PRE SESSIONAL ADDRESSES.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 481, 18 June 1890, Page 5

PRE SESSIONAL ADDRESSES.

MR MOSS AT NEWMARKET. Auckland, June 14. Mr F. J. Moss, M.H.R. for Parnell, addressed the electors at the Newmarket Hall last evening. There was a large attendance, the hall being well filled, and the chair was occupied by Mr Morgan, Mayor of the borough. Mr Moss, who was received with applause, said the first point upon which he would like to say a few words was with reference to the alteration of the Parnell electoral district, which now included the old Borough of Parnell, bhewholeof Newmarket, Remuera, Ellerslie, a considerable part of Epsom, from Greenlane down to Kohimarama. This constituted the new district of Parnell, the electors of which he proposed bo address. (Applause.) He was exceedingly glad to find that Newmarket was no longer cub in half, but was now included all in the same electoral district. He then went on to refer to transactions of the past session, commencing with an explanation of THE POSITION OF PARTIES. Sir Harry Atkinson’s party (he said) was in a decided minority, and when it came to a direct contest, the Government was helplessly so. Between the Government and the Opposition there was a compact little party composing the free traders of the House, under the lead of Mr Macarbhur, and he was also practically the leader of the Government, because the Government had to do what he told them. A number of measures were brought down by the Government for the purpose of filling in time, and Macarbhur, seeing his opportunity, gob together the country members, and they decided to support the Government if they would give the country an enormous preponderance over the four chief cities. He maintained that Major Atkinson failed in his duty to the colony when he lent himself to assist Mr Macarbhur in this matter. He regretted the illness of Sir Harry Atkinson, because he respected him very much as a man, but he believed his retirement j would mark the beginning of a new and a better political era. (Applause.) THE STONEWALL. Mr Moss then went into the history of the Representation Bill, and referred to the ‘stonewall” which he (the speaker) commenced with the view of having the voice of the country heard on this most important question. (Applause.) All this talk about the obstruction of business by 1 stonewalling was pure “ bunkum,” where the liberties of the people could be taken away by a majority of one. (Applause.) He was proud to say that in this struggle ; many of the Young New Zealand party from both sides of the House took part, and he felt sure they deserved the greatest credit for their action in securing for the cities their fair share of representation. (Applause.) THE PROPERTY TAX. The next struggle was over the property tax, and the manner in which this was introduced was rather peculiar. Sir Harry Atkinson moved the second reading of the Bill at an unexpected moment, and he (Mr Moss), recognising the urgency of the case, moved at once his amendment to the effect “That the property tax is harassing, and objectionable in ever way, and ought to be abolished.” When the question came to a vote, this amendment was lost by 44 against 48 votes. The Government did not again bring the matter up, and it was allowed to drop. The next matter to which he desired to refer was THE DISSOLUTION. Under the New Representation Bill the number of members was reduced to seventy. The prospective wiping out of twenty-one seats was a constant whip held over just the same number of members, and the House, although recognising that they were unable to deal with the business of the country, were afraid to consent to a dissolution. The Government did not desire a dissolution, and the motion moved by the Opposition was defeated. Mr Moss ridiculed the plea put forward now by Government organs as to the expense that would he incurred by having a second session of Parliament this year, and urged that this was a matter of very small moment compared with the issues involved. (Applause. ) RETRENCHMENT. Mr Moss next referred to the retrenchment movement, and ridiculed the paltry manner in which reductions in salaries had been carried out. His own idea was that if they had not sufficient confidence in the Government to secure an economical expenditure of the public funds, they should turn the Government out, and put in somebody else who would have the real interests of the colony at heart. THE SURPLUS. The £115,000 which the Government claimed to have for a surplus was a myth. £55,000 of this sum was obtained from primage duty which went to pay off deficiency bills, reducing the so - called surplus to £60,000, and against that there was £35,000 deficiency in the land fund account, which further reduced it to £26,000. In reality it was not more thau £20,000, because last year there was £5,000 or

£6,000 too little provided by the primage duty to pay off deficiency bills, and in that surplus there was absolutely £7,000 or £B,OOO in the Public Trust Office which ought not to be put into revenue. (Applause.) There was, in fact, no surplus to be dealt with ; the finances were in as bad condition as they ever were. He believed there ought to be a great reduction of expenditure, but he did not believe it could be obtained under the present fprm of government, and so long as there was such a scrambling after money at Wellington as there had been hitherto, chiefly amongst country members, nothing better could be hoped for. (Applause.) LOCAL GOVERNMENT, ETC.

In alluding to sundry other matters, Mr Moss caused some amusement by referring to what are known as “ Ministerial trips,” looking for railway lines, escorting distinguished novelists about the country, and so on. He believed the pressing of local works on the General Government had increased the expenditure of the colony by at least ten millions. (Applause.) Of all the schemes proposed for local government, he (Mr Moss) ventured to say that no man in New Zealand could give them such a good constitution as was given by Sir George Grey’s Constitution of 1852, and he hoped to have that yet cried from one end of the colony to the other. (Applause. ) He had had personal differences with Sir George Grey, bub hejregarded him as one of the ablest polibic.al pioneers in New Zealand, and his constitution devised in 1852 was just as applicable now as it was then. He bad carefully worked out this measure, and applied it to this colony. He divided the colony into a certain suitable number of districts, thus—Auckland with 150,000 people ; Wellington, 140,000 : Canterbury, including Nelson, 180,000 ; and Otago 170,000, making in all 640,000 people. Each of these districts would be more populous than Tasmania, than New York when it became an independent State, than New Jersey and many other States of the American Union, and he believed that until New Zealand had the most perfect self government she would nob be able to rise from the depression through which she had passed. The expenditure of the General Government, exclusive of railways, was £3,340,000. Out of that the General Government spent under special Acts £IOB,OOO, and for interest £1,610,000; departmental and other expenditure, £630,000. Here they had all the expenditure that might be called purely general, and apart from this he had classified the expenditure which he thought ought to be administered locally, £992,000, making a total of £3,340,000. The problem they had to settle was what part of the £630,000 could, be saved if local work were taken from the General Assembly. He saw no reason why it should not be reduced, and with such a reduction he saw no reason why the number of members should nob be reduced to 50 in the Lower, and 25 in the Upper House. (Applause.) If local bodies were given £1 per head of population, they would still have ample means to carry on local government, and this would, he believed, enable them to abolish the property tax altogether. (Applause.) THE LABOUR QUESTION.

In conclusion, he wished to say a word about the labour unions that were springing up all around them. He recognised them as the surest sign of reviving prosperity in New Zealand. (Applause.) There had been springing up in New Zealand a wealthy class, whose object was to reduce wages, to extend the hours of labour, and to cut down the privileges of education at present enjoyed by the people. So far as the NewmarkJfc - district- -was -con-. cerned, he was confident thab the most gross wrongs were done in the railway, shops. He believed there was a deliberate intention to turn out of these shops every man who was nob on the “ right ” side after the last general election. He knew that men were dismissed there at the mere will of understrappers, without even that character being given them to which they had become entitled and which was theirs by right. (Applause.) These unions were forced into existence as a means of selfdefence for workmen ; this was their only means of protection. Capital wanted to make out of labour as much as it was possible, and labour wanted to make terms with capital. If either was unreasonable it would go to the wall; justice was the foundation upon which equitable arrangements should be made, but they could get no justice unless they showed themselves to be strong. (Applause.) He had seen with delight the formation of these unions, and he felt that they would make an extreme blunder if they did not use whatever political influence they could. (Applause.) The working classes had obtained an enviable position in the Australasian colonies, and they should see thab they kept fast hold of these advantages. (Applause.) QUESTION. In answer to questions, Mr Moss said h® would be very pleased to see Australi a federate, bub he did not think it would be advantageous for New Zealand to join, on account of the possible sacrifice of her independence in the control of her own affairs. THANKS AND CONFIDENCE. Mr Gilmore moved, “ That a vote of thanks be accorded to Mr Moss for his able address, and a vote of confidence in him as our present and future member.” The resolution was carried unanimously, and duly acknowledged by Mr Moss. MR MONK, M.H.R. Auckland, June 14. Last evening Mr R. Monk, M.H.R., addressed the Chelsea portion of bis constituents in the Chelsea schoolroom. The meeting was well attended, and was a rather noisy one. For some time Mr Monk endeavoured to obtain a Chairman, but at last had to address the meeting without one. In his remarks he touched on the necessity for taxing those people who were drawing large incomes out of the country, and spending them elsewhere, a process of inevitable and continual impoverishment. The speaker then referred to the eight hours movement and the Eight Hours’ Bill, which evidently interested the bulk of his hearers. Mr Monk, in reply to a question, expressed himself averse to the proposal to legislate in the direction of limiting the hours of labour to eight. From all thab he heard and read of the utterances of the greatest Socialists and Liberal thinkers of the day he found that even they differed greatly amongst themselves as to the advisability of eight hours’ legislation. In many cases it would hamper and injure both employers and employees, and there were very many working men in the country whom it would embarrass rather than aid. These utterances excited such a feeling of dissent and dissatisfaction on the part of the audience, thab they dispersed with tokens of disapprobation. Mr Monk addressed a meeting of the electors of Birkenhead and Northcofce in the Gladstone Hall, Northcote, at 8 o’clock last evening, and had a very cordial reception. There was a very fair attendance, and Mr Bell was voted to the chair.

We are obliged to hold over the report till Monday.