TELEGRAPHIC.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1851, 28 November 1884, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC.

(Uhited Perßs Association.) Diwedin, Friday. . Dornwell's slaughter-house at Kai korai was burned down this mDrnin'g. It was insured for-£SOO in the Australian Mercantile... ':"' •• Auckland, Friday. -. The Cricket Association has decided to abandon its contemplated southern tour this season. Rochforl and party have commenced the survey of the main trunk line at this end. ' -

BANQUET TO THE HOK J. BALLANCE.; Wanqanui, November 27. A complimentary hanquet'was given to _ the Hon, J, Ballance, Native Minister, this evening, at which there was a very large attendance, including Mr Bryce, M.H.R. In replying to the toast of the evening, Mr Ballance thanked the company very sincerely , for the very great honour they had done him on the present occasion, and in a way he did not expect. He was afraid the services rendered by him ! were hardly of such a character as to merit the enconiums massed upon him; but he could say that such as they were they had been labors of love, They had been rendered without any desire on his part of receiving such recognition as had been given them that evening. When he beard that it waß the intention of the Wanganui people to tender him a compliment in a public way, he felt that he could not assume that anything he had done during tbe .session had eutitledhira to that honor, and he therefore assumed that it was more in i personal felling of respect towards'him that the meeting, was due, Inreiering to the.remarks made by the chairman hb to his present dual capacity as member for lie district and :bb'a-Minister,- he„had' held in- theory that the two powtions. were- perfectly compatible,.. and- a member; who neglected- -Mr-constituent -'because, be badj- -been' appointed r i" 'Jdin-' liter"; deseryed. their-;-.censure. Of course ; he .would-b9 ; told that new ' brooms Bwept clean, but he. looked upon parlies as political necessities, and it was essential to the. good government of the colony that one party who had worn its broom out should give way to another who had a -new broom, (hear, hear.) A change in 'the Ministry of the colony was absolutely necessary for a continuance of its progress. Mr Ballance.then spoke on a measure which had passed last session—tbe Married Womenja Property Act, which was of importance—a measure which had received!cordial support from both parties, Everymarried woman in the colony had now the same right to hold property and to deal in property as men had. He believed the time was not far distant wheu we should advance another step and give overy woman the electoral franchise. He said this to show that something bad been done to advance their great social progress. He next referred to the. central line of railway running through the North Island, He could not say that the construction of that railway would exclusively benefit the town of W.aiiganui. It would depend upon the energy she displayed, but he was quite - certain that it would benefit the North Island generally. The line, as they knew, would start from Marton and run through to Te Awamutii, and there \ were no fewer than four and a half million acres of land to be acquired along the line. It had been recognised that since the work had.been authorised it 1 was the duty of tbe Government to i push on with it with all possible , speed, and he might say that it had i been definatoly settled that the first ; sod of (the railway should be turned i simultaneously at both the Martonand ( Te Awamutu end. It was intended to commence the construction at |

certain points' along ..the. line, and certain sums of money'have been appropriated for opening of roads to the line for the conveyance of material, Mr Rochfort had suggested that the Wuhganui river Bhould be one of such highways, and in this way considerable benefit should,accrue to Wanganui, All such matters as these, however, must be looked at from a colonial point of view. For the interests of the colony as a whole, and as a means of assisting to dispel the depression which had of late hung like a nightmare upon it, and this brought him to the unemployed difficulty, the. importance of dealing with which the Government fully recognised. It had.been asserted that _ the unemployed difficulty was piincipally due, and could be traced to persous of the working classes who indulged too freely in strong drink, and to loafers who did not work; but on inquiring. the Government had iound that the distress was not confined to these classes nlone. some of the better classes -were also suffering, and even in some cases those who were in employment. Under these circumstances the" Government did not propose to continue immigration until the surplus" laboV; had been ftbsorhed,and he'b§lisyad: that in the settlement of the land the : difficulty would be solved.-fie th;ens 9 poke;of the charges .which; had; been made against, the Government of .unlimited, borrowing proposals.: He assured them the Government intended to borrow only so much as woiild complete the works already, sanctioned by Parliament, and for such works as "would be reproductive.'He thought there was a great future"for "the industries of the colony which would besupported by the Government as far as possible. On the .'question of the defence of the colony, the'' Government believed that while it would he impossible for any. foreign^Power to hold any permanent' possession, it was their duty to place, the harbors in a state of defence and to depend upon the volunteers.,' As regarded the purchase of native lands, it was the intention of the Government in future to acquire land for settlement only, and upon a commercial prinoiple, and tbey would, not.'.borrow;..mpney except for lands that would be made to reproduce at least five per. oeut of 4he : purchase./ :«os't':'.. cqugequehtly. the native difficulty had resolved.' itselfinto•■• Bimply a- question- of'settlement of land.- It was the; intention of the' •Government to establish a landassocia, tion that could take up land to the ex. tent of 5000 acres. Restrictions were placed on' the' native lauds, so that & millipn'ac'res on.theline of the Central Railway .would not.be available for open purchase, and., this had met with" the approval of the great native chief Wahpui.and ...Major-Kemp. If the; natives had' been allowed to settle their own lands they would have overcome the great difficulty, and have become hearty cO'Operato'ra in the work : of the colony, The pastoral lands of the colony should nob be alienated, They represented some twelve millions of acres, and the revenue would yearly increase. It was the in : tention of the Government to 'out the present large runs into smaller blocks. At the -same time/he recognized the fact that the runholders were" a most.important part of the community, and their position was wor'thv of every/ consideration. He approved of land settlement on a purchase extending, over ten years, the extent to be 100 acres, on three conditions—namely, good land, proximity to market, and low price of land. The particulars of the. association system would be gazetted in a few day*. The question of local government.and taxation would shortly be referred to by the Hon. the Premier in Dunedin.