MR KELLOW AT AWAHURI.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 130, 1 December 1896, Page 2

MR KELLOW AT AWAHURI.

Mr F. P. Kellow, a candidate for the Manawatu electorate, addressed the electors at Awahuri last evening. There was a fair attendance and Mr Linton presided. Mr Kellow said that be did not come before the electors with a brief from either the Conservatives or Liberals, but wished to deal with the various questions in a non-party way. He thought it would be better lor the country if they all dealt with political questions without party feeling. Dealing with the work of the present Government he said they deserved credit for some of the measures passed, while other measures deserved criticism. The financial transactions of the Government were not according to the pledges given at the hustings and some of the lines they bad followed were unsound and unstatesmanlike and threw up barriers in the way of those who would have to do the financing in the future. In 1891 the Ballance administration came into power pledged to a selfreliant and non borrowing policy. During their term of office this policy was adhered to, the colonial debt only having been increased by some £800,000. In 1893 the Liberal party was returned pledged to a non borrowing policy, but in the first session of Parliament they asked for power to borrow between four and live millions. They said this money had been put to good use and be believed a good amount of it bad been, but when pledged to a policy they were bound to keep up to it. The unsound and nnstatesmanlike financing was their utilising the sinking funds of local bodies as these funds were held by tbe Government as trustees. The money was taken and used for public purposes, debentures being issued against them. This was secret borrowing without the cousent of the constituents. Eminent financiers say they must have a sinking fund to enable them to meet their loans. By this financing, barriers had been raised in tbe way of future Colonial Treasurers for some time to come, tbe loans converted having been pledged for thirty-three and forty-four years, and that in the face of a falling money market. This he considered unsound financing and would object to it. He approved of the banking legislation, but thought tbe Government should have better ascertained tbe position of the bank before pledging the colony to the two millions. Touching on tbe banking enquiry, he thought it was a farce and was only held to clear members of the Ministry. He believed the advances to Settlers scheme was a benefit to the country, and had been the means of reducing tbe rates of interest. He explained the provisions for tbe Lands for Settlement Act, and thought the compulsory clause might be objectionable and dangerous if used for political purposes. He objected to the selectors of land under this measure only being allowed to take it up under tbe lease in perpetuity system, and thought selectors should be allowed to take it up under any tenure they chose. The Government deserved credit for an honest desire to settle the people on the lands, but there was a lack of administrative power in the Minister of Lands, and there was a faulty administration in tbe settlement of the lands. He instanced the failure of settlements in the Taranaki and Wellington provinces, which was due to the sections being too small and tbe land unsuitable. Another reason was that tbe Government bad tried to force a tenure (the leasehold) on the people, which was undesirable. Select* ors should be given the option of tenure and the three systems should be placed on the same footing. He knew of selectors who bad taken np land on the leasehold tenure on the understanding that in time they would get the freehold, which he would support. Men with little means, and who have large families, should be given greater encourage^ ment and assistance to nettle on the land. The Government should make good roads to the new blocks to be offered for sale, but should not stop there. He would carry it as far as felling the bush and grassing the land, and then place men with small means on it and not men who already possessed land. This would meet the unemployed difficulty. The Government could borrow money for tbe purpose at 3 per cent and charge a rental which would return 4 per cent on the money borrowed. This would be better than purchasing expensive lands and then settling them. Referring to the labor legislation, he thought some of it was premature, but a day might come when it would bear fruit. The co-operative system was not working satisfactorily as there was nothing settled about it while the management cost from 26 to 90 per cent. It must be remodelled and provision made for the men to classify themselves. It would be better to return to the small contract system than to leave things as they were. Speaking on the licensing question he thought tbe time had arrived when it would have to have its quietus. It was of great importance to the colony and if it is a trade for the public, then the people should be given the right to say how the question shall be dealt with. He disapproved of Government by party as it was a failure in New ZeaZeland, it having been reduced to Government by one man, while the party system did away with tbe independence of members. He supported the elective executive and thought the Legislative Council should be amended by the whole House electing members to the Council. He was in favor of Mr MeNab's Majority Bill. In reply to questions be said that the difference between the Stout- Vogel and Sir Harry .Atkinson's time and the present methods of conversion was that now the loans were tied to 33 and 44 years, while previously they were not. He was not in favor of the abolition of the Upper House as it was a check on nndigested legislation. He was not averse to tbe Old Age Pension scheme, but they should find out if the colony could stand it before being committed to the scheme. He would like to see the voice of the people taken on the Prohibition question and then to legislate accordingly. A vote of thanks was accorded to Mr Kellow on tbe motion of Mr Worsfold, seconded by Mr Holmes.