MR. F.M.B FISHER, M P.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 17 July 1911, Page 3

MR. F.M.B FISHER, MP.

AT SHANNON. On Saturday evening the Druids' Hall was filled by an eager .audience •who had come to hear the first shot of the election campaign fired by an Opposition member—Mir F. M. B. Fisher, M.P. Mr Selby occupied the chair, and in 'introducing the speaker referred to the difficult position in which many good radicals found themselves to-day; they eould not conscientiously support the Government, and on the other band they were in the same position with regard to., the Opposition, and the only hope was to put forward sound men with sound views, irrespective of party. Mr Fisher said New Zealand was afflicted by ragwort and other noxious weeds, and now we were to 'have inflicted, on us hereditary titles. He suggested a Title Registration Office, where these doubtful honours could be sold 1 at one shilling each. His suggestion of the title "Duke of Shajyvon" whs the cause of some merriment. We had given a Dreadnought, for which the people of New Zealand were taxed on £2,000,000. for Sir Joseph's Baronetcy. This was the price.

OX BORROWING. He in ihis place in the House was looked upon as the "left winger" of the Opposition. He did not think the Massey Party would fulfil nil the ideals of the people, 'hut the party in power was the worst possible, and should be got rid of. This could not be done without change. hi Australia tliere had to He lfcauy changes before the present ideal Government tliere had been evolved. Tn New Zealand the more prosperous we became the more .we borrowed, and the more we borrowed the. more we were taxed, -o quoted the late Mr Balhmce's speeoh of June 30, 1802, when he (Mr Hallance) said: "Borrowing must cease." He also quoted the Hon. Mr Ward (now Sir J. W. Bart) in the year following, when ,he said borrowing was not .necessary, but the so-called Liberal Government had since borrowed forty millions. He would not say that' all this money liad been wasted. We were remitting 3i millions per annum for interest, ami were not producing in ratio to this amount.

OX A BARONETCY. He referred- to the surplus of last year of £1,295,000. This he contended ])roved that the people were over-taxed. Instead of making any reduction or concession in the Customs duties, the money was spent on political jobs for the purchase of votes; he quoted instances of what he regarded as being useless works commenced and left incomplete. The baronetcv which was purchased by the gift of the Dreadnought costs the country £150.000 per annum. This burden was placed on the people by one man without the sanction of the electors of the dominion or their representatives i« Parliament. This was a power that the King of England dare not attempt to exercise. In addition to this he mentioned the "Roddy" X T mgget and the expense of sending "a satellite" along'with Sir Joseph to the Coronation. Was all this, he asked, necessary to show our allegiance? It was all in keepin<? with the profligate recklessness of the Government.

OX TAXING. It had been claimed the Government had made great remissions in the Customs, but .he said that the Government in power had done more to aid the fat .man. We want to arrive at an equitable tax on wealth. He was not a single taxer; he did not believe in confiscation. He believed in reducing the amount to £20,000 in value, upoji which the graduated tax should commence. There had not l>eeii sufficient land opened and dose settlement 'had not gone on fast enough. Wo must have more producers to be atJle to bear our burden of taxation. In referring to the desire of the people in the country requiring land and could not get it. lie stated that Mr Lewis Harconrt (at a dinner in London) had said that in New Zealand since January last 2,000,000 acres had I>eon thrown open for settlement and eulogised this for a country for those wishing to srttle on the "land. He wondered ihow many in this kail and in the country had been chasing round after land ballots for this ilast two years without success. It was the boasting and the misleading statements by the Da>rty in power which caused such -misunderstanding abroad.

MR FREEHOLD-LEASEHOLD FISHER. He advocate:! vigorous settlement on leasehold, as it was by this tenure that tbo man with little moans could get on th« la.e„l. (Here an interrupter questioned why Mr Fisher had voted for the freehold in the Ho : iseL Mr Fi her explained tint the mo. tier was in a fidieree motion, aind the - questions submitted were ?o constructed that no matter what opinio" a member held, if lie voted he was bound to vote on .-am? r.f the- issues against •his own convictions.

THE LANID QUESTION. In dealing with the land question the speaker said that 133 Europeans held .thirteen million acres in New Zealand. How far had wo ffono in the w«y of close settlement? In 1906 there ware 90 estates of 50,000 acres each, and in 1909 there were 84 of'the same area. More than six estates had been dealt with. This showed that aggregation was going on. In support of this, in 1906, 194 porsoms owned land estates over £50.000 in value, while in 1909, 240 persons owned estates over £50.000 in value. He admitted that the advance in land values accounted for some of the rise. There were two natives in the Cabinet andl one at the head of the Native Department. It was a mistake to allow, a native to control this departSir Jas. Carroll was one of •the kindest and most genial of men personally, but in his position he was blocking the way to progress. The native lands were being added to year by yoar !n value through the

efforts of the people in 'building railways, Vends, bridges and settlement. The natives contribute;.! nothing towards this, but woiiv receiving tho benefits of all the unlearned increment. Sir .1. Carrol • had saidl it would take thirty ye: 1 ,! > to bring about a. perfect indi\ i:!;;a!i----sation of the Maori lands. Mr Filler thought this was too slow. There wore seven million acres oi native binds and these lands .ought to be occupied and worked to produce. This could he done by the Government taking the laiut and placing the purchase moiiiey in the lunnds of the Public Trustee, who could administer the same lor the benefit, of the natives. The Government held four million acres of unoccupied land, . and this, with the native lands ought to be dealt with before other large estates are interfered with.

In answer to an interjection Mr Fisher said be did not think that the value of any estates taken shoiuld be the amount on which the owner paid tax. There was a sentimental value, and he did not. believe in taxsentiment : we required more of it lie believed in an elective Upper Holism, and tin mode of this went:! be to group four electorates into oi:" for the purpose of returning a .member to form the Upper Chamber. He alleged that under the present system members received appointments for the purpose of obtaining the title "Honourable." and tho understanding was that the honorarium bo handed to the lighting funds of the party. Ho was strongly in favour of an open Court and an 'independent Bench. The payments made to tho Chief .Justice in the various positions hold by him during last year was the subject of comment, especially the total sum of £7-134 paid him while another Judge who did his (the Chief .Justice's) work received CI7OO. Mr Fisher read the Hi no charges and the finding of the committee in each case; be said be would, not comment further on them, but would appeal to the audience to say whether "Mr Hine did his duty or not as a representative of the people. no believed in compulsory military traininr' and eulogised General Oodley.

A vote of thanks to the chair. and another to the speaker terminated the meeting.