THE PREMIER AT NAPIER.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2505, 20 May 1893, Page 3

THE PREMIER AT NAPIER.

The Premier had a splendid reception in Napier, the home of the 12 apostles. He said it was untrue that the Government were unfavorable to the return of Sir Robert Stout for Inangahua, on the contrary the Government would do their best to secure his return, He reviewed the past and said the Whitaker-Atkinson Ministries had borrowed nine millions and a-half of money, and the late Atkinson Government had borrowed one million and a-half, besides imposing additional taxation to the extent of £6C3,000, That tended to crush enterprise in all directions. The present Government were surely entitled to credit for having Reduced the public expenditure by £IOO,OOO. The land tax had fulfilled all expectations, notwithstanding the strenuous Opposition prediction that the revenue would suffer. The population of the colony was also returning to it, and in the last two years over 5000 people had returned to the colony. It had also been said they should remove the exemptions from all improvements, and the Government would do so as soon as it could be done with safety He had been charged with stating in one of his speeches that he ivished to sjo alt taxation c p'ut oh the land, hut he was altogether misrepresented on that ’ occasion. What he did say was that he hoped that the day was not far distant when they would be enabled to exempt all improvements |i'om taxation, il'e referred lli’somo W»£t>.t9 ths qn*“aon C 1! hrge estates, find pointed out that in New Zealand there were 14 persons who owned 200,000 acres of land valued at £2,055,000, and yet these people were not taxed out of existence by the new taxation. The Government which had given the best possible tenure by a lotase in perpetuity for 999 years at 4 per cen t. This was called new Liberallism by Mr Rollestoii, after the sfyje of “■ Rip Van Winkle,” but he (Mr Seddon) held they must progress and find homes for the people of the colony. During the laat’/ear of the Atkinson Government 2-100 selectors were placed on the laud, but during the past year of the present Government, no fewer thgu 3000 selectors were recorded. He pointed out that injtlawke’s Bay alone &32’ persons owned 150,000 acre; valued at £11,741,000; 30 persons owned over 80,000 acres of the value of £5,712,000 ;

and 47 persons owned 20,000 acres of me value of £4,952,000. With these fac;.s before the Government it became absolutely necessary for them to do something to remedy this state of livings Referring to the Land for Settlement Bill of last session, he said the Government had received offers of laud in (Hugo, Canterbury, and other disrticts, and ho would now state that in the course of a few days the Government would ask landowners in Hawke’s Bay to sell land for settlement purposes. If the land were offered for sale there would be no necessity for the compulsory taking of it. He next refered to the question of Native lauds, which he said gave the Government some anxiety. In 1885 , the Natives held 12,000,000 acres of land, and at the present time there were three million acres of native laud which were not in use at all by Natives and which were fit for settlement purposes. This question had occupied some attention! in Napier , owing to a dispute between Messrs Rees, W. 0. Smith, and his colleague Mr (Jadtnau. The dispute had now entered a court of law, and all he should say now was that Mr Cadman was most anxious that the case should be should be settled before Parliament met in order that it might be decided whether he was yet to occupy the high position as a Minster of the Crown. The Government had already acquired some valuable blocks of native land and they were determined to continue in that direction. The present Government thought the time had now arrived when a Maori holding land on which ho could run say, 100,000 sheep, should pay local rates in the same way as Eutapeans. The Government also thought the time had arrived wheu there should be oue-mau-one-vote tn reality, as the man who claimed a vote on accont of his property was not a good colonist, and was a long way behind the times. In the Electoral Bill of last sesion the Government had provided for women’s franchise. They had been told they were not sincere in that action, but if they had not been sincere in that action they would not have adopted Sir J. Hall’s proposal in a Government bill. The responsibility for the women’s franchise not passing rested with the Council. But the Government were not done with the matter, and they were determined there should bo no such restriction placed ou women, and that uo differance should be made between women of town and country, tie next referred to the question of the Railway Commissioners, one on which he thought they would ail admit there was a diversity of opinion. The railways were constructed by the money of the poeple, and that being so, the Government thought the people should have a say in the management, He was of opinion the management of the Railway Commissioners had not been a success. It was said there was a railway surplus this year, but that was easily done by making low estimates, and it was no argument to say that because there was a railway surplus the management was satisfactory. He strongly objected to the commissioners spending such large sums of money as were entrusted to them without any control whatever. He had gone into the question of railway expenditure very carefully, and found that great extravagance existed in the department. He denied that he had had any quarrel with the commissioners as had been reported, but they could surely have a difference of opinion. He thought it had now been proved that the handing over of the railways to the management of three irresponsible me a was the worst thing that could happen to the colony. After detailing the circumstances that led to the appointment of the commissioners, he expressed the opinion that any Minister was just as competent to sit on the board as Mr M’Kerrow, who exercised the power of veto over the other two men. Ha felt with confidence th t the people would decide against the Railway Commissioners’ management. They would have to decide next session what was to be done with the railways. They might not be iu a position to do anything definite, but ho felt gum p| le people would decide at the that a change should be made in the manageHe next referred to the construction of public works on the co-op-erative principle as being specially favorable for married inon and their families. The work was so regulated that prices were not raoi’e than were paid under the ordinary system, and he hoped local bodies would adopt the co- operative system and do away with the old borrowing system. They were told that with their surplus they should reduce taxation ; but that was the advice of their opponents, which they do not take as a rule. They had found, however, that after approptiatiug £200,000 for public works out of the last surplus the country was progressing and that being so, why should they make a change ?,Tho gross surplus for the present year was aboiit £500,000 and the net surplus nearly £300,000. As to the statement that they should reduce taxation in consequence of the surplus, he said it was a serious thing to disturb the finance of a country, and they should not wish to see New Zealand in the same position as the other colonies. New Zealand stocks were to-day higher than they were befo-e the panic in Australia, The Government intended to maintain the honour of the country, and not at the dictation of their opponents alter their policy. Mr Carroll moved—“ That the meeting thank Mr Seddon for his address, congratulate him upon his accession to the high office of Premier of this colony, and express its entire confidence iu the policy of the Ministry of which he is head.” The motion was carried unanimously, no hands being held up against it. Mr Seddon moved—“ That the meeting accord to Mrs Ballance its hearty sympathy and condolence in her recent affliction ; also record its appreciation of the services X’eudered by the late John Ballance, and take steps to his work iu a practical] form.” Mr Swan seconded the proposition, expressing. his heartfelt sympathy with Mrs Ballance in her trouble. The motion was carried unanimously, after which the meeting closed with the usual vote of thanks to the chair.