MR BALLANCE AT WANGANUI.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2044, 10 May 1890, Page 3

MR BALLANCE AT WANGANUI.

The Hoq, J. Ballance addressed his constituents on Wednesday evening. The Mayor occupied the chair, and there was a large attendance. In opening he said it was his intention to give a sort of account of the business transacted In Parliament last session, not restricting himself to the measures passed, but including also those thrown out, a work, in the opinion of some, just as useful as the constructive work. After regretting that none of the Ministers had addressed their constituents, and declared their policy, he went on to the REPRESENTATION QUESTION. He objected on principle to any difference being made between voters in town and country, holding that there should be equal electoral districts, and that all should have the same voting power, it was contended by the country party that people in town had greater intelligence and better facilities for meeting together ; but he maintained that where there were so many small townships, and a number ot large centres of population, as in the Old Country, practically speaking intelligence was equally diffused over the whole country, NATIVE LANDS, ETC. fie then went on to refer to the allocation of the sum of £300,000 or £400,000 for the purchase of native lands along the line of the North Island Trunk Line. When the present Government took office they declared they were going to open up the lands to private persons, as the measures of the previous Government stopped settlement. They had found that this could not be done in consequence of the unsatisfactory state of the titles of Native land, but though this sum had been set aside nothing had been done to carry the purchases into effect. The sum of £2#,000 was mad© available for purchase in other parts of the colony, but they bad done nothing in the way of purchasing land for the purpose of settlement, their only transaction being the expenditure of £300,000 on the Rotorua leases, which the Natives are now trying to repudiate. During the recess they patched up a number of Native titles, and since then the Government had appointed Mr Edwards as Commissioner, at a salary of £ISOO, to go into the titles. He believed they could get plenty of men at £6o# quite as capable for the work. Mr Edwards* refused to accept the post unless he was made a Judge of the Supreme Court,'ah appointment the speaker considered illegal and unjustifiable.

OTHER FEATHRES OF LAST SESSION. The Criminal Evidence Act, introduced by Mr Hutchison, was referred to as a step in advance of any of thelcolonies or the mother country, and one likely to be followed elsewhere. The Ward-Hislop incident was alluded to at length, and the action of the Opposition in criticising Mr Hislep’s conduct commended. One act cf last session, the appointment of the Sweating Commission, which was moved for by two members of the Opposition, would, he thought, be more farreaching in ila effects than any measure carried for years, for he held the colony could not afford at this time of day, especially considering the attitude of labor all over the world, to allow a stigma to rest on this colony that they were laying the foundation of a system condemned by every civilised nation, The enquiry would bring to light the grievances, if any, that existed, and that was the only way of adjusting the wrongs, The question was one affectiog everyone, whether capitalist or laborer, as no capitalist could feel safe while the great bulk of the people entrusted with the franchise were dissatisfied with the relations existing between them.

REJECTED MEASURES. Passing on to the measures thrown out, Mr Ballauce alluded first to the Hare system of representation, pointing out that it was beyond the comprehension of the average elector, and that the size of the districts would have been a great drawback to the young politicians and candidates who are not wealthy. The Electors’ Representation Bill had been thrown out, «s the present law was more simple, and the Corrupt Practices Bill because it favored wealthier candidates and would be a hardship to those without carriages and other luxuries of their own. He was of opinion that an improvement could be made on the present law, but he objected to revolutionary and reactionary legislation, and thought they should follow constitutionally the practice of England, and, as far as possible, give equal electoral districts and single electorates. He believed that by the dealtuc tion of these Bills thf Opposition had earned the gratitude of the colony. It had been charged against the Opposition that they had thrown out the Charitable Aid Bill, but this was not so. It had been condemned all over the colony, and the Minister in charge had not the boldness to bring it on for its second reading. They had rejected a proposal to construct a number of railways, which were to have been provided for by the kauri forest revenues, because they knew there were no such revenues, and that in 3891 the advances would have been consolidated, and further borrowing would have taken place; and they thought if borrowing was intended it should be done ppenly and not sub rosa.

EHVeAXXOX. He had opposed an attempt to raise the school age, and not to take free education above the fourth standard, on the grounds that children of the working classes had to go to school at a very early age, as they could not be kept there any length of time, and that the benefits of the higher standards were mainly availed of by persons who were able to pay, He had supported the Private Sphoo| Bill, which applied? principally to Catholics'," and enabled their schools in the large centres qf population to be aided by public grants, lie was opposed to denominational education, but did not think tfiat this pleasure would havp the effect of introducing it j on the contrary, it would create much greater interest in the present system and tend to strengthen it. He put this matter ftiidy before them, as he might be accused of having changed bis opinions. He was not aware that he had done so, as he had always maintained that it wqs their duty to encourage a' system which would enable the blessings of'edu&ation to be imparted to the whole population of the colony. WOKK AND WAfIBS. He had voted for the iCiglit 1 Hours Bilf, but in his opinion it would to battpr for the Unions by combination to secure this boon than to attempt to get it by legislation, He did not hold the Government

responeib'e for the Railway Employes Bill, it having been introduced by them at the request of the Railway Commissioners, but he had opposed it as most unfair and ur just in its provisions. The measure hud been universally condemned hy the employes, and was not likely to be reintroduced. Ho had been blamed for stating that it had boon the intension of the Railway Commissioners to reduce the wages—and he was slid assured ou most positive information that thishad been their intention —but instead ot doing so they had adopted the tactics of employing boy labor, which he believed to be dangerous to ibe public. REPRESENTATION —DEFENCE, It was said that next session wou'd be short. Whether it was so or not, the Opposition would not delay business, and if the Government had no policy the sooner they went to tho country the better, so that they might fight out their principles ou the hustings. He had been, and was still, opposed to the reduction of members, not because it meant the loss of tweaty-four seats, but because it was a retrograde step. At present there was no community of interest in many of the constituencies, and with settlement going on, and population increasing, he thought tho members might have remained as they were. Ho condemned the proposal to create a partially paid force at the four large centres, ond to abolish the country volunteers. The country could not afford any increased expenditure in this direction, and he thought that with the protection of the Briiish fleet, for which they were to pay £25,000 a jear, the colony was safe from any attack by Russia. NO BORROWING. With respect to borrowing he thought they should stop borrowing entirely for a lime, and pointed out that the fluctuations in the colony’s credit in London were mainly duo to the “ bulling ” and “bearing” of largo syndicates, who used the colony to the t own advantage. MISCELLANEOUS, The cry of selling the railways had been introduced by these desirous of doing away with the Property tax, and he was astonished that Mr Bryce, at Waikato, had advocated selling the railways. If agitation by the employes was to go on, he (Mr Ballance) considered it wiser to remove the grievances and retain the railways, reducing the rates on produce whenever possible, as be was quite sure if the railways passed into the hands of syndicates they would not be run for the benefit of the colony. Ho objected to this colony entering into the Australasian federation. Ha thought they should look to the Mother Country, and retain their right to a voice in the affairs of the Empire when the time came for strengthening the bonds that at present existed. He did not think that the colony coaid stand the heavy loss the proposed reduction in ocean postage would mean, and be believed a piefeiable reform would be penny postage when (he colony could afford it. Keferring to the single tax question, he cou'd not see that it was practicable, and did not think the lime had come for the substitution of a Land and Income tax for Properly tax; but be thought, under tho latter, agricultural improvements and machinery should be exempted up to £2OOO. He also believed that the tax should be graduated, for he thought the groat estates of this country were one of the causes of New Zealand standing still. He pointed out lo those who argued that at the death of the present owners the estates were split up, that this was not correct, as was shown by recent estates left in trust. With respect to a reduction of the Customs, he thought that if they had a surplus they could not do better than reduce the duties on the necessaries of life, instancing tea, as far as could possibly be done.

THE LAND. Coming to land administration. Mr Ballance spoke at considerable length on the policy of the present Government. He pointed out that selling 2090-acre blocks of land did nob encourage settlement, and was not good, in the long run, for labor. With regard to the village settlement scheme, one would imagine that they had only established four or five settlements, whereas there were no fewer than sixty-two in the colony, and not a single complaint had been heard against those In the South Island, But because two of the settlements north of Auckland required assistance for a year or two the system was condemned as a failure. And, with respect to the village settlements, he pointed out that they had placed 900 sons of settlers and heads of families on them, and qot a single word had been heard against them. He believed the stoppage of that system had more to do with the departure of the 10,000 people who left the colony than all the other causes put together, because the present system of putting op land left men without the hope of getting a place to settle down in. He maintained that these two systems properly carried out would do a great deal to inspire confidence in the colony, CONCLUSION. In conclusion he thanked them for the confidence they had shown him in the past, and said shat sq long as they were satisfied to return him be would endeavor to do his duty, After a few questions the speaker received a unanimous vote of thanks and confidence.