MR BRYCE ON THE SITUATION.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 2013, 2 June 1885, Page 3

MR BRYCE ON THE SITUATION.

IBY TELnr.HAni.— PKFV, \s-,ocr \TIOV. I P\ti \, Sunday. Mr Biaci addressed a w cdl-attended meeting of Ins constituents last night at \\'.i\cily. He said lie last addiesscd them as a Ministei of the Ciown, but now he was a member of Her Majesty's Opposition They would leinctnber that on the House meeting aftei last gcueinl election, the Atkinson Government icsigncd without waiting for a vote. Mi Thomson, in tin addicts at Otago, had taken occasion to state that the fact of resigning w lthout bringing a motion before the House was a pioof that they ought to have lcMgucd the previous session. He held it did not follow, because they resigned after the election, that they were too weak the previous session. On their resignation, what was substantially the pi esent Government took office, but had been defeated by a larger majoiity than any picvious Ministry ever had, and vet, practically, they were the same Government as vveie now in oiKce. Mr Thomson, who moved the lesolution, ti led to form a Government, but failed. Sn Geoige Giey also faile i. Major Atkinson foimed a Government, which was defeated by a niajonty of eight. Then Mr fetont tormed a Government; vntually told the House, "Take us or chaos." The piesent Government took means to seciue the tenancy They loudly declaicd that gie.it di*closuies were about to be made, and these were of so important a natuic that nothiug but physical force would remove them from the Government Benches ; but w lien disclosures were nnde, they were ail moonshine. Koi ftutlici s.eciinty they introduced w hat they called <l Policy Bills" — the District Railways Bill, the East and West Coast Railways Consti uction Bill, the Wcstpoit Colliery and Grej mouth Harbour Bills — Bills which were in diiect interest of members or nicmbi is' fnends, and gave the Honse to understand that these Bdls must stand or fall as a whole. The result was if you were intel csted in one, you must vote for the lot or imperil the one y°» woic intciested in. Such a huge piece of logrolling was never known in the colony befoie. That vvns saying a great deal. These Policy Bills ically tormed the woik of the session. He would touch the liioie salient points of the District Railways Bill, which nuthoiised the l*ase or purchase of railways. Thedistiict railways have been found to be large speculating companies. They weic formed to enhance the value of property through which they passed, and had not been successful as going concerns. They weie found not to pay now. The companies' objects had been attained, and now they conic to the Government and say, Take over the lines. The lines might have been taken over, but it should be on terms favourable to the colony. At present it was undetstood that the value was to be not the cost, but the cost with arrears of rates superadded. These companies had got a vote of the ratepayers, but the bhaieholders and the latepayers were almost the same, and it did not add to their comfort to find Sir Julius Vogel a shareholder and Chairman of Directors of one of these companies, and Mr Stout their solicitor. Ho would not say there was anything cornipt, but it did not add to their comfort to find that the necessary power to aunngp, on behalf ot the company, rested with these members. The Government Bill was 1 ejected in the Upper House, but they were so anxious to get it passed that Government really le-em bodied the Bill in resolutions, and asked the House to pass them. The House did so. Many disliked the Bill, but did not vote against it foi fear of throwing out otheia they wanted The East and West Coast Railway Constitution Bill proposed to form a huge company to make the line. It was stiauge that a Government which professed to be anxious to conserve the lands of the ('town should be piepared to grant a million to a million and a half of acres to a syndicate. He took exception to the statement that the land was bad and rocky. It certainly contained valuable coalfields, and nni/lit tap valuable minerals. The Bill also had a piovisiou that if the laud in the vicinity was not sufficient to pay half the cost of construction the laud might bo taken elsewhere Such a policy he held was bad in principle, and should not bs toleiated for a moment,, but in addition to this prov Ision the Government weic to take over the railway when complete and give the company 33 per cent, of the gioss earnings, without regaid to whether the railway paid or not. He contended that any Minister who would advocate such a tiling had not the interest of the colony at heart. In addition to these Policy Bills the pie sent Government was to put straight the finance. This was tenibly wiong, and must be put stiaight. The following authoiity was taken for borrowing:— For the Noith Island Tiunk Railway, £1,000,000; loan of 18S4, £1,500,000; loan to the extent of accrued Sinking Fund, £2,7!)2,508 ; loan to the extent of Sinking Fund this year, £244,000. In addition to this direct loan, authority for uuliiect boiiowmg power was obtained : For Westpoi t Colliery, £500,000 ; guaranteed debenttues, £150,000; Otago Harbour Board, £730,000— bringing the total amount of borrowing authorised in one session to £9,430,808 All this, except the million for the North Island Railway, was authorised last session. The philosopher's stone, which was to save the colony £244,000 a year, turned out to be seizing the Sinking Fund on the old loan. They were bound to pay Sinking Fund each year out of levenue, but to save the colony paying this, Sir J. Vogel bonowed on debenttues for the revenue, and added the dcbentuies to the debt of the colony. This was done to restore confidence Sir J Vogel argued that it would raise the tians>fcr value of land, but tint was not the settlers' view. Lind was woith what the settler could make out of it, ami no moie. As soon as you go lc,>oiul thi*, you get a fictitious \alue, and an unsound position. Debnntuies have been issued to the amount of £247,700 for the purpose of laising money from the Consolidated Fund in older to pay .Sinking Fund. This was to enable "the colony to advance by leaps and bounds." Sir J. Vogel promised wheu Mr Stout went to Dunedin he would explain the local government proposals. But he made a very weak speech, and never mentioned the subject of local "gov eminent. *This surprised everybody, and Sir J. Vogel was sent for, and told his audience a great deal about local government. He described the present form with very minor alterations, and called it a new measure. The whole oolony was waiting to see how he proposed to give the local bodies assured income. When desciil'ed it was not very assured, as it consisted of subsidies on a sliding scale, which must be voted by the Assembly if and when it liked. The new system was worse than the present, and would end in complete disappointment. The Piemier was horrified at £200,000 being spent in roads In respect of roads and I ridges the Government weie not acting in sympathy with the settlers. It was said that power was to be given to native committees to deal with the title to native land. It was the merest folly to dual with native land before the title was determined. It was a most grey ious wrong to go on with the Cential Railway route with no prospect of a definite settlement, and hugely increasing the value of the land for the nati\ c owners who were not to be liablo to taxation. He was a Noith Inland man, but he said most emphatically that not a sod ought to have been turned till a satisfactory title to the laud tluougb which it passed had been obtained. He now came to the subject which he would hko to ha\e passed over, namely, the present irritation on the coast. He did not attach much importance to it if it were fit inly dealt with. He would simply enforce tho law with them as with Europeans. If this wore firmly aud

fail ly done no harm could come. No amount of palaver could tike the place of enforcing the law. Ho would touch briefly on finance, but would not bother with figures. He was sorry he could not take so hopeful a view as Major Atkinson. He observed a gtcater tendency in the men of to-day to fly financial kites than dig colonial pot.i toes Unless that disposition took a turn tor the better, he could not help feeling that the colony would be in a senous position. If prospeiity was to be secured a different plan must be adopted than that being pursued by the piei-eut Uovernmeut. It had lived politically on ex citing expectations which could- not be icali-icd, and it would die politically of the disappointed hopes it had cic.itud. A \ote of confidence unseamed unanimously.