THE OTAKI SEAT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1280, 8 November 1911, Page 8

THE OTAKI SEAT.

4 THE SITTING MEMBER. SIR. FIELD ON JIIS OPPONENTS. (By TelccraDli—SDCclai Correspondent.! Otaki, Novcnibcr 7. Mr. W. If. Field, who is fceking reelection for tlie Olaki district in dm Ministerial interest, addressed a. meet in;: in the Otnki Town lln IJ last nighl. Mr. 11. Freeman presided <iver :in allendanro of upwards of two hundred. Opening with a few words of condolence wilh llr. Slassoy on the death of his lather, llie eaiulidato went on to remark ll,at. in Iho adjoining electorates the opponents of Mr. Newman, Mr. Guthrie, and Mr. lluiek had riot bosun thoir campaign before Iho pitil tjK members were released from their Parliamentary duly, l/is own opponents had not shown tho same consideration towards himself, but. lie did not complain of that. His seat, had also been a largcl. nf the Opposition cannonade, ns shown by the number of speakers who had come to address Iho electors, 110 had wished lo tight his own battles, and it was not at his wish that Sir James Can-oil and Mr. Laurenson had come to Hie district. He could not interfere with 1 hem in their dosiro to answer Mr. Massey and Mr. Allen, and he thought they' had done so very effectively, 110 was still a loyal supporter of tho Liberal and Labour party, and if returned ho would bo so still, but would perhaps lake an Iwlopcudont lino moro frequently than ho hail done in the past. He w'ishod lo bo returned unpledged, and wilh .ill freedom of action, but on tho clear understanding that ho would follow Iho present Government so lons as they pursued, and extended and developed tho Liberal and progressive policy of the last twenty years. Jle had read in Tub Dominion the very unworthy suggestion that lie or his supporters would try to prevent the personal difference between the two Opposition candidates from being healed, lie strongly disclaimed any such intention. Tho privato misunderstanding between two of his opponents and that between himself and one of them should not bo allowed lo interfere with tho contest. "Insinuation and Misrepresentation." The Opposition campaign so far had been a campaign of insinuation and misrepresentation. Sir. Slonckton had made, doubtless through want of knowledge, some very inaccurate statements, lie had said that the Chief Justice's inquiry in tho Cook Islands was a fiasco. What (asked Mr. Field) were Ave coming ,to if wo could not trust our Chief Justice, who acted as Governor of tho Dominion during vacancies in that office I' (Hear, hear.) As to the liquor laws of the Cook Islands, he had been told by Sir. Waldegrave that he saw no drunkenness all the timo lie was at Rarotonga. -Mr. Field also said the Chief Justico doubtless knew best when lie decided to hold the inquiry with closed doors. Sir, Slonckton was also quite wrong in his statements regarding Captain Seddon and Miss Seddon. They had had only what they were entitled to. Sliss Seddon visited England on leave, and not as tvpiste to Sir Joseph Ward. Sir. Slillar's son had also received merely the promotion which was duo to him with his special qualilications. The Macdonald Case. Referring to Mr. Slonckton's description of the case of Sir. T. K. Macdonald, the speaker said that Sir. Slacdonald, who waj shaltercu in health and' cot.ld not live long, and had resigned his seat in the Legislative Council, had had his punishment. (Slany cries of dissent. "No, no, rich and poor alike.") The lawsuit was a private ■ civil action. It was true that the Chief Justice thought fit to hear the caso without the press being present. Surely lie, if anvbodv, had a right to decide t.o do that. Medical men certified that imprisonment would bo dangerous to Sir. Maciior.ald's health. (Laughter and dissent.) Tho fact that the Judges thought proper not to send him lo gaol did not prevent tho other party instituting either criminal or bankruptcy proceedings. If thev went into the facts tbey would find that t'nc.o was very much more to be said for Mr -Macdonald that the\ thought. To say that the Government have ever lifted a finger in tho caso was absolutely false. More Attention rot Mr. Mrnckton. The .speaker also dflenued against Air. AioucMun's strictures uo cuaugvs made ia»c year in me noel uiw. It was ngui Will puinic men ana ouiers suoum w protecteu iroiii Having sucu tilings as Old jaw cases raived up ag.mist tnein. in regard to tiu cx>st ot raising lwuis, tue uovernuicni nad turnibued me luiitsi particulars, and luuue a practice ol doing so. All tue puymtuto litre lutiy accuuni.ed lor. -ur. Jtionciiton was ivlung in saying mac uic tarilt on. suns, satins, anil certain otner luxuries were Uiieii on. llie unties on Uour, potatoes, etc., wouid be oil unuer existing legislation wnen tno prices passed cerium limits. i.lie tarilt and conuitioiis ill regard to bicycles and inuior-cars uero arranged so as to encourage our own industries. 'lile uuiy on lea, as tue actual iiguros snowed, was no grievance at an. air. Aionciitou s luea mat tuo income tax was cue ou.y lair lax wouut tie very mcc lor lanuowners wno would be able, witnout trouble, to hoid and for a rise in values. ito ( ; ur. i'leid) thought that there sliotuU be remissions ol taxation lor peopie supporting laimlics. lie iuso ueineu jtr. moucKton's statements concerning tno expense oi tho Coronation and imperial Conierence trip. Unofficial Opposition Candidate. Mr. Field nest turned his attention to the speoclies ot jir. Byron brown, and contended mat the Government nad done its best to prevent the injurious opeiations of monopolies, but u tne present iLgis.ation was not eiiective it couiu oo aiuended, lie commended the tjoverninent proposal to set u±j a Koy-ai Louiinission on me cost ol living. Tne ou iliuUstry was l>e»ng careiuny watomd uy me Government to prevent iliuhui-u.v. lie denied Mr. Brown s suueineat, tuat tne taxation pressed more iieui'iiy on tne puor man on tLe ricn. Tne breaivlast table was praoticauy lrte. He combated Air. jjrown s statements on tno publio debt, the i/rtamiougnt, and tne baronetcy ot Sir Josepn Uard. lie aiso tepeutd tlie suggestion mat tne people ol tue utakt eiectoiate voted lor uim on account ol tlie spending ot Government money in tiie ui.strict. 'i'lie iilaori land sellienient poncy had gone on mucu 1 aster than many peopie supposed unuer the S) mister sometunes called "iaihoa Jimmy," and very great credit was due to linn. Utlier methods than his might have led to strife and even bloodshed. He dissented from Sir. Jirown's views as to equality of expenditure in different electorates. Tho backblocks districts needed moro than districts like Otaki.. Labour and Other Matters. Speaking of the Opposition generally, Sir. Field twitted them with changing their name, like certain clients whom he met in the practice of.his profession. He blamed thorn for not disavowing the Black Pamphlet, though ho admitted that they had nothing to do with that publication. He did not approve of Sir. ilassey's suggestion for an cloctivo Upper House. The present system was not perfect, but the appointments made since Sir Joseph Ward took office had been very good ones. There was no need for a Civil Service .Board, and when the classification scheme, with which in its present form he was not satisfied, had been perfected, no further change would be needed. They could not find any Government in which there had been less of political inlluence in tho Public Service. He did not agree with the Government on the land question, as ho was a freeholder, but ho was not mad on the freehold. He claimed that tho Government had done, and would do, much for labour, but the Opposition, if put in power, would be anti-labour. They wanted to lie in a position to dictate to labour. Tho candidate also dealt on familiar lines with tho Bud get proposals and other political topics, lie mentioned that lie intended to take up his residence in tho district, and to devote moro of his time to politics than in the past. , Thanks and Confidence. Tho speech, which lasted two hours and a quarter, was attentively and, for the most part, quietly lic.rrd. A large number of questions were answered, and a vote of thanks and confidence was proposed by Sir. \Y. Thompsitt, seconded by Sir. V, Noble, and carried by acclamation.