A MINISTERIAL SPEECH.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 13 May 1907, Page 2

A MINISTERIAL SPEECH.

HON. ,lAS. CARROLL AT OMATA. THE LAND BILL EXPLAINED. OPPOSITION III'SIiEPRESJiXTATIO\ r , THE NATIVE QUESTION. REPLY TO MR. IIASSEV.

. (Published hy Special Arrangement.) The lion. .Mr, Carroll, who was present at Mr. Dockrill's meeting at Omata on Saturday night, in response to n hearty invitation, delivered an address of about twenty-live minutes duration, in tile course of which he covered a vast amount of ground, replying particularly to the Opposition criticism of the Land Bill proposals. THE PRESENT FIGHT, llr. Carroll prefaced his remarks Instating that the present buttle was one I between the Opposition and the Government. or, rather, the Government and the Opposition. The scat legitimately belonged to the Government, if there could be said to be any consideration of preference, because the seat had for so many years been represented by the late late .Mr. E. .M. Smith, wdio had ever associated himself with the Liberal side of politics. THE LATE MEMBER.

Jlle endorsed all that hail been said in eulogy to the memory of the late member. All, he said, but paid fair tribute to his memory, lie was in many respects a most remarkable man. lie was self-taught, but his force of character, natire ability and sagacity, carried him successful over many a knotty problem, and gave him a power of equitable discernment over many a man who liad enjoyed the benefits of superior education, lie was CDiij'ageous and bold, a true servant lo his country, and a faithful servant to Taranaki. (Applause.) When the late .Mr Kirkbride. member for the Mauakau seat, died, the Government eontested the election, but- the Opposition rightly secured it, because it was theirs, and he therefore trusted that in this election the feeling of the community of the Government's claim to the seat would result in the return of Mr. Dockrill. (Applause.) Till 1: LAND BILL. The. Opposition, lie said, was centring the light round the Land Bill, but their i criticism was based 01* misrepresentation. No side., he said, could be very strong when it relied on deliberate misrepresentation to support its case. The Government relied 011 facts which were strong and wholesome things. (Hear, hear.) NON-TEUMIN ABILITY OF LIPASES.

I Mr. Massey had tried to make settlers believe that under the l.i.p. system of {enure, immediately a tenant died, the lease terminated. (A voice: Rot.) That was opposed to fact, and he could scarcely bring himself to believe that Mr. Massey was sincere when he so staled. Such a statement was only made to frighten the wives and dependants of l.i.p, holders. These leases did not; cease with the death of a tenant, and their heirs and assignees succeeded iu the usual course. Further, tli? executors ot a deceased tenant's estate could sell the lease to another tenant, provided, only thai the new tenant would comply with the terms of the lease, fie could not understand how anyone would so design to facts. I .AND BILL AND FREEHOLD.

! Then, again. Mr. "Massey and the Opposition gave it forth that the Land Bill was a direct attack on existing freeholds. People were led to believe that all were in danger of confiscation. There was absolutely no foundation for such it statement or belief, because the Bill did not provide for anything with regard to existing freeholds. The Bill referred only to tenures of the future with respect to land belonging to the Crown and not yet disposed of

NO tm TKACT CAN BE VIOLATED, if 1111 no Government "would" attempt so to do, except in such oases as land might be resumed under the existing and working provisions of the Lands for .Setthv mcnt Act, "willi which evei'oyne was now agreed. (Applause.) No State, lie emphatically affirmed, could violate ils own contract with man or "woman without the fullest compensation. The Hill proposed to do nothing regarding existing contracts, except in the case of o.r.p. loaves, and in that case, the State merely offered the tenants the choice of transferring under a new lease —a lease giving the tenants the opportunity of paying oil' ninety per cent, of (he prineinle. LIMITATION OF ARIiIA.

"Regarding the limitation of area of privately-owned holdings, the Hill proposed that any man holding over CoO.flOO worth, prairie value, must within a certain time sell the excess. The Hill also proposed that anyone holding C 13,000 worth at present, must not be a competitor for more when land was being sold, lie did not think anyone present was unpatriotic enough to find fault with such a provision. Of course, if they were covetous, victims to their own selfishness. perhaps they would not agree with it. Hut he could assure them tiierc was nothing in the proposals for farmers to run their heads against. Where, he asked, was the objection to those portions of the Hill about which so much fuss was being made? Regarding the proposed I

"KNDOWMFXTS, J what objection did the Opposition take j to them? They were trying to draw the i people away from the broad view of j this question by raising an unjustified freehold er.v. Surely the one great question on which he could appeal to every man and woman was that of the KDUCATION of the children. They were the future lotion, and must he provided in a way that, no matter what vocation thev undertook, they shall ha litted for it! And . if we provided for the maintenance of

uduealiou through revenue from State I lands, would that not lie provision of the j people by the people for the future peo- j pie. Where objection cuuld be taken to) making provision for that jjreat State ililijpitidu? The *ame argument applied] to State land endowed OLD ACK PKXSIOXS. I Vet because the proposal was contained ' In a Kill proposed by the (Jovernment, Mr. Massey and the Opposition said il would be fur better to sell the land and fund the money, li the lauds were Hold, however, it would he at I lie value of today. and they would only be funding the value of to-day, and yetting interest on the value of to-day. But if the land were set aside as endowment, its value would increase with the opening up of ihe country and the growth of population. and the endowment would truly he of some value. Jt might be open to <[uestion whether ail the remaining State lands should be set aside for endowments, •>r only a portion of them, and he held that that aspect of the question wad a subject for fair debate. He reminded his heavers thai education was now costing the Slate £B7u,otK) per annum, and it

,vas only a mailer of a very few years \vhcu the elurge would reach a million pounds. Likewise the cost to the colony :>f maintaining old age pensions and hospitals was increasing, and would continue lo increase accordingly as the colony developed. "There is nothing,' 5 continued Mr. Carroll,'' in the hand Question to frigitlen vou. The Opposition raise THESE JHHJJEK to put fear in your breast." The Opposition seemed to have a great 1 acuity for manufacturing bogies; it might almost be thought they had a factory whence they turned them out wholesale. (Laughter.) But he could not blame them —they did their best to secure their ends, and "all's fair in love and war." However, conceding the Opposition that kind of ammunition, it was no reason , that the Government should use the 'same arms and ammunition. Tho Government loaded with and fired only absolute facts. (Applause.) Coming to the NATIVE QUESTION

lie said it was un important one, and lie was (juite satisfied from his visit and investigation at various parts of Taranaki that something must lie done. No doubt the Act was a good one when passed, but the conditions existing then and now were entirely dillerent, and the time lmd arrived for bringing the Act of 1802 abreast of the time. Circumstances and conditions had outgrown it. lie had been fully impressed by the representations made to him by bolh native ami European deputations, that there is room for the adjustment of equities, which existed both on (lie side of the natives and Europeans with regard to lands, and the time had come when a new form should be mnde to meet the demands. He had the other day told the natives tlnvt they should pay

RATES AND TAXES the same as Europeans, anil the sooner the better for them, because that act would immediately raise them to the level of their pakelia brethren! sharing alike their responsibilities to the Stale. He pointed out to them that they would immediately be placed on the valuation roll, and have a voice in the affairs of local bodies. The .Maori would very speedily be educated in this way. He found the majority of the native mind in favor of such a reform, and quite prepared and anxious to accept responsibility of that nature.

Home of the lessees in the district had represented to liini that they were 'desirous of securing the FREEHOLD OF NATIVE LEASES held by them. That, he admitted, was only natural, but whenever he had been confronted with the question, he endeavored to have a quiet and reasonable talk with the lessee on the matter, and all had to admit that the native owner of the land bad an equal, if not preemptive, right to be heard. The native should, therefore; be asked if he wished to part with bis freehold He had an equal right, with the tenant who said he wished to acquire the freehold, to retain it. They could not with equal justice ask the Government to take the freehold from one man and give it to another, if the owner did not wish to part with it. When put to them in that light, tenants had to admit that it was only justice, and such as they would expect were the position reversed. (Applause.) He found that in Taranaki and other parts there was WASTE NATIVE LAND,

lying unused and idle. Those lands were not much use to the Maoris, because in most instances they were removed from pails where the natives preferred to live, lie would be willing to sell ! these binds, and use the money to purchase laud for the Maori owners _ in places where they desired to live. Thai would be merely changing the locality of Maori holdings, but it would be doing some good, because the noxion-. ve:ds nuisance, for a good deal of which these lands were responsible, would be got ri.l of. Instances had olteu occurred to him whore much have aecrued to the luiive* by selling their l'lid, and providing good land for them, with tic moncv, ill more suitable localities. MAIHi I AS A FARMER.

The people of the colony should im ever-.' elVoi't to raise the Maori in the social scale, and malic him a useful settler. it was not because the Maori was incapable of becoming n farmer thai he was not vicing with the pakcha settlers. Their old ancestors were husbandmen, whose whole mind was bent and taught in the direction of having ample supplies of food from tilling the soil. (ilVl'i lini A CIIAXOK.

The Maori at one time, when in n state of Maoridnm, was a thinker and a cultivator, with the interests and concerns of his family at heart. He h.'.d the capabilities of becoming a farmer, but had never been given a chance. Since th- war the Mioris had passed through a Ion" period of suileiiiiess, of thraldom, and of hallucination of mind, born of the supposed prophets, lie had been a negative all this time; not an activeminded mail throwing his weight and encirv 011 the side of progress. While Xi*v. : 'Zealand hid been spending hundreds of thousands or pounds for the benelit of the farmer.-., particularly of I lie small men, nothing had yet been done for the Maori, lie proposed that we should, when the report of the Native Land Commission was available--setting aside certain of the land for the Maoris' use, and the balance for settlement (which would lie sold bv auction and with th- right to the I'rcvh'ddl-ti) settle the Maoris oil tin;l :. i'li' II set aside for thou, .-ui.l also .. ■ ; - :i the door ol our (iiiaii.-i..l iii-ti:;. ' i 'lie Maori. \ the smr.e a., was d; a• > I': 1 ordinary settl 'i'. f \tlli Tii .-..oil'r that

was dune, the hettc '.I it be lui" ill: Maori:, and all <- a a: - lie granted that not all woui-i !v 'a-iful funnel's. but. sharing t': l re.;i' liabilities of State with his. pal:: . : i : .h.i', lie would mostly succeed, and tie.' trial should be made " LAND )!U !. A Nil '-.1. Speaking wiLll regard In his reiiuu'k inaue during hi- : w'i a: M-'holu, that the Lam! i'ill did nut ;i;Vm Taranaki, and to which lip 'or-sH ; m-.!: .'uvplion in a sub-lead !', h ■ 1 : i' -tl L'i- ; U" li:id sen! a small panph to tli.it. papm* for publication. >.« :i t! 11-4 (!i- v he would rcplv to all tiio i|Ue-ti<.ns vai.-ed. at his meeting «>n Monday ni-lit sil the Theatre 'lioyal, and \\i\s. aM: n>h-d Mku' the paragraph had ii'»l a-ij.e.uvd. The Herald had endeavored to nuk,- otu ih.ii wh.-n referring to th" oSV.tI nf th;' Laud TUII on Taranaki ho wan speaking ol' Taranaki province. in' ih-,t (ho piiper was . wrong, for he was of the Taranaki dwmafe, and his reference in thai sens.-. So fur lids eleetova'n' was concerned. pro.fi it nil v >p;'akin.r, tlu* Hill did not uiiw-t h ;1 l =Ol. Th-' MM! eould not ali'ect anv private landowners iind In' did not think there was ,my landowner in the electorate owing nioiv than C.'jtt.OOO worth. (A voice: None so lucky!) Therefore, with perhaps one or two exemption*, Taranaki was quito unalJ'ccted.

He had, lie »niil, merely spoken lo sot 'aside one or two misrepresentations, ami to show that, (lie Mill wan not tin' fearful ogre the people were being led to believe, ami that there was plenty of room between all opinions to arrive at a workable basis. On Monday night he would reply fully to all the criticisms of Mr. Masscy, and point out anomalies that are apparent in his statements, also that bis reading of many things he ascribes to the (lovernmeut are prejudieial mnl not on right lines. Mlt. OKBY" AM) THE MAOltbS.

Before concluding, he said he wished to refer lo a regre liable reference made bv Mr. Okcy. at New Plymouth, villi regard to the .Maoris. He regretted it because there was apparent such an entire lack of sympathy—a shouldering of the native out of the way. Mr. Okey had said, in circcl. that be did not believe in I he aspirations of the, youi)g Maori party, and was not in favor of lending the young natives money under the Advances lo Settlers' Act] "Now,'' said Mr. Carroll, "what a beautiful, benevolent gentleman lie must he, when he would not concede to his brother Maori dial which lie says is good—cheap lnoney, 'l'lte land, continued SJr. Car-1

roll, wan the Maoris, and we had not overpaid him for it, but when the young .Maori* now .showed a strong <lesi>v to iH't on the land—their own land, not tho 1 uid of anybody else- and want to raise money for .stocking and farming on the security of their own land, he thought < nly one man in a million would deny them that privilege, and that, one was Mr. Okey who spoke tho other night. (AppliUi.-e.) t/i l;Sf'|o\S. A 'juestioner asked if it waw correct, as alleged by Mr. Massey, that it wa* only the small man, borrowing CuO or CIOO under the Advances to Settler*' Act who benefited.

Mr. Carroll said he knew something about the working of the Advance* Department, as it was under his control daring the absence of the Premier. The Hoard sat every week and dealt with the applications, and amounts were ftp plied for aud grunted, ranging from CSU up to ,I'^o'K). In reply to a furthev query, if it was not correct the more a farmer'borrowed the more he saved, Mr. Carroll answered, "Certainly." The fact of the matter was I hat Mr. Massey opposed the Advances to Settler*' Act in Parliament. Air, Masscv would not give the Government credit* for any good Act, The extent to which farmers availed themselves of the (Jovernmcm's cheap money was shown by til.* experience of the year just closed, when no less than .C 750.000 was loaned to settlers, compared with £600,000 ill the previous year. Tho Tarnnnki County, said Mr. Carroll, has benefited an much umler the Advances to Settlers' Act ftß any other in the colony. (Applauso.)