PRE-SESSIONAL.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1100, 25 May 1883, Page 3

PRE-SESSIONAL.

MR PYKE *V TAPANUI. At Mr Pyke’s meeting on last Friday 1 night at Tapanni Mr Neil Colqnhoun, mayor, occupied the chair, nnd-briifiy introduced Mr Pyke as member for the district. Tlie attendance was large, amt the speaker was well received and attentively listened to throughout.—Prior to commencing his address, Mr Pyke expressed his regret at the death of the member for Bruce, saying that but for his engagement here he would have paid the last trihu e of respeet to the memory of Mr Rutherford. New Zealand had a number of most unselfish men. The Hon. Colonial Treasurer furnished an example of this in laying before the people of the South his proposals for the removal of pauperism existing in the Colony. If his solution were correct, the Major had done a good duty ; hut if wrong, he was either a very foolish man, or he was attempting to draw a red herring across the scent. M r Pyke saw nothing in the pno posalsi The main principle was that the thriftless should provide for themselves This was impracticable with a floating population, who were the most improvident. Absolute pauperism was nonexistent in New Z island. Poverty w.u attributed severally to drink, idleness, and vice ; but its causes were manifold. By giving people a claim on the State, enconragement was given to pauperism. He maintained that the drinkers paid for their thriftlessness. Toe cuitems revenue from drink and tobacco vas £825,041 ; while against this was expended on charitable institutions, gaols, etc., £193,0d0. Poverty was brought about more by those who did not drink than by thorn wit i did. Human nature would have to hj« changed before poverty could he era lisited. Th; day was close at hand, he beli- ved-,. when our gio s would be supervise Iby medical men.; The class who were constantly moving from one Colony to another were tlie most likely to require charitable. Were settled ami th'ifty members of a community to pay n tax to support this class ? He’,'charactering the proposal to take the land fund for the purpose as idiotic. Government benefited most by the pauperism brought about ly diiuk, and he suggested instead the appro prlatioii of 15 per cent, of the customs duties on liquor, making the ''rink pay for itself, Wth respect to duramyisin, he said the cases before the Hoard were not worse than many that he was aware of. The present attempts were clumsily woi k»d, and it was an excellent thing that someone ha I blundered. He dssigna eil those who got land by fa'sa declarations as being as bad as thi-v.-s an t robbers Throughout the Australian colonies the endeavors to settle people upon tun land had b.-eo set at n night. He bail done his best to oppose the ap abutment of a Royal Commission for inquiry into the allege I cases of duniniyisiu. Tney should lie investigated by a Parliamentary Committee. Bv the former a witness could not be compelled to answer, but a Parliamentary Committee could comp 1 evidence. Tlie residential conditions were a ridiculous in mstrocity. A man desirous of securing a few hundre I acres for his children was debarred from so doing, win e the holder of a thousand of acres could reside in England. He would doaway'with j the residential clause. The Cob nial Trea- I surer had said the incidence of taxation was I so evenly balanced that no one had reason to complain. He precede I to show that | taxation bore most heavily upon the work- I iog class. The sum of £4 lOi lid from an income of £IOO was proportionately greater than £35 Irom an income of £IOOO. Besi leu, the coinmodi i s most used by the industrial cla-s were subjected to heard r taxes than the luxuries of tire wealthy c'a-s. Quoting from the tariff, he stated that 3 )() ler cent, was charged on tobacco, am) 75 per cent, on cigars. If he had his wav. be would sweep the customs out of existence to-monow. He referred to the culpabi ity of Government in not prosecuting public works. It was impossible for a man to do his constituents any good except he lived to be as old as Methuselah. Referring to the Swift Greek railway extension, he said if a private company had the work in hand rt would have been completed in four months. He had besought the Government to enable him to extend a promise to his constituents that the work would be finished in four years. About £200,000 had been expended on the Otago Central line, and £200,000 or £300,000 more would be spent within a couple of years. But unless it wore pushed on with vigour, it would not pay for the next ten years. The interior of Otago was not fully represented in Parliament. 3 Dunedin and suonroa should have two members less and country districts two more. Three members represented half ihe aiea of Otago. As regarded the system of re iscrai.hm, lie said he did not think a more slov nlv mode existed. Referring to the roll stuffing, he considered that it had been practised "to a most disgraceful extent prior to the last election, lu Victoria an excellent pan was adopted for registering voters, and he should like to see the same earned out here. In Victoria men had to personally registe and if unable to write o mid not get a vote'. When Abolition was advocated he sunporte t the movement, and had no small share in bringing it about. He had urged the extension of powers to local ho lies, but -year by year the powers of tne Central Gove nment were being increased, whilst ! '.thn powers of local bodies had been continually curtailed until it was abso utely unbearable. Before a road could he made or a bridge built, plans ha Ito b a submitted to Wei lington. When Coumy Councils were first formed they were promised large subsidies and 20 per cent, of the land revenue ; hut how soon these sources of revenue were swept away was well known. H e would use his energies to abolish central govern-' ment. It was imp ssihle for one general Parliament to do all the work of two islands. He did not hesitate to say that two genarations hence a nation would grow up in each island, So long as he had power he would try to prevent tlie abolition of the Upper House. On the motion of Mr Washer, seemded by Mr Paterson, a vote of thanks and confidence was passe I.