(By Telegraph.) WELLINGTON, Auo. 2. The Premier addressed a meeting at the Opera House to-night. His speech was similar to those lately delivered else where. He quoted extracts from the New Zealand Times which heurged,despite the denial that had been made, could only bear one construction, namely, that, in the opinion of that paper, the Govern ment were keeping up an inflated rate of wages on the railway, and whereas 5s or 6s now went as far as 8s or 10s formerly, they must come down to the lower rates. As to retrenchment, he remarked that a cry went up everywhere for retrenchment, especially in other districts. (Laughter.) His scheme for adjusting the salaries of the Civil Service according to the price of the necessaries of life had been laughed and sneered at last year, but a high authority on political economy at Horae was now advocating a similar course. Referring to Protection and Freetrade he pointed out that, while the agricultural industry was being helped by low rates of railway carriage, the State had equal duties to tnanufao turers, and the Government had tried to carry this out in their Customs tariff. He denied that he had said every Freetrader

was in favour of Kaffir labour, but ho hail said that no freetrader could consistently object to Chinese or Kaffir labour being imported. He held, however, that it was the duty of the State m protect our race against Kaffir labour. When deal ing with the land question ho had bemi twitted with saying ihat (he land should not be treated as other property, but he stuck to his opinion still. He had him self seen people driven from a whole valley in the Highlands, and the land given over to sheep. (A voice ; I was one of them myself.) This was what the Government tried to avoid by bringing in the Land Acquisition Bill. As to education, they would find it was cheaper to pay for education than for gaols, as they would soon learn if some members of the Opposition had their way. The system must be maintained at all hazards, whatever might happen to the colony. The Premier spoke for two hours, and was heartily cheered. A resolution was passed according him the best thanks of the meeting for his able address.
