HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Inangahua Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1269, 9 May 1883, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

«. — : Mr Wakefield at Eeefton. According to announcement, Mr E. Wakefield met the electors of Reefton in the Oddfellow's Hall on Monday evening last. The room was crowded to the last degree, numbers of persons finding it quite impossible to gain admission. The County Chairman occupied the chair, and briefly introduced the candidate. Mr Wakefield then rose, and received a perfect ovation, the applause lasting for several seconds. The candidate commenced by saying, that when he last had the pleasure of appearing before a Reefton audience, he stood in- the position of a welcome guest. He had been invited to contest the seat by a large number of electors, and in obedience to that invitation he had come over and met with as cordial a reception as he could wish. His duty in addressing the electors on that occasion was an exceedingly pleasant one, for he found the room filled with strangers, and amongst that large assembly there was not one present but evinced, at all events, a friendly disposition. (Cheers). Since then, however, the field had beeu occupied by several opponents, and the result was that on his return, he found that he , did not re-occupy the position of a welcome guest here, but as that of a man on his trial and defence. On the former occasion he had addressed himself chiefly to the larger political questions,- but to-night it would be necessary for him to trespass upon their patience in a defence of himself against numerous unjust accusations brought against him during his absence, and to explain away matters upon which the minds of the electors had been disturbed in the interval. (Loud Cheers). He was sure that the opportunity he sought of explaining himself would be freely granted, and that done, he had the utmost confidence that he would be able to clear himself thoroughly of every charge brought against him. (Loud Cheers). He had liwn attacked by a gentleman whom he did not know, and who therefore, could not have any personal feeling against him (the speaker), but the attackNvas one of such a nature that if left unexplained, would be sufficient to ruin the reputation of any public man, for no man, in the face of such an accusation, could ever hope to be again returned to Parliament. (Cheers). His accuser had since left the district, but the charge had been left in print, and stood on record against him. He (the speaker) could not imagine why such a charge should have ever been made by Mr M'Lean, as from all he could learn, his accuser was a man of credit, and therefore, could not have had any personal motive for the act. The only conclusion to be drawn from the charge was, that it was not the opinion or sentiment of Mr M'Lean, but simply the prompting of some other person or persons, who had an object to gain by the dissemination of such a false and injurious statement. (Loud and prolonged cheers). In a constituency such as this, made up of what he might term the pick of working men, such a charge was calculated to do an immense amount of barm to his (th« speakers) candidature, and having been made behind his back was certainly unfair and indecent. It had , been said of him that he was an enemy of the working man in this country, and the statement had been supported by an extract from a speech of his in Parliament, and wide publicity was

given to the injurious statement. Nothing could give him greater pleasure than to meet that statement, as he felt sure that the more they became acquainted Avith his conduct while a public man of New Zealand the more he should have the confidence of the working men of the country. The particular statement used was that in his place in Parliament, on a most conspicuous occasion, he once said he was not the working man's friend, and that he hoped he Would die before he was one. Well, he was not a born fool ; and he woivd ask them could any man not a born fool stand up in a public place and make a statement like that. Why it stood to reason that no man could be such a fool. The thing was absolutely ridiculous on the face of it. He would tell them what he did say. They had heard him express his opiniou on the policy of overimmigration, and express the opinion that it was nothing short of an act of wickedness to pour crowds of immigrants into the colony while those already here could not get employment. Well, when he found a minister of the Crown speaking of his devotion to the working man, what he had done for him and what he was going to do for him, and claiming to befl ßetained in office on that ground, h^gg|^u^ij r »a j , state of indignation, arieH|Wffi^toeatr6r such an occasion he did uot measure his words. The speaker then read the following portion of his remarks: — "It is not the Opposition who are keeping these Bills back from the people ; it is that Government who advised a dissolution before these laws came into force ; it is that" Government who prefer a few weeks' prolongation of their power of otiiee to the interests of the whole people of 'New Zealand. That is the point. They might have had their Electoral Bills passed in no time if they had chosen ; but do they care about the Bills? They care for nothing. They only care to be allowed to retain office a few weeks longer, with whatever chances a general election may bring. All their patriotism is as hollow as it can be ; everyone sees through it. Ido not think anyone is deceived by it. The Premier tried the • working man ' dodge again to-nigh ; but that game is played out. Why, Sir, if anyone could be undeceived by anything, it would be by the action of the honorable gentleman himself. We are aware that six hundred immigrants are to arrive within the next few days, and this while the unemployed are organising a system of relief, the employers of labor themselves admitting that they never had such hard times. And yet the honorable gentleman hurries on his shiploads of immigrants without ever thinking what is to become .'of them. I never set myself up for a ' wovlcinq mans friend ' and I hope I shall die before I do so, as the Premier has done ; but, without affecting any such position, I could demonstrate, \n such terms as a working man could hot fail to understand, that there is jiot a single man in this country who has less care for his welfare than the honorable gentleman." Now he would a^k, them was it an honest thing or not, to put that isolated part of a speech before the electors ot the district, and ask them to go against him on the strength of a garbled extract from a speech of his. He was very glad to see that the Grey paper that morning published his speech from beginning to end. The occasion was just one of those when a man speaks from his heart on account of his j earnest feeling on the subject. Really the thing was the most dishonorable he ever met with in the whole course of his life.. He would in a further portion of the speech show them the conduct of those who claimed to be the working man's friend : — " It is a party cry; it is utter claptrap. Of course one sees very well what it all means. He looks upon the working men of New Zealand as a class of people who may bn made tools of for the purposes of autocratic government. He imagines that by crushing everything to the level of the working man he will be the only thing elevated above it. He is the tower of autocracy on this level plain, which is to be crushed down to the level of the working man. But he entirely mistakes the working men of New Zealand. They are looking forward to the time when they will no longer be working men. Why, Sir, where are the working men of twentyfive years ago 1 In this House, in the Legislative Council, on the Government benches, in every position and in every class of society; some of the most wealthy and prosperous men in New Zealand belonged to the working classes twenty-five years ago ; but it Avas not by being pampered as the honorable gentleman would pamper them that they rose to their present positions. It was through their oavh industry, through the advantages offered by this colony, through the freedom of those very institutions which the honorable gentleman would crush. There is not a country in the world where the working man has such a chance as he has in NeAV Zealand, as long as he keeps out of the hands of these autocratic demagogues ; as long as he sees through their wiles and understands their trickery, he need not have the slightest fear that he will be a downtrodden serf, or ever sink to the position of the poor manufacturing laborers of Belgium and Great Britian, or that he Avill ever be sent to the wars to be shot for his country's glory ; or, if he returns from the wars, Vie starved to death. There is no fear ef that in this land of mutton and flour. The honor able gentlemen is thoroughly understood, and it is no use exposing him further ; but Ido say this ; that it is a pity that, on occasions of this kind, he shoiild come doAvn to this House and Avaste the material for which he will have so much need during the next four weeks, which I understand

he is going to spend in taking the Hinemoa about the country stumping the constituencies in the " great Liberal cause." Was that the speech of an enemy of the working man ? Those who knew him during his long life in New Zealand, long for him, knew that the working man never had a more sincere friend. He never came out as, " the working man's friend" and always placed him as a separate class in the community. Those were the very worst class of politicians who spoke of the working man as a separate class of men. It was not right, and was dishonorable to the working man to make such a distinction. Every chance that the colony presented was open to him, and he might rise to the highest position in the couutry. The working men were as intelligent as anybody else, and knew their own rights and wants, and did not want demagogues to advocate their cause. Let them send the best men in New Zealand to represent them, because the best and most cultivated men who would do the best for the colony at large would be found to be the best friend to the working man. There was no prouder or higher aim for a public man than to advocate the cause of the poor as against the rich, the lowly against the assistance on the working man when he' did not want it, and flattered him in everything. The real friend was a man who had the courage to point out to working men how and whon they were wrong. It might grate upon their feelings at the time, but they would in time come to see who was their real friend. Having given them this explanation, he hoped that one and all would believe there was wot a word of truth in the statements circulated about him. lie assured them that if they gave him their confidence they would have as true a friend as any class in the community could desire. There were a great many other things said about him in the election that he would not take any notice of at all, especially those references to his private character. But if there was any man in the room who had the slightest doubt in his mind as to anything he might have heard, and asked face-to-face to have it cleared up, he would tell him the honest truth without regard to consequences. (Applause.) It had also been said of him that he had not scrupled at some time to say — but where or on what occasion he was unable to discover — that he considered 503. a week was good enough for any working man. The thing was pei-fectly absurd. Every man was worth just as much as lie could earn by his brain and hands. He had to earn his bread by his daily labor in the same way as any other person, and whatever privileges were enjoyed by one man should be accorded to all. He hoped the clay would never come in New Zealaaid when the working man would not be able to earn enough to comfortably keep himself and family, and still lay by a little for a rainy day or against old age. It was said that he voted for the 10 per cent, reduction. The position of the case was this : The expenditure of the colouy had considerably outrun the revenue, and if such a ruinous rate of expenditure were not checked, either the colony must become insolvent, or they must | resort to the most crushing taxation. There were only the two courses — reduce the administrative expenditure or crush the people with taxation. He was always a great opponent of heavy taxation, and was one of those who urged the Go\ eminent to reduce public expenditure in a substantial way at once. The difference between revenue and expenditure was £300,000, and Government were asked to make reductions to that amount. Government asked how was it to be done. A large body of members from all parts of the House met and considered the position. The plan he recommended was that the session should be brought to a close as soon as possible, and that during the recess Government should get rid of every official who could be done without. They went through the Estimates very carefully then, and found out where great economy might be obtained. But the case was so serirus, and the House so impatient, that Government were told they must do something at once, or they would be turned out of office, and another Government put in, who would be com pelled to make the reduction asked for. Tilings having got into that position, Mr. Saundera — one of the most radical I of men who ever sat in Parliament — proposed a resolution (which had beforehand been submitted to the Government, and which they promised to comply with), that a reduction of 10 per cent, should be effected on the Estimates then and there. Well, Government, in order to set a good example, began with themselves first by reducing their own salaries 20 per cent., and all the others 10 per cent., down to the very messenger boy. He thought it a very clumsy way, because it bore hardly upon a great many families who had very little that could be spared. But it was the only way economy could be effected to prevent taxation at that time, It was the only way the House would have. The next year having been a prosperous one, and the danger that existed having disappeared, he asked that the 10 per cent, be given back to those who had lost it before, and they got it again. Government had in the meantime succeeded by dismissing every superfluous official, by amalgamating offices wherever possible, and reducing expenditure generally wherever it could be reduced, to restore things to a healthy state. In the Native Department alone, which had been costing £42,000 a year, Mr. Bryce effected a saving of £2G,0C0, having reduced the

cost from £42,000 to £16,000. They would now so,e what share ha had in that transaction. He had to go with the House, and Government had to do what the House insisted must be done. It was not the work of any particular party so much as of the whole House, in order to enable Government to dispense with further taxation. A member in the House was not his own master ; he could not do as he liked, and often had to do what, if he consulted his individual will, he would rather not do, and take part in movements against his judgment. He asked them to judge of him in the past, not by one little particular point or other, but as a whole in order to see whether he had acted a wise, just, and honorable course during his public life (Applause). The reduction caused several cases of undoubted hardship, and if returned, having taken an active part in getting the 10 per cent returned, I shall certainly make it my duty to see that it is restored in every case. (Loud Cheers.) Another J strange rumor about him was that h« was being brought forward, or being backed, so to speak, by people in South Canterbury; and that he was only being brought forward aud backed — which he presumed meanta^yiiig .^Jiis the country might get another vote in the House. It was an ingenious story, but it was untrue. He certainly should not have come forward unless he was prepared to pay his own expenses. He was not by any means a rich man, but he could pay 20s m the pound. They would never hear of anybody paying his expenses in that district if it came to his knowledge. Althought he had friends all over Canterbury, he did not consult any of them respecting the election except Mr Weston. He went up to Mr Weston when he received the invitation to contest the district to obtain his advice, and he tried to dissuade him from going to the West Coast, because lie was a perfect stranger, was very remote, and he did not see how he (Mr Wakufield) would manage, but added, " I only Avish I cottld see you in the House." He replied that he did not care about all the obstacles ; he rather liked difficulties, and would go over. The feeling throughout his own district wag that he should not g-> away. He had always worked in .every way he could for the interest of the place, and his friends did not like the idea. They said " For goodness sake do not go away to the West Coast; you will soon get a seat here. If you go away we shall never hear of you again as our representative." The other day on coming away his friends said, "We hope to goodness you will get beaten." The reason of this was that he had worked in all public capacities, and they looked forward to seeing him again a represen tative for that part. He had made up his mind that if elected lie would stick to those who elected him as long as they would stick to him. (Loud and prolonged applause.) He hoped lie hid said enough to clear up any misunderstanding as to his attitude in the election. If there was still any doubt or disagreeable feeling in anybody's mind about him, let him put it to him before the meeting straight from the shoulder, and he would feel very much obliged to anyone who did I so. (Hearty applause). Since he had been away he made a good many enquires connected with railway communication, which he considered of vital importance to that part of the country, and he was glad to say that he felt more confident about the matter now than he did when he went away. Government had appointed a Koyal Commission to inquire into the question of a railway between Bruunerton and Clmstchurch. Knowing the Commissioners, he thought Government had made a very good selection, and that they would be favorable to a railway between Christchurch and Brunnertou ; and he sincerely hoped so. The last time he addressed them he said that the question of route was one for an engineer. Since then a new theory had been propounded, and they were told that the I people should say, ''Make the railway j from this point to that." But what would be the consequence of that ? The people of this part would want the railway here, and the people in another part would want it there ; and so on. The consequence would be that if the people were not unanimous the opponents of the project would take advantage of the division, and get the matter delayed, and they would never have their railway at all. He had seen the thing done often, and the construction of necessary railways delayed for year after year simply because deople did not make up their minds where the line was to be- How could people decide a railway route who were entirely unacquainted with the nature of the country. No one but a professional man could settle how the thing was to be done. They had a very good chance of getting railway communication if they won? united on that point without interfering with thn question of route ; and after they got it they would find how very little it mattered what road was taken so long as they got the thing itself. Without breaking confidence, he might say he had a long talk with Major Atkinson, and was pleased to learn that he recognised the paramount importance of the Brunner-Christchurch line in order to afford an outlet for the great resources of the district; and in his opinion it was one of the lai'gest questions of the day. He was glad to hear that, because there was an impression that the Ministry of the day were not favorablo to the project. He therefore urged the project T>y every means in his power. (Applause.) He found there were still a good many )eoplo who had an uneasy feeling about

him on account of his having voted against the abolition of the gold duty. He would explain that in this way. It I was a question debated exclusively amongst thegoldfield's representatives,, because the others did not understand the question. He wished to see the goldfields relieved of a tax that is most unfair in principle, it being in fact a class tax. Being not well acquainted with the merits of the question, he consulted Mr Vincent Pyke, who, from his lifelong experience ou goldflelds ought to be thoroughly acquainted with all the ins and outs of the matter if anyone was. He always opposed it, and said. " Don't be carried away with your sentiment for the miners. If the gold duty is struck off, the goldfield counties will not be able to make roads and tracks, and the miners will suffer." He consulted others' on the question, as it was brought up year after year, and he generally gave his support to the party he thought were doing the best for the country. Bufc since he had been in the district and become better acquainted with the merits of the question he came to the conclusion that the tax should- be abolished and the revenue made up to the county from some other source. |t IS.g^ssJaXjift^iiott, thejmras reterijafa or ft' iTOtn*o irfWoringfecWuf upon his profits. To put a tax of the same nature on tlie wool and grain yields of the colony would ba justasfairasthetax on gold. Besides the tax was very heavy and should be abolished, and the revenue lost made up from the land fund. A better way, however, lw thought would be for the General Government to take over the maintenance of the roads and bridges, which would leave the country revenue enQtigh to carry out ordinary county work. He referred to another accusation which had been brought against him. At the close of a speech one of the candidates had referred to a newspaper article, and led it to be inferred that he (the speaker) was the author oi it. [A Voice: Mr. Shaw mentioned lio name.] It would have been tntlcK better. if he had. (Great applaflse.) If the object was not to lead, the electors to believe that he (the speaker) was the writer of it, why was it referred to ? (Cheers.) Hefiad fought, many electioneering battles in New Zealand, but had never yet resorted to the practice of injuring his opponent by misrepresentation, and would cut his righ* hand off before ho would .do such a thing. (Loud cheers.; There was this excuse, however, that it was the act of an inexperienced person, and, possibly, if the candidate had had a little more experience of such mat* ters he would not have done it.. (Cheers.) Now, the charge was utterly groundless, for the article in I question did not bear the construction placet! upon it. He had read the article with great care, and he was prepared to stand by every word of it. The argument it contained wa9 good, and was that the distribution of public money should be regulated by some fixed system, and no Minister of the> Crown should be allowed to givegrants to favored localities. (Loud cheers.) He held that there should be a fixed system, by which all districts should get their fair share of the good things, and that no Minister should be able to favor Naseby or any other place to thedisadvantage of the West Coast. (Cheers.) Why, it was owing entirely to the want of some such fix<*l principle in the distribution of the goldfields' grants that the West Coast had recttived so little. In his opinion, his best friends in the present contest could not have brought forward anything so calculated to strengthen his claim to the confidence of the electors of the Inangahua than by uttoibutiug the article in question to hintY cheers.) Another charge was that money was wanted for the Ttnwm harbor works, and his vote was required in order to get it. Now, those who urged such a charge were utterly ignorant of what they were talking; about. The Tiinaru harbor works were provided for quite apart from the funds of the Colony, and not one shilling of pub ic revenue could be devoted to them. (Loud cheers.) The money was raised by loan in London, and the ratepayers of Timaru guaranteed the interest, so that the harbor works, were not even Government works.. (Loud cheers.) However, the charge, was a clever one, and he would like to> shake hands with the man who invented it for his ingenuity. (Immense cheering.) Another equally clever charge is that, owiug to his great unpopularity in the Housa he had never brought in a Bill that was not thrown out. Now, he had taken the trouble to> go into the matter, and he could tell them that he never brought in a single Bill during the whole of his political career but had been carried through all its stages, and was at that moment on the Statute. Book of the Colony. (Great cheering.) As to the question of his unpopularity, he always was unpopular with his political opponents, and he hoped he always should be. (Cheers.) A man, and particularly a. politician, would always be unpopular with those who were jealous of his success. (Tremendous cheering.) A further accusation. was that, as chairman of the Local Industries Commission, he had done an injustice to the West Coast. The fact was, that in January, 1880, the Government asked him to accept the chairmanship of that Commission, and he did so, and it was the end of January when the Commission was issued. The House was to meet in May. He told the Govern. ment that the time was too short to faithfully perform the duties devolving upon them. However, they set about ! their functions, and before they had more than half got through their wovk, Parliament met, and the report was required. He telegraphed: to the County Chairmen on the West Coast,

stating that the time at their disposal was too short to enable the Commission to visit the West Coast just then, but that they hoped to get the Commission renewed, so as to enable them to spend several months on the West Coast, and asked in the meantime to be furnished with certain information. By this means much valuable information was received and prepared, in time to lay before Parliament. The House- was then sitting, and he drew up the report, which covered several hundred pages, and in it stated that the Commission much regretted that, owing to the shortness of the time at their disposal, they had heew unable to visit the largest and most important industries in the Colouy, situated on the West Coast, and that fully realising 1 the importance of the mining industry in this part of the Colony, they asked for an extension of their Commission, in order to enable them to spend* several months on these goldfields. (Cheers.) In this session, however, there was a great uprising against what was termed " Government by Eoyal Commission," and the Hduse positively refused to grant any extension of that or other Commissions. Mr. BeidV the member for Hokitika, was one of those who. when speftMng upon the report of the Local Industries Commission, said that we had done better work and cheaper than any other Commission, and that the* extension asked for ought to be granted. (Cheers.) In spite of this, however, the Government declined to renew it Thus, it will he seen that so far from slighting the great industries of the West Coast, we were fully alive to their importance, aud endeavored to gain the opportunity of doing them substantial justice. (Loud cheers.) Another matter deserved re ference : It had been said that he was an opponent of the present Ministry, and- therefore could do no good. He had never said anything to lead anyone to conclude that he was an opponent of the present Government. But, for all this, it was absurd, and a reflection upon the Ministry and Government to say that because a member was in Opposition he could not get justice done to his district. If such a state of things existed the Colony would be in a bad way indeed. He had been in Opposition for some years, but he was'. bound -to say that he had always been able to do his business just as well in Opposition as when sitting on the Government benches. It would be a deplorable state of affairs if such was not the case, for otherwise the representation would be a mockery. (Cheers). He would say this : if elected he would assist the Government to carry on the public business, and would take no part iri helping anything like a scramble for power. All he asked the electors was to allow Kim his independence to vote for or against, particular measures, which he might consider detrimental either to the district, or the colony at large. (Loud Cheers), . Jt had b.een further said that he was a, political turncoat, frequently cros- ■ siag^fxopi one £ide of the House to the other. -That was also totally at variance with" tbe Tweeds of nis career. In the fnmous Piako Swamp affair, when it was proposed to sell 100,000 acres of land at a merely nominal sum, he voted against the Governmeut v «pd remained with the party until they- tamed o.utVogel, when he became, a supporter of Grey, on the understanding that he went to no extremes, and iept a tight hand upon the administration. But when he found Sheehau squandering money, upon the natives, and loading the colony with a liability of a million for the purchapeof native land, and on the other liand Macandrew — in many respects a good and capable man — spending large sums in .Otago, to . the neglect of other parts of the colony ; when in fact, all Parliamentary control had been lost, and the comtry- was- going down to ruin, he left the party with many others. At that time Grey had. a majority of 18, so that the support of . one member was but a little matter j to. his party. He (the speaker) left the party in the very hey-day of its strength,' and did not wait for the critical time when one vote became of importance, and upon which the fall of the party night hang. (Cheers). Shortly after this the election, came on, and he explained to his constituents the reason why he had left the party, and although Grey set up a candidate in opposition, he (the speaker) ■was re-elected by a large majority. (Cheers). ' Now he thought that was the proper thing for a public man to do : — and not to" wait until his party was weak. That was. the single exception throughout his public career when he had changed sides, and if there was anything in that to indicate fickleness, he failed to see it. (Cheew). This would close his reference to the charges brought against him. There were many others, but those he had referred to could be taken as a fair sample of the whole, and he thought he could fairly leave them to the judgment of the electors, and he appealed to their good tense to brush them aside, and not allow them to prejudice his cause in the least. (Applause). Speaking on the subject of railway communication, he said he regarded the Arthur's Pass route as hopeless for the East and West Coast railway. No route would fully meet the requirements of the colony which did not go through the goldfields. He had spoken to Major Atkinson on the matter, and coming from the West Coast full of the subject, he (the speaker) had primed the Minister pretty well on the subject. He would point out that it was most important that the people on the West Coast should secure the co-operation of Canterbury on t*he subject of the railway. It would suggest itself to the electors that in returning him (the speaker) they would be strengfchneningthegro.it railway agitation now. going on in Canterbury, and have such a united force as could not be easily silenced. (Loud Cheers). His return really meant this, it meant the cementing of the interests of Canterbury And the West Coast, which never ought to have been broken. (Loud Cheers). The result of the election was therefore important for this part of the colony, for if the two sides •of the island worked in harmony together, the railway could be regarded as an assured fact. (I oud Cheers). The extension of the Brunnertou hue to Reefton, was the first step to be taken in the connection of the two aides of the island, and since he saw the road he was astonished that a work of such importance should have been so long nezlected. If returned the electors could depend upon it, that this work would

command his warmest support. (Cheers). j Another work of great immediate benefit, would be a road from Reeftou to I Amberley, via the Cannibal Gorge. He had ascertained that for the expendature of a comparatively trifling sum upon that route, it would be possible to have mail connection in two days with Christchurch. Such a work should certainly be undertaken at once, as besides proving a great public convenience, it would be one of the best possble arguments in favor of the practability of the railway. He would certainly do everything in his power to have that road pushed through at once. (Applause). He was in favor of the Government taking over the maintenance of the main roads and bridges. They were a great burden upon the local bodies. The Government should deal with all the main roads on the West Coast, in the same way as they dealt with the Christchurch road, and maintain tht.ni out of the colonial revenue. (Cheers). They were colonial works and ought to be kept in repair by the colony. The briges over the Left hand Branch and Larry's Creek ought to be erected at once, so as to give the fullest facilities for traffic between Nelson and the West Coast. In reference 10 goldfields matters, he thought, the Government might in many things follow the example of Victoria. There they had had the beneft of long experienca, and their judgment could be relied upon. The rent of mining leases here was altogether too high, £1 per acre per year for land not worth a farthing an acre to sell was monstrous. (Cheers). Five shillings per acre should be ample, and he would endeavour to effect such a reduction. (Applause). The labor covenants of mining leases were also unduly harsh ; occupants should be allowed fully twelvemonths within which to commence operatious, and this would have the effect of encouraging enterprise and capital. He would strongly support the abolition of the Gold Duty. The charge of £40 per acre for land in mining townships as well as £5 per year for buisness licenses was absurdly high, and wholly disproportionate to the charge for land in other parts of the colony, and if returned he would certainly pledge himself to get the amount reduced. He held that every possible inducement should be held out to persons to settle on the land, and people these wilds. He would rather give them the land for nothing and so promote settlement, than keep it locked up by a prohibitory upset price He was in favor of giving County Councils municipal priviliges, so that they could extend their sphere of usefulness. In the matter of mail communication, he thought that a district like this should certainly have a daily service. Postal communication was one of the necessities of social life, and it was a scandal that a large and prosperous district like this should be shut out from postal communication for three days in the week. (Cheers). He had now done for the present, and he trusted that he had succeeded in placing himself right with the electors. (Loud Cheers). He would have another opportunity of addressing them, and would now conclude with thanking them for listening to him so patiently, and trusted that if his connection with the electorate was to be as close and lasting as he hoped and believed it would be, they would never have the slightest reason to regret their confidence in him. (Loud and prolonged cheers). Mr McGaffin, (who was received with some slight manifestations of disapproval) said he was rather astonished that a Reef ton Audience should ,not_ have the, manliness or decency to allow an elector to put a question to the candidate. He proceeded to say that when Mr R C. Reid was here lately, he said that Mr Wakefield, as Chairman of the Local Industries Commission, had not visited the goldtields, and was therefore opposed to the mining industry, and that instead of visiting the West Coast he had prepared an elaborate report on the manufacture of gum and starch. (Great laughter, and uproar, and cries of " Go it Johnny.") Mow, if this was true — and Mr. Reid had stated it — Mr. w akefield was not lit to represent thegoldfields. (Uproar, cheers, and general confusion.) Mr. Reid further said he accused Mr. Wakefield of it in the House. (Uproar.) The meeting having settled down sufficiently, Mr. Wakefield proceeded to say that he was very sorry indeed to hear that Mr. Reid had been going about poisoning people's minds against him (the speaker.) He did not think it was very much to Mr. Reid's credit (Cheers.) As to Mr Reid having attacked him in the House upon the report, he had not the slightest recollection of anything of the kind, and did not think a single woffd of it could be found in Hansard. Mr. M'Gaftin said he would substantiate his assertion. He called upon him to do bo. (Great cheers and uproar.) Mr. M'Gaffin : Mr. Reid stated publicly in front of my bar that, instead of reporting upon the goldfields, Mr. Wakefield brought in an elaborate report upon the manufactory of gum and starch. (Renewed lau/hter and uproar.) Mr. Waketield said that Mr. M'Gaffin seemed to be very stiff upon the starch and meant to stick to the gum. (Great laughter,) But, for all that, he (the speaker) was afraid Mr. M'Gaffin had been misled. As to the manufacture of starch, it was very likely it was mentioned in the report, or he hoped it was, for the report would hare been incomplete without it ; but he felt sure that he never said anything about the manufacture of gum. Gum was a natural product, which was perhaps rather unfortunate for Mr. Reid or Mr. M'Gaffin. (Tremendous cheering )| Mr. M'Gaffin was sure Mr. Reid said both gum and starch. (Great laughter, and cries of *• Stick to it, Johnny.") However, another thing Mr. Reid said was that Mr. Wakefield and the Commis aion had wasted their time amongst the Maoris in the Native districts, and therefore had no time to visit the goldfields. (Cheers.) Mr. Wakefield said Mr. M'Gaffin was agaiu unfortunate. The Commission never visited the North Island at all, further than going to Wellington for their instructions. (Immense cheering, laughter, and confusion.) Mr. M'Gfanin would ask another question : Was it true that the candidate had refused to sit on a Goldfields' Committee when asked by Mr. Reid to do so ? (uheers.) Mr. Wakefield : In the first place Committees are appointed only by the Government at the beginning of the session. I was never appointed to sit on a Goldfield's Committee for the siuiple reason that I did not represent a goldfields' constituency, and only the representatives of goldtield constituencies sit on Goldfields Committees. Mr. Reid or Air. anybody else had not the slightest power' to invite ■anybody to sit on a committee. (Cheers.) Mr.. M'Gaffin : Well, Mr. Reid told till so. Mr. Wakefield : Well, all I have tc say

is that I am very sorry indeed for Mr. Eeid, for he must be a first cousin of Annias. (Great laughter and cheering.) Such a statement that I was asked to sit on such a Committee, and refused, is not only false, but absurd. (Cheers.) Members when appointed by the Government, and passed liy the House, must sit on committees, and no others can do so. I served for six years on the Native Affairs Commsttee, Reporting Debates Committee, and some other, and when a man attends to the business of three committees, besides performing his duties in the House, he has his hands pretty full, as I alMays did. (Cheers.) One cannot be in two places at the same time unless he is a bird, and lam not a bird (Great laughter.) . Mr. M' -affin : Have you ever voted for the goldfields ? Mr. Waketield : If that is not a general question I do not know what is. (Laughter.) How on earth could I say exactly how I have voted during seven yeara presence in the House, with frequently six and ten divisions in one night? However, taking a cursory glance at the past, I may say I have frequently voted for the goldtields, and been only too glad to help them. As a rule, I was guided in such matters by the advice of Mr. Vincent Pyke, who I regarded as a good guide, and when he told me that by voting for the abolition of the gold duty I should be dealing a death blow to the County Councils, I voted the other way. (Cheers.) In reply to Mr. W. H Jones the candidate said that he had never said that 50s. per veek was enough for a working man. He did not, as a rule, say things which he knew to be foolish, and it would have been very foolish to Bay anything of the kind. A working man earns as much as he can. He should earn sufficient to comfortably keep himself, and put something by for a rainy day. (Loud cheers.) In reply to Mr. Jones the candidate further stated that he did not reBide in the County of Geraldine when representing that electorate, but iu Timaru. (Cheers, j In reply to Mr. William Campbell the candidate said he would be in favor of abolishing Central Boards of Education, and casting tbe whole of the duties upon the local committees. In reply to Mr. J. Connolly the candidate said that he was in favor of the Cannibal Gorge route for the West Coast Railway, so long as the engineers recommended its practicability. Mr. Connolly asked whether the candidate was tho editor of the Timaru Herald ! Mr. ; . akefield said the question was impertinent, and he would refuse to answer it. JN obody ever heard of such a thing as a newspaper man being called upon in a political contest to say whether he was or was not responsible for published articles in newspapers. It was entirely against a well-established Press usage that no man — not even in a Court of Justice — should be compelled to disclose his anonymity. (Loud cheei'B.) In reply to Mr. Budge the candidate said he was in favor of the abolition of Grand Juries, and also of fixing the scale of fees to witnesses in Courts of Justice upon a. scale quite independent of social position. He further said that he had voted for Sir George Grey's Law Practitioners Bill. H e was not in favor of an elective Upper House. They had had the experience of Victoria, and 1 the thing did not work well. The Lower House, which represented the voice of the people, could always compel the Upper Chamber to pass their Bills by the creation pf new.membeis, and this was a sufficient safeguard. Dr Collins asked whether the candidate would go to the House a free and independent member ? Mr. Wakefield said he had already clearly explained himself on that question It. Collins then asked whether the candidate thought he would be able to exert as much influence with the Government as another candidate who was a pronounced supporter of the Ministry ? Mr. Wakefield said he felt quite sure he would be able to exert a very great deal more influence. (Prolonged cheers.) His experience of public life was that a Government did not care a straw for "pronounced supporters." Their votes were always to be depended upon on any matter, and all that was required was to ring the bell whenever they were wanted to come up and vote. Such representatives were unable to do anything. They were bound hand and foot to the Government, and the Government naturally treated them with indifference. (Loud cheers.) INo Government, however, should treat me in that manner. (Renewed cheers.) In answer to another question the candidate said he was in favor of plural voting. He saw no reason why a resident of Westport or Greymouth who held property in this electorate should not have a vote here. It added to the influence and importance of the electorate. (Applause.) Mr. P. Q Caples moved a vote of confidence in the candidate, which was seconded by Mr. D J. M'Kenna, and on being put to the meeting was carried unanimously, and amidst a tremendous burst of applause Mr. Wakefisld briefly thanked the meeting, and hoped that their verdict would be endorsed by the ballot on Monday next. If they gave him their confidence he would assure them that there was nothing in his power that he would not do to deserve it to his own credit and the advantage of this electorate. (Loud cheers.) A meeting of Mr Waketield's supporters was held at the close of the meeting, when the names of "78 committeemen were enrolled, and an Executive Committee appointed to secure the return of the candidate. The Executive Committee will meet at Mr. Wise's offices this and to-morrow evening3, at 8 o'clock sharp.