THE GENERAL ELECTIONS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2332, 27 October 1908, Page 5

THE GENERAL ELECTIONS.

THE GISBORNE SEAT. MIL DARTON AT PATUTAELI. Mr. G. E. Darton, who is contesting the Gisborne electorate as a Liberal and No-license candidate, delivered an address in the Platutahi Hall last evening. Mr. D. B. Watt was voted to the chair, and there was a large audience. The candidate, who was well received, said that he had chosen Patutahi to open his campaign because he feltlie was among friends. Ho wished to extend his hand to his opponents, Messrs Carroll and Clayton, and he did not intend during the election, to enter into any personalities. In the first place he must pay u word" of tribute to one who had been a great personality in the last election, he referred to the late Right. Hon. R. J. Seddon, an Empire-builder, whose .name as a statesman' wias known throughout the world. Referring to the. Opposition party, Mr. Darton said that party had no policy, except a policy of criticsin and destruction. It was easy to destroy or pull down, hut it was difficult to construct, and it was not wise to- pull down unjless one could also build up. Hei would not criticise anything lie cp«M inot liopo to better, and when lies pulled down ho hoped to have somef--thing better to put in the place, of what he destroyed. In the political world ho had fixed tho ideal to seel New Zealand a nation among nations, a great manufacturing country. The Dominion was at present exporting targe quantities of raw material, sending dt Home to bo manufactured and then re-importing it. New Zealand had the people, the coal- and water power, and should manufacture everything possible from its raw material. The people would come to New Zealand if inducements were offered, and opportunity should be given to them to make, a home and make a future by offering them the best terms for settling on tho land. Some would say New Zealand had the finest land laws in the world. Perhaps that was true, but the laws could be improved. The land ballots showed that the demand for land was greater than the supply, and to overcome* that the Government must proceed a great deal faster in placing -the Crown land's on the market. Not Oinly < must t,lie frown lands bo settled, but the private lands must also be settled. When they saw large holdings, many thousands of acres owned by one individual, that land was not .settled. They were told the large areas were broken up and that the accumulation of large estates could not take place under the present law 3. The restrictions only covered Crown lands and it was humbug to say that the accumulation of large estates had been stopped; for men with wealth coukl buy unlimited land, and the only way to stop tho accumulation was to restrict the holdings of private as well as Crown lands. He held that his experience in the Lands and Survey 'Department gave him some authority to speak on the land question, and as far as his experience went no man got an improper deal from the La-lids -Department. But the applications for holdings came from the bank manager, the hank clerk, the land agent, and the counter-jumper. Had these people any idea of settling on the land? Tlieir only object was to get the land and sell it to tlie man who desired to settle on it, or act as a bar to settlement until they could get a premium for the lease ; so that the settler had to pay out his cash for goodwill. Th law called' the transaction dummyism. He (Mr. Darton) called it- robbery, ami such transactions should conic under the criminal code. He hold that every applicant for holdings should go before the Commission to be asked' the question as to whether he was a bona fide applicant or not, as is done under tho Lauds for Settlement Act. Such an

inquirv in each case would do away with dummyisin. The Lands for Settlement Act had been a great success in breaking nn large estates, hut the method of taking the land had been most expensive in the past. The fact that a Targe number* of persons applied for the subdivided land at the valuations did not prove that the valuations were warranted. The compensation to be paid to the original owner was often settled by a Judge who did not know very much about land values, but who often settled the value on the average system after he had heard arguments on both sides. There was a probability that high valuations would not remain; for the values depended upon the market value of the produce, and •when the produce fell in price, the value of the land fell ,but the/Tent remained the same. That was b wrong system, and could be remedied His first step in land l reform would be to prevent individual estates from accumulating, even if it took time to force a man to cut up his land among the members of liis family. Secondly, the large estates already existing could only he broken up by a graduated land tax. Ho held that every landholder should pay a land tax. He was not a. single-taxer; but held that when the land rose in value the tax should be increased. By such a tax iland that would not pay more revenue than the taxation would he disgorged. To such a proposal the landholder would answer, “Down would come the price of land.” That would be the best thing that could happen, for men would be able to get on the land at a much lower rental. During the campaign the people would be praised and 'flattered and told that the Native Land Commission had settled the Maori land question. ißut was the question settled ? The 'Commission was composed of Sir Robert Stout and Mr. Ngata, M.P., two of the greatest faddists on the land question in the Dominion. He had inquired into the settlements dealt with by the Commission in the district and l had found that 24,000 acres had been allotted to persons named Ludbrook and Williams. (Laughter.) He (Mr. Darton) ventured to say they were all held bv the one person. During the last election campaign, he had tried, to open the eyes of the public to the Mangapoike and Maraetahae land transactions. They were told the land would not stand reading, hut ho had been through the land and found it had been roaded at Government expense, and they all knew who held' the land. (Applause.) Ho would ask how many families the land would have settled if 'the East Coast Trust Board had out it up? Yet Mr. Wi Per© cried out for land for the landless -Natives. Wairoa was absojutety by Nat-

ivo lands. Though tho law allowed Native lands to be rated, it was found impossible to collect the rates, and the Native should he compelled to cultivate his land, or if ho would not do so, bo forced to hand it over to the European who would' cultivate it. The Hon. James Carroll had no sympathy with tlie European. It was all with tlio Native. The Hon. Captain Tucker also showed more sympathy with tho Native on all questions than with the European, yet those men represented the people in Parliament. Dealing with the education question, Air. Darton held that tho ward system under the Education Board was an improvement on the old system. The present Alinister for Education (the Hon. Geo. Fowlds) was, lie said, tho biggest failure in the Cabinet. There” was no inducement for teachers to continue in tlie service. The Government should pay better salaries for good services. The system of payment on average attendance was iniquitous. If the children were kept away from school by the parents down came the teacher’s salary. Time after time there were no applicants for positions as teachers, for teachers would never be obtainable without better payment. He wished to compliment the Opposition party on its attitude towards tlie education vote. When the Alinister found tho vote _ always went through without opposition, he should ask for more money for education. Parents found that as soon as they moved from one school district to another the children required new- books and the unnecessary expense that could be avoided by* uniform school books was no small item to the parents. He did not intend to criticise the Hon. James Carroll for the smallness of the votes obtained for roads and bridges, because the system that allowed Ministers to go around with a. cheque hook was wrong. It was simply buying tho people’s votes with tlie peoplo’s money. These votes, the candidate claimed, should be recommended and expended by Departmental officers. They were told it, was hard to put a Alinister out. That was true, when tho Alinisters held tlio people’s cheque book giving a school hero and a bridge there, and a post office on the next corner. At present the Alinistry was running tho Parliament, and not Parliament tlie Alinistry, and the voters were being bought with their own money. The National Debt was now £64,000,000', a very large sum, and the question of borrowing would have to be faced for tho amount was about £8,000.000 more than the public assets. If the debt was against a private individual he would be insolvent. but the Government looked upon the private assets of tho people ns security for tho debt. Touching upon the Arbitration Act, Air. Darton said that at the last election he advocated that breaches of awards should bo heard before the Alagistrate and he was pleased to sav that had now become law'. He desired to see tho workers stand faithfully to the Arbitration Act as it now stood. The wages question was a- difficult one to settle, for New r Zealand’s products had to compete with the products of other countries. If the cost of living was reduced wages would go further, production would be greater, and a largo number of men would be employed. The cost of living could only be lowered by reducing the indirect taxation which pressed as heavily on tho worker as on tlio capitalist. Tho Customs revenue amounted to £3,000,000 a year, and that was nearly all paid by tho worker, and not by the shopkeeper, as was often thought. Instead" of a heavy Customs duty there should be taxation on the land.

Referring to- the Second ißal’iot Act, Mr. Darton said he thought t-lie Act would only stand for one election, after which it would probably be reulaccd by Mr. McNab’s Absolute Majority Bill. The Public TV orks Act Amendment had been rushed through during the dying hours of the last session. It was an old system of legislation, and the Act contained a clause which gave the Ministry the power to lease to an individual or a company for ever—if it was thought fit—-with or without restrictions the right to use the water powers of the Dominion. This was the greatest asset of the people, and the Government had power to give it away. The greatest company promoter of the Dominion.-- Sir Joseph Ward, had power to delegate such a right to a private company. “Shairfe to a Government that would take such a power and call it a democratic Act.” The Government would possibly say that no money was available to 'develop the water power, hut shame to Sir Joseph Ward who could do, as the head of a company, what he could not do as the head of the people. (Applause.) The no-license question was also an important one, and liis right to stand as a no-license candidate had been questioned. Any candidate who advocated the public good had a right to declare himself on the question. There could not he clean politics as long as there was a liquor trade, for the trade used a very big hand in political questions. A sum of £4,000,000 a year was spent in New Zealand on drink. He intended to demand more legislation on the no-licenso question because the law afc present did not go far enough. If liquor -was bad for one electorate it was bad for tlic other, and it was time. a. vote was taken over the wholo Dominion to allow the people to say “wipe drink out for ever.” (Applause.) Such legislation such be forced through the House, and candidates should' he pledged to support a measure that would drive the trade out of the Dominion on a hare majority vote. (Applause.) He did not intend to deal with the moral side of the question, but it was the duty of every citizen to help the man who was being injured by drink. Ho would rather sec the great .no-licenso question carried than any other result of the election.

In reply to a question,- tho candidate said that if he was elected he would for any land' tenure that would give satisfaction. He did not agree with tho freehold, -but it was too late to take away tho freehold now that the best lands had been sold. Tho freehold was only tlio rent paid down in one sum, and many farmers preferred ilie leasehold when tho freehold was obtainable, . Mr. Darton sakl ho did riot-wish a vot of thanks, but on his next visit he would speak on different questions. A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the meeting.

Mr. \V. Lissant Clayton, the Opposition candidate for the seat, will address the electors at the Schoolhoqso, Makaiu'i, at 8 p.m, mi

Saturday next. Air. Clayton’s address at Tiniroto, advertised for that date, has been postponed- to a, date to bo notified later on. Air. George E. Darton will address tho electars of Waerenga-a-hika at 8 p.m. to-day.

NATIVE MINISTER AT POHUI

[Press Association.]

NAPIER, Oct. 20. The Hon. J. Carroll fired the first shot of his campaign at Pohui on Saturday night. Ho declared that every effort had been made by tlio present administration equitably to advance the interests of all sections of the community. The ship of State had to be fairly balanced in the adjustment of tlie valuables she carried. To be lop-sided or too much weighted in any particular was dangerous. Air. Carrol said ho felt that the stage had now been reached when a little legislative rest ivas desirable. Tho coming period should bo devoted more to the administration of those law's .which, in response to the wishes of hte people, had been passed. A vote of thunks and confidence was unanimously carried.

THE BAY OF PLENTY CONTEST

Alii. GOW AT AIOTU

Air. J. B. Gow, 'Opposition candidate for the Bay of Plenty seat, addressed the Alotu electors in the local sehoolhouse on Friday evening last. Air. E. B. Thomson was in the chair. Notwithstanding the inclement nature of the night, there was an unusually large attendance. The speaker was constantly applauded, and altogether there was an appreciable enthusiastic attitude displayed by tho audience.

Air. Gow criticised tho recent Land Acts of the present Government, exposing tlieir weak spots, and showed the antagonistic attitude adopted towards the freehold tenure by various members of the present Cabinet. He favored a better system of local government, where'local bodies would receive their just dues in the way of grants voted by Parliament instead of the doling out of money upon no assured system or "basis. The Second B illot he considered an unnecessary measure and an unwarranted expense to the country The rejected “gag” clause was nothing levs than a closure upon the liberties of a candidate and the public press. He did mot shower compliments upon the administration of the Native lands, neither did he applaud the present Government upon' its administration generally. H., however, approved of tho recent Education Act, but, whilst agreeing with the benefits contained therein, considered that such benefits should bo even further extended. Air. T. Elliott proposed, and Air. P. Wright seconded, a hearty vote of thanks to Air. Gow for his address, which was carried with applause.

The attention of the Bay of Plenty electors is drawn to the alteration of dates in connection with Air. J. B. Gow’s meetings, advertised in this issue.

THE Al AT AURA ELECTORATE

[Press Association.]

GORE. Oct. 26

To-morrow a- deputation of Oppositionists will wait upon Mr. E. FAnderson, editox- of tho “Alataura Ensign,” to formally ask him to contest A lata ura against the lion. R. AlcNab. His acceptance of a requisition is assured.

THE SECOND BALLOT ACT. A SATIRICAL ATTACK. [Special to “Times.”] WELLINGTON, Oct. 26. Mr. A. R. Atkinson, who is being well received in the election campaign, poked fun at the Second Ballot Billand the original “gag” clauses. The following, he said, were typical of the regulations one might expect to sec gazetted under the Bill as it. passed the House of Representatives T—“No candidate is to appear in the. streets except (a) in uniform approved by the chief rabbit inspector for the district, the uniform must be plainly marked with the letter ‘C’ (meaning ‘candidate’ for Parliament), and with a broad arrow on some conspicuous part of his person, and he must be furnished with a muzzle and dog chains of such size and pattern as the Governor-i ll-Council may prescribe. (2) .Any candidate speaking to more than hue elector except in the presence of a police constable or Justice of the Peace, or rabbit inspector, shall be deemed an idle and disorderly person, and is liable to any term of imprisonment not less than six months. (Signed) J. G. Findlay, Minister of Internal 1 Affairs. ‘God Save the King.’ ”

THE NO-LICENSE ATTITUDE.

[Special to “Times.”]

WELLINGTON, Oct. 20

The 110-license advocates are actively canvassing for one candidate for Parliament here, and Mr. {McLaren, the Labor candidate, complains of this. ‘The Rev. Frank Isitt, however, justifies the position. Ho says the Neiv Zealand Alliance does its utmost to secure the candidature and election to Parliament of straight and true men, who' will allow the people to settle the lienor question for themselves. It discountenances any distinct advocacy of a Parliamentary candidate unless special circumstances justify it. There are some standing for Parliament against whom they would not hesitate to do their utmost to secure the return of a trustworthy candidate. “But when the candidate is with us or is neutral land fair-minded, avc realise that to oppose him is to provoke his supporters into voting against no-license. If the personal friends of a candidate choose to act on their own responsibility, ami canvass for him they have a rigid to do so, and the Alliance has neither the right nor wish to interfere, hut its own policy in the matter is clearly defined.”