PRE-SESSIONAL ADDRESS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2214, 13 June 1891, Page 4

PRE-SESSIONAL ADDRESS.

HON. J. MoKENZIE AT PALMERSTON SOOTH. • ’ (Cbntiha6dl) r ■ '* i-• The third accusation made againstr him was that he bad reduced the land office at Invercargill td leas than an adequate- staff to perform the duties required of it. Now he would ask his audience' 1 to bear with him for a few minutes, while he'gave them a few figures in connection with the Waste Lands Office of Invercargill, which could not fail to convince anyone that the action he had taken was the right one id the interests of the Colony, He had a return prepared and sent to him through ft* bead of the Lands Department ef the Colony, showing the work done in the Invercargill Lands Office during the month of February last, when, peace and quietness reigned supreme in that office, before it was known that any reductions were to : be made by ‘‘that shepherd ’ from the hillside.” (Loud laughter and ap plause,) When he told them- whatthat return was, those present would see bow much dependence could be placed on the ' (statements of Sir Spence with regard to the amount' : of work done in the office at Invercargill He-found' that the total amount of land revenue received for the month amounted to £1251 10a 2d, being at the rate of £52 3s 6d per day. The entries in the books amounted to five hundred and one, being a little over twenty entries : per ’ day; 1 there were about fourteen receipts given per day' and barely four letters received and slightly over four letters despatched a day. Thirty-nine persons applied for land, being at the rate of an applicant and a half per diem. In addition to this there were a few printed returns to fill in for the month, and there was a monthly meeting of the Land Board, the minutes of which would have to be keptT And to do this work required a sta# of officers at an expenditure of £2223 per annum! —(laughter)— being at the rate of £lB5 5s per month, •r a percentage of 15 per cent on the grew takings, In order that he might

not do any injustice in tKi i ! show it in any false colours, he might say that the month of February did not quite come up to the average amount ra'ceived for the ! year, as the total revenue received ’in Southland for the last year was £19,393 17s lOd. But, when taking that amount, the cost to the Colony was at the rate of 12 per cent per annum. 'Taking those figures into 1 consideration and the amok tit of work performed in the luverovrgill Land Office, he did not think that any other con elusion could be come than that the retrenchment was necessary. In fact, it had been a matter of wonder to him as to what the officers in that branch could possibly find to do from morning to night. Just fancy, fonr letters per day received by Mr Spenoe and his clerks, and four letters per day despatched—(laughter)—most of which were in print I And just imagine the man standing at ffl the ledger of the Inyereargill office to receive £53 a dayl He ventured to think they could find a storekeeper in Palmerston with a man and boy who despatched and received more letters and - collected mere money than was received in the Invercargill Land Office. These were hard facts; and'Could be proved by documentary evidence in his possession. That, so far as he was concerned, was a sufficient answer to the charges of having reduced the Invercargill Land Office to its detriment. (Applause.) Now, the next crime he had been accused of was, of having issued a circular, as he had already stated, practically asking the officers in the various laud districts to declare that they bad perjured themselves.'’ 'Hi would proceed te read the contents of the circular, and leave it to those present to judge. It was dated March 13,1891, and was as follows;—“ From the General Crown Lands Office, to Commissioners of Crown Lands.—Under instructs from the Hon. the Minister for Lands, I have to ask you to ask each clerk in your office if he ever got declarations under the Land Act, signed by a JiP„ in blank, which were afterwards filled in and used for the purposes of application under the Act, the answer of each clerk to be noted opposite his name. Will you at the same time be good enough to state whether you have any personal knowledge of such practice having been pursued in your District.—Signed H. J. H. Eliott, Under Secretary.” Now : the reason for issuing that circular was that it had been reported to him that practices of this sort were carried on, and that there were good grounds for Such a report. Two of the officers had stated in their replies that they had seen such applications: His sole object in sending that circular had been te ascertain if such a custom had prevailed amongst the various officers, and, if so, to see that a stop was put to it in the future. The fact that is was found to exist in one ease proved the necesssity for the circular being, written. (Loud Applause.) In connection with the appointment of Mr Campbell, that officer was neither a friend nor a relative of his, and he only knew him from the fact that on a previous occasion he was acting in the capacity of Crown Lands Banger in Southland, and that it had been reported to him that he was an excellent officer and attended to hie work. He had also been told that the reason why Mr" Campbell’s service* were dispensed with was that he had performed his duty too faithfully, and 1 that the Conservative doves of Southland did not approve of bis action in forcing them so rigidly to their work. He asked Mr Campbell whether, in' the event of hisl- being appointed 1 Crown Lands Banger for Southland,' he would also undertake the Forest' Reserves duties. Mr Campbell replied! that h© would be quite able to under- 1 take both offices by giving up his whole time and attention to the work. He : (the Minister) then asked Mr Camp-| bell if be could produce any certificates' from the Commissioner of Grown' Lands, under whom he had served. He replied that he had several which he forward to ' He (Mr‘ M’Kenzie) bad seen these certificates, and before the appointment was made' they were submitted to Mr Percy Smith, the Surveyor-General of the Ooloiiy. He would now proceed to read these testimonials. The first was' from Mr Walter H. Pearson, the late; Commissioner, of Crown Lands for Southland, dated June 4,1883; —“ To' Mr D. Campbell, Crown Lands Banger I nvercargill—Dear Sir,—As requested I have much pleasure in stating that wbile 1 held the position' of Commissioner of Crown Lands for the district of Southland New Zealand, you'Were four years my Crown Lands Banger and in that capaoicy fulfilled 1 your duties which were so onerous and required considerable moral courage in their discharge, with energy, intelligence, strict impartiality, and thorough efficiency. I am sorry to learn that the exigencies of enforced retrenchment have bbliged the 1 Government to part with a servant whose long career in their service is a record of honest and faithful endeavour trusting that you may succeed whereever you may go, and in whatever you may undertake, I remain.«Sia., Walter 3. Pearson, late Commissioner of Crown Lands, Southland, N.Z.*. The next certificate was from the Crown Lends Office, Invercargill, as follows: “June 4, 1888. Memo, for Mr Duncan Campbell, Crown Lands Ranger. I have examined the various books in connection with the Waste Lands Board in the Southland Land District, and find '

no marks of any nature against Mr Duncan Campbell, Crown Lands Badger under the Waste Lands Board hero for many years. (Signed) A.' M'Nab, Clerk in Land Office.” This letter was certified tp by Mr Percy Smith as being, to the best f of his belief, in Mr ■ M’Nab’a handwriting. The next certificate came from’ bb leas a person than Mr Speuee himself. He bad ho doubt they ‘would' all be Very curious to hear what was Mr Spence’s’ opinion of Mr Campbell.’ Now this was what Mr Spence said with regard to Mr Duncan Campbell: “ The bearer, Mr Duncan Campbell, has been Crown Lands Banger for a number of years, and leaves the service owing to the necessity of retrenchment on the part of the Government. I have found Mr Campbell to be a willing, capable, and obliging officer, andT trust that he Ivill succeed in getting * situation that will suit him. I will always be glad to hear of bis; success. (Signed) J. Spence, Com missioner of Crown Lands.” (Loud and ' prolonged applahae.) As Mr Spence was "just about' to leave the colony when' he made the charges against him (Mr M'Kenzie), and as it might be said that' the genuineness of the signature was doubtfnl, he had taken the T precaution hf asking Mr Percy Smith, the Surveyor-General, who was familiar ; with Mr Spence’s' handwriting,' to' 1 testify to same, which he 'did in* the following words'; •—“ I know' this ! to bo' Mr Spence’s handwriting, and that the signature is his.” (Cheers.) Now he H '(Mr M'Kenzie) would go so far as to say that the appointment of Mr Campbell was giving satisfacitidn to the'mass of the people of Southland, and lb place that fact beyond doubt he would read a telegram he had that day received from the ‘members Of the Southland conrtituents- —“ In reference ' to ■your transfer of Mr Spence, Commissioner of Crown Lands, to Westland, we quite approve of what you did hr this matter, and believe the change was in the best interest 1 ' of the colony. J Iti reference to Kc Campbell’s appointment, we are . oi opinion that his removal from office formerly was exceedingly unfair, inasmuch as hfe bad been very zealous in the discharge of his duties and had in consequence made many enemies. We consider bis reappointment by yon only an act of justice to Sputhlond, (Signed) J. KutiiT, 1 J. M’lntosh, ' and , J. G. Wi.*i>.” That, ha thought, would prove beyond a doubt that the ap'pointment was approved of by the people —(loud applause)—as those three members/who were responsible to large constituencies',' would not be likely to eend a telegram of that sort without regard to the feeling of the larger portion of their electorates. They had how the whole facts m connection with these great charges, and it was for thote present to decide whether the strictures passed upon him by Mr Spence and the Conservative Press of the icolony were justified or not. He Vrould point oht, too, that Mr 'Spence was not when leayihg the* colony in the interests of the colony, but he was speaking as a disappointed man, as one who had endeavored to leave the. service with a large shm ofthohey. He had asked him as Minister for Lands te grahtr si paid by the people of the colony. Mr Spence was asked to remove to Westland, and not tq leave the service, Ha thereupon asked leaye to retire,’ and had he (Mr M’Kenzie) wished to be severe be cedld' have'’ ordered Mr Spence to Westland or resign, so that had he resigned he would not have been entitled to one sixpence. And what was the retiring allowance Mr Spence demanded P Why, be asked to be compensated for ’ his ' general Government services, his provincial services, and at the - same time applied' for six months’ leave of absence on fall pay, making a total sum asked for by Mr Spence df ' In connection' with this he would read'the Surveyor-' General’s • memorandum of advice to himself on the subject: “ Mr Spence asks that he may retire on compensation rather than be moved to! Westland, and that he may have six' months’ leave. Mr Spence would be entitled to compensation for his 1 services since Abolition. This would amount to abont £540. , That is for his General Government services ; but be seems - to me to ash that his' Provincial services be included. This would mean about £955 for both services. The Civil Service Act, 1886, limits leave of absence on retirement to three months. I would ask your favorable consideration in allowing Mr Spboce to be compensated and have three months’ leave.—S. Percy Smith, May 1, 1891.” He did not of his own accord decide the matter, but he submitted it to his colleagues in Cabinent, and he would read the Cabinet’s decision:—“Mr Spence will be allowed to retire with compensation, viz,, £540. Provincial service cannot be allowed, nor can leave of absence be granted. May 1, 1891.” This, then, was the man who had endeavored te defanio him throughout the length and breadth of the Colony, the man who had asked for £llBO of public money, but who only received £640, and if he (Mr M’Kenzie) had been guilty of any error of judgment in this matter it was that he bad been too lenient with Mr Spence. He had granted him £450 when he was in no way compelled by law to do so. He did so on the strength of the retommendation of the head of the Department, and he was glad to take that opportunity of saying that the Colony

might be proud to here mob a men at' Mr Percy Smith et the heed of that department, a gentleman who . had showVdimng ft ( mbiif&yingtime r irlien dispensing with so many of the Civil Servants, a humane and kind heart. Weie he (Mr H'Kenaio) to occupy his present position for one month, one year, or whatever length of time, he w*uld%lways remember with pleasure his association with Mr Percy Smith, the Surveyor-General of New Zealand. (Applause.) "° d ' COKOLTBIOir. Before sitting down he would like to refer to the bitter animosity shown towardi , him' 1 by the Otago' Daily Times. That paper for twenty solid years had bitterly oppoaed him, notwithstanding • the fact "that 1 his constituents had tor that ‘satne ' twenty years returned 1 hitti ' to 1 every position of trust it was in their pow'er to offers I (Applause.) That itself was sif- | ficient to show that the opinions «|f the proprietor* of ’the Otago Daily Times had r littl¥ Weight in that district: (Applaase.) r Moreover, as a" guide of pnhlie opinion that paper had always been in the (Loud and prolonged’applause.) He had been accused rt by the Times of putting bis oWtf'relations and ■onil friends into the Civil Service. He had not a 1 single "relative at the present time in the Civil Service, If there was one thing that he could pride himself upon, it was that hi* hands were cleiii in that direction!, and 'they—his friends Vnd.supporters —knew; it. When he first commenced his political career in that district settlement did not extend beyond twbmiles from Palmerston. It now extended thirty-five miles, and, without fear of appearing egetisticalrhenright say that he had done his share ih opening up that district. (Cheers.) The Otago Daily Times had always oppoaed him, but his constituent* knew whether he had been a friend of' the settlor? or an 1 enemy. He had never wavered itr his resolution t 6 open up the land .for settlement, and very often his endeavors were to bib own personal disadvantage. ; s Sb long as the Otago Daily Times was owned by the present proprietors, so would it oppose him in the performance of his duty. If, on any fnturb occasion, that journal took to praising him, it wonld be time for the settlers to begin to lobfc minutely into'bib actions. They had now heard all he r had to say that evening, and, 'while thanking those present for the patient hearing they had given him, he weald leave himself entirely .in’ their handle 1 Mr M'Kenzio resumed his seat amid loud and continued applause. ‘After one or'two questions of minor importance had been answered, Mr William Marcott moved the following resolution— ‘‘ That this meeting has every confidence in the Hon, John M'Kenzie as our reprCieniatiye, and in the Government of which he is a member, and that the actions of the 1 present Government since it came into office are fully approved by the Waitaki constituency, and merit the confidence of thecoUntryat large. n The 1 motion ‘ was seconded'' hy' Mr M. Mdi-tbh, ahd earried" by acclamation with three cheers..;, Three cheers were called for, and heartily given, for the Otago Daily Times. ’ A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the meeting. 1