THE RECENT LIBERAL SPEECHES.

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 101, 26 October 1893, Page 2

THE RECENT LIBERAL SPEECHES.

TO THB EDITOR OF THE STAR. Sin,— The speeches of the Premier, at Feilding, and Mr Pirani, at Palmerston, contain in them assertions that are not in accordance with the political history of this colony, In the first place, it is verj bad taste on the part of the Premier to depreciate the work done by the late Sir H Atkinson and his colleagues, in extricating affairs in this colony from the crisis brought on by the reckless borrow* j lngandthesquanderingpolicyof the Stout. j Yogel Ministry, a policy which, if conI tinued, would have ended in State bankruptcy. Mr Seddon accused the Atkinson Ministry with a continuance of the above policy, but if they had suddenly stopped all borrowing instead of gradually tapering off it would have made affairs still worse, as extreme retrenchment is very unpopular, and besides, a much greater exodus from this country, than that which took place from reduced public works expenditure, would have resulted. Mr Seddon omitted to state that the exodus from this colony rather increased than otherwise a year or more after the Liberal Government came into power. Sir H. Atkinson's saying about letting people go and they would come back again, was a very fair remark showing that he had, faith in the resources of this country. Scarcity of work breeds di«. content and that means giving any country a bad name, and it was much better for them to clear out and return in prosperous times. The depression, caused by the depressed state of the produce market, and when only sheep returned to the farmers a fair percentage in this country, was an event that visited in turn all parts of the world at that time, and therefore, it was both unfair and untrue to charge a Conservative administration as a cause of it. During those times any attempt to farm small portions of land would have failed without capital, as sheep cost money, and require a moderately extensive area to run on. The land settlement now going on is more owing to cattle and other productions becoming saleable than any acts of Parliament, and therefore not for any Government to boast about. Mr Pirani's assertion that three years ago the strongest opponents of the abolition of the I custom duties on the necessaries of life was the present Opposition party, is not correct, because while that party held the reins of power, and afterwards, twelve Conservative members, the only atauch freetraders among a total of about 90 members, stood out from the Atkinson Ministry on the above question, and held the balance of power between Conservatives and Liberals to frustrate any Attempt to further increase custom duties. The inclusion of Captain Russell, a Freetrader, in the Ministry about that time, from his influence, strengthened that small party. and there is little doubt that if the Opposition party had had their way, the duties on necessaries of life would have been reduced, or done away with long ago, instead of retaining them to increase and maintain their salaries, and boast about the surplus, as the so-called Liberals have done, and are doing. Such assertions, of which the foregoing are only a few, show extreme partisanship that will contort facts to any extent to damage the other side. As for principle, I better not disgrace that word by saying anything about it. I do not expect to make any impression upon blind prejudice by this letter, but such a distortion of facts by the Premier and his nominee may lead astray recent arrivals in this colony. I am, etc., A Colonist. Feilding, October 25th.