ELECTION CAMPAIGN.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 535, 22 November 1890, Page 3

ELECTION CAMPAIGN.

MR ARTHUR AT GISBORNE. Mb Author addressed a meeting ot electors at McFarlaie’s Hall on Thursday evening. There was a fairly good attendance. The Mayor (Mr Townley) occupied the chair, and introduced the candidate, saying that the forthcoming election would be the most important yet held. Owing to the reduction of the members, Poverty Bay’s representation, he believed, would be better upheld. They wanted a member returned who would work with the Government. The district vaf-Mw an example, a huge wilderness of neglect. The meeting was very orderly; two townsmen, probably sa.csettcally, tried very hard to work up some applause, and certainly succeeded in making themselves conspicuous. In one case Mr Arthur might well have asked to be saved from bis friends. Mr Arthur sard it was a great pleasure once more to speak to an audience who knew him, because it was much nicer than speaking to strangers, and having to explain all about who he was. He felt that cnming after the able spe ch delivered by Captain Russell he labored under a disadvantage. The most important thing a country bad to look after, continued the speaker, was its money matters- it was the same with the country as with individuals, if a man could live within his income he would be happy, but it he could not do so, then he would be unhappy. The country had been spending very much more than its income, and tbe policy for the present was to look after the finances. He claimed that the present Government had been specially good in 'hat matter, having al ; o to set to work sf er the deficits left by their predecessors. Each year there was a larger surplus, not by increasing taxation, although it had been s-mewbat increased, but by a very large reduction. This was not simply talk It was necenary in 'hi- election that they should not vo-e on individual grounds ; they should not v. te for him became they might like him personal y, uor for Mr Keuy became he was a go d fellow, but he asked them to Vote for him bee ore he was a supporter of a Govern men- who bad done great public service and rostered the finances of the co ony. while Mr Kelly supported an Opposi ion which v h n iu office, did not do well, and left B drfici . Thia was a mat’er of ordinary corn monger it. The Government was perhaps not io f God aa they might have, but they had done io much b*tter than pre ions Goverumtn-B that they deserved praise. He claimed for the present Government an immenaa amount of credit for the good land laws they had brought in. cnab ing men to take up land Ou the easiest terms. During the last y*-ar no leas than 100.000 Berea of land had been taVen up by over 2000 peop’Os There were no doubt some faults, and there h-»d been accusations of dummyism. In one cue those accusations had been proved false, but there waa sufficient proof in o'ber cases; iti’l there was great difficulty in Stopping it, though the Government were trying to do so. There was no doubt a need of some ayatem for reading newly acquired land. In a private c nveraation with Mr Bichardson he (Mr Arthur) had proposal that in each dia’rict a small but Favorable portion of the land should be sold for Oath and the money need to immediately eat roads through the country, so tha f btfore the Battlement began the piece of country Would at o-.cs be aupp ied with roads. If everything bad to be taken on pack saddles ft the very time when the settler wanted most assistance it enme very hard on a man of small means. The men went on io the land under the present system were as a rule young New Zealanders, tho most deeirabie class of men they could have, mon who had the experience and thought nothing of hardships. The result of having such settlement was that the exports were increasing very largely indeed. Though what be had said about money matters might teem paradoxical with what he was about to say now, he held that the DBtjve laws were more important still, because they were not properly handled, and were in a worse position than ever before. Being personally a great sufferer he felt that the present laws were utterly ruinous both to the Datives and to the dealers. Any new Act pawed seemed to be only a new method of extracting money from the people. They might B*k why the preteat Government did not improve the law, but there were many difficulties. There was a great divergence of opinion among so many member*, aud there were too many lawyers in the H->use, and they prevented good laws being piseed because it would take work out of their hands. He regretted to say this, because many lawyers were his friends. Then there were the four native members and every Government was afraid of losing their votes, while the Opposition was ever ready to catch any votes like a cat waving to pounce upon a mom There was a’so the philanthropist who looked upon the native as an ignorant savage, and the little clauses they put in to prevent natives being robbed, only prevented the native getting that price which he should have for his ’and. Only men of comparatively large means could now touch native land;*, and many of them got ruined They should have compulsory individua ls! ion of native lands, and sigh man should be allowed t>> sell, provided |ie o<her land and would not be left destitute, and a’ao that the deed had been witnesv-d by a licensed interpreter, so that the native would thoroughly uod r-tand it. They should have abso'ute frectrade In native lands, and the Government

should as far as possible guarantee the trarsaction, that they should have frre'rad? and perfect security, and do away with the naftve duty. The natives would thus get a fairer pi ice, and the dealers would get full security, ani any individual, whether capitalist or not, could take up land. Tbi« would mean that they would Inve thousands of men taking uu the land and pushing on ths country, You would not have the Government buying the lands, aud thus by making only one buyer, pievenling the Dative getting as good a price as ho might. As fast as titles could be ascertained by the Land Court there would be men ready to lease and purchase, and there would thus be to many more persons to share the taxation, which in few years could ba much reduced. He would also make the native laud pay taxation, which would make the owners either use the land beneficially or sell it — they would really begetting the benefit of the land, instead of allowing it to remain idle, He considered his plan perfectly X*ir and feasible, and that if the present Government were returned some such plan would be adopted.

He thought the property tax most objectionable, because be objected to direct taxes, but they must look at it from a common sense point of view, and think how the money required was to be raised. At the present time it would be a very foolish thing to alter the incidence of taxa* ion, especially as it was very doubtful what could be raised under a. land and income tax, and there was a pros peel of the property tax being done away with in a tew years. Dealing with unionism he said he did not think It would have much power in the new Parliament, first bocuuae it was not numerical>y strong and second'y because the unionists had not union among themselves. Many had not joined the unions of their own free will; thry had been compelled to loin. (Voice : Slaves!] But they must not think because the strike had failed that unionism had b*ea stopped, They would have to put the unions on a ouminou sense, fair footing, and thus prevent strikes, aud make the unions a source of strength both to the men and to the masters* Ine recent stiike was a mistake from the oommencemeut, Tho h'.en had gone cut beoaurc they h»d been ordered by a few of their leaders, and were not really responsible, the Unions having been affiliated to those ffi Australia. Hu hoped the lesson by tho strike would lead to the men who constituted tho unions seeing for themselves ih«t they must alter the laws, so that there oould be do more strikes, that in anything of the kind they wou'd decide for themselves, and that they wou’d hot do so un il they gave the employers every opportunity to meet thein in a fair and straightforward manner. The unionists had attempted to tyrannise ovex the nou> union laborers, and nothing in the shape of tyranny wou'd succeed in the nineteenth century, and be hoped it wou’d never again he attempted In those co’ouios. They ■ ooxautiy heard tails about fa*bor V, Capital,

but such a thing was a fa”acy—one cou’d not do without the other. Labor sold itself for a certain portion of capital, arid eventually the laborer became a capitalist himself aud an employer of labor. Labor and capital were dependent upon each other and could not be opposed. Belamy’a idea in Looking Backward was not likdy to be realised iu two or three years, ncr did he think it would be in the 150 years allowed by its author. If ouo class more than another iu New Zealand ought to ask to be saved from their friends it was the working man. Whenever they heard a gentleman “ who got up on tho p’atform and talks about wha l - he will do, stands boldly b fore them and blatantly says * I am a member of the great Liberal Party,’ ” they might depend upon it that man was only trying to catch their votes. It was very much better to have a member who had some stake in the country, and did not like to see any harmful measures passed whether they were cal'cd Libera] or an\ thing else. II ' was a thorough 1 eliever in fiee, secular, and compulsory education, but any sensible man could see that the cost was greater than they cop’d bear. Those who sent their chHdrew-to the high sch< ola. should have to p-»y the cost, and not only have to p iy about half as at present. Tho cost of supervision shou’d also.he reduced. Examinations shoo'd be made uniform, and not have standard 4 in a p ace like Gisborne made equal to s’andard 6in other places. The conataut change of school books Fhou’d also be stopped. The speaker went on to allude to (he great progress he said was being made in the country. The deposits in the Savings Banks were increasing in number and amount; there had been a reduction of three million pounds in private indebtedness; the drink bill was diminishing; there was an enormous increase in the number of sheep, aud the frozen meat trade, and also in the export of butter and cheese; things were improving in every way and if they saw their way to back up a Go« vernmept that had done so well tho country was bound to pro per, if not by leaps I and bounds at least, steadily. > If elected, Mr Arthur continued, he would I try and get a reserve sat apar for hospital ■ and charftab'e aid purposes. He had tried • last session hut could get no satisfaction, it being said that a Bill wou'd be brought in. I Tb it Was not done, but he supposed it would [ be next session, when he believed there would be a bfg struggle to get endowments. Gisborne ought to h ive one, as the whole cost of maintaining hospita’a and charitable aid should not be thrown on the community. He had been asked by a largi"number of gentlemen to explain the statement he had made at Opo Iki, bo be had determb ed before he o’oeed his speech to give an explanation. The question was did he say it or not. He did say it. Was it true? Tt was true. [Uproar, and cries of “ It’s false.”] If they would just listen he would explain. When iu Opotiki, being before transfers, he had to introduce himself to the audience, to tell them where he came from, and how it was that be was standing for Parliament, He had explained that through Mr Graham’s unfortunate retirement he (Mr Arthur) had been asked by a number of friends to stand, and be had had consented, after a numerously s>ign«d petition had been got up; that dir ctly he bad consented, the opposition had looked round for an opponent, and, he said, “even the publicans were not going to have a walk-ovor; we wanted a dry election, and they would have a wet one. Everything depends on the manner in which I said the thing. I have been accused of saying nasty things about Mr Rees, which I deny. I said they soon put their heads together and asked Mr Rees to oppose me. . I said Mr Rees was a piignsoio-ia man who would do so, and then I took credit to mvae’f that I, a novice, had Mr Rea«, perhaps the beet orator in N*>w Zealand, That h the explanation of what I said " [There were cries of Who arc the publicans? but the Candida's did not reply ] The candidate concluded by asking them to vole for him because he was a supporter of the present Government, who had mad-* retrenchment without talking of it, while Mr Rally suoportad the Opposition, who when in office had talked about retrenchment but bad not made it. But, he added, ho would not be a blind supporter of the present Government. In reply to the questions from the Political Association, handed up by Mr Sigley, the candidate said he would not vote for abolishing the land tax. nor for specially taxing land held for speculative purposes, because it would eat up its value by present taxes, if not uti’ised. He f svored the perpetual lease system, but not the proposal that no m ne Crown lands shou’d be so'd. Public should be ’et by tender and given to the man who tenders lowest Eight hours was nnw the ru’e for a day’s work, aud he considered it quite sufficient. He was opposed ’to foreign labor being imported, especially Chinese. He was opposed to a S’ate B wk, and did not think a nation should pledge its credit to support productive enterprise —there had been too much of that with rai’wavs. He would support Government taking over the coalmines —by the S‘ate interfering t n o much private enterprise wou’d be cheeked. He would be in favor of taxing native land. In reply to Mr Tombleson he a’lid he favored the nr.e man one vo’e system for Par. liament and rchool committee*, but not fnr municipal hndioa, and he would eive Indira a vote (or municipal pnrpnseg, but not fnr Parliament. Argument taking place nn the points raided, the candidate contended that the circumstances ware »rent in municipal and in general pnhHo ma’tera.

In reply to Mr Jovce ’he candidate Baid he had tried hard to get a Land Registry office for Gl’hnrne, hut found that there could only ba a fixed number in the colonv. He would try and get a sum placed on the estimates tor a ganl, as he thought there should ba a proper gaol in the place and that fha food, etc., supplied should ba purchased from the people in the place. He considered the aneoial harbor district a very unju«t thing, although he personally reaped a benefit from it. But he felt sure an alteration could nnt be got, and also he had personally pledged himself not to try any auoh thing—had he not made such a pledge be would have had a stronger npposition ag»inst the Bill, He thought the Government had no right at all to appoint nominees to the Harbor Board, Mr Ooopar as v cd if the candidate was in favor of a repeal of the triennial ParHa mentß The candidate replied that he was not—be fsvored a quinquennial Parliament. Mr High? asked whether the candidate

thought it fair, that whili the usual rate nf pay to skilled mechanics was usually £3, persona in the public service should get from £0 to £2O, with a prospect of a pension. The candidate replied that the laborer was worthy of his hire and he believed that al] who received high rate of pay would not get it unless they were worth it. He was opposed to further pensions, and understood that the allowance of pensions was disoontinned. In reply to a further quea’ion he said he would not favor restricting areas that oonld be taken up by one man or one family, hFli°ving hat a large portion of the poor land remaining could only be taken up in large area*. Mr E. F. Harris proposed a vote of thanks to and confidence in the candidate, and in doing so spoke in support of the Government, and contended that on that account they should support Mr Arthur. There was a long pause, and no seconder being forthcoming, Mr Joyce said iu fairness he would propose a hearty vote of thanks to Mr Arthur for addressing them. Mr R Harper seconded, and the motion was carried, Iu proposing a vote of thanks to the Mayor, Mr Arthur said a vote of thanks was all he (the candidate) wished for. Ho felt they would give him their confidence un polling day,