SPEECH BY MR. FISHER.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1663, 1 February 1913, Page 5

SPEECH BY MR. FISHER.

ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING AT HOKITIKA. GOVERNMENT POLICY. $ ■ , .. . WAGES, LAND PROBLEMS AND FINANCE. , (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Hokitika, January 31. Tho Hon. F. M, li. Fisher (Minister fof Marino and Customs) addressed a largely-" attended meeting hero to-night under'tho auspices of tho local branch of tho Now, Zealand Political Heform League. The \ Mayor presided, and tho meeting, was an entliusiastic one.: Tho Minister compared the Government's present majority witli their big minority «mie years ago. lie referred to tho Primo Minister as being a oourageoua statesman, and although some people dit- . fered \yitli Mr. in, his,, politics,.. they could not say lie was not every inch a ujan. lie replied to critics who said that tho Government represented • tho ■ squatters' interest, by stating that those gentlemen supported both sides < of tho House. Ho contended that tho Dominion was capaljlo of holding at least five tunes its.present number,of people. Referring to tlio Civil Service, ho bald wuen tiw J - Government had como into olfico it was laid down that those in. their employ . should receive what'they ,wero entitled to. In this connection, ho mentioned that when, ho went, into tho question of tho wages of thoso employed ill the Printing Department, of which he was in charge, it was found that, girls , who had worked there for as long as 20 years wero only - receiving.' iilfl per'annum. He contended /: that a living wage should bo paid to all. ; This, ho said, should bo sufficient to enable a man to keep his wife and family in comfort and to provide for them in sick- ./?.'■■• r«?ss. .Tho system. which had been m voguo was wrong, and rotten, and would liavo to be changed. The opponents, of tho Government had preached tho dootrino of soup' kitchens, aiid that' the' "Mafesejr. party would .bo paying 3s. : Cd. per day to navvies. , 110 . pointed out that during their, first' session; • 428,000 had been added to tho salaries of civil ,

servants;' and thoso in tho railway 6cr- ; »vico werd receiving JCI2.OOQ por annum , . more, than ,whut they had been paid dur- / ing tho time the so-called Liberal party, were in power. These increases had been withheld in order that' tho railways should : become inoro popular' with->• tho people. ,Ho mentioned that' Mr'. User's,' :■ although ho was a political opponent, . deserved tho credit of increasing the sal-r ; dries to part of tho sum mentioned. Kelt. : year tho Minister • hoped •> tho 'salaries . would be further increased. Wages should 1 not. only bo paid aocording to , ability, but proportionately: to tho haz- ' ardous nature of. tho employment.' 110 instanced underground work, which. ■ should bo specially well paid for, lor tho reason';that.'a.nt/niiy'tip®,to© con- "■ tract a disease or loso a/limb, and-'thus '

be incapacitated.' Por, such . occupations! lio contended that.a;man.should M well rewarded. They had-boon told,that if o Government wished to reinpin in power it,was necessary for .tlicifi to be on good ■ ,>•. terms with tho public. -His Government ■ t wished this'to: bo tho caw, but to long ' : as they wero in power, they were going* to ' carry ..out tho laws of tho. country, and Y everybody was.going to be treated alike'.Tho Minister went on- to deal with .tho , Old Ago Pension,. Widows' Pensions, and , Military Pension Acts, and eaid that one. ~ Of the reforms that bo cafried out was tho granting .of pensions to women of CO years of ago instead of 65, as here- >. ;■ tofore. Under tho Military.Pensions Act those old veterans who had fought for their country would bo entitled to £30 per annum. The Government had already , received 500 applications, and these had ..." boon satisfied. The lato Government had 'distributed the;sum of .£BSO among veterans as, a result of inquiry into : 6uch ; ' cases, for something like four yoats. In tho meantime many worthy old men who. . Bhonld liavo-been assisted had died pau« > - , pore. Ho referred to Sir Joseph Wmd , politically, and 6aid as a politician that tho lato'.Lcader of tho Liberal party was, a completo failure, but ho deserved^ great," credit for rising in tho Civil Service as ho had done, ultimately attaining tho high position of Postmastor-Gcneral, The Minister touched upon tho railjvays, and , remarked that the Government, wanted a ■ man td tako chargo 1 /of thorn. Tho salary of .£1)000. per annum was offered for ■tho position, ali4 ho pontendedthat if the successful man was.:, worth . his: salt.. he i .-. would' savo tho JC3OOO in tho ,first month after his appointment. Tho question or___ political patronaga was referred., to. tho speaker; remarking that tho political tout , was nearly as extinct as tho moa, and ho ' felt suro that his demi6o would be recorded when, the. Civil- Service Commissioners ■ took office on April I.' Ho did not bolioyo, lin Ministers giying positions to their relatives, and, ho declared, "wo wouldnot : give them if wo wore , asked to.' They timo for tho man who sat on >a- , • Minister's doorstep, and ■ this class > of. individuals in tho seryicovaS/.no doubt ■ feeling very miserable. Tho speaker wont on to refer'to tho practice.Of appointing . members ,to the Upper House.Ho; never • did-believo in tho system', aiid the Govern- , ment wanted-tho peoplo to havo a vote, ■ was tho case with tho Lower House. • Land legislation was briefly referred to. The , :> Government wanted to break. u.o tlii) land monopoly,' and thus provide for uio smaller settler. Ho said.ho would recommend tho l'rimo Minister'' 1 to experiment'with some, swampland which; had been brought under his notico : that day..: Ho felt suro : , that if such 'areas wero drained and; cultivated, itwould'/ be , valuable farming country.' !f{ half tW nioiicy spent on their public .'buildings hail' been- expended, in improving land on th6:AYcst ; ..-Cohst, it would liavo resulted more beneficially to the peopleV It was tho business,; of the State/continued tho Minister, to expon. ment and domoustrato to tho ptoplo vrhnt, , could be done with lnnd such usi existed on be AVest, Coast. Tho speaker, in refer. ring' to v finauco,'-'-said ' tho /lon. J., Allen hod gone Homo"to '• provide for a loan of X 1,750.000 to'nieet present require. ;. .me'nts. In addition to- this, the Minister . .|, for Finance had to. arrange for, sixteen : ? millions of loans falling duo during' tha , next, thrre voars. In 1020, continued tho speaker, loans totalling 20 millions would have to bo arranged for, while In | 1040 another I(>.'millions will fall due. < Ho • remarked ;that the difficulties, in regard ■: to financii " TOre v«rj* considerablp, as : China,: Turkey, Rumania, , Servui, and \.: other, countries would, also bo lookinj for

dollars nt thfe present, time.' ' lift said that it was not ;beoauso tlio. security'offered by tho Dominion was "not i Rood enough. It was tip-top. Tho railways .■ alone represented millionsworth,ana if 1 any person purchased them for iCSfI.OW.OOO they would get thorn cheap. Tlio Minister dealt ,wilh the question" <>f, secret prv- 1 incnts, which, lie said, hnd>donc':a nr,cft| . ■ deal i)f damage, i .AJI, vouchers were now/ onen 'in Welli 11 pipnj for 'pqblio, JiiwcUoiv' This had not Iwep .'the' en*o with,;' Ib* . previous Ho concludcd by. shying that every district woukloiowj: bo treated on. its merits, and lie, favored assisting the struggling settler, rrtthel' tlibh . those in prosperous districts. .The I'rinm Minister would shortly visit the district and probably tlio visit would be followed bv one from : tlio ' Minister for Public Works ana Mines, and he was sure their requirements would be- fully considered. Tho speaker,, on" l'osuming his sca,.''wns.'-. accorded, nn ovatinn. 'Tho chairman stated that the Minister would 'eply ,tn ,'tktiy questions, several of which wero-forthcoming,' and answered sfttihfacborily. ... A resolution was carried unanimously expressing confidence in the Reform Gov. ■ ernmcnt.and approval bf. its legislation, and administration.