POLITICAL REFORM LEAGUE

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2114, 24 June 1907, Page 2

POLITICAL REFORM LEAGUE

MEETING AT TE KARAKA. In furtherance of the Political Roform League platform, Mr. R. RMartin, organising secretary, addressed a meeting at 1 o Karaka on o&tur day evening. The night proved unsuitable for the fixturo, consequently the attendance was moderate. Ml. Poyntor presided. . ■ Mr. Martin, who received an appreciative hearing, spoke for upwards of an hour on the political questions of the day from the Opposition standpoint. Ho recognised, he said, that I supporters of both shades of political opinion wore present', but so long. ns as his views woro straight-loi waidly put and his arguments just ho was sure of a fair hearing. (Applause.) I Proceeding, lie laid stress on the need of thorough organisation to receive a I representative vote at elections., xxo traced tho progress made since this I fact liad been realised by the Opposi I tion party. Since 1902 the OpposiI tion had gained 18,000 additional votes in tho Auckland province, as compared with an increase of 400 U Liberal votes. At the present time I the Opposition held a clear majority lof 4000 in the Auckland province. Despite these figures the Opposition I had lost three seats, which was attributable to the lack of organisation. I On the other hand the Liberal gam was due to systematic orgamsatioi ! and the means taken to prevent : , I splitting of votes. The formation 0i I the Political Reform League was tin [ outcome of the Opnosition’s decisioi t'o emulate the Liberal party s me ’ thods, and its results were plainly M apparent in the last two by- elections i I At Alanakau the majority was in 1 creased from 646 m 1900 to 1248 n I 1907, whilst the Taranaki seat—wind I had been regarded as a strong Libera I se at—was wrested from the Govern 0 ment. This showed what good wot; * could be achieved by the League l .1 I assisting the candidature of its nc I minee, and tlie result ol the by v elections had had a great moral ettec y I throughout the colony. Organisatio ' could not begin too .early m any dn trict; it was the assiduous efforts < ’• even a few willing woryers that tol l '| the tale'on polling day. (Applause l r I The Farmers’ Union had done exce lent service in connection with tt ‘ Land Bill, but, without wishing f ■ ' detract from the credit due, he wish* ‘ to point out that the Union was u * effective as a political factor. Tal [p I the average branch at 100: lO lotef , r for the Opposition and 30 roi tl ' I Government, thus the Union s figli Ming strength was only 40 vote t_ Compare this with the Labor Feder 1 tion, trades unions, etc., inimical

the farmers’ interests. After serving for nine years impartially and I justly, Mr Herries was opposed at I I last election by the nightwatclimaii of the Waihi mine, nominated by the I Union. There could be no compari- | son between the men. Mr Herries I | was one of the ' ablest men in the I I House, highly respected by both po- 1 litical parties ; liis opponent was a man who was not over-popular with I his fellow-workers and could not ad- I I dress an audience in a, satisfactory I I manner. Yet the Union vote was 1 solid in the latter’s favor; In the town of Waihi, Mr. Foster obtained a 700 majority, and it was only tlie I outside votes that pulled Mr. Her- | ’ ries through. More credit to the II Minor’s Union for voting so staunch- I ' I ly; but it was a lesson to others to I array their forces in order to vote | effectively. Mr. Martin asked supI porters of the Reform League not to I ; promise their support indiscriminately r I to any man, but to wait until the .} League selected a candidate and then ' I work unitedly in his favour. It should I be their aim to select a man with * I the best chances of success in the 11 whole electorate. A man considered ’ I strong in one end of the electorate j I might be very weak at the other end ; ' I therefore it was the aim of the Lea--1 I gue to discuss the merits of tlie dif- ‘ I ferent men and select the one most I likely to he accepted by the electorate [ I as a whole. (Applause.) He was in ■ I a position to say that 1 Mr. AY. Lissant * I Clayton had not the slightest inten- ’ I tion of contesting the Bay of Plenty r I electorate, and not the slightest inM tention of standing for any other seat ; I unless nominated by the party. 'I Air. Martin went on to deal with j I tlie platform of the League, interim I spersed with vigorous criticism of the j I Government, on the lines previously "I reported. He made a strong point e I of the necessity for presenting the " I public accounts more clearly and in I detail. He advocated the method " I adopted in Canada, where' a copy of I the accounts was placed in every pubI lie library for perusal. The OpposiI tion favoured tlie maintenance of nrI terial roads tbv the Public AYorks I Department, and an assured system v I of finance for local bodies on the I basis of a. graduated sliding scale. I I Dealing with the Land Bill lie coni- , I mented on the change of attitude of . I the Government. The latest change I was the abolition of tlie cumbersome ’I method which the Government were I attempting to introduce for cutting ,■ I down excess holdings over £50,000 mill I improved value. The Government’s I original proposal was compulsory sale I of the surplus within ten years. ' Now I the Government proposed, in lieu I that a graduated land tax be imposed ” to bring about the desired result. | I Personally he (Air. Alartin) thought * I this very much better. A vital point, _ I also, was the substitution of the per- _ I petual lease, 990 years, for what the Government called a renewable lease ‘ I for a term of 66 years, with the right . | of renewal for a similar period at a ,j I fresh valuation. AVlicther that would I meet the wishes of the party remained _l to ho seen. AVitli respect to the coI I operative system of public works, tlie Opposition claimed that it was not j satisfactory so far as the willing, ' energetic worker was concerned, and I in lieu they advocated the small conp tract, system. (Applause.) In conclu- , sion Air. Ala'rtin asked for support on the League’s behalf and thanked 3 those present for their attendance. On the motion of Air. Devery, sej conded by Air. Brown, the speaker , was accorded a hearty vote of thanks J for his address. A similar compliment to the Chairman, on Air. Alar- , tin’s motion, concluded the meeing. j Subsequently the secretary (Air. AlcLean) enrolled several members. 3 - I