MR MONTGOMERY AT AKAROA.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 509, 31 May 1881, Page 2

MR MONTGOMERY AT AKAROA.

Mr W. Montgomery addressed his constituents yesterday evening, at the Oddfellows' Hall, Akaroa. There was a fair attendance. At.Mr Montgomery's request Mr J, D. Garwood, Mayor of Akaroa, took the chair.

The Chairman said it was almost superfluous to introduce Mr Montgomery to them, or to ask them to give him a fair hearing. Nevertheless he would do so.

Mr Montgomery, who on rising was received with cheers, said he came before them, to give an account of bis stewardship, ar.d to answer any questions they might wish to put to him. He would first refer very briefly to one or two local matters. With reference to their rail ,vay they would remember that more than a year ago a deputation waited upon Mr Oliver and receved an assurance that the work should be carried on without any stoppage. This, he regretted to say, bad not been done. It was a groat pity, as, had the Mini»ter seen his way to fulfil his promise, employment would have been provided for a good many men at Little River. No doubt in the ensuing session a sum would be voted tor the purpose, but in the meanwhile the winter would be lost. He disapproved entirely of the imposition of the extra charge of 6d on telegrams to and from the offices at Akaroa and Duvauchelle's Bay. If had caused considerable annoyance, and had not assisted the revenue. But the main objection was that it was tho violation of a principle that the charge should be uniform throughout the country. It the charge was to be made in each instance commensurate with the expense, they should do tbe same thing with postage. Stations in the out-districts were not so remunerative as those in the towns, but they must remember that it was the people in tho out-districts who supported the towns. The extra charge was therefore wrong in principle. The people in the out-districts were quite sufficiently handicapped as it was.

To come to matteis of more general importance, he would first touch upon the question of retrenchment. Before the meeting ot the session of Parliament a cry had gone through the length and breadth of the land for retrenchment. It was felt that the overgrown Civil Service must be cut down. When he addressed them to this effect it had met with their entire approval. Now, lie did not want to detract from the ability of Ministers, but he desired to state the facts of the question. Those of them who had read Hansard would be able to bear him out ; and here he might say that the telegraphic summaries of the debates which appeared in the papers were very imperfect. In 1879, when the Estimates were brought clown, Major Atkinson said they were those of the previous Government. The Government asked the House to vote the money, and leave it to them to make reductions, promising next sassion to bring down revised Estimates, making large re ductions. When they met next time the three measures they expected frcm the Government were —Retrenshmeut, a Local Public Works Bill, and a Native Land Sales Bill. When the House met and Ministers made their statement, they said they had not had time to make the reduction?!. They proposed to knock £50.000 off the estimates, and for the House to leave the Government to make reductions as they thought fit. The House considered so small a retrenchment quite out of the question. The feeling was general among both supporters of the Government and the opposition, that tbe amount was quite inediquare. He was an opponent of the Government, and might unconsciously color his description. He therefore wished to bring evidence to show that it was wrong to say that the Government had made the reductions. Mr Ormond, a gentleman in tho front rank of politicians, and a supporter of the Government, said, after referring to Major Atkinson's proposal, that they must add £200,000 to thatsum, and thathe would urge on the Government the duty of doing it. And he made them do it. Government had to do it. (Cheers.) The Opposition could not do it themselves, but with the assistance of the Government supporters they succceeded. Therefore, without detracting from the ability of the Government, he said that but for the exertions of the House that retrenchment, which was so necessary for the financial safety of the country, would not have been made.

In 1879 Major Atkinson had stated that subsidies would have to be withdrawn, but promised to put '• local finance on a permanent and satisfactory footing." He brought in a bill for that purpose. [Mr Montgomery here gave an outline of the Public Works Biil.j He need hardly tell them that such a Board, whatever Government was in power would bo looked upon as a means for buying votes. That any district would exp-ct to get more or less according to whether the member for the district was a supporter of the Government or not. But this was not all. In the North Island there were road districts containing large tracts of Native land which paid no rate?. This Board was to pay the rates on these Maori lands. That is part of their money in the Middle Island would have gone to pay rates on these lands. The Bill provided the most cumbrous piece of machinery possible, and it was fairly Laughed out of the House. It died in the hour of its. birth. .

With regard to Native Lands, they were told that they were to be thrown open to all her Majesty's subjects, and the days of Land Rings were to be numbered. When Mr Bryce became Native Minister, he (Mr Montgomery) hailed his advent to power as the man who could sweep away the iniquities. And never was abettor law brought in than the two Bills introduced by Mr Bryce on this subject. One provided that any Native could individualize bis title ; the other enabled him to sell his land through a Government Board. Government would survey the land and put it up in the open market, and any person would have a right to purchase. Out of the price would be defrayed, first, the cost of survey ; secondly, 10 to 20 per cent would be reserved for making roads through it, and the balance would be handed to the Native owner. The Opposition hailed this measure with approval, and ac corded it their support, lie (Mr Montgomery) would have liked to see two or three alterations made in it, but rather than imperil tho Bill he was prepared to vote for it in its entirety. When the question of selling in tho opeu market or to

peculators came on, twenty-two Opposition members voted with I hi: Government, while fourteen Government supporters voted ag'iiust the provision, lie considered Mr Biyco one of the strongest members of the Government. The Opposition were willing to support the Bill, hut the Government supporters said they would not stand it, and the Government dropped the Bill. Mr Bryoe gave in, and was probably wheedled into doing so. Now he had gone out on a 1 minor question. Had he gone out on this Bill, he would have occupied a position in the minds of hundreds and thousands which he will never occupy now. At present the Native Lands were more than ever at tho mercy of the land-sharks. One man had lately become possessed of 37,000 acres. Hundreds of thousands of acres were passing into their hands, and these men were getting rich at the expense of the Natives, and at the expense of the settlers. In 1877 he had said it might become a question of policy to put an acreage tax on large blocks of land. The country would n.t stand men acquiring large blocks and holding them against settlement. (Cheers)

Referring to the question of an Income or Property Tax, he was in favor of the latter on freehold or fixed property, but not on farm stock, or implements. Had there been a tax of imposed a few years ago, they would not have had to pay the Id now, as greater economy would have been practised. Direct taxation made people ask what Government werj going to do with the money collected. Besides; certain localities had been largely benefited by the expenditure for Public Works, and it was quite right they should pay their quota of taxation.

The question of the redistribution of seats was a very important one, especially to Canterbury, which was five mombers short. He was in favor of a population basis. He believed in representing manhood. Some thought that on this basis the towns would absorb too much of thd representation. If the towns all clung together there might be something in this objection ; but the interests of the towns were opposed to each other. If they could not get a population basis for each Electoral Distriot, let them at least have it as far as each Provincial District was concerned. It was very important that each Provincial District should be adequately Represented. The Premier proposed to increase the number of members to 90. He was opposed to this, as he thought tbe present number, 84, quite sufficient. Then, while taking popu'ation as. a basis, there were certain exceptionst For instance, New Plymouth and Egmonf had each a member for a population o between 2000 and 3000. while two dis" tricts on the East Coast had only a mem her each for 5000. Why should the two former localities have two members for 500 C, while it took 10,000 for two members elsewhere ? There were similar inequalities in the proportion of members to population in the towns of Auckland and Christchurch. Now they had got a new census he hoped the new Bill would be more fair.

He approved of the Elections Petition Bill by which these petitions were referred to two Judgns of the Supreme Court instead of a Parliamentary Committee. This Bill had been supported by the Opposition.

From the financial position, as revealed by the Premier and Treasurer, he learned that they would be able to make two ends meet, and that no fresh taxation would be necessary. This was satisfactory but not surprising. In October last Major Atkinson had taken a very gloomy view of things. When that dark picture was drawn there was no doubt that it prevented money from coming into the country. Major Atkinson had not intended to injure the position of the country, but wished to blacken his predecessors in office. Confidence was now fully restored, and Ihe position of the Colony was very sound. He be'ieved th'-re was still one and a half millions remaining from the five-million loan.

Mr Montgomery next entered upon the question of Education, which he said transended in importance those he had touched upon. We icgret that the limited space at our command absolute y forbids our reporting his remarks at length. He combatted the charges brought against the system of excessive cost, cumbersomenesa and Godlessness. He implored his hearers whatever they might-economise in not todo, so in education, nor to allow direct taxation to be imposed for if, and to permit no return todenominationalism, limited Or otherwise, not to mix dogma of churches with arith metic. He defended the teaching of special subjects, and quoted to the effect that they increased the efficiency of the pupils in elementary subjects.

Mr Montgomery next proceeded to give his opinion on the measures referred to by the Premier as about to bo brougt forward in the ensuing session of Parliament. He considered Mr Hall's scheme for a reconstruction-of the Legislative Council to be crude .and ill-digested. He Indignantly repudiated the Premier's taunt as to tho Opposition not being United, and was quite sure the Government party weredividedon many important questions. Mr Hall knew perfectly well that the " planks " he mentioned in his peroration were not the platform of the Opposition. The hon. gentleman resumed his seat amidst loud cheers, aud said he Avould be glad to answer any questions. Mr Shadbolt wished to know what Government was in power, at the time of the first loan being floated,, and ,if .any of the present Ministers had a hand iri it. Mr Montgomery replied that Major Atkinson was largely concerned in the first loan. ■ In reference to the last loan, the Grey Government were m power when it was raised, but did not spend it. Mr W. B. Tosswill: Was it not a fact that the country at the time of the raising of the last loan was on the eve of a great disaster ? Mr Montgomery—Major Atkinson says so, and that there was a difficulty, Sir George Grey denies this." My own opinion is that they ran in too close. If it were my own case, having a bill to meet, I would not run it so close: ; ■ ■ • " Mr.Tosswill :,Was it not the fact that the Ministry had made large : reductions in the expenditure, and that the railways now, under Mr Oliver's management, instead of paying 2.} per cent, paid 34/? Mr Montgomery : The House compelled tho Ministry to make the reductions. As to the profits, on the railways, what they knew of (hem was from Mr Hall's speech. The accounts were not yet published. Mr Hal' emitted to say that the Canterbury Railways earned from G lo 7 per cent. Mr Tosswill: Do you intend to follow

• Sir George Uroy and Mr Macandrew next session V Mr Montgomery : Sir George Grey having resigned his position as the leader of tlie Opposition some time ago, I have riot followed him lately, and am not likely to d o so. As to Mr Macandrew, Ido not believe in more public railways with bonowed money, nor in his scheme of paper money. Mr Duxbury wished to know if there was any likelihood of the Fencing Bill passing this session. Mr Montgomery : There is a feeling in the House that it should pass, but it is a difficult question. Mr Shadbolt here asked a number of questions in reference to the Litt c River Railway funds. Mr Montgomery replied that he believed there were funds to finish it if the Reserves were allowed to be usei for that purpose , and if the seventeen miles were made out ef loan, as they, wers entitled to. No other questions being asked, Mr F. W. Williams said he had great pleasure in proposing that the thanks of this meeting be given to Mr Montgomery for his address, and also, that the meeting further expresses its confidence in him as their representative. The motion was seconded by Mr J. Bates, and on being put was carried unanimously. His Worship said he bad much satisfaction as the mouthpeicc of the meeting in conveying to Mr Montgomery its gratitude for past services, thanks for the address, and confidence.in the futnre. Mr Montgomery suitably replied, and proposed a vote of thanks to tho Mayor for occupying the Chair, which was carried amidst applause.