The Premier's Speech.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 14 February 1891, Page 2

The Premier's Speech.

[ The Hon Mr Ballance was enter- ; t tamed at a banquet : at Wanganui on ; i Thursday night and delivered a . speech, during which hei vindicated f the action of the Governor in acting I upon the advice tendered to him by , the late Government, asserting that ' , as they had assured His Excellency > that they possessed a majority in the . newly eleoted Aouse, he was bound » to act on their representation. Mr t Ballance defended the payment of j the honorarium for the one week's I work on the ground that an Act was I deliberately passed years ago by the ■ late Government, or the party to which they belonged, providing that I where two sessions where held in f one year, for the second session a > member should reoeive only half the l honorarium. There was a clear and j distinct contract, and he saw no rea* , son why they should avoid that cons tract. I As regards taxation he stated, that I the proposal for a change, for a radj' ical change, in the incidence of taxation would be made by the Govern* i ment in the ensueing session. The : ' direction which that change would j take would be to relieve people who > were now bearing unjustly an undue f proportion of the burden of tfteproper- > ty tax and to place it upon broader ! shoulders which would be better able r to bear it. The Government hoped to i be able to take some of the weight* I off the farmers and manufacturers, the artizans and the labourers, to I place a fair share of the burdens up-'

on those who had acquired wealth ii the Colony and were able to pay ad ditional taxation. The Government in their dealinj with the land would take care that i was not alienated to speculators am "s. dummies. They further believei r Jhat the time had come when ther should be purchased by ths State, a a fair and reasonable price, some o the arable and valuable land fit fo small farm settlements now in th . hands of individuals, and i was probable that a measure of thii character would be introduced int< the coming session of Parliament Mr Ballance hoped to propose a plai whereby the Natives would let theii land to Europeans on perpetua lease, for which the government would give a title as good as free hold. The Government were not withoui hope of effecting by legislator fiermanent reconciliation between ahour and capital. Mr Ballance was firm on noi borrowing in the future, at least from London, and if they borrowed in the Colony it would only be for making roads and opening up the country-