AIR. BUNNY AND THE WAIRARAPA ELECTORS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4603, 21 December 1875, Page 5 (Supplement)

AIR. BUNNY AND THE WAIRARAPA ELECTORS.

(From the Standard.) On Wednesday evening last, tho schoolhouse at Featherston was crowded with between fifty and sixty settlers, who came to listen to the address of Air Bunny. Air. J. G-. Cox, having been appointed to take the chair, explained that in accepting the honor on that occasion and on the previous one when Air. Pharazyu held a meeting, he reserved to himself the right to vote for any candidate or candidates he might think fit. He -referred to the importance of the present election, and haying expressed an opinion that retrenchment and careful administration were necessary for the prosperity of the colony, called on Air. Bunny to address the meeting. Mr. Bunny said that as they were all aware he came before them that evening to exnress his views, and to ask them to again return him as their representative. The present time was, as the chairman had suggested, a critical one, and would require all the energy nud auility of the best men in the colony to surmount the difficulties which .impended over tho colony. It woul 1 be remembered that almost the whole of last session was taken up with the discussion of abolition. The party with whom he acted fought against the proposals of the Government, and gained for the people the right to express an opinion on the changes proposed. They were all aware that he had never been an ultra proviucialist, and had opposed a former provincial administration. Although for the past five years he had held office and done his best to administer the affairs of the province, lie ■ had never altered his views. (A Voice : Turn your coat !) He did not turn his coat at all, but he marched with the times, and was prepared to do his best now to assist to frame the new form of local self-government which the people required. It would be remembered that the Government brought in a bill to effect this last session, but it was found to be altogether unsuitable, and had to be withdrawn. In local self-government they required good administration, and the money necessary to secure it, and it must not, be forgotten that tho Provincial Government had by their Highways Act paved the way for the new form of local government which was now demanded. He would next speak of the general financial position of the colony. . The colonial debt, in round numbers, would shortly amount to twenty millions, on which there would be an annual charge of one million and fifty thousand pounds. The income of the colony for the quarter ending in September last was less than had been estimated by eighty-four thousand pounds, and if this state of things continued the Government would find that there would be a deficiency for the whole year of about three hundred and fifty thousand pounds. In their estimates the Government had pul down two hundred and ninety-four thousand pounds for receipts from railways, but he failed to see where it was to come from. It seemed probable that the revenue of the country would be insufficient, and additional taxation in some shape or form would have to be resorted to. He thought, too, that there would bo a falling off in tbe grants promised to municipal and other institutions by the Government, as the latter would not have the money necessary to pay them with. If new taxes were to be imposed, he considered a property aud au income tax would yield the additional revenue required. From the latter he would exempt all persons whoso income was less than £2OO, and with respect to the former lie thought it only fair that persons residing out of the colony with property in it should contribute tbeir fair share towards the revenue, and a tax of this kind would catch them. At the same time the Customs revenue should be reduced on the necessaries of life. It was contended that this particular form ot revenue was a cheap one to collect, but to the consumer it was a dear one. The merchant charged the storekeeper a profit on the money he had advanced as duty, and the storekeeper, in his turn, charged a further profit to tho consumer, so that to tho last named tho duty was a more serious item than was generally imagined. Strict economy in administration was another necessity at the present time. Considerable reductions in our annual expenditure might be effected. He believed that it would be the duty of the next Parliament to sweep away that large and costly branch of the public service the Native Department. Another considerable saving might be made in the San Francisco mail service, and that by retrenching in these aud other directions, and by putting the burden of taxation on the right shoulders, the colony might pull through the difficulties which threatened it. Our present loan would be exhausted in June next, aud more money would be required to complete public works, and the Government would require to satisfy the public creditor that tbe security to be offered was ample. Knowing this, the Government were endeavoring to obtain the control of the land fund of the colony to enable them to go to the public creditor, but it was the land fund out of which our roads and bridges had hitherto been constructed, and if it were taken from those purposes, country districts would be brought to a state of paralysis and stagnation. He would next sav a few words on the public works question. This province and this district had a right to complain of tho very little that had been doniS towards pushing on its railways. They had only had sevcu aud a-half miles of railway open, though on that day au additional length to the Silver Stream was thrown open for traffic. Why on earth had nut the lino from Featherston to Masterton been commenced years ago ?' (Confusion. —A voice : Why haven’t you pushed it ?) He had always done his best to urge the Government on with it. Another point ho desired to bring before them was the necessity of settling immigrants on land. Unless they did this, when a reverse came, population introduced at a considerable expense would desert the colony. Ho would like to see immigrants settled on laud and secured four days’ work a week, leaving them two for the improvement of their own homesteads. Ho regretted that while our population had increased rapidly, tho producing power of tho country had made no corresponding advance. During the past five years the exports of the colony were almost stationary, while on the other hand imposts had increased from £4,639,000 in 1870 t0£8,121,000in.1873 ; and in view of these facts the settlement of iminwrants on land was a serious question, in order that the productive powers of tho country might he increased. Ho would say a few words about education. Tho province had done its best with crippled uicams but bo would bo

glad to see a general system of education introduced for the whole colony. He thought that the State was only bound to give a plain education to the people, and that the religious element should be kept out of it as much as possible as far as the Government were concerned. In conclusion he would point out that he had represented them for a considerable number of years, and must necessarily at times given offence to many of them, but he would ask them to judge his conduct as a whole, and he trusted that they would again show their confidence in him by re-electing him as their representative. The speaker then sat down, having addressed the meeting for a little over half an hour. In answer to Mr. J. Vile, Mr. Bunn’v said he disapproved of the present system of paying agents so much a head to obtain immigrants, as it rendered them indifferent to the characters and capabilities of the men sent out. In answer to Mr. Riddick, he thought that the Government would endeavor to modify the present San Francisco contract. In answer to Mr. G. Gundy; Provincial Government was done away with, though he was still receiving his pay and doing the work for it. A Voice ; The old carpenter cut the chips and Mr. Bunny picks them up ! l)r. Wallace proposed, “ That Mr. Buuny was a fit and proper person to represent them.” The motion was seconded by Mr. Gulliver, and carried unanimously ; at the same time few bauds were held up for it, the meeting apparently feeling reluctant to pledge itself at such an early stage, and an opinion being expressed that as Mr. Pharazyn had not sought a vote of this kind at his late meeting, it was hardly fair for the present meeting to give one. Mr. Andrew then addressed the meeting, and received a similar vote of confidence. We are, however, compelled to hold over our report of his speech for our next issue.