Mr Stevens at Foxton.

Manawatu Herald, 14 November 1896, Page 2

Mr Stevens at Foxton.

0 ' Mr Stevens addrecaod the electors i at the Public Hall last night. There l was a large and enthusiastic audi- | enoe. | The Mayor took the chair and in- . troduced the candidate. He expressed his pleasure at taking the chair, and pointed out that Mr Stevens was an old resisent of 40 years standing, and was one of the pioneers of the West Coast and was well acquainted with the wants of the 1 district. He called on , Mr Stevens, who, on rising, was received with applause, and thanked ■ the chairman for his flattering intro- , duotion. It was true he had lived in the Bangitikei nearly the whole of i his life. He had twice represented Bangitikei in Parliament, and he was i contesting this electorate as it now I included a large portion of his old i electorate. He considered he would i be in a better position to attend to i its wants as he resided in very nearly 1 the centre of it, and he held that a , district was better represented by a i resident in preference to an outsider. i He thanked the electors of Rangii tikei for their support, and he bei lieved they had had some advantage 1 from bis representations. There are i places in this electorate that wanted work?, itnd if elected would try to do 1 what he j^ad done for his old electorate. The other two candidates were i personally known to bitn and he had : a high regard for them, and they deserved the confidence of any constituency who believed in their political views. It has been said that the other candidates contested tha : election because the present Government should be turned out. He hoped, however, to be able to show that the Government should be re" tamed.

During the time the present Government had bean in office they had passed many Bills in opposition to those who opposed the Government ; but he doubted if theso opponents would say that these measures should be repealed. The Government had given the people a fair opportunity to get land for themselves and families, and it was their duty to buy land ; but they should do no injustice. It was fair that the one man having got a fair price for his land should make room for the thousands who had none. When the Government took power to buy and cut up these estates, did the owners object? Why they offered ten times more land that the Go* vernment required. It has been said by the Opposition that the present Government had run this colony so deeply into debt that it wanted someone more honest to manage it. He would show that the increase in the publio debt waa £8,792,000 since the present Government came inso power. One and a half millions had been borrowed to buy native lands, and to buy land for settlement. Ihe purchase of the Cheviot Estate wag described ai the ruin of the country ; but waa it so ? At the date of sale there were only 83 people on the estate, now there are 800 persons who are prosperous and happy, aad the colony is receiving £2000 per annum more than the interest on the cost of the estateThere are so many misstatements set about that unless the electors are met face to faoe they were unable to have them refuted. He looked upon the Cheviot purchase as a good business transaction. Sis years ago the Oppositionists said if the present Government carried iheir measures money would cease to flow into the colony. This is not so. In 1890 the public debt per head was £60 5s 8d ; in 1896 the debt is £60 2s 4d, and therefore we have not got deeper into debt per head, In 1890 the 8| per cents were worth £107; in 1893 the 8} per cents were worth £109, and the 4 per cents were worth £115. He thus contended the credit of the colony was as sound as if managed by any other Ministry. The sum of £4,452 16s 5d was the estimated expenditure for the year and the estimated revenue was £4,484.000, the difference being the estimated surplus. A great deal had been said about the, what was called, seizing the sinking funds of the local bodies. The Government acted in exactly the same manner as under the Government of Sir Harry Atkinson. If these Ministers were not challenged why were the present Government ? A former Government used the sinking funds for the purpose of increasing their surplus, to prove which he quoted a passage of Mr G. Hutchison's speech in 1890. He held Sir 11. Atkinson waa perfectly right, as their fund3 bad to earn interest', and the Govern* ment would have had either to lend the funds to a private individual, or borrow it themselves, or leave it unemployed. The Government has not the control of the public accounts, which are under the Con-troller-General, He reviewed and detailed tha Statutes passed by the Government which were calculated to improve the condition of the people, All these Acts have been of, and are working, great good for the people of the country. Would any of the other candidates propose to repeal any of these Acts and propose others which would be better. He said they would not do so, as in answer to questions the candidates had said they would not alter the measures but only the men. With regard to Native land legis* lation he had differed with the Government. They had wished in the first instance to practioally resume the preemptive rights, but he looked upon it as locking the door after the steed was stolen, he thought that every native should be allowed to manage hi3 own affairs. If the Land Court had in 1878 individual* ised the natives interests in the Horowhenua Block, it would have been better. The intention of the Government was to have all native lands administered by a Land Board. He contended that due regard to the retention of a sufficiency of land, the rest of the native lands should be passed into the possession of private individuals or into the Government's hands. What we wanted was private' enterprise, and capitalists should be induced to take up blocks of 2000 acres of second^elass land. There must be a combination between capital and labour and therefore there must be a veriable acreage to be settled. This was the way our lands should be settled. The Old Age Pension Bill was not intended to become law but was merely introduced for discussion to enable the Government to ascertain how it could be done. The Government have passed a Bill which will enable them to ascertain who have passed 20 years in the colony and are over 60 years of age. He held it was tho duty of the State to assist those who had reached an advanced ago, and he thought it possible that a scheme might be worked {which would find the necessary funds which would become in time self-supporting. He was not a lover of the administration of co-operative works, but be believed in tho scheme. Co-operation was quite a new thing and the

r system has been gradually improving so that there is less dissatisfaction now than there was when it was first introduced. Anyway, these worka were better than tho relief Works, under which men only got 29 6d to 8s a day. Now the men got a living wage. .. He supported the Government because he believed they were doingthe best for the colony. The land opened for selection this year was 1,854,475 acres. There were 89 improved farms, and 578 settlers with 68,897 acres allotted to them, and 697 persons were residents. There wore; 9801 acres felled and 8188 acres in grags. The improvements are valued at £27,000. The lands sold since the foundation of the colony is 14,160,268 acres. r ihe area reserved or granted by Act is 7,204,918 acres. He thought the land policy had been a success. The Government had this year constructed 67 miles of road. There ara 2,897*945 acres open for selection. The balanoe remaining for disposal is 16,617,945 acres.. , The total land taken up this: year and practically sattlad upon was 822,671 acres. The prasent Government had done more in their term of office than their predecessors had done in their 17 years of office. In 1891 there were only 71 cheese and butter factories, but in 1896 there were 78 cheese factories, 79 batter faotories and 115 creameries. The Government were entitled to the credit of having given the best assistance to local industries. Our export? have increased during the years 1890 to 1895, in gold by 105,852 ounces, butter by 23, • 148 cwt., and cheese by 86,292 cwt. Frozen meat had increased by 285,-----208 cwt. and wool by 18,198,093 Ib3. Is it then reasonable to suppose that the Government are not justified in borrowing the money to help the people, through ths people, to develops their resources. He instanced the actual figures from the charges on a farm under the Property Tax and under the Land Tax, showing the farmer saved £5 14s 6d by the change in taxation. Under the Loan to Settlers Act there were 4886 applicants asking for £1,648,909. Advances had been made to 8188 applicants of £1,047,-----282. The return of interest is £57,400, Bhowing a profit to the polony of £4,100. Were not the .: Government right in borrowing it? . They deserved all the credit for this particular transaction. On the pri- , yate borrowing of 3188 settlers showed a saving of £14,877, and a saving to the whole colony of £1,«. 200,000, and if the Government had . done nothing more than prevent the monopoly of money they deserved well of the people. He thanked them for the kind and courteous reo^ption given him, and he hoped that the friendship that had always existed amongst the settlers on this coast would not be marred, and that the eUution would be contested in a pleasant spirit. With regard to the altaration in the tariff, the Government had increased the duties by £85,142 ; but as affecting the people tea had been reduced by £34,000, and £9000 had been taken off wire, The reason of the increase of the tariff arose from the increase in the people and their earning power.. The increases had been- made chiefly on luxuries. There should be but little duty imposed on the requirements of the people, and the assertion the inoreases made ware injurious was unfair. In regard to the flax industry, which is of very great importance to the people of Foxton and the colony, And as the flax had receded in value, he feared the reason of it not paying arose from the great expense that occurred between the mill and market, the middleman eating up much of the profits. He would do anything he could to assist them in any effort made to holp themselves, and he would urge the Government to do for them what they had done for the dairy industry. . As a matter o! fact there is something wrong existing in the very large charges for flax from here to London. He thought the freight was too high, and he objected to the ring of merchants both hore and in London, and he thought the effort to get the flax from the producer to the con* sumer was justified, and the Government should subsoribe a further sum. Who objected to this ? Why the Chamber of Commerce in Wei - lington and tho managing clerk of a large firm of merchants, buyers of j flax, and this should show that this was the best of reasons that there should be such an appointment as »n expert. As regards the bridges at Wirokino and Shannon he did not know , . a river that had such a long stretch :.;,, without a bridge, and he did not see ; why the Government should not be .. asked, the people in the locality . agreeing to the site, if they would V not assist, and when t they had \*r arrived at a conclusion he would do ;. , the very best in his power to obtain r assistance in erecting such a bridge. ! •/' QUESTIONS. Bev. Barnett— l would like to have Mr Stevens' views on the liquor question. Mr Stevens — I ara not a Prohibitionist or the representative of any party on the liquor question. I have held that if public men are to be prohibited to consider any other question it would be hampering them too much. I have already recorded that

no men should ask for prohibition by a bare majority. I have voted on the last Bill brought into Parliament which was a matter of arrangement between the extremists of either side, but it was thrown out by tho Legislative Council. If any Act proposing prohibition by lesa than a 3-sth majority is introduced it will not have my support. Mr Stansell— Would you prohibit clergymen from making use of their pulpits for mentioning personal matters or personally nameing people, Mr Stevens— l do not think ft clergyman should do so, but I do not think it was the duty of the House to legislate on this subject, but I ho d it would be best managed by these ministers bowing to public opinion. I am sorry to hear that there jiS anything but kindness uttered from a pulpit. Mr Westwood — Are you in favour of abolishing small Boroughs and having 1 them merged into Counties. Mr Stevens— This is an abstract question. There were some local bodies with very small revenues and that showed that there was a necessity existing for local bodies having extended powers and larger areas. The Bill referred to haj not, however, been discussed, it not having been read a second time. I will give the matter my best attention. Mr Border— ln all large measures would you be in favour of the adoption of the referendum ? Mr Stevens— ln theory, yes, but there are two sides. It costs this Colony £20,000 every 3 years for the general elections, but if for election or for decision on a policy question, the election would cost a like amount, and this wouli be a question of expense. I would prefer to delay measures adding to the burdens of the people. Mr Fraser — Are you in favour of an elective Upper House ? Mr Stevens— Yes. Sir F. Whittakor introduced such a measure on a modified ■ Hare system. If we could have an elective Upper House I think the House would be more in touch with the people and I would favour it, but the change must not be drastic. The principle of an elective j Upper House is correct, a3 all who have to do with the people should be in touch with them. Mr W. S. Stewart— ls it a fact or fiction that the individual members of the Government voted against the remission of duly on fencing wire. Mr Stevens — I have not a retentive memory to be able to say, but the schedule wa3 carried through. It was possible some members of the Government thought fencing wire should pay duty. Mr Border — Are you in favour of an elective Governor ? Mr Stevens— The fear is that with a strong party Government that we have, an elective Governor wou'd not be wise. But I believe the people should have a voice in that way the same as they have in the election of their Premier. It would not be advantageous if it was proposed to substitute anything that would separate us from England. We were better under the pro- ' teoting wing of the Mother Country. Though a true Liberal I did hope no one would take any drastio step in view of the great war which s emed evident, and we were better as we ax?, at present, Mr Bowe — Would you be in favour of the Government acquiring the Assets Co. estates ? Mr Stevens— lf the Moutoa Estate could be acquired at a reasonable price and a reasonable proportion of the land was suitable for settlement, I would be in favour of acquiring it. Mr Barnett— Are you in favour of retaiuing tho present, or are you in favour of a denominational system of education. Mr Stevens — I am in favour of the present system, except in places where population is congested. I would then uphold aid to private primary schools. Mr Osborne— Would Mr Stevens bo in favour of the Government taking any steps to preserve any green flax ? Mr Stevens — On public property I would be glad to suggest the advisability of preserving it, and on private land I would get the Government to urge its being taken care of. Mr McClosky — Would you be in favour of a free pardon to Chernis ? Mr Stevens — Yes. The man whose life hinged on a thin thread of circumstantial evidence bad no appeal. If Chemis was innocent he ought to have been released or otherwise dealt with. I believe in his innocence. I think any person acoused of a capital crime should have power to appeal. (Applause.) Mr Spring proposed a vote of thanks and confidence in Mr Stevens, and confidence in the present Government. Mr Border seconded. Mr Stevens, in returning thanks, said he would do all in hiß power to further their interests. A vote to the chair brought the meeting to a close. At the conclusion of the meeting the electors favourable to Mr Stevens' candidature remained and formed themselves into a committee. Some thirty names were handed in and Mr Spring, was elected chairman.