Sir R. Stout before the

Manawatu Herald, 25 February 1896, Page 2

Sir R. Stout before the

Electors. » Sir R. Stout addressed a large meeting of electors at the Opera House on Friday night. He began with a reference to the recent war scares and said the colony had not devoted enough attention to volunteers. He urged that the oolony should make differential rates upon goods from Home and Foreign countries, which would be the first step towards federation of the Empire. He then referred at some length to Mr Ward's treatment of the trust fund in England, which he strongly condemned as well as the seizure of the sinking funds of loans to local bodies. The funds were instituted by Mr Ballance as necessary to honest finance, and sweeping them away showed the finances of the colony must be in desperate straits. The tariff passed last session had not removed anomalies, but simply increased taxation. He thought Government said they did not want

more money. This deception, he Complained of. Parliament did ticih face the Question squarely, for members were not in a position to act freely; He complained too that pri. members had no opportunity of HVringing on a motion for discussion on the Public Works Estimates which had been burked by a trick, and that returns could not be got ufclesa Government agreed. He believed there was no Parliament in the civilised world where there was less freedom and knowledge of the internal administration of the country. The name of Liberalism had been dragged through the mud, the Civil Service Act violated by the appointment of cadets low down on the list in preference to those higher up simply because they were friends of those in power. This was lowering democracy, and would result in the training up of a race of hypocrites. The remedy for all the evils of Government lay in intelligence and honesty of the people among themselves. He spoke Btrongly in favor of an elective Executive. He ridiculed the policy of the reconstructed Ministry as outlined in the N.Z. Time*, and said it bristled with nonsense. He was exceedingly pleased that Mr Hall Jones had obtained office. He was a most estimable man and was one of those who showed a little backbone last session. The legislation of the present Government had been of very little service to the workers. The whole aim of democracy was to benefit the great mass of people and the Colony must have social reform. We had in our midst too much drinking and too much gambling, but Government had not attempted to lay their fingers on this blot in our civilization. It was hopeless with the present House to get any reform. More interest must be shown by the people in politics and the banner of purity of the Government must ever be before blow. A vote of thanks and unbounded confidence was carried unanimously. — Press Association.