The Taranaki Seat.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7925, 14 September 1905, Page 2

The Taranaki Seat.

Mil C, T. MILLS' CANDIDATURE. Mr C. T. Mills, a candidate for the Taranaki seat, opened his campaign by addressing a meeting ol electors at Fitzroy on Wednesday evening. The hall was well filled,tithe audienc? including a fair proportion oi ladies.* Mr L. Steele presided, and briefly intraduccd the candidate. Mi Mills, who was well received, explained that he ' .was making his maiden political (speech, though lie had had other platform experience, at the honlb of his youth. PERSONAL.

He felt it fair to deal first with his personal references in order that, (hey should become tetter acquainted. He explained that lie had been horn in New Plymouth in 1864, and at difSerent times had ,been engaged in [rural pursuits, while lie had also been in full charge of supplies to Mw troops- when the laid was made on Parihaka in 1882. From farming life at Toko he returned to New Plymouth, where he had teen in business ever since. During the last fifteen years he had held the positions of secretary to the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, Agricultural Society, and Taranaki County Council, and had also been an insurance agent, shipping agent, wharciUroker, deputy official assignee, valuer, auditor and accountant. He further occupied the position: of secretary, to the New Plymouth School Committee,, secretary to the technical classes, secretary to, a friendly society, a shareholder in

five companies, and a director of three, In addition, he he'd a commission with the volunteer and took an interest in sport., He' offered his services to the electors with a fair amount of confidence that his extensive and varied experience must) in a measure fit him for the position lie sought. A LIBERAL CANDIDATE,

He appeared before-the electors as a candidate in the Liberal in teres Is, as it was his opinion that the affairs of a young colony like New Zealand should be administered by a Liberal Government, or, in other words, a Government that would extend a helping hand to the people. H'e considered that to bring anything of a Conservative'nature into the management of colonial affairs would he detrimental to a country situated as New Zealand was. The present Government had done a great deal to asjsist the development of the colony by literal measures for the benefit of Hie people generally. (Applause.)

The candidate remarked that- finance was one of his strongest points, lor lie was never baffled by figures. In this direction his .experience in accountancy. stood him in good stead. His services had been availed of tQ board's case • when a claim was made draw up the Taranaki Hospital by llie Straticrd Board, and the Audi-tor-General's linmling had hecn eminently .satisfactory to the local body. Dealing with the colony's finances he said llie general revenue was now something like seven millions pet annum,ami the expenditure, roughly, six and three-quarter millions. Alter entering into details showing . how these amounts were made up, he traced the rise In the revenue from 1896, wnen it stood at [our and a half millions, to 1903, when it reached the six and a half millions mark. The expenditure had ,increased in proportion both showing good steady progress year year. It was satisfactory (o note that out of the revenue for the twelve years up to I'JO3 the present Government had been aUc to provide 400,000 odd for public wofks. One of the main questions ibefore "them was whether/faranaki got its fair shar« ot the amount, and this lie would touch on later. lie commended lhe Advances to Settlers Act, wMck had afforded great relief to people. The assistance to local bodies by advances at a cheap rate was another of the greatest Iwons ever extended to the people. Sound-minded legislators should look deeply into Wi« various question, and see that neither capital nor labour got the advantage one over the other. The two should progress together, as one was of littlousc without the other. The farmer also required consideration at'the bands ol the Government and the people, for without the farmer tli» colony would be "starved out." Whatever might be said about thg present Government by the farmers there was no doubt that if the latter foimcd proper combination their voice would be heard,

TAXATION. The candidate held that the present mode of taxation on the graduated pi mciplc, so far as land is concerm eu with exemption up to £SOO, ami' 4^nn 1C Wllli excli »i | tiou up to WOO, must be accepted as a levy on just principles.. It was cmly rights And fair that persons with laiv B estates, or large incomes,, should ase?| loport ' 0 f atel y «ie upkeep of colony ami the support, of ilia people who are less fortunate in life PUBLIC DEBT.

Mr Mills went on to say that the fiftvm n ° f ( the colony, exceeded fifty millions at< rates varying from bto 3 per cent, Several of the loans had a sinking fund, a principle which lie strongly advocated, not merely for the purpose of insuring a tempting security, but, jn time, paying off the debt, The nett indebtedness was something like £OO per head of the population. The debt had increased considerably during the past ten years, but so long at the money was invested for the benefit .of tlui

people and spent in reproductive. [ works it was a sign* of progress. No country could develop its resources without capital, and, so long as the expenditure■ was in capable hands, population would soon follow. He detailed how the borrowed money had been expended, to show that a large proportion was no burden to the State.

THE LAND QUESTION. "Personally I am a great believer in the freehold," said Mr Mills. Everyone should strive to obtain a home, There was no doubt Mr Frank Watts' scheme was one worthy of attenticfti, as it would enable the man with little or no capital to get af home of his own. At the same time the candidate approved of the lease-* hold, both with the right of purchase and in perpetuity, according .to option and the circumstances of applicants!, Freehold tenure gave the settler a better stake in the country; and it was this stake and welfare iiv the country that we should foster. EDUCATIONAL. There wjjs now little or no excuse for children being unable to take and retain sufficient knowledg? to fit them for the ordinary positions of life, and to look after their own interests. He considered committees shoujd be vested with more definite powers, aiijl he strongly advopated technical insil'ruction and continuation classes being brought.,within the reach of the young people. In his opinion the secret of a nation's success lay in the education of the people and the lifting of all branohes of the community to a higher state of prohciency.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT, lu local government our present laws required amendment. There were too many local bodies altogether, and steps should be taken in the direction of amalgamation. He was « l0 i assist "! promoting a woiKaible scheme, TRADE AND INDUSTRIES, Every assistance possible should ba given to local industries, which were i c Cleans of employing surplus labour to advantage.. Considerably more could be done than in the past to tostc); i ratio, and make the colony move self-supporting, thus keeping capital here instead of sending" it away, I which meant; paying a preminm to keep people ojit of the (Colony, Our imports were something like eleven and a quartet miliionsi per annum, clothing and drapery alone representing two and £ liali wiJliwjSi Wljftl

WBfc. I we required was to educate the people up to all trades imaginable, at the cheapest possiUe cost to themselves,, and our educational system should 'be arranged with this end in view. It was no use; sitting down and looking at the progressive strides made Ivy other countries. By exporting our raw material and importing manufactured goods we lost millions of pounds. The candidate dwelt at'<some length with this subject, to show that of our exports- amounting to about thirteen millions, much of the raw material could be treated within the colony. (Applause.) DEFENCE. He approved of protection on the sea, and the establishment of a good volunteer and militia service on land, but lavish expenditure on fortifications was inadvisable.

HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID The Hospital and Charitable Aid Acts required amendment. The upkeep should, in his opinion, be made either a provincial or colonial charge as the charges on respective districts were not equitable, one district with a small population having a higher rateable value than another with a high population. The latter was the position of the Tai'anaki district sir.ee the Hawera s-everance. It was not fair that the. richer land of any district should escape a proper share of taxation for charitable aid upkeep. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Some of the members appointed for life were debarred by infirmities from properly, attending, to th?ir duties. A Council was, in his opinion, necessary to steady, the Lower H'ouse, but) the limit of membership should be 20, and the most able men should tfc selected.

DIBTRICT REQUIREMENTS^ Our local requirements seemed io foe neglected, perhaps for the want oi a good Jive awl energetic repic* .sciilativc. We required a larger share of tie votes that were granted for roads. Last year the votes to electorates were roughly as follows Kk--1110111 £15,000, Patea £llOO, Taranaki £BOO, and the previous year kgrnont £7'ooo, I'atea £15,000, and raranaki £7,00. Then again something like £25,000 was spent on health, resorts, Taranaki's share being only £I2OO. With the superior advantages we could claim in connection mm our grand old mountain ami beautiful bush and river scenery, lie maintained we did not, get anything ike our fair share. More assistance should be given -by the Government to developing our ironsand deposits ami coalfields. Regarding the Technical bciiooi, he took exception to the Goveniment cutting down the plans to such an extent. It now seemed questionable if there would be enough 1 accommodation for present requirements,. What we were entitled to waa assistance equal to that extended to other centres, and we should see to/ it that we got it. The district need-' ea a light railway towards Opunake, and another to Mokau, not only for the benefit of iffe. settlers, but to secuie the traffic this way, and ensure the trade coming to our district and through our own port. Pressure should he brought to bear to have the work ol diverting the railway line at New Plymouth to the new route along the sea lroirt, and Fitzroy should have a more convenient means of getting to the railway. (Applause.) CONCLUSION.

111 conclusion, he assured the electors that both their own and colonial requirements and interests would receive his unremitting attention should they|se«;fiti to return him at the head of the poll. (Applause.) 111 reply to questions from Messrs Tregcllis, Colson and others, Mr Mills said he was not in favour of members of the Upper House being appointed by the party in power ; it should b» totally independent ol the Lower House. He looked upon the rcferon-

!dum as a very good thing, but it should only be put in motion by Parliament when the members were not disposed to settle any Question, without consulting the electors. Ho thought with the initiative in the hands of the people the referendum might he too rashly used ; the people should place in Parliament representatives in whom they bad confidence. There had been a certain amount of persuasion brought to bear on him to stand in the Liberal interests, and he would go to the poll against allcomers. He knew personally thati many of the electors were in favour of a change in the representation of the district. As to prohibition, the people had that question entirely in their own hands by means of local loption. He was a temperate man, but not a prohibitionist. He favoured

the Parliamentary franchise for the election of representative bodies like Harbour, Charitable Aid, and Education Boards ; in regard to other loca' 'nodies it was only [air that the vote should be restricted to the ratepayers concerned. 'He favoured the holders ol lease in perpetuity 'jeing granted the freehold. He was against> liiMe-rea-di-ng in schools, hut approved of the principle of starting school with prayer, as was done in many colleges, for, t-hi) reason that it tended to subdue (the pupils. He thought probabiy the schoolmasters wouht he of the same opinion. Native rates should We enforced, .tout' Hie difficulty was to locate owners. As to noxious weeds 011 native lands, when the owners did not; take preventive measures, the Government, might do the work and charge it against the land. He would give a general support to the Government, but was; not willing to be tied hand and foot to votcy for tjiq Government on. all measures. The candidate was accorded a hearty vote of thanks. A similar compliment was paid the Chairman.