THE PREMIER AT HALKETT.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3096, 31 May 1881, Page 3

THE PREMIER AT HALKETT.

(BY TELEGRAPH.)

Christchuch, May 31. Tbe Premier (the Hon. J. Hall) addressed his constituents at Halkett last night. The only new point in his speech was in reference to the alteration in the railway freights. He said thnt, whilst some parts of New Zealand had not bad a share of the benefit of the public loan, but had nevertheless contributed their proportion of the loss incurred on railways, it was tbe duty of tbe Government to endeavor to make the railways pay interest on the cost of construction. The Government had endeavored to accomplish this by a reduction in the working expenses, by reducing the number Of trains run upon sections on which there was comparatively little traffic, and by a readjustment of the tariff. _ When the present Government came into office an excessive reduction in the tariff was made in the hope that a largely increased amount of traffic would be thereby developed. This hope, however, was not borne out by the results, and they had to retrace their steps, and to some extent to revise the general tarriff. In some parts of the colony the people had been told that this treatment they were at present receiving contrasted unfavorably with that which they rejeived under the Provincial Governments, but on inquiry it W«8 found that in the single article of grain the tariff was from 12 to 15 per cent lower than when the railways were under provincial management, and this in spite of those made at tbe begining of the present season. lle had been anxious in an agricultural community that this point should be explained. On the conclusion of the speech a vote of confidence was unanimously passed.