MR MONTGOMERY AT CHRISTCHURCH.

Inangahua Times, Volume IX, Issue 1402, 19 May 1884, Page 2

MR MONTGOMERY AT CHRISTCHURCH.

« Mr V on tgomery addressed a crowded public meeting in the Odd-Fellows' Hall recently. The Mayor occupied' the chair, and on the platform were Messi's J. Holmes,. O'Caltaghan, M'llraith, and White, M.H.R's. Mr Montgomery, who was received: with applause, said that, as » public man, he might place before them the opinions he had formed after consideration. In a crisis like the present both sides of a political question: should be heard. In a few months the electors would be called on to return representatives who would excise an immense influeuce on the Colony. The next Parliament would have to settle the questions of Contra\Um and Deeentralism ;of land, and income, and property tax ; of Stateaided immigration ; and whether the Colony was to continue borrowing. He would not repeat his Akaroa speech, bat was obliged to refer to some parts of it. He wished to put himself right as to his statement that from the first inception of the Public Works scheme some members of Parliament had been secured by votes to their districts, for which purpose one and a-half million had been spent by Sir J. Yogel, who afterwards deeply regretted it. Major Atkinson had denied, this statement, and in reply he (Mr Montgomery) would simply read Sir J. Vogel's words uttered on August 24, 1873, and reported in "Hansard." He (Mr Montgomery) would , neither deny r retract, nor explain anything he had said at Akaroa. He had said and would say nothing about Major Atkinson that, he would not own to his face in Parliament. Major Atkinson had said that he had borrowed only six and a-half millions ; while the Grey Government had borrowed seven and a-half millions. Major Atkinson had the handling of the four million loan of 1874, when he joined the Yogel Ministry. He borrowed one million in 1876, and supported the five million loan in 1879. It was quite true that Major Atkinson had only asked Parliameub to borrow six aud a-half millions, but he had had the handling of over 10 millions besides that sum ; so that hehad actually allotted over 15 millions. True, when Major Atkinson came into office the Grey Government had anticip:\ted two millious of the loan then raised. Notwithstanding that Major j Atkinson was misleading the people of ! New Zealand when he said he had only borrowed six and a half millions. They know ' how he blackened the I previous Ministry in 1879, that i he caused the impression to be that the ; financial position was very bad, and j that none of the five million loan was forthcoming. Nevertheless, at the end of 1874 there were large landholders, friends of the Government, who had had" railways made through their estateß. Finding they could not easily pay their share of the cost, they applied to the Government to take the railways off their hands. The Government actually brought in a measureto do so. One of the applicants was a Minister ; but certain members of the Opposition defeated the project. Now one of those lines in the South had ta have its charge paid by a rate of 3s 4d in the pound. The member for Avon supported this nefarious scheme, thought he forgot the West Coast railway. Mr Kolleston had spoken in a very derogatory manner of him (Mr Montgomery), but that gentlemen had himself been true to one thing — place. In the provincial days he was a Provincialist; now he was a Centralist. When Major Atkinson asserted at Dunedin that the North and South Islands had got an equal share of the public money he talked about a population basis. He (Mr Montgomery) had a return from a Bluebook showing the contribution to revenue, exclusive of land revenue, from each Provincial District, and the expenditure each would be entitled to out of loan. On that basis, as compared with the sum actually expended up to March 80, 1883, Wellington and Taranaki had together received £930,000 more, Canterbury £1,250,000 less than they should have done. He said at Akaroa, and repeated it, that Taranaki and Wellington had absorbed four or five times as much money as they should have done. Westland had received £900,000, to which she was entitled on account of the large amount she had contributed in customs and gold duty. This, however, should have been charged upon Colonial revenue, and not to the Middle Island. There were 15,000 people in Westland, and her gold export had been 10 millions ; but Taranaki in. 10 years had exports amounting to only £5000. Her people lived on a lai-ge Government expenditure. The time had now come when people in various localities should depend on their own resources. There was an Armed Constabulary costing £80,000 or £10,000 a year, and tho customs revenue went to maintain a large Civil Service. The fiat had gone forth that whenever one I'ailway would not pay another must make up for it. The Huruni-Bluff lines opened alid paid last year £3 5s 6d per cent. ; the Taranaki lines opened had paid £1 7* G'l, It was for the people of Can?:<>". buy .and Qfcago \.q soiuuior wln'tliai.'

they would pay the railways which should never have been made. The Treasurer seemed to have cropped Federation, but things were done in Wellington at 2 of 8 in the morning which would not be done in daylight. Still he (Mr Montgomery,) thought that the people of New Zealand would not allow their legislator^ to adopt such an important measure without an appeal to the electors. Railways, public works, and immigration had raised the value of land immensely, tut had not raised that of improvements one shilling. Therefore land should pay for works which had benefited it. The peace and good government of the country . also required money, aul to provide that he would tax incomes. He repreated his remarks made at karoa about the evHs of large blocks of land lying uncultivated, and of absentee proprietors. Under the present Central Government they ■could not have economy iv expenditure if the cumbrous' and costly method of government now prevailing continued in full force. Every loan in future should be raised by local bodies on the security of local rates, und after being sanctioned by the people of the district. At present. the great majority of the people knew nothing about how the borrowed money was spent, m the Estimates ■were not placed in the hands even of members till the evening they were to be passed ; so that the members themselves knew very little about them. Still they did know that many of the items were sums to be spent on districts represented by Government supporters. He would like to see the whole of the North Island under one local Government, and tho whole of the South under a similar one. The Federal Government should deal with customs, stamps, and telegraphs, have power to levy an income tax, and .to do nothing else except pass sucli laws as those relating to marriage. Such a Government need only be 'small, and need not sit for more than a month a year. The provinces had been wrecked because they borrowed upon faith and not upon rates, and some of them were not able to pay. He had no fear of the Colony's future. In 1877 they have been told that they needed to be frugal, and were instructed how to raise two sheep -where before they raised one. Major Atkinson, in saying these things, reminded him of a finger-post that pointed the way but never went there. People must be sunk lower than those of New Zea and if they needed to be taught how to manage their farm and liusiness. It had been asked who were to take the place of the present Ministry. He wanted to see an appeal to the people on the subject, and if the electors could not find five men with as much honesty and talent as those now "in power, the representative institutions of New Zealand had fallen miserably.

A" motion to the effect that Mr IVloii€gbniery "was worthy of the conrfidence and respect of the elector;? of the Colony was carried almost unanimously.