MR LAKE AT TE AWAMUTU.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2157, 6 May 1886, Page 2

MR LAKE AT TE AWAMUTU.

Mu Lakb addressed his constituents in the hall on Tuesday evening. Owing to the wet weather tiie attendance was very small, only about fifty being present, half of whom were strangers, who left immediately Mr Lake had finished his speech. At the close of the mooting, barely twenty-five were left in the room. It was the intention of many of the out settlers to be present, indeed Home living at a considerable distance were there, but the heavy rain kept the majority of them away. Mr Walton having been voted to the chair, introduced Mr Lake, who gave an address practically the name as that already reported in these columns. He was listened to very attentively throughout. The chairman asked those present to put questions, if they chose to Mr Lake. Mr H. Roche : Are you in favour of the trunk railway going on. Mr Lake : If carried on for thirty miles at each end, it would be of some benefit to the country as the land is very good, but as the land through which the central portion of the line runs is of inferior quality, I think the construction of that part of the line is not necessary for the present at least, but I should be sorry not to see it done eventually, our financial position is noc such as to warrant it for the present. Mr R. W. Roche : As you do not think Mr Vaile's scheme of railway reform practicable, what alteration would you suggest in the management of our railways so ai to make them more serviceable in settling the country. Mr Lake : I have not been convinced of the practicability of Mr Vaile's scheme, but I have not such a hostility to it as represented, though I do not think it workable, I think reform is urgently required, not so much in the passenger rates a* in the freight. Potatoes for instance, are charged for at far too high a rate. I should be gUd to «oe reform in this direction,

for reform would benefit mo as a farmer a" well m others. A woid about the petition for •' railway reform." That petition was tjiesented by my colleague, the member for Waikato, and went through tho usiul channels. Before the close of the seiimn members were discussing other mult rs withagre.it deal of intef»st, so there wa* very little opportunity of punning tho matter, but I ahmiM strongly support any measure which h.u for its object tho appointment of a commission of enquiry into the whole subject. Mr H. Roche : Are you in favour of further borrowing, and to what extent? Borrowing has Imen a curse to the colony in the past; it has laid burdens upon us which it will be difficult to get rid of, and if it goes on in the same rates it will ruin the country. Mr Lake : Whether it hai been a curso to the country in the past I cannot aay. Mr Roche is i.n older colonist than I and Hlionld know, but I believe the country would ha\o been better never to have borrowed, but wo cannot stop it now ; we must go on to .some extent. Wo might taper off giadually by not borrowing more than a million a year for the present, and that could be reduced each year. It would bo disastrous to the country to ttop borrowing at once, as so many people are employed on the various public works, and if all borrowing wero nt'>pped these people would be destitute. It would be better to reduce by degrees ; besides there are public works m hand which it would be better to complete. Mr J. Cunningham : Did you vote against Sir G. Grey'u Plural Voting Bill, by which one man can only vote for one member. Mr Lake : I did. (A Voice : " Quite right.") Mr Cunningham : Do you think it advisable that a man with money should be able to purchase votes as he could as the law on the matter stands at present ? Mr Lake: I think there should be two votes, that is, one for property and one for residential Qualifications. Supposing a man resided in Wai pa and had property in Waikato I would give him a vote in each place, but I would not be in favour of giving more than two votes to one man. Thi» is my personal opinion, not the opinion of any party. A3 property bears the greatest share of taxation it should have its privileges. Mr Cunningham: Don't you think property i« already sufficiently represented, as the Upper House and the Governor represent property? Mr Lake : The Upper House is certainly composed mainly of men of property, but the power of the purse is vested in the Lower House. As for the Governor, he practically represents our Queen, and the centre of the constitution in which rich and poor are alike interested, and I hope it will never be the case that that meant property only. Rev. Mr Mather: Do you think the Upper House is necessary in a colony of this size ? Mr Lake: j don't think the Upper House is anything to be proud of, but it has been a check on the bad legislation of the Lower House, the blunders of which have been many. Members Hometime* give their votes when pressed for some measure, though they feel sure such measures are not good, but it saves time and possibly ill-feeling, and they console themselves with the knowledge that the Upper House will certainly throw them out. Mr H. Roche: You think the Upper House bod, yet you support it. Mr Lake: You may think a glass of whiskey injurious yet under certain conditions you may take it. If you mean that a change is necessary I think it is. I would be in favour of making the Upper House elective, but for a longer term than the Lower House. In reply to questions Mr Lake said he bad already expressed his opinion that free passes to members should be abolished. He did n«t think passes should be granted to local bodies. When Mr Richardson was spoken to on the subject of free passes for local bodies by some of the northern men he would not entertain the idea at all, it was absurd and so forth, but when some of the southern men mentioned it, it was a very different matter indeed, it was worthy of consideration, Sec. Mr Teasdale, would you be in favour ot enlarging the counties instead of dividing them? Wai pa county for example, would you be in favour of its taking in a part of the native country now about to be opened. Mr Lake would like to see it done but thought the feeling of the residents .should bo taken. Ho hoped eventually to see Waipa and Waikato countries united in one. Mr H. Roche : Are you in favour of making County Councillors, Licensing Commissioners and so save expense. Mr Lake : I was at one time, but on consulting people I found it would not work. There .ire plenty of things for councillors , to qiurrell over without making them do the work of licensing benches. Mr Cunningham : In the matter of Education are you in favour of children paying fees after passing the fourth standaid. Mr Lake : I thought at one tinw that secondary education should ba pmd for, but on being better acquainted with the matter, I had to modify my opinion. The South had lnrge endowments, and could keep up their education. The N.irth hid not, and that practically meant tint the North would lose secondary education for the children, unless parents chose to pay for it, while the South had aheady such 1:1 ants as would enable it to keep up the system. Mr Cunningham : I do not mean secondary education. I meant whether children should pay fees after passing the fourth rttandard. Primary education includes the sixth standard. Mr Lake : I do not think it adu'sable to pny after passing the fourth standard. I misunderstood the question at first. Mr Cunningham proposed and Mr Teasdale seconded a vote- of thanks to and confidence in Mr Lake. • There being no amendment, the chairman put it to the meeting and declared it carried. Air Lake moved a vote of thanks to tho chair, which closed tho meeting.