MR McLEAN AT WAIKOUAITI.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2537, 9 May 1881, Page 2

MR McLEAN AT WAIKOUAITI.

[By Telegraph.] Dunedin, May 9. Mr McLean, in his Waikouaiti address, said that the County Councils should have been, endowed as intended, and the power of taxation should have been powers gradually conferred on them. The question of local government must be taken up and dealt with, and whenever the time comes that the finances of the colony can be got into a reasonable state the responsibility of local government must be thrown on the County Councils or Road Boards. He defended the property tax. He did not see the necessity for an income tax, which would bring in nothing like a property tax. But, if wanted, by all means let us have it; and it was as fair a tax as any. Hew Zea land was slowly recovering, and the Customs revenue gradually rising. That is a fair sign that times are beginning to become good again. The Government must be praised for the manner they took retrenchment in

hand, and he- was glad to see that they were men determined to carry out the task regardless of consequences. He doubted at one time if he could pick sis men out of the House who would risk their positions to bring about retrenchment and get the country out of difficulties—men not afraid to cut down the Civil Service, which has overgrown itself to limits more than the colony can bear. The Civil S-rvice commission was of great help to the Government in carrying out retrenchment. Members fulfilled their duty and have well performed it. Ho could not say that they made no errors, but iie heard a man say when they were dismissing his friends he would not support them. Friends he had in the service and had great respect for them, but if it conies within the necessities of the colony that they must be dispensed with, it would make no difference, in his support. Native trouoies, were such when they took office as to place the colony in great peril. They had managed these native troubles, subdued the natives, and brought them into state in which we can live and exist with them and gradually again come to a feeling of sympathy with natives, instead of bitter hatred. The sale of railways, much as they are disliked, as being worked by the Government, to sell them would create a power in the country we did not want. The plan of giving large land grants to railway companies had been abused where tried, and was afraid would not work well here. However, if determined to adopt it he would see what safeguards w f ere proposed in the interests of settlement, before agreeing to support. He never supported the immigration of Chinamen. He would be very sorry to see the number of Chinamen in the colony augmented to any considerable extent, and would put a stop to their coming in that event. If the colony required the imposition of the tea and sugar duties he would vote for them. The reading of the Bible in schools had his sympathy ,_ but at the same time he thought religious instruction at home was calculated to be most beneficial to scholars.