THE PREMIER AT WELLZNGTON

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1247, 7 May 1884, Page 2

THE PREMIER AT WELLZNGTON

Major Atkinson addressed a crowded meeting at the Wellington Thsatiw Royal last night, there being also a large number of ladies present in the dress circle. The chair was taken by Mr John Dnthie, .and amongst thosooresont on! the stage were the Hons. Dick, and Oliver. The Premier on[flming forward was received with applause. He commenced by expressing the pleasure he felt in ad-* dressing a Wellington audience in response to the requisition he had received. He said he had endeavored to select a few subjects for that evening which had opt ! been fnlly gone into previously. - Up to the present time there had not been any strict party lines in New'Zo»l«n<3, at any rate since the abolition of the provinces, but it was necessary that men should follow some broad line of policy. There were at present three parties in Parliameat, consisting of the Government party, he ptrty led by Sir George Grey, and another led by Mr Montgomery. The difference, between Sir George Grey and Mr Montgomery was as wide ns the difference between either of them, and the Government. Sir George Grey wav really master cf the situation, and without him Mr Montgomery dare not move in any direction. Mr Montgomery had now unfurled his banner, which was the separation of the colony. Last session Mr Montgomery introduced certaftr separation proposals, but he was careful not to give the House any details of.the scheme. When the Public Works policy was first introduced it was on the distinct understanding that there was to be a main trunk line of railway through the colony. The people in the North island were now told hy Mr Montgomery, when contending for the fulfilment of the pledge, that they were milking the South Island. He (the Premier) wna confident that the people of New Zealand would always be in favor of a united colony. He. then went into the question of the Properly Tax v. the In* come Tax, at considerable length. He said the large property holders paid a great deal more under the Property Tax than they would under a shilling income Tax. There was a very heavy Land'Tax iii the colony at preaent-by the imposition of three farthings in the pound under the Property Tax: He thought it was manifestly unjust to impose an unfair tax upon a very large class of struggling settlers. The imposition of a land tax also meant the confiscation of so much land of the present holders of it. He could not for a moment believe that the colony would ever agree to a land tax being imposed while they had already got the best tax that could be levied on the people in the shape of the property tax. He' held, with all the Liberal statesmen in England, that the land belonged to the peoplw of the country, and if it were found that large estates were detrimental to the community he was sure Parliament would find some means to remedy the matterl I The maintenance of hospitals and dhariU able aid were also subjects that necessarily occupied a good deal -of attention at present. He thought that if they adopted a poor rate they would simply be introducing a race of paupers, it was reasonably that the poor should be supported out of the general revenue of the colony, hot that was not expedient at present His waa certain they would yet have to come to national insurance ; that, was his spioiQh ? but he thought they .would have* tofoljojf the lines of the friendly societies in this respect. National insurance could never be brought into operation until it was demanded by an overwhelming majority of the people. If those present did not like national insurance, let them invent some other scheme,* for the whole matter would very shortly have to be dealt with, * He hoped Parliament would say to various local bodies that they must half the funds for the maint»»f n ®« of h°spi* i tals and charitaW*-' * lcl, “• thought tha Joml podiea should contribute something to the fund from the publicans* and other licenses which they receive. The Premier then went into the land question at some length, especially the relations of landlords and tenants. The people of the colony, he thought, should endeavor to devise some general tenure of land which would be beneficial to all parties. With reference to land still in the hands of the natives, consisting of thirteen or fourteen millions of acres, they must, during next session, either resume the pre-emptive right or throw the land open for anybody to purchase it. The Government had, therefore, determined that the only legitimate way of dealing with the matter was to resume the pre-emptive right. He wa* sorry to observe that the question of federation had not been received with much favor in the colony, but heoonsidertd it was’well worth the attention’ of the elect tots.' He hoped toaddrets them fully‘on this subject' before the Vesrioh 'opened! The late Conference considered that tha only way to sneah' to thy Imperial Government with a united vdiiie wan by paor iug the Bill brought before it which eaoq - Minister promised i® bring before tpri? respective Parliaments. It was also felt that the British 0 vorutnant would listen to the reptesentatioqs of three^oUUont

of «o?onww with twemy millions of revenue' sooner than to the vdce ox a •ingle oclooy. The Premier next >«■ ferred to the present _ position of the colony as compared with that of 1870, and said that notwithstanding all the borrowing! the taxation at present was even less than in that year. He thought it was a very gratifying f&ot that the dnty on spirits had lately fallen very considerably. Major Atkinson concluded by stating that the present Government was practically the same as that of 1879, hut with a different Premier. The Government of 1879 bad to face an enormous deficit. They had to restore the credit of the colony in London, to carry on public works, to reduce the Civil Service expenditure, and to imp se taxation cn the people, all of which had been done by the present Ministry. He ventured to say that no Government in t.hio country or any other bad »more difficult task to perform, aud it would be for the electors of " the colony to decide during the coming eleetioti how. they had accomplished it. He had full faith that the electors would return honest and competent menders to the House, who would carry out the views that they had dete mined should rale henceforth. The Premier resumed his scat sihidst loud cheers. A number of unimportant questions were put, end 1 replied to, by Mf jor Atkin- > son. Mr Hutchison, who received a somewhat noisy reception, came forward, and congratulated the meeting on the patient and decorous recaption accorded the Premier, and asked that the •aua eourtasy be extended on future ocoaaiona when the electors would b j invited to hear the other side of the question. A vote of thanks to the Premier, maved by Mr Plimmer, and seconded by Mr T. McKenzie, was then put and carried unanimously. The meeting closed with a vote of to the chairman.