MR. J. B. WHYTE AT TE AROHA. IRE-SESSIONAL ADDRESS.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 153, 8 May 1886, Page 2

MR. J. B. WHYTE AT TE AROHA. IRE-SESSIONAL ADDRESS.

1 Mr J. R, Whytk, M.H.R., for Waiknto dolvt-red his pre-sessional address at the TeAroha Public Hall, Wednesday evening. 1 Ifii'e wan n very large and representative attendance of ratepayers for To Aroha, anl also from the 'surrounding districts. iti Lipsey proposed and Mr Oornes se-onded, "'That Mr. Pnvitt take the cluir." Mr Munro proposed and Mr. OKeefe seconded, as , nn" amendment, " That Mr Mnrphy take the chair." Mr Whyte Raid that if he might be permtted to express an opinion, he would siggef-t that Mr Murphy, as representing tie district in the Piako County Council, hid perhaps better take the chair ; at the Bime time he might Rtute that both gentlenun were friends of his. Mr Mackie moved, and Mr Gavin aecmded, " That Mr Dobson taketlie chair ;" bit the honour was declined. Mr Ilott wns then appointed scrutineer, an-} a show of hands was taken, with the remit that 17 voteß were recorded for Mr Murphy, nnd 26 for Mr Pavitt. The result w«a received with loud applause. Mr Pavitt accordingly took the chair. In introducing Mr Whvte to the audience he observed that that gentleman had done some good wort- in the interests of the goldtields, and hv the benefit of miners generally. The meeting had been called that the ratepaye-s might hear from Mr Whyte an expression on various political matters, and he hoped th.it a fair and patient bearing would be given to the speaker. (Applause.) Mr Whyte on coning forward, was roceived with applause. He said : — Mr Chairman and cemlemen, — If I hud no other r««son for having called this meeting I should have done so in order to publicly thank \nu for your txtremo kindness towards me during the last election, when I was suffeimir fiom a severe illness, on account of which I was uu-ible to visit the various centres of this electorate. J3ut you wore kind enough to forgive me all thut, not ouly by expression in woids, but by actions, nnd I am truly gratified by your kindnes*. I assure you that, although I havo no ambition to shino in politics, my highest ambition is to prove that, in electing mo as your representative, you may never have leuson to regret it.

REVIEW OF THE PAST. Gentlemen,— l am aim id that to-night my lemarks will be almost entirely confined to a review of past events instead of a discu.SHion on the probable policy of the Government in the future. I should have preferred to have expiessed my views on the probabilities of the future, and of the policy of the Government; but that is truly impossible, because, so far as I have been able to ascertain, tho Government have no policy whatever. (Applause ) No sooner lms one Minister expressed some startling and important proposition than he proceeds to contradict it. For instance, wo wore told that the North island Trunk Loan was to be applied to general purpose--, and by-and-bye rliis whs disavowed, and disappeared. Then Sir Julius Vogel announced a. startling bor1 owing poll*'} — a loan of nn large an .linount as £10,000,000 ! and, strange to say, vi*ry shoitly alterwards expressed his disapproval and discountenance of such a scheme altogether. And now 1 see by to-day's paper that he aI no disavow* tint policy altogether in u r<-[>l^ to the London Standard. Then, again, Mr Ballance, in speaking at Wanganni, announced an immediate dissolution before the House met ; and this also molted into thin air. Then I thought that per haps the question of Freetnide and Piotection would come up, but Sir Julius has also dismissed that in his last speech. It being impossible to discuss the policy of the Government, I must, therofore, gentlemen, confine my remarks to a review of the past, and I am afraid they will occupy Home time in explanation. I hope you will be patient with me, and liaten attentively, because 1 will have to go over moic ground than usual, as I was not al)le to explain these matters to you at the last election.

WHAT TUB GOVERNMENT HAS DONE. Many of my lemarks will be unfavourable to the Government. I am quite willing to give tlu-in crtdit for many things, however ; and in the lirat place [ must cheerfully admit that they have done a good deal, and tried to do a great deal more to foster the mining industry. Mr Lana r ch has made m.my effoits to impiovo this district, and has left behind him many monuments that will keep his memory ever giei'ii amongst you. Mi B.illance has also intioUuced very liberal land laws, and has done much towards the encouragement of local industries. I further cheerfully admit that in the mattei o£ rublio woi'k.s, and the promotion generally of this district, the Government at leant have been imp'iitiul.' Nothing in the criticisms that I may pass upon them to-night, therefore, will be actuated by any local feeling, but will be made from a colonial standpoint.

Silt JULIUS VOGEL. At the last election I ww only able to make one Bpeech, and then it was re • marked that I was the only one in the North Island who Rpoke favourably of Sir Julius Vogel. Then I thought it was inevitable that he would come into politics with a large following. I also stated that his policy had done nioie good than harm, for, even if it did increase our indebtedness, it also increased our powera of payment. I was inclined to think that if he were harnessed to u> good man — " Sir Julius Vogel with the break on "—" — as it had been suggested, soms use might be made of "his well-known fertility of resource. For these reasons I became a coalitionist ; but when I got to Wellington it was too late, for the scheme had fallen through, and another man (Mr Stout) appeared in the political horizon. I hava heard of him as a man of policy, and a straightforward politician, and I \v«s not sorry to see his arrival on the political field. Further, I may just say that I have had very little reason to ehango that opinion, although _ perhaps I may allude to one particular in which I have views to the contrary, and I only mention this to show that I did not view his advent to power w;ith that hatred and rancour shewn by many others. In fact I did not care much whether Vogel or Stout was to be at the head of the Government,

«o long as the interests of the colony wore fairly looked after ; and I viewed their access to power with h great deal of , resignation. However, ns yon are uware, during that Session there was a great deal of Cabirtet-mnking, and the result was that the present Government got into office, A'here the}' have been ever since. There is an old saying at Hone, of " business first and pleasure afterwards." but in the colonies I believe it is reversed, and I propose to follow the colonial example by faying, first what is pleasant, and afterwards proceed to business. Therefore, I give the Government credit for having fostered the mining industry, and introduced several Bills to effect more which were eventually rejected. They did much fo»" the recognition of miners rights, for water-races, and for the ffold- fields generally, as you are aware. They tried to do more, but they were unsuccessful. The Government also introduced a measure for the encouragement of fishers, and the establishment of fishing villages on the sea-coast ; whether they will prove successful or not I cannot pay ; but at all events they have made no attempt in that direction. Mr Ballance has introduced a Land Bill, which is as libeial as any land bill need be, and if the people will not go on the land under that system, they will not go on the land at all. Beyond this the Session may be described in comparatively trivial, so much time had U>;en spent in assuring a stable Government, that they had to be content with putting finances in working order, and doing certain other things which could not be put off. Concerning Sinking Fund appropriation, the fact was that £250,000 which was to go towards paying our debts, now]'goes to the revenue ; and I quite ai>ree that it was a right stop to cease paying £250,000 a-year sinking fund, whilst,] still pursuing a borrowing policy.

RAILWAYS. The next matter that was dealt with that year was district railways. I do not know whether that will interest you ; if so I will go into it Inter on. The East and West Coast Railway was another and prominent part t ,of that Session's work, because it endi'd in this, that it was taken over by a strong Company in England, and upon terms concerning which many people have taken great objection. In the first place this railway was recognised as one which would have to be made Home day, und it was generally recognised th.-it tlie colon}' could not undertake it. A very strong section of the colony was de tei mined lo have it, but it bad to be recognised that the Bill would have very irreat opposition. The House passed n Bill whereby half the supposed cost should be given to build thia railway, and the Bill whs qualified by two important claims >/ith which the Opposition had a great deal to do. The price per mile was altered so that no Uuul wa« to be givers at leas than 10s per acre. Another matter was tliac in giving this land the Government lenerved alternate sections, und by tliiit means it will be seen that these aections would be or' more value than the whole would be without them. Tnen, again, even if this hind had been of: borne mo letfiry value to the colony, it was very sliirht. I really think that it matters ver_) little to the State to whom the land beloiiga, ho long as it is bi ought into occupation — (applauBt)) — and what the colony gets for that Jam! so Jong as it i.s settled upon, mid divided into small areas. In doing that, the Government were not doin^j wrong, and in getting a strong company in ICngland to take it ovui, they weie creating a very strong iixlaccmunt to the immigration oi: people oE the right soi t from home, — not merely people of labour, but woikcrs witn capital, and on ihebe grounds — I think thai the Bill wa-A not to be objected Ut, and i also think that if the colony get the railway on these terms, that it will get well rid of adistuibing element in a nrinner which should pruve of advantage to u very large section of the colony.

TWO EVKNTS. The last recess was signalized by t,vo events, one pleasing and the other unploa.'■a it. The pleasing event was the appointment of Mr Larnacli. I quite approved of the appointment of a Minister of Alines, and in Mr Lanarch we have u good man. The other event was the creation of eleven wards in the Upper House, the like of which had never happened on any other occasion except when Sir George Giey put nine members in the Uppei house in one year. He, however, had a strong reason for doing ko, us he found that whilst he claimed to represent a majority of the colony, in the Upper tiouoe there were in&ulh'eient members to support his policy. He was compelled to appoint these men. He had good reason for doing so, and ho did it ; not no the present government, because the Upper House had not done anything very adver.se but in rejecting the Districts Railway Bill, and that only on account of a clause vhieh was afterwards conceded. There was, therefore, no occasion far taking this step, vhich was certainly not calculated to lessen the burdens of the people. The DISTRICTS RAILWAY BILL was brought down last session and I approved of all the railways of the colony being owned by Government, but voted against the Bill because 1 thought that as to price, these railways should not be grouped and bought as a whole, but on their merits, and I gave notice that I would move an amendment to the effect that no purchase of any of these railways would bo ratified before the same was submitted to the whole of the House. It went to a division and was lost, yet I had a .strong following. That was what caused the Bill to be rejected in the Upper House. Man j' in the Upper Hoiiße told me th it they conld not allow the colony to be plucked by private speculators. They only asked that these conditions were not to be included ; in that respect they were sensible and their wishes had to be given into in the end. To finish the subject, I may tel you that whenihc proposals were brought on again last session, they were submitted to a committee, which brought up a report in which they recommended the purchase of all tho railways except two, and I voted for that. The Government however weie powerful enough to carry the lot, and they did so.

PROMISES UNFULFILLED. Now, gentlemen, when the Government came into power we were promised various things. We vvrro promised a reinstatement in finance, and a reduction in expenditure, the repeal of the Property Tax, local government, the local bodies

being fissured that the colony would go on by lenps and bounds. Later on we saw how these promise* were carried out. /iifit, I may remind you that the Property Tux and CiHtnma "Unties were increased and that endeavours were made to increiHe tliem still further. Taxes were also increased through the direct mediun of the Hospital and Charitable Aids Bill by which £75,000 was put on the localities, and if you add to the stoppage of payment of the Sinking Fund, you will find that the colony ia really paying 1 £400,000 a year more than it was paying two and a half years ago. Tnen we were told that we should have improvement in local government, but there had been no clnnge*, or they were very trivial. As to local bodies having assured finance it eimply referred to the o3d sy-jtem of £ fo.t £ Hiibwly on rates, which proved to be very unfair, and under which the district of Sydenham (Cliristchureh), where the roads were all made, they actually got £10,000 a year thrown at their heads. Afterwards, however, the Bill was rejected, and they only got it for Hix months. That would serve to illustrate the working of such an Act as that. The amount set apart was 7£ millions, and loja) bodies were told to borrow against that £300,000 a year, whether they needed it or not. (Laughter.) It really meant that we would probably have to pay five per cent whilst the Government could get the money at four per cent. If that is not madness, gentlemen, I really do not know what is. The ten million borrowing policy, indeed, was soundness beside that. In this Bill the Roadu and Bridges Construction Act was repealed with a great flourish of trumpets. But it had lots of fault*, and for a place like Canterbury, was very unfair, for they got very little money indeed. The principle adopted was thi*. The roads of tiie colony should be made once, not maintained, and whpre there were no roads, of course, there the monej went. In Canterbury, therefore, there was no demand for thin money ; they did not apply for it, and did not got it. It was consequently easy to show what such and such counties had got, whilst Canterbury had got nothing. In In kihort, it looked as if Canterbury wanted to eat its cake and have it too. Well, thin Act w is repealed ; but it would be found that a good deal of the principle involved in it will yet have to be resorted to. NATIVB LANDS BILL.

Then we had a Bill Wrought in, in which Mr Ballance i« exceedingly anxious to d.-al properly with native Kinds, and p<it a Ntop to 1 ind-sharkins*, which everybody admits, and I myself admit cheerfully, is mont desirable. Ido not know by whose advice tin's Bill was brought down, but it seemed to be highly conducive to land-sharking and jobbery of the lowest description. In introducing the measure Mr Bryce stated that he was i?oing to mike a most important alteration in it. by which all sales were to be regulated by the Government Lands Department. At Jill events, the Bill seemed to me to have very mmy defects. The rights of the minority were entirely overlooked ; and there was no provision either for mino 8 or the indmdualisatioa of titles. It was to be controlled by n system of committees, aud by a Central Board. Everything wan to be carried by a majority, and of that majority the chairman must be one, so that if there were a majority against him he could block everything. It must, therefore, be evident that the whole power lay in the hands of the chairman; and not only that, but all matters were to be referred to the Gove nment. Ministeri il patron ge was consequently uontiuued t<> a greater decree than before. Ido not believe that this patronage was exercised improperly, but the opinion pievaiN, arid it .should bo cut ••ight off. Then, u ;ain. they were to hay.power to lease. \Vn have often heard o' the evils of Imdloidism, and under that system it would be voi\ niueli \vor«.e than we have known before. And again it was p'-oposod to invent a cert-iin amount of that money in a public trust for the benefit of the natives. Well, if we wished to '" improve " the natives oif the face of the e.iith, this was the proper way to go about it. It is said to be a half-caste Bill, and that it reaches the young fellows glowing up, who sliou d control neirly a 1 the Maories. Native Linda were only to be rated after they were le^ed, which was a preminm to keep them unoccupied ; and Government acted in the position not only of the seller, but also of the buyer. Then what would it cost Lo administer these lands? Administration, in fact, would cost nearly the whole of the proceeds, probably more. It was intended that the expenses be altered to a third of the proceeds ; but the natives growled at fiat. There would not have Loen nearly enough, and the deficiency would liave had to be made up by the colony. Therefore it was a very good thing that that Bill was not passed. However, Mr Ballance has entered into his work with to much energy that I hope he will be able to make the Bill workable, in which event I will certainly give it my favourable consideration. I never opposed Bills bimply because they were brought forward by the other side of the House. Now for the HOSPITALS AND CHARITABLE AIDS BILL, the principal grievance is that the contributions are levied on a property basis, and thereby great injustice has been don« ceitain districts, — notably 3 r our own distn'et of Piako, which is called upon to provide somo three-fourths of the while revenne cf the Thames Hospital, whilst perhaps only sending three or four cases there in a year Originally it was placed on a population basis, but just before the second reading, Sir Julius Vogel said that he was prepared to alter it to a rateable basis, and the Government stuck to that basis. However, I think that we may be able to alter that Bill next session, so that it will not bo so unequal in its Operations.

EAST AND WEST COAST RAILWAY. You have, no doubt, often heard of Meiggs and Co., who made certain proposals relative to the East and West Coast Railway, which were, I am glad to say, rejected by the House. The proposals were to the effect that the)* were to have not only half the value inland,, but were also to be guaranteed working expenses ; tbat they should get dtJ9C,OOO as well as 2 per cent above working expenses and the land. That was a most audacious proposal ; the House and the country rejected it ; and lam glad to say that a successful company has now offered to take this obstacle out of our way, and this is the reason why the large borrowingscheme lms disappeared. We were told

that the expenditure on open lines would be reduced ; but I shall be very ranch surprised if it is not greatly increased. We were also to have an expert to manage the railways of the colony ; but it must be well known that, although Mr Richardson hud been appointed, Mr Maxwell ia still manager for railways.

CAPTAIN RUSSELL'S MOTION was a A r ery important event of latt session. Yon are nil aware that the Estimates wore cut down by half-a million, and that has been continually trotted out as the reason for not going on with ordinary work I*,1 *, i Whenever a complaint was made on thi* account the reply invariably given was—- " Oh, the Opposition would not Jet us." It simply came to this : The Estimates came to £2,600,000, and carrying the Estimates meant a loan of another million. We therefore said they must be cut down, and we consented to hove the cut tint*clown regulated by the Minister himself. But the ordinary votes for the carrying on of the country were not touched at all ; and to give this aa a reason for the neglect of some simple woiks was utter nonMMiKe. At any rate it was anything but dignified for the Government to plead as an excuse that such action whs caused by these Estimates having been reduced. On a former occasion when a motion similar to that was submitted, viz., to reduce the Estimates by £50,000, it was taken as u vote of ' no confidence,' and we have reason to believe that such a vote would have been carried. The Ministry, however, accepted this reduction, and remained in office. And was it not very strange that, whilßt these necessary works were bein^ cut down, that a traffic bridge was bein< built at Anhburton, at a cost of 310,000? Alongside a combined railway and traffic bridge. Apparently Captain Russell's motion 'was not felt in Canterbury. Stranger still, Sir Julius Vogel actually congratulated his constituents that he had been able to use his influence to favour his own district at the expense of the rest of the colony. I really can hardly believe it.

I»URCHA<U OP KSTATRS. There is one matter to which I would now direct 3'our attention, viz., the propo&al made by Si.- George Grey for the purchase of estates in order to settle them with Minnll landholder*. Owners of large estates would no doubt take advantage of thiH ; but as a mutter of fact, if people want land they can get it from the owners direct. It would be, I am afraid, dangerous to put into the hands of any Government the power to buy up private estates. Whenever land is required, the Government, by a Bill passed last session, have power to buy lands for settlement. The Land Bill passed by Mr Ballance cortainly oflL-ra facilites so great th.it anyone wautirn? land will settle upon on these teim*. You well know thiß in your own immediate neighbourhood.

THAMES HARBOUR BILL. There iH another purely local matter to which I wifih to particularly draw your attention. Lawt j-easion there wai an attempt made to pans the Thames Harbour Bill ; which was to my mind a motft unfair Bill. The Bill not only proposed to take lur^e slices of the country here as an endowment, but also to rite the whole of this district as hi^h as ss. in the pound for Thames Harbour worfcs. It seemed to me rather a preposterous proposal. Now, you ouftht to ascertain as early :is possible whether it is intended this session to mako another effort to pass this, or any similar measure. If ko, bestir yourselves, and combine together in the matter. You ouicht cettainly tv keep this proposed Bill strmlily in view, and protest by petition or otherwise. I think, however, that a petition poorly sinned does moie harm than «jood. I entreat you, if you wiali to avoid the proponed taxation for tho Harbour at the Thames, to bestir yourselves, and send d-iwu a strong ,md largely signed petition on the matter.

GCYEKNMKNT Blt^-KTs. Now, T desire to call attention to another matter, that I have always tiied to stop, nq far hr I could, viz., leaving tho creation of paid bil'ets in the hands of the Government. Theie was one proposal of this character iiiado by the Government for the appointment of four or five Parliamentary Uuder-Secretaiies, at a cost of £400 or £500 a-year eai-h. 1 nlways endeavoured to set my face stiffly n^aiust that sort of thing, and hitherto, with two small exceptions, they have nor boon increased. There are certain committees in the House ; of course these committees have chairmen ; each chairman has to do a i>re:it deal of work, and has always got £100 a-year. In 1884 the Governniei t proposed to pay two more on tho Waste Lands and Goldfields Committees, and they thought proper to pay their chairmen £1000. Mr Fulton had a strong objection to this system, and he was in con^quence upbraided in many respect*. The Waste Lands committee was not satisfied that a good limn cotild be found to take tho chairmanship for nothing ; for Mr Fulton would not take pay, and in the fo'lowing session Government turned him out, and put in his place another man at £50 71year. I mention that because attention should be drawn to these things, and you should show that you do not wish any more paid billetß to* bo in the hands of tho Government. There is one matter of almost world-wide fame, to which I may allude briefly, — the battle in the Soudan, at which colonial troops were engaged side by side with the Home troops, ami acquitted themselves bravely. T would also refer to the return of Mr Bryce,, after having vindicated tho honour and reputation of both himself and all colonists in New Zealand against the vile slanders heaped upon them in Kusden's History. (Applause.) It is too.much thegoneial impression in England, that the colonists anj cruel and bloodthirsty in .their treatment of the natives, — and Mi\Bryce's prosecution haa done good in helping to lessen that impression.

SUMMARY. Now, I would just shortly summarise* 'what I have been saying : I admit tho individual ability of the various membprs of the Government, and give them credit for having done some useful work. I also admit that they have treated this district very fairly. My reasons, therefore, for being still in opposition are neither local . nor paltry, but national and colonial. I simply could jiot respect a Government that avowedly abandoned every shred of! their policy, but stuck to their seats ; that allowed their estimates to be ruthlessly j cut dowi) without resigning, and afterwards paiaded their own humiliation as a reason for not proceeding with ordinary works ; that promised local bodies an " assured finance," and kept that promi&o

only parts I am uncertain about is that between Mount Barrett and the Mary River.; T?he road ; which I travelled, with pabk\' horse? along the Head waters of the Mary would be impracticable for draye, which would have to keep further to the northward. X -think it possible that wells may. have to be sunk in this portion of the road, but otherwise very little, expense need be incurred in .making a good route."