The Premier at Napier.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 172, 19 January 1895, Page 2

The Premier at Napier.

0 Napier, January 18. The Premier addressed a crowded audience to-night at the Gaiety Theatre, the Mayor presiding. The Premier said that one reason for his visit and his speech was that he wished to dispel some gross misrepresentations of the actions of the Government which had been perpetrated by the Conservative press. The Premier said Captain Russell, in a recent speech had designated him (the Premier) *■ a charlatan," "an imposter." These terms ot endearment did do harm. He did not claim to be a gentleman by birrh andedu cation, but simply a man of the people. (Applause.) If he had indulged in personal abuse, the general opinion would be that it was only to be expected However, the unexpected sometimes happened. On a certain occasion in 1888 Captain Russell, after actually calling Sir Harry Atkinson a footpad, a few months subsequently sat alongside and followed him as a colleague. Did coming events cast their shadows before '? Captain Russel would not find him so forgiving as Sir Harry Atkinson had been. The depression and tbe unemployed difficulty had been especially acute in Hawke's Bay. A recent return giving the number of freeholders of country land in Hawke's Bay, in areas ranging from 1000 acres to 100,000, showed that 124 persons owned 1, 431,391 acres, valued at £4,307,275, and of the unimproved value of £2,770,738. After this statement it would be an insult to the intelligence of those present to explain the real cause of the grievance. The antidote was to acquire these areas, and to subdivide them into small farms. To enable this to be done the Land for Settlement! Bill, unanimously endorsed at the last general elections, had been introduced, and soon the sufferings of the people would be allei viated. and the congested state of the large towns relieved. Then the cheap money scheme had been initiated by the Government last session. For many years past many husbands had beeu toiling and wives / slaving ou small settlements, being slowly but surely overwhelmed by usurious rates of interest charged for money they had been compelled to borrow to keep the farm together. To remove ; this yoke from around the necks of < struggling settlers and enable them to enjoy a fair rate of interest, the cheap money scheme had been brought into ! force. The usurious rates of interest had been a blot on New Zealand for years past. The Premier also defended the action of the Government in reference to the guarantee to the Bank of New Zealand, . saying that if the step had not been taken disaster would have overwhelmed the whole colony. The scheme of consols had been introduced in order to encourage thrifty people, and give them safe and good investment for their savings. It was an ex--1 tension of the principle of the Post Office 1 Savings Bank, which had been so largely resorted to during the recent panics. Referring to the labour legislation, the Premier said that the Government had \ been condemned because they had passed certain legislation. He believed . that every right-thinking employer was in entire sympathy with the legislation which had been placed on the Statute book. Speaking on the timber industry and | the assistance being rendered by the '. Government to merchants placing • cargoes on the London market, the , Premier said there was no reason why '■ the streets of London and Paris should not be paved with New Zealand timbers. Shipments were to be sent from Auckland, Wellington, Napier, Invercar--1 gill and Lyttelton. Assistance to the industry would benefit the whole Colony. At the conclusion of the speech, a vote of thanks to the Premier, satisfaction with the action of the Government, and continued confidence, was moved by Mr • H. P. Cohen, seconded by Mr H. A. Cornford, and unanimously carried, i amidst great applause. — Times special.