POLITICAL REFORM ASSOCIATION.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1613, 19 July 1887, Page 2

POLITICAL REFORM ASSOCIATION.

A meeting of gentlemen favorable to the ' lormation of a Political Eeform Association ] was held m the Oddfellows' Hall last evening. ! There were about thirty present, and the ] jhair was taken by the Mayor, Mr T. Scaly. The Mayor explained that the meeting had ' been called to consider the question of form- ! ing a Politioal Reform Association for Ash- : burton. He regretted that, the attendance ' was not larger. He did not know all the I objects it was proposed the Association should ' work for, but these would be explained, no doubt, later on. The question of retrench- ' ment, he felt certain, would be a prominent ' plank m the Association's platform, and it was & question that was worthy of earnest consideration. Betrenohraenfc had beep preached a great deal of late years, and it ' was quite time it was put m practice. Although he oocupied the chair, he did so without identifying himself with the intentions of the Association till he knew more about them. He called upon Mr 0. W. Purnell to propose the first motion. Mr Purnell also regretted the smallness of the attendance. He thought this was m some measure due to the advertisement convening the meeting having been omitted from that evening's paper, but it would have been larger if the people took more interest m public affairs. The colony was at the present time m a moro critical condition than it had ever been m before, and if tbe constituencies did not at the approaching elections return members who would inßist on the government of th.c country being conducted on sound financial principles, and thorough retrenchment made, the result would be oppressive taxation and the retarding of the advancement of the country. Mr Purnell then moved the following resolution : — "That a Potitioal Eeform Association for the County of Ashburton be formed, and that the following be the objects of the Association : — l. To insist upon retrenchment m all departments of the public service, and to promote reform m the finances of the colony ; 2. To reduce the legislative expenditure; 3. To obviate as far as possible any neoessity for increased taxation ; 4. To resist further borrowing ; 5. To simplify the land ' laws of the colony so as to facilitate the settlement of the people upon the land ; 6. To advocate thorough retrenchment m the, department of eduoation ; 7. To secure reform m the administration of the railways ; 8. To oppose any furthet increase m existing customs duties, except for revenue purposes, as the present tariff may be deemed to afford ample assistance for the development of local industries ; 9. To secure the return to Parliament of members who may be relied upon to steadfastly and consistently give effect to these objects." He explained that the programme, was the same as that of the Christohuroh Association, with the exception of the clause dealing with education, which was here proposed to be subject to thorough retrenchment. The Association was independent of party. It s object was simply to establish and enforce the principles laid down m the motion. It w,ould effect much good m the way of eduoating people m political matters. It was amazing to find how little the majority of the people knew about the real financial state of the colony. Then, too, the Association would be a useful body m looking after the electoral rolls— in getting persons entitled to that privilege registered, and having the rolls purged of the names of persons having no right to exercise the privilege of voters. In the past genuine eleotors had had good cause to complain of the manner m which their votes had been nullified by the votes of persons who had had no right to be on the rolls. After a few further remarks Mr Purneil went on to deal with the question of finance, The public debc was £37.558,533, the annual charge upon which was £1,764,793. He referred to Sir Julius Yogel telling them m the Town Hall some years ago that he had a way of relieving taxation, which would enable them to borrow seven millions without any increased charge, •which way subsequently proved to be the seizure of the sinking fund; and to the fact that Sir J. Yogel had now been m office for three years, and the annual charges had increased to the extent of £200,000 a year. Last year there was a deficiency of £92,000. The deficiency would have been £197,000 but for a windfall of £104,000 of sinking fund. The treasurer began the year with this deficiency of £92,000. He proposed to call on the colonists to pay £325.090 additional taxation, £197,000 by means of customs duties and £75,000 property tax. It; was also proposed to pay £75,000 less subsidy to local bodies, which meant that the looal bodies would have to raise that amount by increasing their rates. When all this was done the Treasurer would not make both ends meet, he having made no provision for the deficiency of £92,000. In addition to what the Government proposed still further taxation was impending. The country had been accustomed to pay all sorts of charges out of loan that ought to have been paid out of ordinary revenue. As soon as borrowing was stopped these would have to be paid of revenue, and this meant more taxation. Then tbe colony had been committed to a million for the North Island Trunk Railway, the annual charge on which would be another £40,000, and then Sir E. Stout told them that two more millions were necessary for the Otago Central Eailway and railways north of Auckland . Suppose the country were prosperous, it was the duty of a Government to see whether increased taxation could be done without, and as matters now were any additional burden would be oppressive m the extreme. Mr Purnell referred to the opposition every motion brought forward m the direotion of retrenchment met with m the Hoase. At Auckland come time ago Sir J. Yogel spoke of retrenchment as a humbug, but subsequently when he saw the feeling of tho country, he proposed m his Budget to retrench to the extent of £20,000 m the Civil Service. That Budget the Ministry went to the country on, but Sir E. Stout, recognising that the people wanted thorough retrenchment said, at Dunedin, that he saw where another £100,G 00 could be Bayed. He could imagine no greater condemnation , of the Government than this statement of the Premier's. It meant that the Government had been ready to impo3s that much needless taxation. Sir E. Stout had declined to alter the eduoation vote m the smallest particular, but a large portion of the community believed that great savings could be made without impairing the efficiency of the education system. They could see by what Sir E. Stout had said m regard to additional savings what consistent pressure by the eleotors would bring about. But the Government must stand or fall by their Budget, and the members who had voted for them must do the same. It was true that all spoke of retrenchment now, but if the Government supporters had been m a majority m the Houße, the country would be now paying the inoreaßed taxation proposed m the Budget, and there would have been no appeal to the constituencies. Every Government supporter returned at the approaching elections would be cited as a proof of his oonstituenoy endorsing the Government's Budget proposals. He hoped all the. eleotors would grasp, this fact. Mr Pusnell rthen went on to indicate where he thought retrenchment oould be made. The Governor's salary and allowances, which last year were £10,493, might with advantage be reduced. Ministers he characterised as most extravagant. Their salaries m the aggregate were £9250, but these with travelling allowances, etc., last pear totalled £13,036. He thought the Ministers' salaries might be very property reduced by twenty-five per cent., and some restriction placed on their travelling allowmcos. Then, m the Legislature, the lonorarium was too large. £150 a year was luite sufficient, and the number of .members night; be properly reduced. Ho didn't see he use of the Native Department. This last year cost £33,836, and was this year set down for £24,828. Very large retrenchments might be made m the Education Department. If the school age were raised to seven years, it had been estimated £50,000 would be saved, and if a smali fee were charged above the Fourth Standard there would be a large saving, and he did not think the efficiency of the system would be impaired. The cost of education last year was £509,000, exolusive of £46,000 on school buildings. He thought that before very long they would have to revise the system of secondary education and make it more self-supporting. Something might be saved by reducing the salaries of the officers of the Legislature, such as the two Speakers, Chairman of Committees, etc, In addition to the public debt of £37,558,533, there was owing by local bodies £5,616,273. The private indebtedness on mortgage was £31,821,109, and the private indebtedness not scoured 'by mortgage, was £20,365,593, the total indebtedness being £95,361,528. How was it possible for the colony to be prosperous under that enormous debt ? Mr Purnell then went on to deal with the question oi t&e Customs duties, J3e said that to

hear Protectionists talk one would tbinfc there were no manufactures m this country, whereas it was remarked by all visitors that we had an unusally large number of industries m proportion to our population. These were industries that had established themselves without taxation. What the Government proposed to do was to (ax the farmers to make the experiment of establishing exotic industries. Then, again, what did the Protectionists propose to do with regard to establishing an export trade. We had not a large population here, and there waa not a very great field m Australia, while if we endeavored to compete witti the great producing countries of the world m their own markets, we should have to manufacture our goods as cheaply as they, and as the meohanios m those. J countries ware paid from Is 6d to 2s 6d a day, it would mean a corresponding re« ! duotion of wages here, which was a thing ha thought all should endeavor to avert. Ha thought industries should establish them* selves withaut the aid of protection. Great Britain, a Free Trade country, Btood at the. head of all nations m the matter of manufactures. Protection countries established industries by imposing a straight put tax upon consumers, while Free Tradtffiountriea established them without imposing a tax upon anybody. Mr Purnell, m conclusion, said that the prosperity or otherwise of the colony for many years to come depended on the voioe given by the constituencies at the forthcoming elections, and he thought an Association of the nature proposed would do excellent service by causing the people to reflect upon the seriousness of the position* Mr D. Williamson seconded the motion. He endorsed Mr Purnell's remarks m regard to the need for retrenchment, but he did not take a party stand! If he thought that by joining the Association he would- be precluded from supporting the present member for Ashburton, then- he would not join. That gentleman, might surely be allowed the sama privilege as the Premier, who had changed his mind to the tune of £100,000 r and alter his m regard to the customs tariff , whioh seemed to be the principal bone of contention before the country. However, he endorsed the main principles of the Association's platform, and thought members Bhould be called upon to give : them effect, la the past electors had not done their duty m returning the right men; they should send men who had a stake m the country, not mere talking machines and adventurers. They did not want men who went for the sake of the honorarium — that should be reduced so that it would be no inducement to adventurers to aspire to Parliament. He hoped- that m the next Parliament they would have a stable Ministry. For the last few years they had had a weak Government, which consequently had no power to retrench or do much, and whose existence dependodon a few hangers-on, who were ready to take the side which offered the most advantages. Not long ago they had an instance, where several North Bland members' votes were purchased by a Ministry, and these members made no seoret of the matter, but boasted of what they had obtained for their constituencies. They must have a Government with a strdng following, which, could afford to snap its fingers at these kind of members, and then they would have retrenbhmenVancl reform. Mr W. B. Mobs spoke at some length on the question of protective duties. He depreoated these being levied here, and said we would be m a bad state if the Old Country, which waa the market for our staple products, were to retaliate and impose duties on par wool, gratas and frozen meat. Besides; to impose proteo* tive duties would be to tax the majority lot the benefit of a very few. . '• Mr Gates advooated retrenchment, fid thought they should " sack " the Parliament; and appoint a board of management, with the Governor as chairman, to look after the, oolony for a few years. , . Mrß. Hughes agreed with the objects of the Association' He referred to the necessity for retrenchment, and entirely agreed that large savings might be effected m the Education Department. Mr Purnell, m replying to Mr Williamson and other speakers, Baid that the Association would be free from party bias. He was suffering from indisposition, and perhaps had omitted m speaking to his resolution making this point clear. It was essential that the Association should not be bound to any particular party, its object being to lay down certain principles. He might have expressed himself strongly when speaking previously, but he felt strongly and those were his personal views. i In reply to Mr H. Friedlander and others, Mr Purnell said that it,was ; quite open to any one who joined tue Association to hold his own opinion m regard to. any matter of detail provided he agreed with the main pomt — retrenchment. The Chairman having spoken, referring to the need for curtailing the colony's expenditure, the motion was put to the meeting and carried unanimously. Mr A. Harrison moved : — "That the following gentlemen be appointed a Committee to draw up rules for the manage* ment of the Association and to make arrangements for its organisation, to report to a future meeting : — Messrs Williamson, A. Orr, J. Orr, C. Reid, J. Keir, C. W. Purnell, W.B. Moss, D. H. Brown, I. Sargent, H. Friedlander, R. Friedlander, the Mayor, and. the mover, with power to add to tbeir number." He thought vigorous retrenchment was necessary, and that Ministers and members of the Legislature should submit to it. Ha thought that £100 was quite sufficient for members of the Lower House, and that Legislative Councillors should not draw any salary. After a brief disoussion the motion was pat and oarried, and the meeting closed with thfl customary votes of thanks.