MR TURNBULL AT TIMARU.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1154, 20 March 1884, Page 3

MR TURNBULL AT TIMARU.

Mr Turnbull addressed his const! luents atTimaru last Monday eyeaing. The Mayor was in the chair, and about 300 people were present. In the course of his discourse he said people wanted to be politically educated, and he wished to see Hansard published daily. His views were those of the Liberal party, The cause of the depression was the substitution of a Property Tax for a Land Tax. It was a disgrace to the country that Sir John Hall, who had been a " gridironer,” had been made Premier. He asked them to consider whether the public estate hod been managed as it ought to be, and whether the burden of taxation had been properly distributed. After showing that the land of New Zealand belonged to the people, he went on to say that the colony contained 64,000,000 acres, of which 14,000,000 acres had been sold, 16,000,000 acres was native land owned either by Maoris or Europeans who purchased from them, and* 34.000. acres remained yet unsold. Nine million acres of the unsold land was barren and worthless. The 14.000. acres that had been sold, was owned by 40,000 people, of which 22.000, were settled on lots trom 1 to 50 acres and 2871 held lots from SCO acres to 19,000 acres. Had these latter people made proper use of the land their exports would be nearly double whr.t it was. The evil came out more strongly when it was seen that 250 people held 7,00u,000 acres, or half the sold land, in blocks of from 10,000 to 100,000 acres, and valued at £13,500,000. This land was valued at £2 an acre. There were ten large estates valued at only £2 an acre in the neighborhood of Timaru. There must be something wrong when this land was valued at £2 per acre. There was, for the Government could not touch the big men. These large landowners were mere agents of banks and and loanpopipanies, and would hold the lapd until they got extravagant prices for it. They were a curse to the country, for the best land was in the hands ot English capitalists. It was not the public debt that was causing depression, but the immense private debt. The sold land was valued at £69,000,000 but property tax was paid only on £39,000,000, which showed that the other £30,000,000 must be mortgaged. He went on to

show how annual Parliaments would be beneficial while they were spending borrowed money, and said there were amongst the Opppsition nien as capable of forming a Ministry as the present

occupants of the Treasury Benches. He went on to argue that a progressive laud tax should be imposed, and that

there should be a limit to the number of acres one man should hold. He would tux large estates up to ss, or 10s if necessary, until he compelled the owners to sell. Landowners would cry out in holy horror “ This is confiscation,” buthe landowners would not say that if the boot was on the other leg. He would not tax anything under 500 acres, or the land of any man who was trying to make the most of it. Commencing at the 500 acres with a tax of sixpence in the £ would pay more than the Property Tax, There would be a fierce struggle over this, but a general election was coming on, and the people ought to put such people into power as would effect the change. He dwelt upon the extravagant way in which the present Government spent money to purchase votes, and upon the efforts the Opposition made to reduce the expenditure. He then complained of the people’s negligence to register their votes. Only six had been put on the roll since January last. Out of 132,000 capable of voting only 69,000 voted at last election, and they might be very sure the landowners voted. But these large landholders were not more than one-sixth of the possible electors, and if it came to a fight the people had the whole control in their own hands. Would they allow the country to lapse into the state which it showed signs of lapsing ? It lay with the electors to improve the present state of things, and if they neglected their interests at the next election and did nothing to bring about an improvement he would charge them with the grossest crime. He was not there to raise a cry against a class, but if he saw a class of a few dozens injuring many thousands uf their fellow men, thousands who might he made millions, he felt it his duty to expose it. He hoped that when the next election came the electors would take steps to ensure the return of men they could tnr ■, and resolve to trust no one longer than twelve months. He hoped they would think seriously of these things, and if when the time came he saw them taking the steps he had indicated, he would be amply repaid. After a few unimportant questions were asked, Mr Harvey moved, and Mr Wilson seconded, a vote of thanks and confidence, which was carried unanimously, and the meeting terminated.