Mr Cad man and his Constituents. Address at Coromandel. Coromandel, Feb. 15.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 142, 20 February 1886, Page 4

Mr Cad man and his Constituents. Address at Coromandel. Coromandel, Feb. 15.

On Saturday evening Mr Cadman, M.H.R., mot the Goromandel portion of his constituents at the school-room, Lower Township. There was a large number presont, and Mr Samuel Hutchinson, Manager of the Maribel Mine, took the chair. Mr Cadman, who was well received, began by stating that ho intended taking up a great portion of the evening in county matters, as it was his intention shortly to relinquish the Chairmanship of the Council. He then proceeded to explain several of tho Acts passed last session which materially affected tho mining interests, and also to explain the provisions of several Acts which have been frequently rejected, but which will again be brought forward, more particularly " Tho Eight Hours Bill," " Reduction of Fees," "Miners' Rights," and " Plurality of Votes." He explained that the latter had been lost only by tho casting vote of the Speaker of the House, and referred his hearers to Hansard on the speech of one of the Auckland members, who, after speaking in its favour on the second reading, voted against tho " third reading" and ita " fourth reading " or <c passing." He then explained the nature of Sir Julius Vogel's pstition, in which he claims the sum of £G,OOO commission on tho £3,000,000 loan. After fully explaining tho whole matter, Mr Cadman said it was sure to come up next session, and that if the eauie members were on the committee who had already cornmencod the investigation, there would be no fear that the interests of the petitioner or colony would suffer, but that the petitioner would get full justice. At tho same time Mr Cadaian thought that it would have been better had the petitioner allowed his claim to remain in aboyance while ho (the petitioner) was occupying a seat on the Ministerial benches. He next explained the inquiry which had taken place on the charge made against the hon. member for Kumira (Mr Seddon), \tho had been accused of a breach of tho Disqualfication Act, for being pecuniarily interested in the construction of a sludge channel, and explained the awkward position in which goldtield members were placed in the event of Government subsidising or assisting at any time works or claims in which members might be shareholders. Ho next explained some of the policy bill?, and the pioposed alterations in the tariff. When these came before the House, every member had then to consider his position a3 to whether he should ba for or against tho Government who submitted these proposals. After considering tho matter carefully as a member representing a goldfield constituency, he camo to tho conclusion that it would be suicidal on his part not to support the Government, who were evidently inclined to recognise the importance of the mining interests of the colony in a manner that no previous Government had done, and as a strong party man, no one knew bettor than himself that no Government could stand hose supporters were only prepared to accept portions of their policj- ; and looking at it In that light, when he decided to continue his support to the present Government, he felt in honour bound to support them thoroughly, and was fully prepared to accept any censure, which would, no doubt, in some instances, be cast upon him by political opponents for supj.»orting the increase in the tariff. On the question of State forests, he stated that he considered this a most important Act, more especially as regarded the Province of Auckland. He considered that timber and gum -were to Auckland what wool and frozen meat were to the South. The Government proposal was to expend £50,000 as a stare in conserving the present forests and planting fresh one?, but the House reduced the amount to £10,000, in which reduction many of the Auckland members joined. In his (Mr C.'s) opinion it would pay the colony to go in for a special loan of at least £10,000,000, which if expended judiciously in the way of forest planting would in the course of time become an asset which would meet the interest of the whole of our colonial debt, and would also find employment for a portion of our population which must eventually leave New Zealand if our forests are not replanted. Discussing the East and West Coaat and Nelson Railway, he first explained thoroughly the four proposed routes, giving the length and estimated cost of each line. These explanations referred to what is known as the East and West Coast line alone, and in favour of which Sir George Grey and Major Atkinson had spoken very strongly more than once. From tho speeches in the House, which were of go contradictory a nature, it was impossible to arrive at the conclusion as to whether the line would eventually pay or not. The route recommended by tho engineers would cost a million and a half. Since the agitation rose in respect cf this line, there had now been added to it wl.at was known as the Nelson portion, which would cost another million and a half, and it was really the addition of this piece which had and would continue to cause mo=t oi the trouble. The construction of the whole of this lino meant the appropriation of at least £3,000,000 out of any future loan. It had been freely stated that the Government nexc session proposes to raise a £10,000,000 loan, but, in his (Mr C.'s) opinion, this wa3 mere rumour, as the Government must be fully aware that the present House would never sanction a loan of that magnitude Neither this nor any Government could hold office without some borrowing, and he believed when the time came the present Government proposal would not extend much beyond borrowing sufficient to complete and equip line 3 now in courss of construction, so that such line 3 may have a chance of contributing to their cost of construction, which it is impossible to do in their present condition. With respect to Auckland and loan=, it had for years been freely stated, both by tho press and out&ide, that Auckland never got a fair share of borrowed money. He considered that if Auckland members acted in the future as many of them did last session, they never would. The Government proposed last eesr-ion to go on with the North Island trunk lino, to let a contract for the extension of the Helensville linenorthward, and to complete the ThamesTe Aroha lino. If the Opposition members had not supported Captain Ruesell's motion for the reduction of £500,000, these works would now have been in progress, and it they were opposed to the reconstruction of the East and West Coast and Neleon railway, it could have been rejected, because it was a well-known fact that many of the Government supporters were also opposed to its immediate construction. With these works in full progress this year, when the question of further borrowing cornea on, we then should get just as much out of a new loan as we will with these works unfinished. With regard to the North Island trunk line, Mr Cadman read Major Atkinson's proposals that no further works should be done on it until half a million acres of land had been acquired. Anyone conversant with native affairs would see at a glance that this would lock tho railway up for the next 10 years, that the only true way of opening up the King Country was the vigorous prosecution of the line, and that the

Government had now a proclamation asserting the pre-emptive right over four million acres of land through which this railway is to run, so that the colony must eventually receive some of the unearned increment on this land. He also stated that ono of the cardinal pointa of the last general election waa that the Atkinson Government should be kept in power, so that this line might be proceeded with, and when the present Government offered to go on with it, Major Atkinson and his supporters were the people who stopped any further contracts being let. He also stated on the question of borrowing, that in his opinion, two things should be considered before borrowing took place. First, the state of the money market in England ; second, the state of the colony— whether in a depressed state or otherwise. At the present time monoy was choap in England, and the colony was in a depressed state, requiring assistance. No business man ever borrowed money except to tide himself over difficulties, and then generally he had to pay well for the accommodation. From tho prices the Australian colonies have lately been realising for their loans, it is very evidont money must be plentiful in England, and if we are to borrow, we should tako advantage of the present state of the market. If we are to wrangle about the matter for another twelve months, by the timo wo have had another general election this order of things may be reversed in England, and we may have to pay as much as anolhor ono per cent for our loan, because he felt confident that no Government could do without borrowing to a greater or less extent. He also was of opinion that tho leading politicians of the colony had never considered the fact that of late years the rate of interest has been of a downward tendency in .England, and he believed that in the course of a few years it would be possible to consolidate the whole of our loans and ronow them with a saving of one per cent. "The Fishery Encouragement Bill " Mr Cud men also explained the provision of this bill, and in doing so stated that this opened up the question of protection and freo trade which would most likely bo ono of tho cardinal points of the coming election. From what he had seen and read and heard quoted of the necessity of frea trade in the old country, ho felt satisfied that it was unfair to compare New Zealand with England on this question ; that although ho had a strong leaning towards free trade, he could not see how ifc was possible for industries to be encouraged without some preliminary assistancs— either by way of bonu?e3 or othorwiso. The fishing industry was an important mattor to New Zealand, especially the Northern parts, and this bill offered bonuses amounting to £30,000 for canned fish, and over £7,000 for cured fish, to bo exported. On the question of general depression, ho did not agree with those who thought this was caused by taxation. In his opinion tho low price of our ataplo produce had more to do with ifc than anything else. Let the prices of wool, frozen meat, wheat, timber, and gum be re-established, and depression would immediatedly cease, and the present taxation being as it is would not be considered such a grievous burden. Ho also spoke on several other matters of minor importance, and then reverted to county matters which \\ould not be of inteiest to the general public.