POLITICAL ADDRESS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1438, 8 December 1885, Page 3

POLITICAL ADDRESS.

Instead of an address which ha was to deliver, the Hon. Sir Julius Vogel has written an address to the Tnapeka residents through the local Times. Commencing hy expressing his regret as being unable to visit the district he pfooeeds to state that if the Governmen have not been able to overcome the depression and low price of some of tbe principal staples they have done all they could. Broadly speaking the policy of the Government wan one setting before the people the necessity foi earnest implication to develope the resource Of tbe oo ony. If, he writes, we had a hoa > population owning wealth, we could be indifferent to prices elsewhere. Tbe grea difference between those who supported the Government and those who opposed them was that the latter were adverse to the policy cf progress which to the former seemed to essential, and tbe question hung very much upon whether the public works policy was successful. There was real depresrioa n hen it was introduced amidst strong opposition. It had added to the public debt, bub that debt was many times represented by tbe wealth which bad been made. The question that now demande d decision was whether it was advisable to continue that policy, and how far it was safe to discontinue it. He did not say tbe policy could be resumed pure and simple. The time was past for paying the passage money of immigrants, and much as population was needed the colony would have to depend upon the attractions offered. The colony should deal primarily with extending tbe railways; roads and bridges should bo undertaken by tbe local bodies. There were large fields for the settlement of people both in tbe North and South, and there are many railways to which altention should be directed. There was, for instance, the district of Westland outside railway communication, with its enormous mineral wealth. !3ir Julius then went on to speak of tbe wealth in the bed of the Molyceux river, 1 recommending the resumption of mining V enterprise in Otago. He then dealt with the question of Protection and Freetrade (so called), end said he was convinced the imposition of duties of a fairly restrictive character was a policy all classes of the com. munity should join in upholding. He bad always raised his voice in favor of a high rate of wages, and if that rate were to b« Swamped and capital was to employ labor on its own terms, then we would have a few very rich men, but we would have lost the general distribution of wealth on which the real strength of a country depended. For these reasons this was not a time to suspend the public works policy ; this was precisely the time public works should bo carried on cheaply. He concluded as follows:—“Do not, I beg of yon, believe all that you are told about the laboring classes being heavily burdened. As a matter of fact tbe Customs taxation per head is less now than it was in 1870. As for tbe apparent large amount of public debt in New Zealand : it is not public debt. In most of the older countries the public debt is tbe consequence of wars and other unproductive expenditure, whilst the cost of their railways appears in the shape of private en terprise. Your public works are the representatives of ycur public debt, and where as in older countries these enterprises would be embarked in with a view of obtaining from 5 to 15 per cent profit, the colony carries them on content with obtaining a return which will yield 4 per cent, interest, to cover the cost of the money borrowed, You must bear in mind also that if we extend the public works policy we shall be making railways through Crown lands, and the State will derives great deal of tbe benefit hitherto enjoyed by the owners of private lands. 1 must impress upon you that in times of depression there is greater need for industry and energy. To stop the construction of public works would cause a great deal of unnecessary misery.