MR. REID'S ADDRESS TO THE CITIZENS OF DUNEDIN.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 150, 22 December 1870, Page 5

MR. REID'S ADDRESS TO THE CITIZENS OF DUNEDIN.

The Provincial Secretary, Mr. Donald Reid, in compliance with a req\iisition signed by 640 persons, addressed the citizens of Dunedin in front of the Government Baildingg on Monday evening last. The meeting was a large one, numbering 1500 persons. The Mayor occupied the chair, and introduced Mr. Reid, who, he hoped, would receive a patient healing.

Mr Reid in the course of his speech said, he listened with great pleasure to Mr Vogel's address, which was a fine specimen of eloquence, but he was disappointed with the arguments that gentleman brought forward to support his assertion that justice would be done to the Middle Island by his great colonising scheme. Mr Yogel did not require to teli the people

of Ofcago that public works were required. Eveiybody knew that as well as he could tell them. He (Air Reid) had said that he wa3 prepared to support the scheme if certain conditions were complied with, but these conditions had not been complied with, and that was his reason for objecting to the scliemo. The three points upon which he wa3 at iidue with the Colonial Treasurer were these : First, he endeavoured to shew that the scheme in its present shape was fair to the Middle Island, and particularly to Otago. The Colonial Treasurer stated, as his second point, that the Clutha railway could be constructed at once under the scheme if the Provincial Council were favourable. In the third place, he told them that if not accepted in its present shape, or if any attempt was made to get it modified, any alterations which might be made would be in the way of making it more colonial, and more disiasteful to the people of this provinc<\ The Provincial Couuc.l had not decided, as Mr. Yogel stated not to take advantage of the scheme, bat they decided that it should be put iv proper shape before they took action under it, and that the people of the province should have an opportunity of sayiug whether it was in anch a shape. Tha Council considered, as the elections were close at hand, nothing could be lost to the province by the short delay that would take place. It there was any part of the colony where land 3 were likely to be accsptable as payment for public works, it was the Mi Idle Island. The contractors were not hlcoly to take land in the Noith island, exco^t in a few lociliti^i, on account of the Native disturluncjs. Tnere was L 3,000,000 of the lo.in intended to be appropriated as follows : — Railways, Ll,Coa,Ooa; immigration, Ll.OOO.OOO ; waterworks, L30J,000 ; telegraphs, LGO,OJO ; unapportioned, L4O,OL>O. Tnore whs one fricfc connected with this matter which struck him as being singular. Ms referred to the misvn-a'jle dole of L300,0J0 for water works. Now, if there was one work which would be undertaken under this loan which would be reproductive in an eminent cldjree, it was th-it of providing water supply for the goldfields in this island. What would be the present state of Otago, and lie might also say of New Zealand, if the goldiields were to go down ? Why, taxation would become so enormously heavy on the few persons who would remain in the country that they, if they could, would also leave the colony ; because the p •piilafcion of the goldiields were the means of maintaining a great number of artisans and traders, who would be compelled to leave New Zealand if tiio gold iolds failed. Uo f.i.uul that in thy sohjdul«j of the Act provision was made for tho construction of 305 miles of railway in the North Island as against 185 iv the Middle Island. - (Mr M'lndoe: Eo.) The member of the General Assembly who called out "No," did not kuow how many miles were provided for— (Laughter.) He took some trouble to ascertain what the distance was, as it was not stated in the schedule to the Act. He got it measured by scale, and he believed that, taking the natural contour of the country, it might considerably exceed that amouut. There was provision made in the three schedules of this Act for the construction of 395 miles of railway in the North Island, as against 185 in the Middle Island. He would enumerate the amounts which would require to be expended in each island if these railways were constructed. Worth Island, 395 miles, L 1,930,000, 930,000 ; Defence, land purchase, and roads, Ll,500,000 ; making a total for the North Island of L 3.430,000. In the Middle Island, 185 miles of railway, L 901,500 ; soscial vote for railways, L 400,000 ; 'provincial charges, L 100,00 0; making a total of L 1,401,500, 401, 500 ; or an expenditure of nearly L 3 in the North Island to Ll in the Middle Island.

[Wo must hold over the remainder of the summary of Mr Reid's address till next week.]

DUNEDIX.

{From our own Correspondent.)

Since I last addressed you, one of the largest public meetings ever held in Otago has taken plaes here in order to hear the Honourable the Colonial Treasurer, Mr. Yogel, explain to the people of Dnnedin the financial policy of the Colonial Government of last session of the General Assembly. The meeting was very orderly throughout, and the conduct of the citizens was a great contrast to that of the previous meeting of Mr. Vogel's, held a week before. I have written so much on financial matters of late, in respect to defbiansies, North Island allocations, and North Island payments of their just debts, that I shall content myself by merely referring to one appropriation which was made during the last se33ion as an instalment of what we may expect for the future. It was referred to by Mr. Yogel in his address, and 1 take it as an illustration of the' kind of justice we have received at his hands. The precise words he used were : — " The first feature in the Immigration and Public Works act to which I will refer is, that £4oo, ooo is to be sot apart, and to be colonially charged for the con3t?uotion of roada in the North Island. That is one of the special amounts appropriated to the North Island ; but againat'it there is an equivalent amount which it is provided shall be applied in aid of railway charges in the Middle Island." Now I maintain that on this first feature there is a manifest injustice perpetrated on the inhabitants of this island. An equal division is made of £800,000 between the two islands, although the population of one island is, say approximately, 150,000, and the other island 100, 000 ; and, mark me, the whole amount ia to be colonially charged — that is, we will have to pay our full share of the interest and sinking fund in proportion to population, notwithstanding we have not received our just share of the capital. We, in the Middle Island, should have received £-130,000, and the Nortli Island £320,000, The equivalent is a loss to us of £33,000. Thi3 is bad enough for thia one special vote, but there is one or two other special votes for which we receive no equivalent. The vote 3 I refer to are £130,000 for de^ fence purposss, and £200,000 for the pur ? chaso of land for the North Island, for Avhich, be assured, the colony will never be paid a rap. The North Island never paid its debts before, and it will never pay ; its debts now or in the future,