MR. R. THOMPSON AT PAPAROA.

Wairoa Bell, Volume V, Issue 201, 9 June 1893, Page 2

MR. R. THOMPSON AT PAPAROA.

Mr R. Thompson M.H.R., addressed a political meeting in the Paparoa Hall on Tuesdayevening, 30th May. There was a fair attendance. Mr T. W. Wilson was called to the chair, and briefly introduced the speaker. Mr Thompson, on rising, expressed the pleasure he felt at meeting the electors, but was ruther disappointed that the attendance was not larger. He would have liked to see more ladies present, and touching cn the question of female suffrage he considered that if the ladies of tho Colony desired to accomplish this they would have to act very differently to the way they aro doing at present. Thoy must do more than sign petitions. He attached very little importance to petitions, knowing the way they are often got up. The member then proceeded to give a short sketch of the legislation of the past two sessions. Speaking of the Land and Income Tax, which placed the burden of taxation more on the shoulders of the wealthy, he thought that measure had done good. The absentee tax came heavily on land holders not resident in the colony, thus compelling them to return to the country and reside hero to escape the tax ; and by circulating their money here tend to benefit the Colony. After touching on tho liberal exemptions to small land holders, Mr Thompson leferred to the reforms effected in the Legislative Council which included a limitation of the term of office of members to seven years. Previously this was a life appointment He did not approve of the constitution of the Chamber as at present and thought it should he made elective in some form. It was not right to place the power of creating Legislative Councillors in the hands of a Minister, as his motives may be, he is subject to political pressure, and it is a great temptation to him tp settle his friends in billets of this kind, there being a salary attached. The Upper House had however proved useful in checking the panic legislation in the shape of Labour Bills, etc, which had been brought in by the Ministry. The speaker instanced the Factories Act, which as originally brought in, constituted every poor man’s house where one man

was employed a ‘ factory,’ and subject to examination by the inspector. The Upper House increased the number to be employed making three necessary before a house became a factory. The employer’s Liability Bill was a good measure, calculated to make employers more careful to guard against accidents occurring to workmen. The Truck Act he admired. Under this act it wis made compulsory that men should be paid their wages in full, and not obliged to take it out in goods. In the Payment of Members’ Bill he took exception to one feature—the fact that members were protected from tkeir creditors. This Mr Thompson considered a blot on the whole legislation of the session. Referring to the Land Bill, he maintained that no other country had more liberal land laws than New Zealand had today. The freehold tenure had been preserved, and the selector had the option of cash purchase, occupation with right of purchase. or 999 years lease. But the Government had been obliged to give way largely in the matter of duration of lease, and in other matters in connection with the Bill—the fifty years lease proposed by the Minister had been extended to 999 years and so on. Speaking of Land Nationalization, the member said he did not believe in new fads : when the division came in the’ House on the matter only twelve voted against the freehold tenure. He considered the bugbear of Land Nationalization was now laid to sleep for some years to come. Taking the work of the la-t two sessions, in his opinion no other two sessions had done so much useful work as those of 1891 and 1892. In justice to the Government in power he would give them credit for the good they had done. He did not think that as yet they had done any harm. Touching on the death of the Premier, he had no doubt that the worry and overwork of his office had hastened his death. He thought we should give the new Premier a fair trial ; it remained to be seen whether Mr Seddon would be a success or not in that capacity. He considered the surplus a handsome one, half of this was the result of a saving in the revenue, the rest made up of unexpended votes. lieferring to the financial disasters in tho sister colonies, he said New Zealand stands alone, prosperous and in a sound condition. But wo should not give the Government credit for everything. The dairy and frozen meat trade for instance was the result of private enterprise. Speaking of the present prosperous condition of the country settler, he noticed he always had a smile on his face, and only complained of the had roads. Mr Thompson now proceeded to point out a few of the shortcomings of the Government, though not in an antagonistic spirit, as he knew no Government was perfect ; He was an independent member, and he had supported the Ministry in their good measures and opposed them in their had. To he a good ‘ party ’ man one is supposed to follow blindly his leaders, and support them whether right or wrong. The speaker emphatically stated he would never be the puppet of any Minister or party. He did not agree entirely with the compassionate allowance male to the deceased civil servants by the Government. If such wore needed it should be regulated by parliament and not left to Ministers. He maintained that the man working on the railway line for the State hud as much right to a ‘ compassionate allowance,’ as the official who had for a number of years been receiving perhaps his £IOOO a year. Touching on tho purchase of the Cheviot Estate (by which the Government had secured a block vote in Canterbury for the next election), he pointed out that while all surveys had been stopped in the Auckland district, there being ‘ no funds ’ available, the Ministry was sparing no expense in surveying, and laying out roads etc, on the Cheviot Estate. Settlement of the land had been stopped in North Auckland owing to delay in surveying, there being no money. He asked where had the money gone to ? (A voice : ‘ To the Cheviot Estate.’) He regretted the want of policy amongst tho Auckland members, there always appeared to be something of minor importance among them to squabble about, diverting their attention from the main business of the House. Referring to the Government’s dealing with the unemployed, he noted the influx of men wanting employment from the neighbouring colonics, and said it was impossible for New Zealand to find work for the unemployed of Australasia. With reference to the question of native lands, he maintained they should be dealt with in the same way as European. The natives had been treated very well, and he thought their lands should be taxed, and contribute to the revenue. The Government should have power to buy Native Lands ; the sooner this subject was dealt with the better for the colony. With reference to grants for roads great difficulty was experienced in getting votes, and when money was granted, the difficulty was to get permission for it to be spent. This was the way with the £2,000 grant secured by himself and Mr Houston for the Road-Kaihu Valley to Hokianga. With regard to the coming session Mr Thompson did not anticipate much useful work being done, He did not approve of County councils giving Charitable Aid, but thought State farms should be established where the men could be housed and provided with work The member considered that in the future of the colony great economy should be observed and all borrowing stopped. The present state of the Australian colonies was a sufficient warning against the borrowing policy. Ho pointed out that the Government might be indirectly borrowing as by floating debentures and raising money on them. The taxation now levied amounted to £4 4s 2d for every man, woman and child in the colony, £3 9s 2d of this was Government taxation, the rest local. The country was taxed as high as it was possible. It rested with the electors themselves, if good men were not returned it was their own fault. He himself had always used his vote to the best of his ability, on the side of economy. Mr Thompson resumed his seat amid great applause. In reply to questions the speaker said he was not in favour of the one-man-one-vote system as applied to County Council or Road B cards. Ho

considered the Inspectors of Schools should be appointed by the general Government and not by the Education Boards, in order to be free from local influence. He thought the Native schools were simply continued as at present for the benefit of the head official ; when he dies there will probably be some reform in the matter. With reference to the temperanc3 question he thought the direct veto was fur! her away than the temperance party desired. It raised the compensation question. He thought the country was not yet ripe for prohibition. He considered the temperance leaders wanted too much at once. They should keep pace with public opinion and gain their point bit by bit. Unless the Government could take the measure up as a part of their policy it was useless to attempt to carry prohibition. It was simply a waste of time for a private member to attempt to carry through a Bill of this kind. The first step towards the object would be to give women the franchise. The Sydenham case was quoted, and Mr Thompson maintained that a new Act was needed before prohibition could become law, Replying to further questions he explained that deposit in Banks was taxed when the interest reached £3OO. The member said he was not a member of any political Association, he believed that in the independent position he had taken up he could best serve his constituents. He was in favour of the extension of the North Auckland railway, if it could be done legitimately—without borrowing. The present extension was useless, it should be carried eight or ten miles further to make the section useful. Strange to say, the members for the City of Auckland opposed the Helensville Northwards extension. He considered the Local Bodies could not get on without grants from Government; he had noticed, however, that when finances began to shrink, the first pinch was felt in the subsidies for roads being stopped. It was unfair that the large wealthy local bodies got as much as the poor country ones. He had heard of the opposing political organisations formed in Paparoa, he hoped a kindly feeling would prevail between the two. Mr G. Cliff proposed a hearty vote of thanks and confidence in Mr Thompson as our member. Mr Tibbit, in seconding the motion, said he was glad to see Mr Thompson was, like himself, both a Liberal and a Conservative. The resolution was carried by acclamation. Mr Thompson, in returning thanks, said he hoped, if elected, to be returnod with a good majority. His influence in Parliament would he in proportion to the majority of votes given him at the election. He would support any good Government, and measures that would tend to the good of the country.