Captain Russell's Speech.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 227, 28 March 1896, Page 2

Captain Russell's Speech.

There was a large attendance at the Wellington Opera House on Thursday night to hear a political address by Captain Russell. The Mayor presided. Captain Russell reviewed the speeches of the various Ministers in their post' sessional addresses, and also that delivered by the Premier, who, they were aware, had not gone to a large centre of population. The Premier's speech was a peculiar one— one which was practised by those who put all sorts of ideas and words into the months of opponents and then set to work to answer them. The Premier had abused the National Association, and had quoted figures to show that the result of the Cbristchnrch election was a triumph for Government. They would have many such triumphs by-and-by. The Premier had not en. deavoured to refute one of the charges made against himself and the Government. He (Captain Russell) therefore repeated that the charges made by Sir Sir Robert Stout, himself, and other Opposition speakers against the Premier and Government had not been refuted, and were completely and utterly true. What were these charges ? Misrepresentation of the financial position of the colony in London ; seizure of the local bodies' sinking funds ; the breakdown in the advances to settlers ; the refusal to debate the public works policy and give information as to the finances. The work of the Opposition had been one of great labor. They had to labor under ' insuperable difficulties, because every return which should have been laid on ■ the table was denied them. Because these returns were not available the Opposition were nnable to debate the financial position of the colony. What bunkum it was to talk about depriving people of their rights. What patty was it that granted the ballot to New Zealand ? It was not the Seddon party. It was given by the other party. Who was it that granted triennial Parliaments ? (" Sir George Grey."J No, it was Sir John Hall. Who granted manhood suffrage to New Zealand ? It was not the Liberal Party, but the so-called Conservative Party. Who was it that gave the greatest boon that had ever been granted to New Zealand '-a boon which had been inestimable — the Education Act ? Mr Bowen, and it was granted by a Conservative Government. Who granted the ladies the suffrage? By a change combination of circumstances tht> Bill was passed while the present Government was in power, but it was Sir John Hall who for years worked for women's suffrage. Did they realise that four of the present Ministers had voted against women's franchise. The Hons. J. McKenzie, J. Carroll, J. G. Ward, and T. Thompson voted against women's franchise before it became a Government question, while the Premier, who had not the courage of his convictions, did not stay in the Honse to vote upon the subject at all. Now because the women were becoming all powerfnl, they wanted to take all the credit for passing a Bill, when they knew in their hearts they opposed it. The Opposition was pining for the day when tliey would have a general elec- . tion. They would wrest every seat in Christchurch, and most in Canterbury, for them. The Premier had said that if it had been a straight-ont fight between the Government and the Opposition the Government wonld have won the election. That was another broad assertion incapable of proof. He (the speaker) had got information to the contrary. Captain Russell denied that he had said that capital had been frightened out of the country. What he had said he would repeat, and that was that the policy and administration was such that investors had locked up their capital, and would not invest it, but he had not said that it had gone out of the Colony. The Premier took an interest in the goldmining industry, and that was the only industry that had not been harried, worried and bullied by the present Government. There had been intense dissatisfaction with the result of Advances to Settlers Act. A loan of one and a half millions was raised at Home by the Colonial Treasurer on the following terms, viz., that persons taking up the loan had only to pay down one-third on the first of May, one-third on the Ist Jrlv, and onethird on the Ist September, although they received interest from the date of the first payment. The loan was raised at a discount of £5 11s 3d per cent, and with the brokerage and various expenses only about £1,400,000 was left, although they would hare to pay interest on the £1,500,000. They had to pay .£45,000* a year in interest on that loan, and though they had only lent £450,000 the interest bad to be paid all the same, while the cost of management, according to the public accounts for the December quarter, was £24,500. That was only for the seven months from the previous May, and at a similar rate the expense for the remainder of the year would be £17,500. Thus the interest and the cost of management combined amounted to £87,000, which they would have to pay for the loan this year. They had, as he said, lent £450,000, only a portion of which would pay a whole year's interest, but at the full rate, viz., 6 per cent., the amount to be paid would be £27,000, by which they would see that there were £60,000 remaining to be paid by the Colony. As to the remaining million pounds which had not been lent, he had no doubt that the Bank had refused to take it over, and that it was not earning more than 1 per cent, which left £50,000 to be provided by the Colony. The Premier had stated that the remarks made by him (Captain Russell) and Sir Robert Stout in regard to the tariff were contradictory, bnt he would show that was not so. In 1894 the public debt of the Colony was £38,874,---000, and in 1895 £39,635,000. In the Financial Statement Jbefore Sir Henry Atkinson retired from office the public debt was £37,284,518, but there remained in the Treasury £961,300. In 1893 the revenue from railways was £1,181,000; in 1894, £1,172,000; and in 1895, £1,150,000. In 1893 the revenue from Customs duties was £1,665,000; in 1894, £1,572,000 ; and in 1895, £,569,000. Those figures showed a considerable falling off, although there were 107 additional miles of railway, and he thought that was a most serious position. Notwithstanding this, the Government forced further taxation upon the people through the Customs, and that was where the discrepancy between his (the speaker's statements and Sir. Robert Stout's occurred. Sir Robert Stout was correct in stating that tbo new Customs tariff would increase the taxation. Speaking at Nelson Mr S.ed; don told the public there wou\d bin a surplus of £150,000 at 'the c n fl P$ the 'financial year, b,ut he "(Captain Russell) ventured to prophesy there would be rjo surplus, although one would no doubt be manufactured, and shown in the Financial Statement. Captain RusaeJl having ridiculed the assertion of the Premier that runholders refused to employ any but Native shearers, and that they would not have their bush felled id order to spite the Government, then drew attention to the remark.* of the Colonial Treasurer, who led taeicf to understand that they ivmst expend at least £20,000,(100 if Now Zealand was to have a fleet of her own. Their defences were, he contended, a disgrace to the Colony, though he did not attribute that fnct to one Ministry more than another. Replying to questions, Captain Russell said :— He was in favour of a Free Trade policy; he thought there was too mucif drunkenness in tbe streets, and'"nofe x sufficient notice was taken of it by tb§ . i 1

' police, but the blame was to be attached not only to the police, but to the Mamstratea and others who would not help the police to do their duty. He was not a Prohibitionist, and he thought the Prohibitionists would recognise the moderate men were their best friends. He should be very happy to assist any project to provide J for the exclusion of aliens guch as the exclusion of Chinese from the Colony. A vote ot thanks to Captain i" Russell for his address was proposed from the body of the house, and carried unanimously.—Times^^^^^^