The Fielding Star. THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 1893. Rough Criticism

Feilding Star, Volume XIV, Issue 87, 12 January 1893, Page 2

The Fielding Star. THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 1893. Rough Criticism

Mr R. T. Buckland, the member for Manakau, is an outspoken and determined opponent to the Government. In a speech made a few days ago in Auckland .he entirely disputed thiright of the dominant party to the title of " Liberals "' and declared that they are either "Socialists or Anarchists or something of that sort." The Ministry were not conscious of the mischief they were doing, but did not see their way to retain otlice without pandering to class prejudices and s,o securing the votes of the proletariat at the next general election. Some of the members of the Cabinet were putted up with self conceit, while at the same time they were so absolutely ignorant of economies, as to hold the conviction that the course they were pursuing will conduce to the commonwealth. He went over the old ground of iheir ignorance of finance and said if the present policy were continued it would end in disaster. A good deal of money had, for example, been frittered away on what was called the co-operative system, which simply meant, as a return he had moved Improved, that the work done under it cost from '20 to 2~) percent, more than it ought to do. It was a system of letting contracts without tenders, so as to create friends in tho oountry, jn view of the elections. Tho rjuestion to be faced was*. Whether the country's position justified the expenditure which had been going on? He did not approve of hastening unduly the disposal of Crown Lands, because he thought at present they were simply giving away the land. He said he knew that land was being drawn for, under the pretext of establishing special settlements, at JOs an acre which would bring L 3 at auction. This proceeding was based ou tho same principle a>> the cooperative business ; to gain friends to tho Government in the country. Discussing the conduct of Ministers generally, the honorable gentleman declared that their travelling expenses and allowances had been greater than those of any pre*, ious Government. He instanced, further, the fact tl*at several members of the Ministry, instead "f occupying the residences provided for them, drew L'JOO a year as residence allowance whilst living at a cheap hotel, where the whole annual expenses did not exreed LIOO, thereby saving th*. cost of entertaining, and pockejting L|ooa y>»iu* ! He referred in scathing ternis it) tjie tfeatu f yut tn which Mr Seddon had subjected the Mili Iway Coiin.i'issioners, -^d ch**.raeteriaed the Jji-ycv* episode -^ •• ; i ..,u-.-|| and cointeinptible afiatr, with wbid* he felt miserable to be in any way connected. "' The general tendency, he said in conclusion, of the legislation of the session had been in a Socialistic

1 direction. To this he strongly objected, and he thought the Colony would have to watch it very closely. " Those who were here brought a system of Government from England, and Englaud was the freest country in the world. Their freedom was the growth of centuries ; but now there was a tendency to go back, antl they should take care not to go back too far. The present clanger lay in the fact that the ! I Government were anxious to curb ! Parliament— anxious that their followers should follow theni blindly, and that the Opposition should bave noth- j ing to say." j