complete failure ; by otheia he had been termed a complete success, probably the truth lay between the two. The Maoris in Wellington had told him (Mr Bruce) that they were well satisfied wi h Mr Balance's policy, and perhaps after Mr Bryce'sufc had a soothing effect. Mr Bruce next referred. in passing, to the Mortgage Debentures and Licensing Bills and the Fisheries Kncouragement Act. With regard to the Licensing Bill, he approved ot giving each adult, male and female, a vole oa licensing matters. On the last mentioned measure ho placed great importance, recognising that the defence of the colony would have to reiy in the future greatly on fche hardy races round our coasts.

FEDERATION was next dealt with. Mr Bruce did not think that Imperial federation was a tenable ideal, but Australasian federation was practicable, and absolutely necessary in the position the colonies were fast taking up. The

WANGANPI HABBOR BATING BILL was dealt with at great length, Mr Bruce going back to the bill introduced two sessions ago, anl tracing his actions since thai; time. In the first measure only a small portion of the Kaugitikei constituency had been included, and Mr Bryce contended that in order to be fair it should include a much larger portion. Mr Bruce had agreed with him, because he held that wherever auy district benefited by certain expenditure, it should contribute to that expenditure, but he objected to the inclusion of a large portion of his district till he knew how his constituents felt on the maiter. He therefore fought Mr Bryce strongly in the House and in committee. He had been examiued before a committeee of the Upper House on the maiter, and there he again admitted that a considerable portion of Rangitikei would be benefited by the meafeuie, but he still protested against ita inclusion until his coufatitutj.. ; had expressed their opinion. Ho was a^ked for hia own private opinion, and gave it in favor of the bill. Last session Mr BaKance had brought down a measure which included a large por« tion of Kangitikei. Before going to Wellington he (Mr Bruct) had taken the trouble to ascertain the relative cost of conveyiug produce to Wellington via Foxton by rail direct, and via Wauganui, when to his surprise he found the former the cheaper (if the

Qrvitvs supplied him wi re correct, and he hd reason to believe they Mere.) The posit. oa wna then altered, and aa he found tho opinion of Ratiuitikci was airaiuat the meusiuu, ho woiktd against it. He did not preaS for a division r.u tho second reading, bec-uue Mr Bryce said it would be (f no use, ho would have sm ill a following. He got some of the members of tho Upper Mouse to read the Hansard report of hiß speech on the secoud reading, and before the second reading cam« on in the Council he was told that even if it pissed that reading the Rangitikei district would not be included. Thi3 waa the full exce.it of his action in the matter, and he contended that he had nothing to be ashamed or, After referring to tho vote he hrtd given against the Kast and West Coast Railway proposals, Mr Bruce went, on to speak of

Atkinson's vote vf no confidence

which, he said, was necessitated by the nuncber of wild schemes mooted by Sir Julius Vogeh Ifc was suggested that either Montgomery, Ormond, or Bryce should bring down a motion. The two former declined, and tho latter would not cuafroh the reins fi\>m the iead,er whom he had followed so long. Major Atkinson consequently brought down his first resolution, which was to curtail the expenditure to one million a year, Mr Stout took it a^ a vote of no confidence, though he (Mr Bruce) did not wi3h him to taks it as such, and the Government escaped defeat by lour votes, '1 he next btep was

CAPTAIN KU£SIlL'u'S KESOU7TION

to reduce the expenditure by half a million. LJe (Mr B) wa3 not aware that the reboluticn wab to be moved until an hour before Captain Kuosell moved it. He had heaid that it was said in the district that Messrs Atkinson and Bryce had brought pressure to bear ou him to vote in its favour, but this w,is absolutely unttuo. He voted for the resolution, and he would give them his reasons. Though not an alarmist or croakur, he must say that he had come back irom Wellington rather alarmed at the financial position of the colony. At present he believed it was sending out four millions steiliug for interest on public and private debts, and the total value of its exports wos little over 7 millions. The revenue was little ever 3 millions, and it was, in a sense, fulling. Worse than all, wool was falling, and he did not believe ifc was likely to rise agiin. Our indebtedness per head was more lhan double that of any .Australasian colony, being £58, while the next was only £24. Our debt was rapidly appi caching 35 millions, and this, with about half a million of population, of whom only one hundred and fifty thousand were made adults. This was a serious financial position, and every fresh million borrowed added £50,000, at least, to the annual liabilities of the colony. It had been alleged that the reduction of expenditure would be the means of throwing a great many working so men out of employment. He did not think or he would not have voted for it. Mr Bruce here rea I an extract from a speech on the subject by Mr f-olmes, whom he described as the foremost working man's candidate in the ricuse. Those who voted in favor of the reduction were threatened with political extinction, and the view he took was this — they fahould do their duty whether they were politically extinguished or not. It they were so extinguished they could go back to their farms again. For his own part he would rather go to sea again and wotk before the mast than^sacrifice his principles for the sake of a seat in the House.

CENTBAL LT>E.

He had been bold that he would find his action in this matter rather difficult to explain, but he thought he never had an easier to answer. Some people were apt to forget, if they ever knew, the trouble he had taken last year in reference to the Central Railway. He would ask them what waß the argument he had brought before the House and before them ; was it not that they were not making that railway to connect two centres of population situated on the extremities of the line, but to open up and develop the resources of the interior ? If that railway was to have been made merely as a connection between Auckland and Wellington they would never have got the Central Line Where, he would ask, was the land that should be settled by it ? Had they got it yet ? or were they likely to get it within reasonable time ? He said they were not,and if any candid person would read MrOrmond'a speech he would see there what Wahanui said about the land. When asked about the land that was to be given along the line, he said, "What laud?" That waa the firßt he had heard about their wanting land. When asked what he thought the line was for, he said merely to take people from Auckland to Wellington. If they wanted land they could take away the line, as the Maoris did not want it. Under these circumstances he asked whether any true colonist would advocate that railway merely to benefit the Maoris to the extent of two or three millions. Merely as a connection be« tween the two centres the line would not pay for the grease used on its wheels. Mr Bruce here read some extracts from a speech made by Mr Fergus to show that if they went on with that line before getting any land, they would be guilty of a distinct breach of faith with Southern members, who had understood that land was to be acquired. Mr Fergus hail gone to him (Mr Bruce) and made the same remark, and in reply he had said that he would be guilty of no such breach of faith, and he did not expect that Rangitikei would expect him to vote for the prosecution of that line before they had acquired land along it. If the history of railways in this colony proved anything it proved the disability of any line made just to connect two centres to pay even the cost of working. If the liuo had been intended only to serve that purpose the committee whioh selected the line would have chosen the Stratford route as costing less money, while if they had been asked to decide whether the line should go on before a certain amount of land had been accquired they would never have consented until they knew that this had been done. He said this that if he had voted for the prosecution of that railway faster than we could acquire land along 'he line he would have been guilty of a distinct breach of faith with these Southern members. He had also been blamed for the second contract on the line not being let, whereas he had been under the apprehension, till he reached Marton, that the contract had been let. There were still £130,000 on the estimates for the prosecution 01 that railway, and although he had had a telegram from the Minister of Public Works stating that the liabilities covered the whole of that he did not believe it was so. (A voice: " Figure it np yourself.") The Minister would, no doubt, endeavour to show liabilities for one year that would take three to do. With re« gard to the remarks that had been mado regarding himself on this matter he felt rather sore, because they knew that had he been inclined to consider his own personal interests he would have voted for this line, which would have provided him with an outlet, he having at present only a bad road to bis place. Aa to the non« letting of the contract he agreed with Mr Fisher that it was done to punish those who voted against the Government. It waa the doing of the Minister for Public Works ; he felt sure the Premier would never sanction such a proceeding for a moment. If be had voted for the expenditure on the railway, it would have in no way affected the resolution, whereas ifc would have placed him and placed Rangitikei in a very humiliating position, he had been complimented for his action by some of the best men in the Honae, amongst them Mr Montgomery, who said that he had acted nobly. The

PUBLIC WORKS POLICY

came next under review. He did not believe that Sir J. Yogel nor any other man could lift this colony out of its financial difficulties. It was for the people themselves to do that, but unfortunately, the Public Works Policy had demoraliced the people of the colony, and taught them to kok to the Government for everything instead of helping themselves, It was a wicked thing for a Government to delude a country into the belief that it could, with a wave of ita magic wand, banish depression and bring in prosperity. If a Government administered the finances economically, that was all that waa required from it, the people themselves must do the rest. Referring next to THE MINISTRY.

Mr Bruce, as an opposition member, said that the Mini<stiy had L&ea. severely condemned for not reßipniug, but he was not incliued to swell ,the chorus. He 4rau inoliaed

to say with Mr McKenzie, "Keep the Ministry in but their measures out." He had no doubt that that was the feeling of the majority of the members of the House, and - this the Ministry knew, or they would have resigned. There waa the strongest feeling against the return of Major Atkinson, and ho himself bad told Atkinson that he did not wish to see him back in power. He (Mr Bruce) bi lieved thit patriotism and ability were to be found in tho Government, but their usefulness was much impaired by the speculative suhem<>s of the Colonial Trea=urer. He belieN ed thut the middle party would soon form a Miuistiy and take the reins. In reference to tnis he would say that he believed that party could furnish a Government as able as that now on the benches. He would intstaucu as men who might form an able Government Messrs MacKeuzie, Menteath, Fi&hcr, Richrdson, Lake and Garrick. He would be glad to follow any Ministry which appeared to him to have at heart the welfare of tha colony, and would carry out its policy in an economic manner, not spending more than a million a year on public works. In CONCLUSION.

Mr Bruce said that he was perfectly well aware that his actions had not met with universal approval, but he could only say this that in every case he had been actuated by a desire to give his vote for the welfare of all classes. lie had no axe to grind, but his highest aim was to represent Rangitikei with honor, if not with ability. If Rangitikei was dissatisfied with his action they would very soon have the opportunity t'» £.'ive piaccical proof of their dissatisfaction by relegating him again to the obscurity of the bu-.h at Paraekaretu, and sending someone else to represent them in Wellington. Mr Bruce resumed his seat amidst applau-e In answer to a question Mr Bruce stated thut the jßoads and Biidges Construction Act had been repealed, but the present liabilities would be aati&fied.

Mr Milne (County ch;>iumn), "proposed a vote of thanks and coi fiueuce. 'I his was seconded by Air Win. Hammond and carried, although a large number did not vote. The meeting then teimiuated with a vote of tha ks to the chairman.