MEMBERS OUT OF PARLIAMENT.

Evening Star, Issue 3706, 8 January 1875, Page 3

MEMBERS OUT OF PARLIAMENT.

MR WALTER JOHNSTON AT MANAWATU. [Bt Telegraph.] Wellington, January 8. Mr Walter Johnston addressed his Manawatu constituents yesterday. In reviewing the Governmen proposals of last session he condemned the fore sts scheme as unnecessary under the circumstances, and according to Mr Vogel’s own statement not likely to he profitable. He disapproved of all the suggestions regarding the Polynesian scheme, such as subsidising trading companies, and making their steamers run up and down our coasts, to the loss of the local _ companies. Mr Vogel was altogether too partial to schemes for “running” the country as a trading body. He only hoped he would return to the Colony without bringing some new scheme or some fresh contract with him. He thought the Crown Agents, or the Agent-General, could negotiate a four-million loan quite as well as Mr Vogel, who need not have left the Colony at all. He did not attribute last year’s great prosperity so much to the immigration and public works scheme, as to the great rise in the value of wool for three years past. He thought that should our liabilities become so heavy as to call for taxation, the people would prefer to pay interest out of land revenue, rather than submit to a property tax. Regarding the com ■ pact of 1856, he was of opinion that the representatives of the Middle Island should have shown now more than ever that they do not consider the compact should not be broken, the circumstances of the Colony made it expedient. He wondered where the money was to come from to endow the various districts in the North Island with substantial revenues after the Provinces were abolished ; but if Mr Vogel succeeded in doing so he deserved their gratitude, and he was quite prepared to support next session a Bill which would realise Mr Vogel’s proposals. A vote of thanks and of confidence in Mr Johnston was carried unanimously.