Mr Vile at Foxton.

Manawatu Herald, 18 November 1902, Page 2

Mr Vile at Foxton.

Last night Mr Vile made his political address at the Public Hall, Foxton. The meeting waa very well attended and attentive, and the speech was marked with applause. His Worship the Mayor took the chair and briefly introduced Mr Vile.

Mr Tile, on rising, was well received. He said that during the contest he had addressed 13 audiences and had had orderly audiences throughout, and he believed he would have to-night, He came as a candidate of moderate views. He thought we had arrived at a time when a moderate Government should be in power. He declared he was an independent candidate, yet the Senior Whip of the Government would never drive him into his lobby. While he gave the Government credit for their legislation he was not going to give them credit for their administration. He complained that a number of the Acta passed needed completion by Orders-in-Council, and such regulations savoured too much of autocracy. When Mr Rolleston was Minister for Lands he endeavoured to bring in liberal land laws, but his party prevented him, and then Sir Julius Vogel took up the work. No more prosperous mode of settlement was ever instituted than by the late John Ballance. The lease in perpetuity was the thin edge of land nationalisation of the land, and was not good for this colony. Everybody was entitled to freehold. The people of the colony had decided by 2 to 1 for the freehold. Lands are valued too high. He knew lands valued twice their value. No other system had been so effective in the settlement of land as the deferred payment. To prove that it was the desire of the great majority who take up land to have the right of purchase, he would quote some figures from the Official Year Book. During 1900-1, 1528 persona selected land under the optional Of this number 1039 choose the right of freehold. In 1901-2, 1442 persons selected under the optional system and 1940 choose the right to the freehold, and this in spite ,of the fact that during this period a large number of people were restricted as regards land at Kawhia to the lease in perpetuity system. This system of lease should be abolished and deferred payment with the right of purchase brought into operation instead. Then Crown lands for settlement had been valued too high. He knew of land leased under the perpetuity system at 30s per acre that was dear at 15s. The 5s loading •was a most iniquitous charge. It was added to the capital value at 4 per cent for ever, while at the same time money was lent to the local bodies at an interest of 4 per cent and the capital redeemed in 36 years. By this charge, tenants every fifteen years paid a capital value of 20s an acre for the land, and this for apaltry track which had to be almost directly discarded for a road constructed by loan under the Loans to Local Bodies Act. Besides the Government should not undertake the function of the local bodies in road making. Personally, he was an advocate of close settlement of the land, but men of integrity ghbuld be selected to advise the Land Purchase Board in each district, and land should not be taken compulsory only under very exceptional circumstances. This view was supported from information to ba found in the Official Year Book. There it was shown that of the 50.000 acres purchased in Wellington, Hawke’s Bay and Taranaki under the land for Settlement Act to 31st March, last, there were still unselected 6091 acres. Of one estate purchased at £2O an acre in Taranaki only about half was taken up by ballot, leaving land unapplied for to the value of £16,000. Evidently too high a price had been paid. In regard to the three estates, Hatuma, Forest Gate, and Kumeroa, taken compulsory in Hawke ( a Bay, the Land Purchase Commissioners reported “ The compulsory purchase method has not resulted in the land being obtained at a low valuation.” He took it up as the land had not been applied for, and was under no compliment to the Government. He did not approve of compulsory purchase of estates except under peculiar circumstances. Many

estates have been bought too dear. The right to purchase the waste lands of the Crown should ba applied to these lands. Everybody should be compelled to reside, say 5 years, and do so much work upon their land. Land Boards should be constituted by Capable men. No M.H.R.’s should be on them. Two men should be appointed from this coast, but as yet none had been. Tho deferred payment system should be applied under the Land for Settlement Act. the right to purchase being granted subject to restriction as to area, say after 5 years of occcupation. The present Board are composed of three gentlemen, one of whom could not farm five acres profitably-

PUBLIC WORKS ADMINISTRATION.

The present Government came into power on a retrenchment policy. For a time (hat policy was adhered to. But what now did they find? This same party was now going headlong into debt. Instead of retaining its principle of economy and making roads, building bridges, and railways, out of the Consolidated Fund, large loans were being expended for the purpose. During the first five years of the terra of office of the Government it had spent £978,498 on railways, in a second period of five years £1,547i73 z t aQ d during the last two financial years £2,051,664, or equal to four-fifths of the ten years preceding expenditure. What was there to show for the expenditure ? The Lrisborne Karaka, the Stratford-Toko, a few miles of the Blenheim-Seddon and tbo Ross-Hoki-tika railways, all in the constituencies of strong supporters of the Government, while the work on the North Island Main Trunk Railway, a really important work, had been delayed for the want of funds. Last year £193,45a had been spent on public buildings in the towns, and this year £288,370 was on the estimates under the same head, a sum equal to the whole land tax of the colony. The Minister for Public Works claimed daring the past it years that the Government had spent over 17 per cent, more per year than its predecessor in opening up land for settlement. In the speaker’s opinion the expenditure should have been 50 per cent, more. The speaker pointed out certain railways which he said were made through electorates of in three cases Ministers of the Crown, and one through that of a Government supporter, none of which were paying. The expenditure of £2,000,000 had been spent on lines of the loaves and fishes principle. This year a sum of £288,370 w tt s on the estimates for public buildings. Mr Hogg the other day said he believed the supervision of public expenditure required overhauling. The Government are building costly bridges which were not required, and railways had been the result oflog-rolling. He cqasiderecfw the work on cooperative public works were nat as they should be. Independent men showed an objection to go on these works. There were too many hangers-on in the* Government. The construction cost thirty per cent, more than it should. The Pahiatua road had cost 100 per cent, more than the public bodies bad got estimates that it should cost. The plan was vicious and led to improper acts. He held ail the expenditure should be handed to the local bodies to spend. Thirteen years ago a large sum was handed to the local bodies for public works—ten years ago a sum less than half was given them—the object being to centralise the whole funds in Wellington to manipulate votes. Since the passing of the Bank N.Z. Bill the Government bad gone a great way. He did not object to limited borrowing, but he objected to the way money was squandered to-day. We are prosperous owing to the Boer war and drought in Australia, but the time was not long when we should find ourselves different financially to what we are to day. He objected to the Act which gave power to transfer one sum from one place to another. No Government should be given this power. He objected t® the Public Revenues Act of 1900, and thought it was one of the worst Acts ever passed. He referred ta the £4O increase, and thought if it had been a private matter the public would get a broad arrsw on the members’ backs. He thought the increases to Ministers’ unnecessary, and the money saved would have built two good bridges over the river. He was a Freetrader, and objected to the tariff as being a barrier to fair trade.

He favoured the Legislative Council being composed of more country members. We ought to have members of the sawmilling, farming and flax communities on the Council. He thought the Council should be an elective one. He believed an elective Ministry to be the cure of the curse of party, and Parliament will some day rule the Ministry.

In 1898 the Government brought down the' Dairy Industry Act, in wWch power was given to borrow. Hsiooked upon the Act as a dead letter. Any monetary institution will lend you money on your plant and personal security, but the Government will not go so far. A loan could only be obtained after a fourth of the capital required had been subscribed. Asa matter of fact Government had no money to assist the dairy industry. Its action compared very unfavourably beside that of the Victorian Government. The Government have appointed graders and inspectors, but they were forced to do this, and any other Government would have done the same under similar .circumstances. The Minister of Railways claims siderations for the concessions but it is nothing of the sort, as making the concessions was good business, and brought in money. To-day we have six Ministers from the South, and two in the North. He claimed that each island should be justly represented on that Ministry. The farmers sent away ten millions a year. He went through his replys to questions put by the Farmer’s Union. Some candidates at the present election favour the freehold. Mr beddon has said his party will stand on the lease in perpetuity. There are some

who yet admit the good of the freehold who would turn or trim and follow the Premier anywhere, even into Wellington Harbour. He was only in favour of the tariff as a revenue which should be as light as possible. He looked upon the very suggestion of a Fair Rent Bill as being opposed to the liberty of the subject and the dealings of the people with each other. From a Crown standpoint of view its existence would bo more iniquitous still. If the Government wished to reduce some of the rents of Crown lands —and he believed some of them should be reduced —it could be done by some other method than proposed in the Fair Rent Bill. Some time ago the Government was apparently determined to pass this measure, but the Farmers Union showed opposition to it and it was carefully dropped. He thought the county franchise should be given only to country ratepayers, but most people living in the country districts were more or less interested in local government as tenants. In his opinion it would make but little difference He wonld support any measure outside State fire insurance to give farmers relief from the present iniquitous tariffs. Ha thought local bodies should be empowered to manage a scheme of fire insurance. He was in favour of the redaction of the honorarium of members to £2s°' He would advocate the setting up of a Royal Commission to enquire into the system of co-operative labor on public works as to its cost and the advisability of continuing the system. Ha Considered it would be better to have single electorates in the cities as in the country. He was in favor of lessening the expenditure of borrowed money and more economy in the public service by retrenchment. He was in favour of an amendment of the Land and Income Assessment Act so that local bodies may appoint one assesor to sit with the judge. He would urge upon Government the necessity of purchasing land in congested districts with a view of assisting farm workers to make homes for themselves. He was in favour of the Farmers’ Union platform, and would pledge himself if elected to place the interests of the Farmers’ Union as laid down before the interest of party. He was in favour of a referendum on the question of Bible reading in schools. Ha was in favour of the local option poll being taken on the same day as the licensing committee was elected and the question of license or no license being determined. It was better to retain the three-fifth majority provision because the question once settled in the affirmative for no license, as at Clutha, would remain the law for all time. He thought the Government was the labour candidates were too honest for them. No electorate can afford better than this electorate to send a man free from any desire to secure the loaves and fishes, as they have all their main arterial roads made. He considered that we were entitled to a share of the surplus, £■30,000, of each year and we had not got it. W« had only had £16,000 spent in this electorate during the last five years. Mr Stevens said land had been purchased to the tune of £35,000, but this money did not come out of the surplus but from borrowed money, and the purchasers had to pay the interest. He estimated £40,000 had been borrowed by the settlers in the old electorate, on which they had to pay £2,000 interest annually. He was in favour of the early completion of the Main Trunk Line, He thought the government ought to buy ; the Manawatu line. He thought the ; time had come when the government} should make (he connection between j Levin and Greatford. If the local j body on the north side wanted to make | the railway and the government had 1 power to veto the line, he would do 1 his best to get them to let it be done. If returned he would find out the position of the harbour. His policy was pure legislation and careful administration and if returned he would do his best to secure it. Mr Voice—Are you in favour of taxing bachelors. . Mr Vile—l am in favour of taxing bachelors and spinsters as all should gat married. . . Mr S. Baker—Are you in favour of having the Motoa Estate subdivided. Mr Vile —I think the government should take the whole of the Assets Board estates into their own hands and deal with them under the Land Act. Mr S. H. Baker moved a vote of thanks to Mr Vile which was seconded Mr P Guerin and carried unanimously. A very successful' meeting was thus brought to a close with a vote of thanks to the chair proposed by Mr Vile.