Political Address.
Mnjor Steward addressed a good audience m the Oddfellows' Hall last evening. His Worship the Mayor occupied the chair. The first section cf the speaker's address dealt with the work of the last session, and he gave some statistics to show the strain it put upon members. It lasted 19 weeks, and the average hours of lising from its 80 sitting was 2.18 a in. There were 1 public Bills introduced, of which 68 were passed ; 390 petitions and 233 pniiinmentary papers presented, reports of committees, 727 questions put to Minister's — a pretty fair tale of work. Newspapers had been fond oi savins; that nothing important had been done. To this he replied by sketching some of the woik accomplished in spite of stienuovs obstructions. He referred to the Bank of $ew Zealand, claiming that the results justified the legislation. He explained the leading provisions of several of the Bllls, iu'clurhug the Old Age Pensions. If this were universal, it would bo a great improvement, but it would cost .£BOO.OOO a ve.ir, a sum impossible to piovider and the present was a good compromise. After describing a number of other Bills, including the Conciliation and Arbitration Bills be referred to those he himself had introduced Bills for dealing with obstructive gates on roads, simplifying and cheapeniug mortgages, local Bills relating to Hannaton church site, and VVamono lagoon drainage. He also refened to the El&ch\e Executive, b >ing still strongly of opinion that if his system were adopted they would get rid of the worst evils of Party Government. The system succeeded in Switzerland, and should here. The speaker then roferred to local matters, claiming to have been successful as a local representative. He had secured the allocation of £330,013 public moneys in hw electorate last session. The total of votes for roads and bridges last year was .£404.086. and divided amongst 70 electoiates it cave an average of ' £5112. But Waitaki obtained £6694 under these heads. Such matters he remarked were only part 1 of a member's local duty, for he had JIOQ pages filled in bis letter books since Angus*, ( ittV replying to various writers, who chiefly-, asked for employment in 1 Government serxices. He had . obtained appoint- < metits for eleven last year, a.fair share. With regard to the complaints as 'to the appointments of J.P.s, whera blame was deserved the. blame rested^ *wMt* those who." knew the peopltf yijiud^ecoiin mended them for apgoiutment. He had obtained the Qqqen's compas«idtiat» 'allowance of 9d, a day fbr an old- 1 soldier ; hrid got -worMo** 16 unemployed ,and with others lia4; had the wages of casual labour- rai&efcK 6d a day. He had to do with legislar tion for relieving the -Waimate Hospital from a grievance. Turning to the present condition of the cojclny/ he, tliought 'it eminently satisfactory. New ' Zealand's 3' per cents w^re at^S^/ premium, and higher than 3 "per of any other Australian* colony.' ml^ljfe >at.trib'utableto the reoept-advance^i|i| the prtees'df wool staQftxpzea. inHtioA^ 'and i ;tlie moredae.^iu. i -'seiile»^nt.^l,^
the Waitaki electorate, and adjoining it, a very large proportion of estates repmcha^ed for settlement wjre situated H<* gave a li^fc ot calculations of tie nvf>rage am mnt of private wea'th. XK J »v Zailnad being at the top with £27)2 per he'id in 1897, the United Kingdom second with £2il. The public debt of the colony he stated to be .£44,031,521 in 1818, the d«?bt stvid'ng at £51 2s 6d pfcr hsad ~ In 1800 the gross duty was 4s lld in the £ on imports, in 1897-8, 4s Sd. La>jt vo.ir there w.is a surp'us of over h ill" and this year nearly half a m lhoa Tins was said to be a paper suiplns. li.it Uso how was .£35.000 tak< j n lioin it for public works. Now on this account tht»y were asked to reduce the Customs tii\ation, but; there u ere in \ a v rxfcra exponses to meet, whr-h would n'osovb the surplus The fiist thng n-o ild be to spond about £-30,000 i i helping to red. ice the i ail way his, \>id then they mast face the (jno-.t'on ot completing sovoi al unfinished Hies m th J colony. The proper policy seom^d to be to get those mxin lines completed m* a reasonable tune, and allow the money already expended to bjeoinj reproductive. Ths speaker thought the Local Government Bill would probib'v be brought up agni, but he doubted it' thore was any dd wind for larger local bodies. The question of Government Ajcide.it and Fire lusurancS would also b 1 brought np. -The speaker b ui^ved tha rating *on U-nmprov^d Vilues Poll would bd, auimded by reducing the majority of those voting. Pm ifce numbers would probnbiv try to ba\e \hn licensing law amended in sevoml j d rections. He had always voted local option and adhered to the threo-riiths niijoritj'. Tbd speaker refeired to the iued for strengthening the Ministry, there being too much work for the six ■Miniators. He referred bnedy to the M.inne and Wrigg scandals and adiuitti j d that mistakes had been mad.?, but denied the charges ef corruotiou. Tue Mij or made brief mention of th<3 taidt admiuntrafcive acte of the Liberal pvjfcy a i'Ht)ok°d forward to its return , ue\t election ; the spjiker would be a candi.late' and as he was" now f roe from bu-.iiico& engagements would be able to dj\ote huiis^lf to the service ot the co.ntituency which had elected hiuisix time) n succession. Air Binuerman asked if the speaker wa-> ii iivoni* ot: appointing scrutineers at t'lu L ceosiiig Poll, and leceivod an a,n c .'v >v i i tha amrmative. M \V Lundo'i ask^d wero tho euiployjßs on acquired estates^ allowed to qg t 't sections without going to the bilht — Yes; in some ca^es, psrlup3t wli3l"' <Vi,inge'iients have b-isn mxde bofwj» i im'iier aid employee. Mt A W.ilkjr asked if the Government lnd any control of the Assets I'lU'i-jauou. Board, and on receiving a ''0 \ thib it li'id by beiug represented >u th'j Jijavd, drew attention to the fact tint shepherds at Waihaoi-nnga ;ut o'iiv 15? ,i wjek, with an allowance >> fool weighed weekly, and had to >!w tu"r own butter Hj thought ■l-i L'b'ial Government should treat t-> c nplovees better. Major Steward •t'd th) nutter would bo attended to. Mi W<r\er also said the Governn Mt In 1 plod jed ltsjelf t,o push forward 1J <i '>' es^ivo ti.x=ition to its fullest, 'li's lud not been done. Waikak-ihi iad Iveu purch'ised at its full value, nil a nainb?i; ot settlers would find ! hi?ii i tints too high:' •' Tli« spdikjr said ho never knew the roy -r nil » it hid pledged itself to make i\ itio i so heavy that the owners of j 1-3 o,u!;i', would be unable to pay; n1;n 1 ; A\,j'iU b,, robbery, v j Xl ' Wuk-r jorfteuded that fishing 35 i>j^. ~.h»i«l I bo graated at a much 'w?r rato, and received a reply that a ■id to thai eifdcti was- 'now being itroduccd I Mv W. Lund'on slid it had, been rebrfced that an Oannvra ttjjan got a I nnm-ssio i for nogotfating tIW sale of j •ailiakahi. and wis tQld tliat'this was j >t done by the Governieht. * ' T Mr Walker asked if it were true, thai I te county valuation ot the 1 estate was ! creased by jji whon ihe Ooverutuaub fnounecd its mtpntioi of buying and I s^s ipld it, probably was,-'pjC the Other sfetlenient vronU increase thq^akuf ot p^Uwill did not tUmt it 'rigkt jtha,ti
members of friendly societies should pay to keep old age pensioners, and vvaq told it would not bs possible to mike any diif -lvnce. Mr J. 'Williams asked if the speaker was in favour ot bringing the m,ua line through Waml ite, and received a reply the speaker thinking, however, that there \vi?re mfigy railway lines to iinish ftisfc. Mr W. L melon objected to the substitution of European for Native names ot settlements, and w,\s told this was done vi oue or two cases to avoid confusion. A hoarlv vote of thanks and confidence in the Hon W. J. Steward was enrned bv ncclamation on the motion of Messi* Kilgour and Lundon.
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Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume II, Issue 2, 1 June 1899, Page 2
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1,368Political Address. Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume II, Issue 2, 1 June 1899, Page 2
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