MR ARKWRIGHT AT BULLS.

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 49, 9 October 1890, Page 2

MR ARKWRIGHT AT BULLS.

On Monday evening Mr Arkwright addressed a crowded meeting of electors in the Bulls Town -hall. Mr A. E. Remington occupied the chair. Mr Arkwright after referring ta the appointment of the present Ministry to effect retrenchment, said he would not take up their time by repeating the arguments he- had formerly laid before them to show that a Protective system could do nothing but harm to the colony, but even considered as a means of raising revenue be contended that the heavy Cußtoms duties imposed by Sir H. Atkinson had proved a failure. In 1889 the Customs revenue was £55,000 below the Treasurer's estimate *, and this year it was nearly £50,000 below the more moderate expectations which he formed in 1889. That showed conclusively that the duties imposed were so high that our import trade was being checked, and the general commerce of the colony seriously crippled. It was clear that a determined effort would be made' to abolish the Propertytax, and substitute a land and income tax. As regarded the latter he did not think it a tax at all suited to the circumstances of the colony. Nearly all incomes here were derived from trade* and, professions, and that was precisely the class of income on which the tax was most difficult to collect, and where it assumed its most inquisitorial and unpopular shape. He thought it adviseable to substitute a land- i as for the property-tax. It was true that the tax, as administered. at present, gave rise to much injustice ; because the more a man improved his property, the more he had to pay ;. while his neighbour, who left his land totally unimproved g. t off with hardly any taxation. Moreover, the system of taxing improvements bore very hardly on the smaller settlers, whose improvements generally bore a much larger proportion to their acreage than those of larger landowners. This, however, might be remedied by a change in the method of valuing land for Property Tax. It had been suggested that all land should be valued at so much per acre, irrespective of improvements ; classifying it according to its natural capabilities. All land in the same class would be put at the same valuation per acre , and pay the same tax, no matter whether it was unimproved or improved. The plan seemed worthy of consideration but he did not commit himself to any particular scheme. Another project which found favour with a 3mall, but energetic party, was that of abolishingnll Customs' duties and other tuxes ra favour of a single tax on the unimproved value of land. This, he thought, would prove altogether impracticable. So far as Customs' duties were concerned, he wished there was not a Custom-house in the country, except for the purpose of taxing objects. of luxury; but he did not see how it was possible to raise £4.000,000 annually from a tax on land, unless it was so nigh as to be absolutely crushing. They must understand he wonld be no party to taxation of a confiscatory character, but as a means of raising revenue he saw no objection to a progressive pro-perty-tax wiihin moderate limits. Another proposal to which he would never consent was that of a*' bursting* up "tax to compel owners of largo properties to bring them into the market. He looked upon large estates as a decided evil, but ihey had been acquired with the sanction of the State; and to compel the owners to part with them without giving fair compensation would be unjust. Government ought to take the power of resinning possession of lands in the hands of private companies, on paying fair compensation. The homestead and a reasonable quantity of land round it— -say 3000 or 4000 acres, should in all cases be left to the owners. He wished to see the waste lands of the Crown thrown open to settlement as rapidly as possible ; such arrangements being made for roading them as to minimise the hardships to be undergone by the settlers ; and due precautions being taken to avoid dummyism and speculating. Touching on educational matters, Mr Arkwright said Mr Saxon had written a letter to the Advocate attacking him for his views on the education question. Not long ago the Knights of Labor had held a meeting at Feilding, and Mr Saxon thought it his duty to denounce them in the columns of the Feildinq Stab. He did not take the trouble to attend their meeting. The consequence was that he received a dressing down from Mr Pirani and others, but Mr Saxon was incorrigible. Here he was, rushing at him in exactly the same fashion; plunging blindly into a question which he had evidently never considered at all. Mr Saxon's letter consisted of two parts— the first perfectly clear and intelligible, the second hopelessly muddled and confused; the first being a quotation from one of his (the speaker 'B) former speeches, the latter the unadulterated production of his (Saxon's) own brain. Hewbuldgivc i em a specimen of the English undefiled as it flowed from the able pen of Mr Saxon :— " I think all will agree that [education is costing: far too much at present; but should it be altered, it would not be half sufficient for the requirements of the different denominations." There was a grammatical sentence for them — clear and transparent as mud ! The sentence he had just quoted was simply nonsense. He (the speaker) simply asked that a capitation grant, not exceeding that given to State schools, should be given to any voluntary schools, provided it fulfilled certain conditions. First, it must be an elementary school, and have an average attendance of 30 scholars. The buildings must be such as to fulfil the requirements of the Government as to space, &c, and the school must be open at all times to Government inspection. The annual examination must be conducted under the inspector of the district ; and no giant should be given to a school which failed to reach a certain standard of examination. No denomination could obtain the grant unless they had sufficient children to supply an average attendance of 30 ; nor unless they had previously built a school, which could not coat much under £200. A residence would also have to be provided for the master. If the religious bodies were willing to incur such expense in order to provide schools of their own all over the country, the present system could not be very popular. He thought, however, those bodies had as much as they could do to bnild churches and pay their Ministers. His views on the question were shared by many of the ablest and most experienced members in the House, including representatives of every shade of religions opinion; and the system he advocated had been found to work well in other colonies, as well as in England. He must now turn to the great Labour question. No thoughtful man could look upon the Bocial state of England, upon the contrast between the enormous wealth and poverty which existed there, without the greatest anxiety. He believed the solution would be found in an extension of the principles of trade unionism and co-operation; but they must not suppose that evils ofsuehlong standing could be cured in a day, There would be much derangement of industry, much suffering to be borne by all clarees. But though he cordially sympathised with, the principle of traionism, ne 9<fflW n Qr

approve of all its manifestations. Tho present strike he thought quite unjustifi. able* The quarrel was one which did not concern this colony, and in its original cause he thought tl;e strikers were in the wrong. Hehhad been asked which party he should support if returned to the House. He did not wish to see the present Ministry turned out, though he did not approve of a good deal of their policy. The chief objection he had to the Stout-Balance party was that they were even stronger Protectionists than the present Ministry, and that they appeared to have no sense of the value of economical administration. Nevertheless, if they came into power,,, he would take no part in factious opposition to them, and would support them as long as be approved of their measures. He had no objects of his Own to serve in. coming; forward; he was animated only' by what was usually considered an honourable ambition — that of taking part in the public affairs of his. country, and if elected would' do his best ta serve then* faithfully. . V j , In answer to a question, Mr ArkwrigHt? said that there were a great ananyendowments for secondary schools which should, be .devoted to primary education, and sofar as this could be done without violating legal engagements he wished to 'see it done. •"■■;."•' ,• Colonel Gorton, in. a lengthy speech, in which he. condemned Mr'Macarthur and eulogised Mr Arkwnght, moved 1 "That this meeting accord a hearty vote voT thanks to Mr Arkwright for his able addres and an assurance of their confidenceof his ability and. integrity to represent their interest in Parliament." The motion was carried almost unanimously.—Abridged from Advocate. '