MR. REID’S MEETING.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2409, 21 December 1870, Page 2

MR. REID’S MEETING.

In compliance with, we believe, a requisition said to have been signed by 6.40 persons, the Mayor convened a public meeting to enable Mr Keid to deliver an address. It was comparatively thinly attended. Mr 11 kid, in coming forward, was greeted with applause, and after thanking the requisitionists for giving him an opportunity of explaining his views on the Public Works and Immigration Acts said it was the more necessary that he should do so, as certain misrepresentations were circulated every evouing in the city respecting the views which he and other members of the Provincial Government held in respect to carrying out public works in Otago. He listened with very greet pleasure the other evening to the speech which was delivered by the Colonial Treasurer, Mr Vogel. As a specimen of eloquence it sustained the character which that gentleman had acquired as a public speaker ; but ho must confess he was disappointed with the arguments brought forward in support of the scheme of the General Government, in order to show how the interests of the Middle Island were protected under it. The Colonial Treasurer said that the scheme of the General Government, at the time it was brought before the Assembly, was hailed throughout the country as the means by which the resources of the Colony as well as of the Province were to bo developed and population increased. There was no occasion for the Colonial Treasurer to tell the people that. It was very well known that the scheme was approved of. Seeing that money was scarce throughout the country, the time had arrived when it was necessary that public works should be proceeded with. It was therefore only reasonable to suppose tlmt the scheme would, at the first blush, be jbailcd with satisfaction. In fact, he had no hesitation in saying that he stated to certain gentlemen that on certain conditions lie should he in favor of it. But those conditions were not complied with. If the scheme were such that population could be brought into the country with advantage, and if proper inducements had been held out to people to settle in the country when they arrived, ho should have been prepared to have given his adhesion to it. He did not intend to cavil with the speech which was made by the Colonial Treasurer a few evenings ago ; the subject, in fact, was one of too much importance. He would divide his observations, suggested by Mr Vogel’s speech, into three parts—First, the Colonial Treasurer endeavored to show that the scheme in its present shape was fair to the Middle Island, and particularly to Otago, Secondly, the Colonial Treasurer stated that the Clutha Railway could be constructed at once under the scheme if the Provincial Council were favorable. Thirdly, he to d them that if the scheme was not accepted in : its present shape, or if any attempt was made to get it modified, any alterations which might be made would be in the way of making it more Colonial, and more distasteful to the people of this Province. In reply to those three points, he would show that in its present shape the scheme was not fair to the Middle Island ; second, that it was not possible that the Clutha Railway could bo constructed at once, if at all, under the scheme ; and thirdly, that the electois had the power to modify it ; and if he succeeded in proving to them] those three propositions, no doubt they would take steps to have it modified to meet their wishes. He must at the commencement make an apology to the meeting, inasmuch as the subject was a dry one. He would not ask the meeting to ace ■pfchis own statements, hut would give quotations for everything ho intended to bring before them. In the first place, the Colonial Treasurer dealt very severely with the Provincial Council in regard to the resolutions passed by that body respecting the Immigration and Public Works Act. He wished to place before the meeting all the information which was in the possession of the Provincial Council and Executive when that resolution was passed. Two letters were received from the Colonial Secretary. One referred to the survey of a line of railway between Tokoraairiro and Tuapeka, and the construction of water works on the goldfields. The second had reference to the construction of a line of railway from Dunedin to the Clutha, and also to a survey of a line from Invercargill to the Mataura. The first letter was as follows : Wellington, the 11th November, 1870. Sir —I have the honor to forward to your Honor copies of a letter, and of the resolutions enclosed therein, from a committee appointed at a public meeting of the inhabitantr of Tuapeka, relative to the survey of a line of railway from Tokomairiro to Lavrence, and to the supply of water for auriferous lands in the district. I refer the question of qhe proposed line of railway tp your Honor, under the sixth section of the Public Works and Immigration Act, 1870‘ with a view to ascertaining the opinion of yourself and the Provincial Council of Otagq on the points referred to in that section, for the purpose therein mentioned. I shall be prepared, if your Honor wishes it, to give directions for the immediate survey of the proposed line. With respect to the proposed works for supplying water to any goldfield, before the Governor can entertain any proposal of that kind it is necaasary, uader the

twenty-sixth section of the said Act, that your Honor and the Provincial Council should first request his Excellency to construct such works. Should your Honor wish it, the Governor will be advised to cause, under the twenty-seventh section of the Act, the requisite enquiries and surveys to bo made for the purpose of ascertaining what waterworks should bo constructed, and the mode of construction thereof. —I have, & c., W. Gisuo -nu.” He might inform the meeting that the survey of the line from Tokomairiro to Tuapcka was in course of prosecution by the Provincial Government before the letter was received, and a vote had been given by the Provincial Council authorising enquiry as to the water supply required for tbo goldfields. The second letter to which lie referred was “ Colonial Secretary’s Office, Wellington, 12th November, 1870. Sir— I have the honor to enclose copies of correspondence noted in the margin—[Telegram.—Messrs Peyman and Abbott to Hon. Win. Fox, 22nd October, 1870. Under Secretary to Messrs Peyman and Abbott, 29th October, ISO) ; Messrs Peyman and Abbott to Minister of Public Works, Ist November, 1870.] —relative to a proposal from Messrs Peyman and Abbott for the oonstruction of a railway from Dunedin to the Clutha, the contract to include the construction of a railway from Invercargill to Mataura. I shall feel obliged if your Honor would furnish mo with the views of the Provincial Government of Otago on this proposal. The Government do not think it would be ’ expedient, under the existing circumstances, to entertain any proposal for the construction of the railway from Dunedin to Clutha, except on the principle of a guarantee, and they arc advised that the Government are not authorised by law to enter into any absolute contract for the construction of a railway from Invercargill to Mataura.— I have, Ac., W. Gisborne. His Honor the Superintendent, Otago.” All that was offered in both letters was that certain surveys should be made. The Province had ample staff to make them equally well with the General Government. It was impossible to act the Clutha railway constructed on a guarantee of cash payment, inasmuch as the General Government limited the cost to LSOOO per mile, and the oiler was only made contingent on the line from the Mataura and Invercargill being included in the contract at the same price per mile. That was all the information which the Provincial Government had in its possession at the time the resolution which had been rcfvrmi to was passed by the Provincial Council. A resolution was therefore passed by the Provincial C mncil, which, ho believed, wouldmcet with the approval of every person present. It was—“ That this Council having had under its consideration the communications from the Hon. the Colonial Secretary, enclosed in His Honor’s Message, No. 2, is of opinion that though it is desirable that works having for their object the development of the goldfields and the resources of the Province generally should be undertaken without undue delay; yet that it is inexpedient for this Council to make any rccommcndatmn with the view to the initiation of any works under the Immigration and Public Works Act, 1870, until the whole policy of that Act has been considered by the various constituencies throughout the Province, and cither confirmed by a new Parliament or modified in such a way as will leave the Middle Island free to deal with its own finances for the promotion of public works and immigration; and this Council considers the only practicable way to arrive at such a desirable rosuit is by a financial separation of the two Islands.” Would that meeting say they did not wish to have a voice in the matter before the Act was put in force, or that they had sufficient knowledge of the matter to launch at once into the scheme?-(Cnes of ‘ Acs and “No.”) He did not believe that the meeting was prepared for that, and before he had concluded his remarks he believed he would be able to show satisfactorily that justice would not be done to the Middle Island by the scheme as now framed. Mr Vogel said “ When the Government heard by telegram of that most extraordinary revolution bciir' passed by the Provincial Council, it was determined that some member should visit Otago with the view of making explanations to the Provincial Government which mhdit remove the misapprehension which see'ined to have arisen, and it is the object of my visit to give effect to those measures in a place in which, it appears to me, they should more than in any other have been eagerly welcomed.” Ho said it was not the fact. The Provincial Council had decided that it should bo put in proper shape before thev took any action under the scheme, and that the people of this Province should have an opportunity of saying whether it was in such a shape that they could approve of it The Colonial Treasurer then went on to Bay —“I have informed the Superintendent that the Government are fully prepared atoncc to enter into a contract; but I must tell you that although the Superintendent himself is inclined to have the works carried out, his opinions are not shared by the Executive and Provincial Councils.” He did not know whether that would be believed by the meeting but that was the first time be had heard the statement. He thought he bad said quite sufficient to justify the, action taken by the Provincial Council passing the lean. lutioa above referred to. Tbey bad a dimcult matter to deal with. They had an Act placed before them, the original idea of which they approved of—namely, that o' borrowing money for the construction of public works which were required, and which would hold out a reasonable prospect of being productive ; but which embodied in the Bill he held in his hand he did not approve. They had before them the fact that there was to be immediately a general election for the Provincial Council and General Assembly, and they wore satisfied that nothin" could lie lost to the Province by the ghort delay that would take place, inasmuch as all that was oft’red was that surveys should lie made and enquiries instituted. He would now proceed to show how tins scheme ZZ not fair towards the Middle Island. He would pass over the provision made in the 20th section of the Act by which lands might be accepted by the Governor as payment for works executed mular the scheme. He might, however, say a good deal on that point, for it was important to show that payment for land might be made in the North Island But few contractors would tJfcc laud in the North Island, except in n bir localities, on account of the Native disturbances. He would, however, pass over that subject and simply deal with the amount Which the said Act authorised them to borrow and to give a guarantee upon. The 22nd section provided that the “Governor may declare confiscated lands to be Waste Lands of the Grown. Immigration and railway costs to be first charge on revenue from such lands. ” He considered that

provision most dangerous, as it might lead to future wars, for the dispute there, as here, was on the question of parting with their lands. The Defence and Other Purposes Loan Act authorised the General Government to borrow L 1,000,000 sterling ; under the Immigration and Public Works Act, they were authorised to borrow L 4.000,0110 sterling, making a total of L 5,000.000 to be expended thus : In .the North Island, purchase of Provincial estate, L 200,000; Defence and other purposes, LOOO,OOO ; and here they first met with the Provincial charges to which he would refer presently —roads in the North Island, L 400,000 ; railways, Middle Island, L 400,000, as a counterpoise to the vote of L 409,000 the North Island. Now it struck him as a singular fact that the Colonial Treasurer, whilst addressing a public meeting at Auckland, thought fit to make an apology for giving so much for railways in the Middle Island. The Colonial Treasurer said We carried our measure for making a permanent provision for defence purposes, and a so a proposal for the construction of roads in the North Island. To show how difficult it was to deal with the diverse interests concerned, we had, as a counterpoise, to give to the Middle Island,.in aid of its railway fund, an amount equal to that which we proposed should be expended on the North Island roads.” 'I hen there was a Provincial charge against Otago and Southland, Ll()O,O0() ; making a "total already apportioned of L2,01)0/100, of which 1.1,500,000 was specially for the North Island, as against L 500.000 for the Middle Island. There was L 3,000,000 of the loan intended to be appropriated as follows railways, L1,G00,000 ; immigration, L 1,000,000 ; waterworks, L 300.000 ; telegraphs, L 00,000; unapportioned, L 40,000. There was one fact connected with this matter which struck him as being singular—the miserable dole of L 300,000 for water for the goldfields. Now, if there was one work which would be undertaken under tins loan which would be more reproductive than another, it was that of providing water supply for the goldfields in this island. What would Otago become if the goldfields went down? If they went down at least one-half the people would leave New Zealand, and taxation would become so enormously heavy that the few persons who would remain if they could would also leave the Colony. Therefore, that such a miserable dole as L 300.000 should have been set aside for this important work was very much to be regretted. He presumed it was so small that it was not worth giving the North Island a like advantage. Ho would now refer to the schedule of the Act—the Act which they were informed by the Colonial Treasurer, it they did not accept it as it stood, but attempted to make alterations in it, would be made more distateful to the people here. He found that in the schedule provision was made for the construction of 395 miles of railway in the North Island as against 185 in the Middle Island.—(Mr MTndok: No.) The member of the General Assembly who called out “No,” did not know how many miles of railway were provided for.—(Laughter.) He took some trouble to ascertain what the distance was, as it was not stated in the schedule to the Act. He got it measured by scale by a competent person, and he believed that, taking the natural contour of the country, it might considerably exceed that amount. He repeated the schedules of this Act provided for the construction of 395 mdes of railway in the North Island as against 185 in the Middle Island. The amounts which would require to be expended in each island if those railways were constructed were North Island, 395 miles, L 1,930,000 ; defence, land purchase, and roads, LI, 590,000 ; making a total for the North Island of L 3,430,000. In the Middle Island, 185 miles of railway, L 001,500 ; special vote for railways, L 400.000 ; Provincial charges, L 100,000; making a total of LI ,401/500; or an expenditure of nearly L 3 in the North Island to LI in the Middle Island. He wouhl compare the population and the tax bearing powers of the two Islands, and they wouhl then see whether, even on the basis of population, a fair distribution of the proposed loan would, under the scheme of the General Government, be made. His figures were from the financial statement of the Colonial Treasurer, though probably not strictly accurate, inasmuch as it was two years since the census was taken. No doubt, an approximate estimate had been made. In 1870, the population of the North Island was 97,800 ; that of the Middle Island was 152,200 ; that of Otago and Southland being 70,000. The amount collected as customs revenue was L 4 Is 6d per head ; so that the North Island contributed to the general revenue L 395.755 Is 2d, ns against LG20,177 Gs 4d by the Middle Island, Otago’s contribution being nearly one-third of the whole. In December, ISOS, the Middle Island contributed LG9O,BOS, of a total revenue of L 979.052, collected in both Islands; Otago and Southland contributed L 300.249, or about onethird of the whole. Thus for every LI of revenue in the North Island, L2 was paid by the Middle Island. Was it fair that whilst out of an expenditure of L 4,831,300 for railways and defence in the North Island, L 3,430,000 should be paid ; whilst the Middle Island was only to receive L 1.401,500 — or a difference of nearly L 3 to Id ? or that whilst the Middle Island would be paying interest, &c., on L 3,221,000, the North Island would only pay interest and sinking fund on Ll,610,000? In the face of these facts, would the electors support the Government scheme and return to the General Assembly men who would pledge themselves to support it, or insist on returning men who would see that the interests of the Middle Island were faiily considered? If they did not do so, they would have themselves to blame for the consequences. Was the North Island able to pay its share of those loans ? A message was sent down to the Auckland Provincial Council by the Superintendent, which would show that even Auckland was not, although the most prosperous Province in the North Island. Referring to the General Government charges in connection with the 1 Vovincc, he said : — 14 These charges are the General Government expenditure within the several Provinces voted by the Assembly, and over winch the Province has no control. Looking to the existing absence of direct and efficient control over these charges, by . ither the General or the Provincial Government, and to the fact that they are being increased year by year without apparent adequate cause, it iqay be predicted that, making every allowance for the increase of population, these five years will not have expired ere the Provincial charges will more than equal the capitation allowance, and the Province will require, to depend on its own internal resources for its Provincial existence.” That was the position of the most Erosporous Province in the North Island, ut what was the condition of Wellington,

Hawke’s Ray, and Taranaki ? It was mere sophistry to say that the amounts expended on railways or other works in those Provinces were to he charged Provincially, for they had no revenues from which the charges could he paid ; and the only result would he to entail unnecessary expenditure on the Colony by keeping a stall' of clerks for registerin'' Provincial charges which could not be paid.° They could not pay their police, nor maintain elementary schools. They could not get blood out of a stone. Notwithstanding this, a staff of surveyors was appointed to survey a line of railway from the town of Wellington over the Rimutaki JRaime, and to terminate in a desert of pumice in the interior. But still further to show that the scheme of the General Government would not deal fairly with the Middle Island, and why those Otago members wished to turn out the Provincial Government because of the resolution to which he had referred, and because they would not support the scheme as it stood, he would read one or two more short extracts. [Mr Reid read an extract from a message by the Superintendent of Auckland, who stated the railways authorised should, for the Province of Auckland, in proportion to her population and importance, be at least L 1,875,000 and 020,000 acres of land.] Mr Driver, when addressing his constituents regarding the scheme, said:—“ Well, it all ended in the Government proposing to expend about a million sterling in connection with railways during the present year What did Otago get ? A guarantee for the construction of the Clutha Railway, if it would not cost over L 200.000, and a promise that the Waitaki Bridge should be constructed by half the cost being paid by Canterbury and half by Otago. That was all that was promised to Otago out of the whole loan. But who would p ty the interest on the debt ? Otago and Canterbury. (Applause.) That, from his point of view, evinced a defect and failure in connection with the whole system.” He certainly wished Mr Driver had carried those views into effect in the Provincial Council. If the only security to be given for those loans was the Customs revenue, the scheme was most unfair to the Middle Island. But, as wore it not for the land revenue of the Middle Island the loan could not be secured, there was a still greater reason why in the Middle Island there should be a fair share of its expenditure. If land was to be given as security for the loan, then he thought the least the people here could expect was that the waste lauds should be opened up by this scheme by means of good roads and railways being constructed through them. In the North Island free grants of land had been made; land was sold there at from 2s fid to 20s per acre, or anything in fact that it would fetch. We had been taxing ourselves by paying at the least 10s, and as hi'di as L 5 per acre, which revenues were to be taken away from the Province in an indirect way for the construction of roads ami railways through private lands in the North. The Colonial Treasurer stated that large owners of land in the North Island approved of the proposition. He was really not at all surprised at that. He himself knew some gentlemen in the Assembly who—(Cries of “Name.”) He did not wish to name.— (Renewed cries of “Name.”) Well, one of the gentlemen to whom he referred was Mr Parmer, a member for the North Island. That gentleman purchased a large estate in the North Island at a very low rate, about 2s Od per acre he believed, and it was therefore most likely that that gentleman and others in a similar position would be disposed to support a scheme of this kind, but he had yet to learn that that should be done at the expense of the people of the Middle Island. Colonisation and progress were very fine sounding words when used by the Colonial Treasurer, but this progress should not be made at their expense. No one would be better pleased than ho to see the Colony making rapid strides in colonisation and progress if justice were dealt out to all alike. But when it was evident that our progress would bo restrained and retarded by our share being handed over to others, the matter became very different. As the next attempt would probably be in the direction of passing uniform land laws, the electors should test those gentlemen who came forward as candidates at the next elections regarding it. The next point, the Provincial charge, was of very great importance, as it affected the whole basis of the scheme. Thu Colonial Treasurer in his speech referred to that section of the Act which provided that any works undertaken in any Province might b; made a Provincial charge against that Province. Now, what took place with regard to the Loan Allocation Act? By that Act, L 2-14,256 was charged against the four Provinces of the North Island, after very considerable expense had been incurred by the Colony in appending Commissioners to determine the value. This was the ouly sum charged against the North Island out of the Lff,ooo,ooo loan. In ISG7 the Loan Allocation Repeal Act was passed, relieving those Provinces from those charges, thus making them a Colonial charge. Therefore he asked what safeguard the people had in regard to charges of that description. Very few of the members from Otago helped to resist that unjust action. There wore only four. Their names were—Meryyn, Paterson, Reynolds, and Reid. The interest and sinking fund were left a charge against those Provinces, and last session instead of being paid off, they were taken up under the Defence Loan Act, and retained as a provincial charge against those Provinces. Under the present scheme of the General Government, the same thing would take place. Against the Defence Loan L 73,000 was charged as against Auckland, Taranaki, and Wellington, As to the character of the works proposed in the North Island and the necessity for them, he would ask whether the railway from Wellington to Taupo, and other similar works would ever pay working expenses ? - for they not only would have to be constructed, but maintained. But before leaving the question of Provincial charges he "would remark that in the second schedule of the Defence Loan Act provision had been made for the payment by the Province of Auckland to Janies Busby, and for a payment to the New Zealand Government under the Loan Allocation Repeal Act, ISG7, of not more than L 50,00(), to be charged against the Province of Auckland. One of the leading men of Auckland, in regal’d to that matter, said—- “ That award had been saddled upon the lands of the Province by an Act of the Assembly, and we could not get out of it. The effect wrs to saddle a money debt upon the Province, instead of a large laud claim ; and it was much easier to get out of a money debt than an enormous laud debt of that sort. It would lie difficult to get an Act passed through the Assembly to repeal the Busby Land Claims Act, though this money

difficulty, in the event of a change of Ministers, might be wiped out by a stroke of a Colonial Treasurer’s pen.” He regretted to say that ths statement which he had quoted was met by loud cheers by the meeting. Now what likelihood was there of these railways in the North Island paying ? Mr Reader Ward, referring to a railway proposed in the North Island, said“lt was proposed to construct a railway from Auckland to Taupo, from Taupo to Wanganui, and from Wanganui to Wellington. Taupo was in the centre of the Island, where there was a large lake surrounded by a desert of pumice. Some years ago an attempt was made to establish sheep stations in that part of the country, but failed. With regard to the other terminus, Wellington, it was surrounded, not by a desert of pumice, but by a desert of clay hills. ” He (Mr Reid) could vouch for the truth of that statement at all events. Mr Wood then went on to say—- “ The town was on a very narrow margin of laud, in many places not so large as that room. The town was maintained mainly as a town by the resident Government officials, who received out of the taxces of the people salaries of between LOT) and L 1,200 a year. If it were not for this, Wellington would be very little better than a more coaling-place for steamers. What would be the use of making a railway from the desert of Taupo to the desert of Wellington ? What prospect was there of such a concern as that paying, either directly or indirectly ? ” Yet that railway would extend over 350 m les, and it would cost L 1,750,000, if it could be done at LSOOO per mile; and would involve in interest from LBO,OOO to LOO, 000 per annum. So much for the railway, for which surveys were already being made at a great expense, and which it appeared was to 1)0 constructed at once, whilst in the Middle Island there was to be constructed a miserable 170 or ISO miles. It must be plain to the meeting that, under the scheme of the General Govcrmcnt, which the Colonial Treasurer said must not be altered, justice would not be done to the Middle Island. (To be continued.)