MR PYKE AT BLACKS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 991, 15 April 1881, Page 2

MR PYKE AT BLACKS.

An influential meeting was held in the schoolhouse, Blacks, on the llch inst. Mr J. Pitches, member of the Vincent County Council for Manuherikia Riding, occupied the chair. The Chairman, in introducing Mr Pyks to the meeting, said the subject to be discussed was of the utmost possible importance, and on the action of the people depended whether the country was to advance and the people made happy and prosperous, or whether it was to retrograde and the people compelled to seek other shores where they eonld get, or had, a chance of getting what they wanted—that was, a share of the land. Mr Pyke then delivered an eloquent and stirring address. As the salient points accnrde 1 with his address at Clyde, we refrain f'ora repeating it. Mr Ch.apnle rose, and said, before hearing the address, he was of the opinion that the cutting up of the runs would make matters worse than they were, and moreover that the deferred payment leaseholders would be unable to participate in the advantages. His mind was now disabused on that point, and he would be only too happy to give the movement every assistance in his power. Mr Feraud briefly reviewedthe positions of that had large populations of freeholders, and those countries where tho lauds were in the hands of an aristocracy. He compared the runholders to a pseudo aristocracy, and said if the people allowed the runs to again fall into their hands, they would be stamping themselves as serfs. Ha said the wealth of nations was the people who own the land, and the greater the number of freeholders, the richer it was. He drew a parallel between England and France, pointing out that the latter, with its 600,000 freeholders, was richer by millions than was England with all its boasted wealth, and its lands in the possession of a few. He referred to the railway, and said —Settle the people on the lands, and the railway must come, and that quickly. hut lock np the lands, and tho railway will never como. M r Pyke having replied to a question put hy an e'ector. Mr Chanpell proposed, and Mr Harrington seconded—That Messrs Macintosh, Glass,Cavan, Chappell, Sec, Pitches, Burren, Spain, Leash, -Sloan, and Harrington be the Committer, (The objects of the Committee were the same ns those of the Alexandra and Clyde Committees.)— Carried.

A unanimous and most enthusiastic meetin'r was then hroncht to a close hy a vote of thanks to Mr Pyke and the Chairman.