MR WASON AT MOUNT SOMERS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1271, 4 June 1884, Page 2

MR WASON AT MOUNT SOMERS.

Mr Wason last evening addressed a meeting of the Ashburton electors in the schoolroom at Mount Somers. M r William Edson took the chair, and there was a good attendance. Mr Waaon delivered a' speech virtually the same as that given in other places. He referred to Mr Parnell having retired from the contest, and he (Mr Waaon} said that now the question was between an Opposition and a Ministerial representative. He was quite ready te accept that issue, and to fight the seat with !»ir Julius Vogel. He would remind those present that if Sir Julius Vogel were returned it would mean that the present Government would have a longer lease of power. Mr Waaon on concluding his address was applauded. The following questions were then pot to the candidate : Mr W. T. Chapman asked if Mr Wason would inform the meeting if he thought it rigtit or proper for gentlemen holding high official positions in the county and having influence over large sums of the ratepayers’ money, to go hawking requisitions about to get pledges of support for any candidate. ALso, if Me Wason did. not think such action contrary to the Ballot Act, and unfair to working men and persons holdiiqtaubordinate positions. Mr Wason said that he had been both a chairman of Road >oardsand a member of the County Council, and while he occupied such a position he would hare considered it grossly unfair to have asked pledges of support from those’.under his control. Working men knew that those in high position had the power of dismissing them at a moment’s notice, and that power should not be used unfairly. He was himself an employer of labor, bU$

he would not consider h i: 1" j siifiedjtn asking an employee to a requisition to him. A working man might accedo to the request, but he could not refrain from feelinsr bitter because ha had been asked. He (Mr Waaon) thought that such a course of action as that indicated by the question put to him was contrary to the spirit of the Ballot Act, and that such canvassing should be made amenable to the Briberj and Corruption Act. Mr Chapman asked if Mr Wason would kindly inform the meeting what he had q»tfl or done to Mr Wright to justify that gentleman in stating that he would spend his last sixpence to prevent Mr Waaoh being returned for Ashburton. Mr Wason said that as far as he knew he had had no private quarrel with Mr Wright. The only thing he had done in connection with v that gentleman was that he had written certain letters which had appeared in the papers. He had told Mr Wright publicly that ho had treated this district shamefully in the matter of railways, and he was welcome to make the most of it. For himself ho left fhe question to the electors themselves. An elector asked if the candidate, if elected, would do his best to compel the people of New Zealand to use the West Coast coal.

Mr Wason said the enquiry opened up the wide question of protection versus free trade. He thought that the people would not be justified in incurring a debt of several millions to form the West Coast railway for the purpose of bringing coal here, when they had such excellent coal at Mount Somers

Mr. Harper asked if Mr Wason was in favor of a nominated or elective Upper House?

Mr Wason said that the time had arrived when tho question of the constitution of the Legislative Council should be considered. He thought that the members of the Upper House should not receive any honorarium. Mr Edson would like to hear the candidate’s views concerning local bodies — whether the County Councils or Road Boards should be abolished. Mr Wason was of opinion that the less idle Government interfered with such matters the better. He thought that all powers of rating should be taken from the Road Boards and given to the County Councils; while ‘the money should be handed over to the former bodies for expenditure. Neither of tho bodies could'be done away with. The Council hod dona good work in the past, and he felt certain it would be equally useful in the future. , ■ Mr Easton asked if . the candidate was in favor of'Government grants to public libraries ? 1 : '' '

Mr Wason saidthat'so long as the present system was in force be would, if do bis best to get a fair sha-e of what was ; going for the district! y On principle he thought that the loc&l bodies should -deal with" this question. The County Council had up to the present been very liberal concerning grants to public libraries, and he felt sure that if the matter were left to that body in the future there would be no reason for complaint, Mr Chapman said he would propose a vote of confidence In Mr Wason. In doing so, he said that Mr Wason was a gentleman who had been known as a farmer in the. district for a number of years. He had also been a representative for the district when it was far larger and embraced Ashburton, Coleridge and Wakanui, and he had honestly striven to carry ont every pledge he had given to his constituents. With regard to the other candidates, Mr Jolly had delivered a good speech, worthy of imitation by other candidates, but he had bo stake in the country, while Sir Julius Vogel’s policy would be to run away from the colony as soon as he had served his own ends. Mr Price seconded the motion.

Mr Peache moved, as an amendment, that a vote of thanks be accorded to Mr Wason for his address. If he fiad come before them as an independent member he would have received hi* (Mr Peache’s) support, but he could not vote for anyone who enlisted under the banner of Mr Montgomery. The latter gentleman had advocated that they should tax absentees, and the result would be that they would divert capital while they would not induce the absentees to settle in the colony. Mr Wason had. drawn a miserable picture of what would occur if Pir Julius Vogel came into power, hut the fact was that the working men would have a glorious time if the colony went in for more borrowing; while the people who would suffer would be the landed proprietors. A large amount of money would be spent in the country, and wages would inevitably go up. Before binding themselves to vote for any particular candidate, he thought they should hear what Sir Julius Vogel had to say. He was to speak iin .Ashburton next week, and a special train was to be laid on, and it was for the reason he had stated 11.-1. th v

should refrain from passing more than a vote of thanks to Mr Wason. Mr Todd seconded the amendment. Mr Wason said that before the motion was put he wished to say a few words in explanation. Mr Peache had unfairly represented wkat Mr Montgomery had said. Mr Montgomery had simply discussed the question of absenteeism, and had not suggested-any method of dealing with the evil, which he (Mr Wason) recognised as a aarioua one to the colony. The only platform that the member for Akaroa had taken his stand upon was Centralism vermis Localism, and he (the speaker) was quite in accord with that. The position of an independent member was a contemptible one, and he did not consider be had any right to criticise the ability of the leader of- the party he had chosen to support; On being put to the meeting the chairman declared that the vote of confidence was carried, and after the usual compliment to the chairman the meeting sopar ated.