THE PREMIER AT WANGANUI.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2265, 10 October 1891, Page 1

THE PREMIER AT WANGANUI.

Wanganui, Get. 7. The Hon. the Premier addressed his constituents to-night at Wanganui. He detailed the works accomplished by the Government since they came into office, with special reference to the more important Bills. He asserted that the settlement of the land had been carried on with energy and vigor, but it was absurd for anyone to expect that a Government could carry out all the items on a programme during the first few months of its existence. With regard to the penny postage he defended the proposals for a reduction to a penny, and predicted that within the next five years we should have a universal penny postage over the whole of the British Empire. He claimed that in the Public Trust enquiry the Government had remedied a great social evil, as they had also in the Friendly Societies Bill. He asserted that the Government’s conversion operations were in no sense borrowing. The Bank of England acted as their agents, and if the conversion was borrowing that Bank and others in England would soon let them know they were breaking the word. He regretted the Bryce episode, but he and his party had done all in their power to bring about a reconciliation. Everything was done fairly, and it was significant that while the Speaker had been reproached with weakness and unwisdom, nobody had ever given rise to a supicion of unfairness. Referring to the Payment of Members’ Bill, the Premier said that all were agreed on the principle of payment, and that being so, it seemed to him only just that that payment should be sufficient to support the members. A good member not only worked for his constituents during the session, but he was busy all the year round, addressing meetings and working among the people. The circumstances connected with the Old Soldier’s Bill were detailed, and the Premier said that the Government were at present considering the_ advisability of paying off the older men in cash, and a decision would be come to soon after his return to Wellington, Referring to the land tax he considered it an advantage, if as had been said, the large capitalists had refused to buy land in New Zealand because of that tax. We do not want the large landholders and a small population, but a large population and the small landholders. At the close of the speech questions were answered and the meeting adjourned with a vote of confidence.