COLONEL TRIMBLE'S ADDRESS.

Patea Mail, 23 April 1881, Page 3

COLONEL TRIMBLE'S ADDRESS.

On Saturday evening, Colonel Trimble addressed ins constituents at Inglewood, and at the conclusion he received a unanimous vote of confidence. Colonel Trimble first remarked on the advantages derived from the gravelled road existing between Inglewood and Stratford and Inglewood and New Plymouth. Ho accounted for the lower rate of wages new existing by the fact that many of the Government works had ceased, but believed when the district was more settled the rate of wages would be good. He said private and public matters in critical times necessitated economy. It was a matter for congratulation that the West Coast difficulty had proved no further loss than it had done. Himself and colleagues had never asked Government to harass the Maoris, but simply asked that they should be treated with firmness ; and the Government put such a force into the country that the Maoris were quiet. He

(hough! it better to proceed with the ncccssny work of road-making', bridgemaking. anal so forth, than to go to Parihaku and at t.;ck persons who cried “ peace. 7 ’ No man deserved more credit than Mr Bryce for road-making, but the Colonel deplored the view Mr Bryce took with regard to Iliroki. He would not say it was morally a wrong policy, nor that it would infallibly have led to war, but thought Mr Bryce did not see the case in all its bearings. Suppose, said the Colonel, be bad gone and, in the face of 1200 or 1400 Maoris, had attempted the arrest, could be have expected the Maoris to sit quiet ? Who could answer that no violence would have been done ? Blow producing blow, and shot producing shot, and what would the world have said about shooting amongst unarmed men and women and children ? The victory would have been disgraceful. Whereas now roads were made and settlement was going on. and all was progress ; and we had 120 Europeans on the Plains where none were twelve months ago. The road from 8(0113' River to Opunaki was now opened and a great portion metalled, and very shortly there would be a metalled road thither both by coast and inland. He hoped to see the splendid land between Waitara and Urenui shortly settled by Europeans, where eight miles out of the ten were still in Maori hands. The difficulty' of making roads was increased by the 20 per cent, being withdrawn, and the £1 per£‘l. The hill proposed would have allowed the iioad Board and County Council to lev}’ up to 2s in the £, and he was afraid the levying power might be abused. He commented upon public and Maori lands not being taxed, and said it was necessary that roads should be made for taxation purposes. National property in the old country', after a struggle, had been rated, and it should be so here. Major Atkinson introduced a bill to pay rates upon Government and Maori land, and that in boroughs the Maori should also pay—Gd to be the limit on Maori, and Is on Government land—valuation of Government land to bo Gs Bd—but the bil* was not passed. He hoped to get it through next session or shortly. It provided that when County Councils proposed to make a new road the Government would take it as a main road, and mentioned the provisions as to advance of the capital by Government on a fifteen years’ system of repayment by' rates, &c. He defended Major Atkinson’s financial statement, was in favor of reduction in the civil service by amalgamation of offices instead of lower salaries. He defended the expenditure on education, but considered the system ought to be, to some extent, altered. Without free and universal education there would be a dangerous community.