Mr Richardson at Rangiora

Feilding Star, Volume VII, Issue 104, 11 February 1886, Page 2

Mr Richardson at Rangiora

The Hon. E. Richardson addressed the electors at Rangiora on Tuesday night. He was warmly received, and said he addressed them more as their representative than as a member of the Government. He only took two or three points, viz., the tariff proposals and Captain Russell's motion. With regard to the first —as the Colonial Treasurer had stated it was necessary, on account of the falling off of the revenue, to increase the duties on certain articles, he thought that if the House had calmly considered these proposals the incidence of taxation would have been much clearer, and the colony would have been in a bet* ter condition. Speaking for himself, he would only put on Customs' duties for revenue purposes, and also for gaining a moderate amount of protection to local manufacturers. The ob- j ject of Government last session in asking the House for £2,600,000 was to enable them to provide work by means of contracts for the population of the country, so that the labor market would not be disturbed. The consequence of Captain Russell's motion was that £500,000 was taken off the Estimates, and consequently the Government had no power to let large contracts, and a large number of men would be thrown out of employment. A large number of railways would have to remain uncompleted until ; further votes were taken. This would ; mean a loss to the colony of the interest on the cost of their construction. He spoke at length on the proposed East and West Coast Railway, and enumerated a few of the salient points in its favor. He controverted the statement that the line would be ex pensive to work, poiuting out that in the lines in the north of Auckland there were sharp grades and curves, as steep as one in 37. On the Foxton line there were grades as one in 35, and several curves of five chains radius. On the West Coast line according to the contract drawings, there were no grades with one expection steeper than one in 50, and few curves less than 7|- chains radius, so that the line in comparison with some other lines could be considered a first-class railway. On Charitable Aid he said the present act could be amended in future sessions The repeal of the Roads and Bridges Construction Act ! had been advserly commented on by many members who had spoken since the session, but he thought that did the public know the full results of the operation ef that Act they would say it had not been repealed a moment too soon. He approved of Boards of Management for Railways. He received a vote of thanks and confidence.