Mr Bruce at Feilding

Feilding Star, Volume XIV, Issue 79, 22 December 1892, Page 2

Mr Bruce at Feilding

• Mr Bruce, M.H.R., addressed his constituents in the Feilding Assembly Rooms on Tuesday evening last. Mr W. G. Hajbittle (Mayor), presided, and the attendance was good. Mr Bruce in hia opening remarks said he intended to criticize the events of the last session and the policy of the present Government. We wanted less of this heroic policy, and required more good, careful politicians in the House. The question of compensation to publicans was a very important one, and would become more so m the future, the evils of the liquor trade will have to be dealt with, and he was in entire accord with those who were attempting to deal with this question. The Financial Statement was, he considered most obscure and misleading, a fact which evon some of the Government sup. porters admitted. Mr McKenzie accused the Government of putting a false and misleading balance sheet before the country. They claimed to have reduced the national debt by £117,000 whereas the Government had in reality added £1534,000 to it. They have attempted to pose as a retrenchment Government, and boast of their civil service retirements. Whereas how have they handled this matter ? They have paid £31,000 as compensation, and over £4000 have been yoted in pensions to these public servants. As a fact, these men were retrenched because they were not of the right color, and their places filled by men who were favourable to the Government. The Government asserted that the expenditure on public works had been considerably reduced, and when they went into office Mr Seddon said that there was nothing in the treasury for public works, whereas there was no less than £718,000 on hand in that connection and £470,000 clear of all liabilities. When the present Government took office, their predecessors left a surplus of £143,000, and £216,000 of sinking fund had been seized by them. They had created a surplus of £1 65,000 by transferring to loan account, cevtain sums which bad beeu charged to ordinary revenue by their predecessors. They propose to spend £200,000 in public works. Their motto is " The spoils to the victors." The country had shown great ingratitude to the late Government. A self reliant and non borrowing policy was introduced by the late party. The Government had proposed that Insurance Companies should deposit large sums with them, the result of this proposal would meau that insurers would have to pay more for their accommodation. He considered the proposal of the government to borrow m the colon y, as a piece of sheer political quackery, He would not insult the intelligence of his audience by discussing their co-operative proposals. He then quoted an instance of a small piece of nine chains of fencing in Wellington which had cost £156 and had of course been earned out by men of the right color, some time past he (the speaker) had been trying to get a road over the Ruahine range and two bridges across the Kangitikei river, but because he is an opponent of the present Government, he cannot get his demands listened to. Is not this political jobbery of a most pronounced type, seeiug that these bridges are urgently required ? Good roads and bridges are far more necessary than railways, and vet the Government have set aside £400,000 on railways for non paying lines which are political ones and never can pay, and a paltry £18,000 is all they have allotted for roads in the country, and £5,000 have been set aside for water races, when money for urgent works cannot be obtained. Mr Seddon attacked the Railway Commissioners outside the House, but if they are to be assailed it should be inside and not outside that House. He (Mr Seddon) is most anxious to gat the railways into his own hands, there was no need for the speaker to give his reasons for this desire. Government talked of self sacrifice for the people, but it was only those not of the right color who were asked to make these sacrifices, whilst large sums of money were scheduled for works in districts which returned Government supporters. In the estimates £9000 were set aside under the head of contingences, and £150 for the Postmaster- General's trip to Sydney; what a fine thing to be a member of the Liberal party. Why should Mr Seddon wish to become a Railway Commissioner? He is absolutely unfit for such a position. Already this year, 30 miles of non paying lines have been thrown on their hands. There is a falling off in receipts from grain and frozen mutton. Individually, he would rather see our lines sold, if they are to be corrupted by the Government in power, as it brings 4000 employes into account, and they are an important factor to reckon with at electiou times. In Victoria ami South Australia, we see the disastrous results of the railways being subjected to the hands of political jobbery. If our lines are to be under the political influences of the day, then the puMic will insist on their being sold, and the railway service will ultimately become thoroughly demoralized. Should they bo managed by non political Commissioners or by the Government of the day ? Mr Bruce next referred to the Land Bill and to its working under the three methods as provided in the Act; viz., the cash payment system, the deferred payment, and the lease in perpetuity, which latter clause was inserted owing to the action of the opposition, who would have received support from come members of the Government had not the latter given way on this point. The Electoral Bill and the subject of woman franchise was next touched upon. At present he was against the suffrage being extended to woman, as he considered it experimental legislation of a very sweeping nature. No doubt it would come, but he asserted that the Government were opposed to it, as they were afraid that the women's vote would be against them at the next general election, though the speaker thought the Government were wrong in this assumption. He held that the Legislative Council appointments were altogether unnecessary. la their conflict with the Governor, they had reduced him to a nonentity, and by referring the matter to the Home authorities through the Marquis of JEtipon, one of the weakest of men who ever sat in a British Cabinet, the affair had been dealt with unconstitutionally. A most despotic Ministry, without any of the safeguards we have a right to expect, have held up to ridicule the Governor of the colony, and established a bad and very dangerous precedent. Hfl was more than ever opposed to the policy of the Government, their policy being based on the vicious American system of " the spoils to the victors. " The principle of graduated taxation means taxing a man on his debts, and if this policy were pushed home, it must ultimately land us in revolution. It would be far better for the working classes if 3ome of the duties on necessaries were taken off. Is it just, that a man owning 300 or 400 acres should pay no more taxation than a working man earning £1 a week. Mr Bruce then stated that he did not again wish to contest the Rangitikei electorate, and expressed his thanks to those who had so loyally supported him. He asked them to return an advocate of unrestricted commercial intercourse, as he believed that the principles of freetrade would ultimately become universal. He begged to assure his opponents that he was not a professional politician. He did resent the antagonism of many farmers from whom he had a right to expect support. If however he had said anything to hurt the feelings of anyone, he begged to tender his apologies. Mr Bruce then resumed bis seat amidst hearty applause.. Mr Colbey proposed, and Mr Bleakley bqcojklqclj a hearty vote of thanks and

confidence in Mr Bruce, which was carried unanimously A vote of thanks to the Mayor for presiding, brought a very successful meeting to a close.