THE PREMIER AT DUNEDIN

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1599, 2 July 1887, Page 3

THE PREMIER AT DUNEDIN

.: Ditnedin, July 1. The ' Premier addressed a crowded audience at the Princess Theatre this evening, Mr Leary, the Mayor, being m the chair. Both the body of the Theatre and the 'stage were crowded, a Inige proportion of those m the circle being ladies. The Premier was received with cheers. He expressed regret at the announcement that Mr Montgomery bad decided to retire from public life. He commenced by referring to the figures which he had quoted to show the reduction m expenditure by Government, saying those -given by him were absolutely correct, nnd his critics were wrong. lie then proceeded to give the history of -politics for the past seventeen years, and he wished to show that, though charged with, he still advocated the views he did then. Those who were now denouncing Sir Julius Yogel were those 'who m the day a of the public works Srticj had most strongly supported.it. c traced the history of the public works policy leading to the abolition ©£ the Provinces, dealing largely with the land question and warning his hearers that they would see again ,» renewal or the agitation on this question m connection with the leases of runs la Canterbury next year, a thing which, . &a said* accounted for many thiDgs which were not at present dear. The next subject dealt with was the land question. T H? claimed to be tha first who proposed m the colony the perpetual leasing system, which was scouted when he brought it forward m the Provincial , Council . He regretted that it had not ;i b4en Introduced into the colony long •go, m which case the colony Would fiave been better ofl\ He also spoke of 4hm aoocess of the small run system, and explained the village settlement scheme, justifying the liabilities Incurred m conoeotlon therewith, and stating that the State was getting 5 per cent for the money - advanced. He then quoted flCAtistiosto show that last year they had jwtttad more people on the land than m any two years befora. The colony' could not go ahead without settle* vent. The next question was how to get along with our public works. No one was more against borrowing than he was, and he* repeated what he said at inveroarglli that borrowing must be reduced. .Country people must do with leas conveniences, and Government proposed 1 -to construct : the necessary roads, public faulldiogi and other works, outßide railways, **f extending the liability over 25 ye»r» # by deferred annuities, as it was sot fair to burden a future generation with debt for the construction of these works. As to railways the report of the legislative Council hst year showed thaf, if all the lines necessary for the next £0 years were constructed, the whole cost would Eotpxoeed £2,000,000, and even at pressnt rates the lines would produced per cent. A loan for this could easily be floated, if it was known on the London msrkqt, as it would be, that this was the Jimit of borrowing. If that moderate policy were carried out, the colony would gala enormously, as it would assist the eetttatftnt of the land, and thousands of -families vonld be permanently benefited. Regarding the depression, he laid that all frera more or U&m to blame for it, but they pinsV remember that m other places the depression was worac. He believed that if tfc«y wete true, careful, aad prudent, ' Individually, and m the Government, they bad ss bright if not brighter days m store m the future than m the past. He then want on to treat of the education question, arid concluded by warning them that, if tfiey listened to those who were the enem.'es of th« education, sjetem they were for playing iaio the, J&ands of those who would Seep the pooifWsf^ys as hewers of wood acid drawers of water. A. vote of thanks and confidence was proposed, bat there was such a bubbub and persistent demands for him to reply to questions, whtoh he declined to do tmtU ' addressing his constituents, that no one heard the terms of the vote.