Captain Russell Before His Constitutents.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 211, 10 March 1896, Page 2

Captain Russell Before His Constitutents.

(Per Press Association.) Hastings, March 9. Captain Russell addressed a meeting of his constituents at Hastings this evening, the Mayor presiding. In his introduction Captain Russell said the Government reminded him of a school boy's knife, which, although its blades and handle had been separately renewed, the boy declared to be the same knife. The Government srill called themselves the great head of the people, but Mr Reeves, Sir Patrick Buckley, Mr Montgomery and the Agent-General had gone, and poor Ballanoe, the great head, had also gone. Their head had gone, and the great election at Christchurch proved that the tail was gone. The present Government was a discredited one, which would shortly be hurled from its seat of power. Not only had they lost their head and tail, but also their policy, The people ' were asking whether the confidence placed in the people's Government had been justified. Was the country I more prosperous 1 It was not. Employment was scarcer, wages more difficult to earn, and a terrible depression was settling down upon the country; which Government had promised should be one of the brightest places in the Southern Hemisphere. The policy of bounce, bluster, banquettiug, and bunkum, had taught the people they bad placed their confidence in a rotten reed. They had been told that under a democratic Government everybody should be cared for. Tee only chance that a man had was that if he chanced to be a sycophantic supporter o? the Government. Then the cooperative system had been used as a political tool — contracts given only in those places where the Government knew their position was weakest. He thought that if Ministers had settled down to the responsibility of their offices instead of flying about all over the colony to get political support, it would be more in accord with thexr duties. There were not twelve members who believed in the purity of the policy of the Government. There had been a great number of new men in the House, and these had given a written pledge to support Mr Seddon. If appily, at the end of the session that pledge would expire, and they would come back as free men. Captain Russell then referred to the work of last session. He justified the action of the Opposition in agreeing to the Bank of New Zealand guarantee on the ground of the extent of such a disaster as liquidation would have caused. With regard to land settlement he maintained that men with capital were wanted in the colony, and that by the action of Government the essential of capital had been frightened. He thought the municipal authorities should manage some scheme by which people could get freeholds near large centres and pay off an amount which should include principal and interest. He complained bitterly of the manner in which an expenditure of £765,000 for Public Works was washed through the House. The public debt had increased by £3,311,218, and while this was so and interest also was increasing, the two principal sources ot revenue — railways (with an increase of 107 miles of railway) and Customs were decreasing. With regard to the tariff, he said that taxation had fallen upon the heads of those least able to bear it. As he had prophesied, by the new tariff at least £50,000 had been taken out of the pockets of the people. He would again contest the Hawke's Bay seat. A hearty vote of thanks and confidence was unanimously carried.