Dr Newman's Speech.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2667, 6 August 1887, Page 2

Dr Newman's Speech.

,;;" (By Our Special Reporter.).^' j •■•,-,'■ Thursday August 14. , "'Br Newman, who seeks re-election for Thorndon, addressed a meeting : at * the Atheneum this evening, and a - very capital speech the little doctor ! made. He was well received and ' obtained a practically unanimous vote of thanks and confidence at the close ( of his address. He commenced by . alluding to."the General Assembly ' Library for which a yote of £s,ooo'had been obtained and tenders called,- but , Government had quietly permitted the ; matter to drop. Mr Reynolds had Said to the Doctor " I'll see that you don't- ' get tnat, my boy, and he (the speaker) -, had replied "Well I'll try; even if I have to get you out of office." Dr ' Newman thought it was a remarkable ' coincidence that after hearing nothing \ for a long tinie regarding the re-build ing of the' Wellington Post Office, tenders should have been called for on the Saturday previous to the Tuesday on which Sir Robert Stout addressed a Wellington audience, The Premier deemed the Wellington papers greedy, but [if so he pandered to. the same defect inDunedin, where he told rhis hearers that the Government must spend £BOO,OOO on the Otago Central before borrowing could possibly be. stopped. Mr Newman considered the cost of members wwa's; outrageous and yet 71 members were amply sufficient. Regarding the Financial Statement he rominded his audience that the budget' brought down by Sir Julius Vogel showed a large deficit and foreshadowed increased taxation to the tune of ,£270,000, and ho: asked whether 1 the state of the colony warranted, oxtra taxation. (Loud cries of No!) He' Was' for Baying and not for bleeding, When Sir Robert Stout went down to Dunedin and spoke in his, glib manner about what his Government was going to do he (Sir Robert) was horrified to discover, that, the canny Scotchmen would be humbugged no more, andthe Premier had; written to a friend "There is a perfect roar for retrenchment down here." The Doctor then • pointed out that many of the Government supporters who, • face to face 'with their..constituents, were now loudly calling forretrenchment, were . some of those, who had most largely profited by the; Government's reckless extravagance, and had supported the most profligate proposals. They had . been, rewarded. One gentleman got ,£I,OOO and others were remunerated. It was thought;'the book-keeping of the Colony must be bad "because no one : eould understand,. Sir Julius Vogel's statements and figures, hut he, as a member of the Public Accounts Committee, could vouch that-the books, were well enough kept", there was cpokiug of accounts, but they were cooked not in the Treasury, but on the floor of the House. -He contended that the House should,have absolute of the finances, and that the. powers wielded by Government werepreposterous. In speaking of reform; and retrenchment, he considered one of the most urgent reforms was. the abolishment of a Native Minister; (Loud applause.) ; Land was bought from the natives, in a most scandalous manner. Mr James Stevens received £2600 for going up to the Waimarino . Block and witnessing signatures, and ', this was less. than six months' work. ' This same Mr Stevens was standing for Rahgitikei in the Government interest.' The speaker referred also to the.£2ooo paid to Mrs ; Fraser, the Stark purchase and the District Railways Scandal, the proposal ..that Government should buy railway sidings of which it now had theluse,;' and to ' other items of notorious jo.bberyr He I warmly defended the Opposition from the Premier's untrue charge of being opposed to Education, and pointed out that three years ago the Premier had taken £20,000 offthejeducatioh vote. The .Doctor strongly' opposed the money for secondary education being disbursed at the swget wijl qf the Government, • .He further gave some idea of ■ • the manner in which the Government supporters, had been -for some time past nursed for the coming election, one gentleman, a member bfth Waste Lands Board, receiving too guineas a' a day for an hour's work, a free railway pass, and his railway fare, He belonged to time or four todies which met on the same day and he charget} for them all. He strongly disapproved also of the Miniiterial allowances. The Premier last year drew £2,400, and carried on his own business at the same time. They might get quite as good a Pre-r mier for £I,OOO (loud applause). In concluding a really able speech, which showed that Dr Newman, bad thoroughly mastered his subjects, he said that he had been brought up a Liberal at Home and had been taught to revere such men as Gladstone, Bright, Cqwan, m<\ other- really great Liberals, but many of the men who posed as Radioals a'nd Liberals in this, country were false to all Liberal and; Radical principles except at elections. There was no room to-day for a fireworks policy, and we wanted no more a scatter-cash Ministry. Careful and prudent men were wanted on the Government benches, economists who would.restore the Colony's damaged credit. With these, encouragement to local industries, and a really energetic 1 policy a prosperity would ensue'' to •which tho country.: had for many years been a stranger.''..