Mr Kelly at Makaraka.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 532, 15 November 1890, Page 2

Mr Kelly at Makaraka.

IN MR ARTHUR'S STRONGHOLD. Mr Kelly had a very successful meeting at Makaraka last night. Mr Birrell was voted to the chair, and briefly introduced the speaker, remarking on the question of localism that'what were required at the present were men who would consider the interests of the colony as a whole. It was at no time more heeded than the present. Mr Kelly’s address was much the same as on the precedingevening, with the distinction that he spoke to much better advantage. He specially referred to the programme that the Government put forward, and showed that not one of the measures proposed in the Governor’s speech had been put through. He touched on the Property Tax, and declared himself in favor of a graduated land and income tax. Improvements up to should be exempt from taxation. He referred to the lands on the coast, in -the hands of a few people, while the townships (especially Tologa Bay) were in a delapidated condition. Lands should be acquired and opened up round these places ; it had been done in the Bay of Plenty with a very satisfactory result. He thought the Government should buy up all the native lands and extinguish the title, and the lands opened up for settlement—not as Mr Arthur proposed, to sell the best part for cash to speculators and to let thevemainder, but to put the people on the best parts and sell the remainder to open up roads to the lands sold. Speaking of retrenchment his idea was that it should be trusted, not to the Government, but to a committee who should thoroughly investigate every department and see what could be saved —at least £lOO,OOO. Hequoted instances of disgraceful waste of money which had come under his own notice. He had knowledge of what a committee could do, having acted as Chairman of the Native Affairs Committee fot io years. The Herald had left out the figures quoted by him on the previous evening. In reply to a question asked by Mr Wright, he said he was a member of the Vogel. party which instituted the borrowing of money on the public works ; that policy originally suggested was a very good policy, but it was altered for the bad by the landowning party who shortly afterwards came into power. He thought there was still a large quantity of land in the North Island that might be opened for small settlers. It had been done in the Bay of.Elenty. He supported the present education system, iajrdrhadalso voted for Pyke’s Private Schools Bill. The latter in no way militated against the former ; it would rather increase its utility. He certainly thought the ..Government should have-resigned before last session, though he kneW Af bo understanding to that effect. between the Government and Oppositioti. Irwas rumored.- that Bryce had suggested if, but he was not the leader of the ..party,. Mr Wright asked further, without mentioning names, if a case was put before him, in which a J.P. had acted both as-.judge and witness, would he bring-it* befotd tW-Minister of Justice, but the answer, if any, was lost in the general roar o£pygl)(er which followed. O To Mr Stephenson : He was against the Bible in : Schools Bill, and-had so voted. To Mr Caldwell : He would not favor the polls of small places being only declared at the larger centres. Each polling district took an interest in its own poll. He did not favor the State adopting technical education ; there was quite enough expenditure already, and he would dtf away with a great deal of the secondary system. He thought compulsory arbitration should be introduced to settle labor difficulties. ' - Mr g'rig'ht ahked -a qaestioft as to the cardinal principles of the property tax, and Mr Parker followed by trying to combat Mr Bright’s arguments. Mr Kelly thought the property tax both unjust and unequitable. Mr Wright begin to make a speech, but uproar ensued, and Mr Keßy-sweetly ‘‘tejt - upon" Him. Mr Wright..waa thaaAUamed. to move that the meeting pledge itself not to support Mr Kelly, but this was so vigorously hooted that Mr Wright looked like a lost lamb in the wilderness. Mr Stephenson then proposed a cordial vote of thinks t.> Mr Kelly, and Mr Bright seconded, strongly commenting on the had taste shown by Mr Kelly’s opponent. The motion was carried by acclamation. Mir Kelly replied, and said .that when Allan McDonald weut to Tauranga he got good hearings everywhere, and he thought Mr Wright, if that was his name—[A voice : It ought to have been " Wrong"]— ought to have been more fair. On the meeting breaking up Mr Kelly was surrounded by a crowd eager to grasp him by the hand.