Mr Stevens at Feilding

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 118, 16 November 1893, Page 2

Mr Stevens at Feilding

The Government candidate for the Rangitikei seat, Mr J. Stevens, addressed i well attended meeting of electors in the Feilding Assembly Rooms last evening, rhe Mayor, Mr E. Goodbehere, was voted :o the chair, on the motion of Mr P. riiomson, and briefly introduced Mr Stevens. On rising Mr Stevens was received with applause and commenced his adJress by saying that it was eighteen months since he appeared on that platform, and a great change had taken place. in the country since then, when only one section of the community was represented. He congratulated the ladies on being granted the franchise. They had a perfect right to have a voice in making the laws they hnd to obey and he was sure they would record their votes in a direction which would benefit the community. They would in time consider finance as well ns social questions. In selecting a candidate it was necessary to take principles as n whole and not select one question Until the ladies became acquainted with politics they would be guided bv those to whom they have looked for past assistance. He did not think they were going to interfere with social questions to the detriment of the finances. He was sure there were persons in the electorate who would like to unseat the Goyernment and give the reins to the Opposition, yet the latter wished to maintain the policy of the Government. Referring to the incidence of taxation, he considered the Land and Income Tax was preferable to the Pro* perty Tax. The latter was unfair to the wealth producers in the country— viz., the I farmers, and graziers. Under the Property Tax the greater the improvements, the more they had to pay, whiJeunderthe Land Land and Income Tax all improvements were exempted) giving an incentive to improvements. When contesting a seat for an adjoining constituency, he was in favor of a property tax, and his reason for changing was that he was not acquainted with the Land and Income Tax when ha opposed it. He had now become somewhat acquainted with its principles, and advised all to make themselves so with every new measure and not be led away by all the threadbare theories which retarded the progress of the colony. He was in favor of the Bill giving the option of local bodies levying taxation on on the unimproved value of land. If the principle -of taxing the unimproved value for Government rating purposes was good it was not bad for local rating. If a man owned 1000 acres partially fm proved and another 200 acres fully improved the proportion paid by the former was not so much as the latter. "Whoever represented this district he hoped that in the interests of the country such a Bill would become law. The land question, he was sure, was vividly impressed on the minds of those present Electioneering " dodgers " had been circulated during the last election simply for the purpose of catching votes. In these it was stated that the Government intended to deprive purchasers of the freehold and, therefore, was disastrous to the cj.'ony. This was merely circulated for the purpose of poisoning the minds of the people against the Government. The Bill introduced last session was called unjust and unfair, but he hoped they would not be caught, and would ascertain the facts before acting. The Land Act of 1892 was not as described. It provided that an area of laud, not exceeding 250,000 acres, could be sold each year for cash, and also that another 250,000 acres would be taken up with a right of purchase in one year. The present Act allowed this, and it should satisfy the most sceptical in favor of freehold tenure ; the lease in perpetuity (999 years) was also embodied in this Act. He believed in the optional piinciple, although the latter must be acknowledged to be equal to a freehold. It meant that 4 per oent would be paid on the capital value of land and the improvements would not, as erroneously stated, be forfeited at the death of an occupier, who would have the right to dispose of them as he chose. Supposing the land were valued at £1, this could not be altered, and he considered it was much cheaper than paying £1 an acre for the land. The Acquisition of Lands Bill, which gave power to acquire land for settlement, had been rejected by the Legislative Council. It was stated bv some that Maori lands should be purchased first, but this was very difficult, and land should be more widely distributed. In the South Island 37 persons owned 100,000 j acres each, and the Bill gave power to acquire portions of these large estates. The mode of procedure in taking land for settlement was : The owner and Government each appointed a valuer, and if they disagreed a Supreme Court Judge could be appointed, who would hold an arbitration court. He did not believe in depriving anyone of their rights, but it was unjust to the community that large areas of land should be locked up when the people are without. It was not true that the Government did not allow anyone to take up over 1000 acres. There was provision in the Act of 1892, allowing anyone to take up 20,000 acres on lease in one block, or with a carrying capacity of 20,000 sheep or 4000 cattle. It was not likely, to be consistent, the Government would on the one hand reduce large estates to 1000 acres, and yet on the other hand allow 20,000 acres leasehold to be taken up. The present Land Act was the most Liberal in the British Empire. It had been contended the Cheviot estate purchase was a bad bargain. Why? Just because it was purchased by a Liberal Government. In the near future— within two years— it would be' proved to be the best venture the Government ever entered upon. Had they wished to make money out of it, they could set £100,000 profit by the transaction. There were 82,000 odd acres, and this would settle thousands of people, where sheep form* eily ran. Another measuro that acted as a red rag was the Betterment Bill, intended to levy a special rate on land through which railways nre yet to be made. It was only right the owner of a large estate should paj the deficiency on working expenses and a moderate interest on a railway constructed through his property. Money should be obtained at cheaper rates for farmers. In England \t could be obtained for 3£ pep cent, any was lent oat at 7? per cent in the colony, and it cost an extra 4 per cent for trans* mittmg to New Zealand. The middleman made a big profit out of this. Some moans shoald be devised to bring borrowers in touch with money lenders ot Home. The Government bad already considered the question of leading money to leaseholders on improvements. This he approved of, as it would be a boon to settlers, as under the existing law it was impossible to obtain money on leasehold property. The Native Lands Purchase Bill of last session was an admirable measure. There should be more judges appointed^) as to individualise the titles. At present a number of natives might be interested in a piece of land, but the chief was the only one who could derive benefit from it, other than residing on it. Taxes could not be collected before the land was individualised, and the natives were only too willing to comply with the taxation imposed by local bodies and Government if that object were attained, With regard to the Waimarino Block, the question put to Mr Duthie was previouoly cut and dried. There were two sides to the question and he would explain how it occurred. In 1886 he was in Wanganui and while there Mr Butler, native land purchase officer, asked him if he would accept a salary from the Government and assist him (Mr Butler) to purchase the Waimarino. Mr Stevens said no, but would undertake it by contract. He (Mr

Stevens) said that if be succeeded be hoped to be paid for it and if be failed he did not expect anything. His terms were a commission of 2d per acre for acquiring as much as possible in twelve months. These terms were coinmuni« cated to Mr Lewis, Undersecretary of the Native Department who went to Wanganui to see Mr Stevens. An argu« ment was drafted, and submitted to tbe Minister, giving Mr Stevens the whole assistance of the Native Department and he was not to be interfered with in anj way. Messrs Lewis and Butler gave him every assistance, but the latter could not have succeeded alone. Some 450,000 acres purchased, for which he was paid about £3.230. He was paid for special knowledge and not for the time he took. He said, immediately after the purchase, if the Government rued their bargain, he was prepared, within six months, to form a syndicate and give £20,000, with other expenses, over the purchase money for the Block, and guarantee to settle it under the then land laws. Five or six Associations had already taken up some of the land, and were highly pleased with it. The land taken up paid for the transaction, and three-fourths of the Block remained unsold. "While at Marton, and when discussing the rival routes for the trunk line, the late Mr Macarthur gave as a reason why the railway should go through the Waimarino Block that the totara on it was worth a million sterling. This was sufficient proof of its value. Dealing with the Alcoholic Liquors Bill, Mr Stevens thought it was in the right direction, and would control the liquor traffic. Although not a prohibitionist, he would, if returned, do what he could to restrict the traffic. Hotels were for the purpose of accommodating the travelling public, and not residents. In some parts of New Zealand there were "drinking shops," which brought hotels into disrepute. The first step is to ascertain how to replace revenue ; no place can prosper when the finance is jeopardised. Merchants in cities should be inforned that the import of liquors was to be stopped before prohibition was introduced. In certain States in America they can get more now to drink than before prohibition. In one State liquor may be sold as a medicine or for scientific purposes, and in place of asking for a bottle of whiskey they ask for a bottle of cochineal, budget whiskey. An ex* ample of prohibition was given at Ohingaiti, where there were seven places where liquor could be had, but now there were three hotels and the place was more respectable. Prohibition at the present time was neither an advantage or practical. Mr Stevens was an admirer of State schools, but education cost a lot of money. The schools were free and secular, and for this latter reason one-seventh of the population of the colony educated their own children at their own expense. Under the present system it was impossible for Catholics to educate their children. [A voice :" Why."] Mr Stevens: " I will toll you presently." He would do nothing to interfere with the present system, but beyond this something should be done to assist in the education of the children in question. It was an acknowledged fact that one of the greatest liberties of the subject amongst the British is the perfect right that all should have their own religion, and ac« oording to the tenets of the Catholic belief no such word as " secular " is in their curriculum. They have established schools of (heir own and these relieved the congested ones of the colony, and the country was saved taxation. It was only reasonable and just that the State should give some assistance, and it would not interfere with th: present system. If the Catholics shut their schools it would cause much expense, and besides, it would not do as there was a gulf between. [A voice : " Have they been given aid anywhere else?"] Mr Stevens : " Because they have been unjust in the past is that why they should still be so." The Railway Commissioners, in the eyes of some people, have a right to control the railways for ever. In Victoria they had a board of commissioners and another board had been sitting for six months to consider if good or bad had been effected. This was not'the case in New Zealand as Mr Maxwell was previously manager of railways here. Mr Stevens considered it would be wise to have a Minister of Public Works on the Board of Commissioners. Since the railways were taken over by the Commissioners there had been no improvement in tbe management and it was just the same as before. No new system had been introduced by the Commissioners. If a Minister of the Crown was at the head as many new systems as possible inight|be introduced. Parcels required from ten to sixteen entries from sender to receiver. In the post office a parcel may be stamped and sent without trouble and Mr Stevens thought tbe railways should be worlted on the same principle. In India they had a Value Payable Parcels Post ; work-* ing thus : A person at a distance would see an article advertised and on writing to the intending seller for it have it sent to his address. The person could £hen go to his post office and pay for the article without any trouble. There should be some reform in the Legislative Counoil. That body was not in touch with the people although twelve new councillors had been appointed. The late Sir F. Whitaker introduced a Bill in 1882 or 1888, desiring to have a certain number balloted out and elected by a modified Hare system, the North and South Islands to elect half each. On this coast, oetween New Plymouth and Wellington, there was not a single Councillor to represent the 50,000 people. Mr Stevens said it grieved him very much to have to conclude by making a personal explanation. He knew of untruthful slanders being circulated and referred |to an anqnymous letter he had, re T ceived and challenged any person to m^et him face to face with what he termed these vile imputations. He had always given fair play to political opponents and he wanted nothing more. Mr Stevens thanked the audience for their attention and sat down amidst applause. No questions being asked, MrP ThornS3ii proposed, and Mr T. B. Chamberlain seconded, a vote of thanks to Mr Stevens. The customary voto of thanks to the chairman terminated the meeting.