MR MONTGOMERY AT AKAROA.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1165, 15 April 1884, Page 3

MR MONTGOMERY AT AKAROA.

Mr Montgomery addressed his constituents at Akaroa on Friday night, and was accorded a vote of confidence. Ho said the main causes of the depression in the Middle Island, and of the present financial difficulty were : Ist the immense annual drain for payment of interest on the public debt ; 2nd, the excessive departmental expenditure of the Government ; 3rd, the large tracts of freehold land lying in a state of nature, which the owners will neither cultivate nor sell at a price to pay farmers ; 4th, the rents drawn, by absentee proprietors. Ihere were other minor causes of the depression, but on those he had not time to dwell. He said the borrowed money had been improperly spent by Government to secure support, but the colony must meet the interest at all cost, They must cease to borrow, therein lay th"ir only safety. If the Government had during the last four po.zcd cvoi : y opportunity of lessening tin' number of civil servants by not filfing up vacancies as they occurred, they would have done more«;ood than they had by the spasmodic efforts they had recently made. He then went on to say that ' there are immense tracts of good agricultural land lying in a state of nature held by individuals and companies, which the owners either will not sell or not sell at the price people could afford to pay and profitably occupy, and what is the consequence i The people are forced to cultivate second and third class land, and the producing capacity of the colony is thereby limited. The people are not able to develop the resources which nature has placed within their reach. We must have a poll tax on holders of large of large tracts of agricultural land which will make them either cultivate or sell. By absentee proprietors a large amount of rent is drawn every year from this colony. Some of them are high on the rell of English nobility. They have estates out here, and their agents collect rents which are spent in England. Of all the curses with which a country can be permanently afflicted, nothing can be worse than absentee proprietors. We require a heavy tax on them. New Zealand should be for New Zealanders. This is not a narrow or selfish policy. It is the law of self-preservation. If these absentees choose to come out here and become colonists, we will be delighted to receive them, as we will be delighted to receive all who come here to make this country their home ; but if they will live in England, it is our duty to see they do not continue to draw the life blood of the colony.' Mr Montgomery concluded his speech with a criticism of Major Atkinson's speech, and said the Premier knew that his reign was drawing to a close.