SIR W. FOX AT MARTON.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2237, 3 June 1881, Page 3

SIR W. FOX AT MARTON.

[PBBSS ASSOCIATION TKLEGBAM.J MARTON, June 2. Sir Wm, Fox addressed a large meeting of bis constituents at the Temperance Hall last night. The Mayor occupied the chair. Sir W. ffox said that at present the political world waß remarkably quiet and pacific, and topics to create excitement during the coming session were not very prominent. On Thursday last the Premier addressed his constituents at Lection, and if any exciting topio existed it would thon have cropped up. In the speeches delivered lately there had been a groat deal of the same old straw threshed with the usual infinitesimal proportion of grain. He therefore could not be expected to offer an entertaining statemont. He observed that many membors, including Sir G. Grey, Mr Macandrew, and Mr Ballaiico, had given up postsessional speeches in favor of jpresessional. Every member ought to come before his constituents at least once before the seDßion, and the real reason of his putting cfE the opportunity was that he had been engaged in very important business as Commissioner of Native Affairs on the West Coast. Sir William then glanced at the events of last session, which be said was so long ego that any account of it would be threadbare Little, however, was done last session, which was a peculiar one. A Ministry calling itself Liberal, and he denied their right to the word, had been turned out, and their successors occupiod in investigating mattero in which, in finance, particularly their predecessors had left the country in deplorable ignorance. The new Ministry came down last session prepared with the results of that investigation into the condition of the country, and a very startling condition it waß. No amount of ability could enable them to get to the bottom of the matter without adopting the idea common enough in the old country of appointing a series of Commissioners to investigate with more continuous energy and painetaking inspection of minutiathan any Ministry could do. One of these commissions did great sorvico, that appointed to inquire into the civil service. The commissioners devoted the short time at their disposal to one department of the publio works, but found it impossible to sweep the whole Augean stable. When their very able report, drawn up by Mr Saunders, the chairman, wus sent, it laid bare the conduct of heads of departments, and showed that there had been a vast amount of favoritism, incapacity, and so forth, and, in fact, a frightful state of things, calculated to jeopardise all the good derivable from millions oxpended in railways. It seemed as though all the newspapers in Now Zealand had been feed (though, of courso, that was not possible), for with one voice they declared that tho two heads of deportments were perfectly blameless, and the report fit only - for the waste paper basket. He never knew such unanimity of the Press, from Auckland to Otago, but

Mr Saunders, who from forty years' knowledge he could say was a true Liberal, was not to be daunted, and refuted all the accusations on the floor of the Houso. The Government were slow to act upon the report, but at last became so convinced of its truth that it was found necessary to dismiss tho two officials and reduoetbe expenses of tho department by £40,000 to £50,000. Sir William then referred to what took place as to tho Otogo railway waggons last session, and added that in the end the Government had carried out the report in nearly every particular. The investigation of the finances fell naturally to Major Atkinson, nnd was not entrusted to any committee. The deeper he wont tho the worse things got, though it had been supposed that the previous Government had been going at a very reckless pace nnd spending money with a lavieh hand. Sir William then spoke of Sir G. Grey not bringing in a financial statement at. tho elate of his term of office; and after ho had turned cut his Colonial Treasurer in a manner which could ecnreely be characterised as polite, Sir G. G?oy brought down to the House a few sheets of note paper instead of a financial statement, one of tho most impudent proceedings _ which ho recollected. When Major Atkinson came into power, ho was absolutely ignorant of the fact that tho colony was on tho verge of bankruptcy. For large earn of interest was falling due, which, if not paid on a certain day, would ruin the credit of the colony, yet they would hardly believe that up to tea hours of the day in question tho late Government had made absolutely no provision to meet this Bum, and it had to bo financed in London by Bir J. Vogel, who induced the Bank of England and other bodies to come to the rescue, and save tho credit of the colony. The colony was actually as near ruin as that, but tho groatest and most fearful fact was the deficit of a million necessary to pay the liabilities. This was the result of the financing of tho previous Government, although attempts had been made to throw dust in the eyes of the public by protesting that Major Atkinson had exaggerated the amount. Authority was given to issue Treasury bills, and he had been informed on high financial authority that Major Atkinson had to meet the difficulty by handing over a million of debentures to the Public Works Department, which had a million of the loan unexpended. In reality he had to borrow another million in addition to the five million loan, of course with the sanction of the House, to meet tho necessity of the case. Major Atkinson had not exaggerated things by half a farthing. The Government devoted itself to retrenchment, eome of which, however necessary, seemed a little cruel, and he hoped that by the end of next session they would have worked off the whole million of the deficit. If the Government could not do this without stopping the progress of the colony, let them at any rate go as far as possible in that direction. Sir William Fox then spoke at length as to Sir G. Grey's vote of no confidence last session. He condemned the obstructive and time.wasting tactics of the Opposition, and advocated the introduction into the House of something similar to the rules lately adopted in the House of Commons. He then reforred to Mr Bryoe's Native Bills, of all whioh he did not approve. The one great Bill was the Native Lands Sales Act. The land sales ia New Zealand had always been more or less under the protection of the law. By the treaty of Woitangi no one but the Queen could buy from the Natives, and if any one attempted to do so the sale was absolutelyvoid. This was a very good law, and worked very well. In 1862, however, under tho influence of large bodies of land speculators, chiefly from Auckland, the law was abolished, and the purchase of lands thrown open to anybody, totally regardless of the colony being covered with disputes between the Maoris and white people. Another law was passed providing that the Natives should not sell their land until tbey had passed it through the Lands Court. Before the Atkinson Ministry were turned out they brought in a new Bill, it being generally considered that the state of the law did not promote settlement on the Maori lands, but facilitated large blocks being acquired by companies. It was a good Bill in some points, but favored the hitter too much. The resolution (for which he takes to himself great credit) was moved by Mr Ballanoo that no system would be satisfactory unless it mode provision for the cooperation of the Natives in the work of colonisation. It was a very good but very empty resolution, because it invited the Natives to yield what they had not the least intention of yielding, and did not show how they were to be got to cooperate. The resolution was the first step taken towards towards turning out the Atkinson Ministry, and paved the way for the retirement of some of the most prominent members. The Grey party came into power with an undertaking to bring in a Bill to settle the Native Lands question, and Mr Sheohan even stated that the Government would retire altogether from the field of land purchase, and would merely act as advisers and brokers to the Natives to facilitate the selling to Europeans. Next session found the Groy Ministry taking no steps in the matter at all, except indeed if a small Bill as to the legitimacy of Maori children could be termed a step. The fact was that the Grey Government hod not clear views on the Native question at all. Mr Sheehan actually entered into negotiation for the purchase of large blocks, thus absolutely reversing the policy announced, and going into the market money bags in hand. Mr Ballonce, the author of the resolution, never raised a finger towards Battling the question in any way, and Mr Bryce's Bill to regulate the sale of lands was opposed with such violence, not only by the Opposition but by the Native members themselves, that he had to withdraw it. The Native members were in the habit of dancing a war danco over every Bill brought in to deal with the matter, yet they never had suggested a single idea upon which to base legislation. It had therefore become very difficult to get a satisfactory Bill through the House, and he had grave doubts whether, at the fag end of Parliament, the Government would attempt the task, but would leave the law as it uow is, by whioh Maoris can sell thoir lands after passing thorn through the Court, either to the Government or private parties. Sir William then defended the Government upon tho Patetcre business, contending that they hod to act strictly for the intereat of tho colony, in conformity with the letter and spirit of the existing law. He ridiculed Mr De Liutour's attaok on the honesty of Mr Bryce, and said it would do Sir George Grey no good to again revive the Patctere affair. He did not know whether the Government intended to stir in the great question of education. Tho Premier did not allude to it in his speech, and the general feeling was that the Act should have a longer trial. He thought that the Government would not initiate any alteration at all in the system, but a time was coming when something would have to be done. There were various opinions floating about as to tho expenso, the source whence the money was derived, and the character of the education given. Probably at their hustings they would have to discuss many points which underlie tho system. It was a great thing to have a national system, and he would do nothing to prevent tho establishment of such. With almost manhood suffrage, and pure democracy, tempered only by responsible Government, they would nevor be safe for a day if their institution were not worked by educated men. Uneducated men would be the tools of every political adventurer who had his little newspaper, or of every person with the gift of tho gab. The people must be educated, but tho question was to what exteDt out of the pockets of the State. Tho £300,000 which education at present costs really came out of tho property tax, which was paid by a comparatively small number of people, beoause without the c:tts of education there would have been no need for the property tax. As to tho cost of education, it was hypocrisy to say that they could not afford £300,000 a year, when every man who drank a glass or! beer per day threw away his share of the tax ten times over into the pockets of tho publicans or merchants. New Zealand was quite rich enough to educate her children, but should not the State pay only for elementary teaching and not for the higher branches ? Ho would not commit himself to what he should do in the matter, but ho might say that he was not satisfied with tho proficiency or sufficiency of the education obtained for the money; especially in small country schools, where education needed to be more thorough, and not merely superficial. It was, no doubt, not possible in the early stage of the system to procure a thoroughly satisfactory body of teachers, but the day would come when they would be obtained by means of Normal Schools. Another topic which he was not yet fully prepared to grapple with was the provision for local publio works, for opening

up the country by County Oounoilf, Highway Boards, and ao forth. Ha thought that the colony had not got the best system procurable, but had too muoh machinery. The powers of Highway Boards should hare been oclargjd, and if their distriots were too small, two or throe could have been rolled into one. It was a great pity that oounties were ever established at all, and the change from provincialism would have been less violent had the Highway Boards ulono been retained. Either Boards or countiea must be adopted, but not both. The great point, however, was ■whore was the money to come from._ Either the Govornmont must give it, or districts must tax themselves. Subsidies meant, as Major Atkinson said, another penny of property tax, and the question of taxing themselves was full of difficulties, upon which he oculd nt. present offer no opinion. He did not think (although he was not in their confidence) that the Government had it in their minds to Btir in the matter. Next session it would, however, crop up when the estimates were under discussion, and particularly when some of the Southern members ware clamoring for loaves and fishes. Major Atkin 0 i would then be expected to make a clear statement on the whole subject. They needed to open up baok country, and how to do it they must look to Government to Bettle, and they might be certain that he would not be slaok in supporting measures which he considered effectual to do so. With regard to the Redistribution of Seats Bill, whioh allotted aeats according to population as near as it was possible to get, the effect would be that Bangitikei would not be up to the number necessary for one member, and that the adjoining district, Manawatu, had double the number, entitling it to one. It had been originally suggested that part of the Manawatu electorate should be taken away and added to Bangitikei, so as to entitle the latter to its member; but he feared that it was not possible to oarry out this idea now that Manawatu was entitled to two. On this point, and, indeed, upon any other question affecting their interests, he would be glad if his constituents would favour him with their wishes before such matters came under discussion in the House. Sir William resumed his seat amid some applause, and a vote of thanks and confidence was carried.