MAJOR ATKINSON AT TIMARU.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1095, 19 April 1883, Page 3

MAJOR ATKINSON AT TIMARU.

On last Monday evening Major Atkinson addressed a public meeting atTimaru, After pome prefatory re-

marks, he said the funded indebtedness of (lie colony, deducting cash in hand and accrued sinking fund, was L 27.300,000 ; the debts of local bodies, harbor boards, borough councils, road boards, etc., amounted to L3,500.U00 ; so that the total public indebtedness was about L 51,000,000. Then there was a private indebtedness outside the colony, mostly secured on freehold land, of about L 16,000,000, bringing the total indebtedness outside the colony, in round numbers, to about L 47,000,000. On the other hand, the colony possessed assets in railways, telegraphs, and Crnvn lands to the amount of L 31,000,000 and the total value of the assets private and public was LI 60,000,000, from which if L 47,000,000 was taken, would leave LI 00,000,000 to credit. He then proceeded to treat pauperism, its causes and remedies. In England, according to the best authorities, there was put by every year at least L 230,000,000, that is to say wealth had been increasing every year at that enormous rate. Yet, notwithstanding this fact, there were no less than 700,000 paupers in England, of whom no less than 111,000 were adult and able-bodied, who were maintained at a charge of L 7,600.000 per annum. The four principal causes of pauperism were : bad lairs, want ot thrift over and crime. Want of thrift was the principal cause in this colony. The people were hard-workers, hard-drinkers and hard-smokers. Last year the 150,00/ inhabitants of this colony spent L 3,000, 000 on drink, and L 440,000 on tobacco, while the total saying, so far as Saving Banks and Life Insurances went was L 648,000. He then proceeded to say that want of thrift and crime caused pauperism ; the crime being drink, wife desertion, etc., and referred to the good work of friendly societies, insurance companies, etc. Hi s proposal was that every young man and yonng woman, beginning at the age of eighteen or at sixteen if they preferred it, eighteen being made the compulsory age, and between those ages and twentythree should pay at a rate of 2s 3J per week fo: i',u .-oven years or 3s 3d per week f, r the five years. The benefits that would accrue from this would be that during illness they would receive 15s per week until they were sixty-fivo, this benefit to commence immediately after the first payment, and after sixtyfive, everyone would receive 10s per week so long as they lived. These payments could be altered to suit circumstances, but this was a matter of detail. This question of whether IQs, 15s or 2os a week was the right amount was a question for further consideration. He then entered into the details of the scheme, stating that any one now over the ages referred to would not be compelled to pay unless they liked. To provide for widows and orphans, he suggested that every one after having arrived at twenty-three years of age should pay 2s for five years. This would provide a fund which would give each widow with one child 15s a week, and others with larger families greater amounts up to 30s per week, until the children were fourteen years of age. Hi? other proposal was that portions of the Crown lands should be set aside from which a large rent could be obtained, which might be applied for the purpose of endowing every child born with something like L 5 a head, and that sum at compound interest would amount by the time they were twenty-five to a sum sufficient to provide a widows and orphans fund. He next replied at considerable length to same arguments which had been made against his scheme. If young men and women could not put aside 2s 3d per week at the age of sixteen or eighteen, the state of society must be rotten. The scheme was within the functions of Government ; it would strengthen the hands of the Friendly Societies. He wound up by appealing to them to give it careful i consideration. A vote thanks was carried on the motion of Mr Sutter, seconded by Mr Wakefield. On Tuesday morning he met representatives of Friendly Societies with whom he discussed. A motion approving of the scheme was proposed, but an amendment thanking Major Atkinson was carried by a large majority. In reply, Major Atkinson expressed regret that they did not approve oi his scheme, and promised the Bill on the subject would be distributed amongst Friendly Societies,