Electoral.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1023, 25 November 1881, Page 3

Electoral.

MR VINCENT PYKE AT CLYDE. Mr Pyke addressed about 13G electors of the Dunstan district in the Town Hall, Clyde, on Wednesday night. Mr Welsford was voted to the chair, and bespoke a fair and patient hearing fer the candidate. • INTRODUCTORY. Mr Pyke, on rising, was enthusiastically greeted by the electors. He said : He could not say lie was unaccustomed to public sneaking, but on that occasion he had some trepidation in addressing them—not that he had no faith in them or they in him, but because he was afraid that some of the false rumors promulgated by his opponent’s supporters may have caused some of his old friends to look upon him less favorably than formerly. However, he would soon disabuse their minds of any false impressions they retained. Concerning the statement that he was about to leave the district, he desired testate that nothing was further from his intentions. His professional duties detained him for a time in Dunedin, the same as his Parliamentary duties took him to Wellington for a certain period of the year. His household treasures were in Clyde, and everything that was near and dear to him, and why should he leave the district? His welfare was hound up in them. When offered the editorship of the “ Herald," he at once saw a grand opening for advancing the interests of the district, and of drawing public attention to the interior of Otago. If any gentlemen present had followed him since he had assumed the “ditorsbip of the “ Herald,” they would know that he was continually working for and watching over their various interests through the columns of bis paper.

nis PAST ACTIONS. In referring to his past doings, he said that,' Inst session, wo had the humiliating spec- 1 ' tacle of a Government unable to carry mv the business of the country without the aid. of tho Opposition. At' the" last Parliamentary election several new men Were

returned who were not fitted for the duties of members. Those gentlemen were mainly returned on Liberal programmes, but when Parliament sat it was found that they had individual opinions,'and always had “an eye to the main chance.” These men had obstructed the business of Parliament, and had not fulfilled one of their pledges, besides putting the colony to great expense. As for himself,he had endeavored to redeem his promises, and if he had made mistakes, or erred, they must remember that it was but human to err.

THE REPRESENTATION BILL, he said, was a very fair measure in one respect, and untair in another. The unfair part was that several parts of the district were disfranchised by it. For instance, 5(1 people at Beaumont and 40 at Potier’s Gully were literally disinherited of their political privileges partly by the operation of this Bill and partly by the unseemly haste with which Government were pushing on the elections. The fact was, that the Government were trying to take the country by storm, and be returned to Parliament on the strength of the course they had adopted to bring about a peaceful settlement of tho difficulty with Te Whiti and his followers. Besides, despite the extravagantly numerous Survey Department Government had under them, there was not a decent map of the country in their possession. Therefore it was almost impossible to define the boundaries of a district without depriving some of the electors of their political immunities. He was not so very sorry that the Cromwell Borough Council had, with their usual impertinence, interferred when the districts were being defined and asked to be joined on to Wakatipu. By their oftioiousness in that case, they had deprived him of 300 vicious enemies and gained him about 500 staunch friends and supporters. (Laughter and applause.) The interests of this portion of the district were identified with those of Tapanui : Clyde could supply Tapanui with coal—they have no coal in that part of the country—and Tapanui could supply Clyde with timber for mining and other purposes.

A PRESUMPTUOUS SUPPOSITION. He had been told that several shepherds, rabbiters, ploughmen, and station bauds had registered themselves, and that they were instigated so to do, or put on the roll by, their employers, who fully expected them to vote in any direction they indicated Did the squatters think that their employes hadn’t minds of their own, or would allow themselves to be sacrificed and driven like sheep? Certainly they would not, and he ventured to say that on polling-day the majority of the men connected with the stations and runs would vote as their incline tions prompted them, not as directed by their respective employers. it was an in suit to tell any man that, because he was working on a station that he should vote in the squatters’ interests. (Hear, hear.) THE LAND QUESTION. This he considered the most important question of the day. All knew his views on it, but matters had cropped up since he had initiated the Land Leagues that deserved their attention. 3,000,000 acres fell in next year, and 1,000,000 the following year. Government promised to deal with the runs in a fair and impartial manner, but they had not fulfilled their promises. At present the land was in jeopardy of reverting to the present tenants. If the people did not take immediate action and have the question settled once and for all, they would have to pack up their swags and le ive the country. The station-holders would like to see their runs sub-divided as proposed by Mr liolleston. By the conditions published by him for the future occupancy of the pastoral land coming into the market next year, a man may select 320 acres on every sub-division of the present runs, and take up as many sub-divisions as he chooses, so that if he acquires ten runs he may thus obtain the freehold of 3,200 acres of the very best of the land, and all without residence. The probabilities were that unless vigorous measures were taken the present holders would again possess the land. The country had been sold by Mr Eolleston. He had made up bis mind to stop the thing,and with that object in view he would get up one of the biggest indignation meetings that had ever been held in Dunedin. (Applause.) OTAGO CENTRAL RAILWAY.

He (Mr Pyke) had prevailed upon the Government to put aside £3G,Ot)O to keep this line going. He asked that it should be constructed to a certain stream, because the cost of construction up to this creek was £IO,OOO per mile ; but when that point was passed the rest of the line would cost only £4,000 per mile. Next session Government will ask for permission to negotiate another loan, but he and several other members, before giving tbeir consent to it, intend to make it a condition that a certain portion of it shall be devoted to the construction of the Otago Central railway. The Railways Construction Bill was a fairly workable Bill, but did not think the framers intended that such lines as the Otago Central should be constructed under it. As a last resort, however, he would far sooner see it constructed by a company than not at all. THE SQUATTERS. Lately, pressure had been brought to bear upon him to induce him to retire from the contest, and one nm-holder had told him that he was in position to state that, if he would do so, he would be called to the Upper House He had refused that tempting offer not only because he knew he hid the confidence of his constituents, but also because he preferred to sit in the Lower House as a representative of the people than in the Upper Chamber as a nominee of the Government. (Applause.) So long as he had the confidence of his constituents, so long would he be most happy to represent them in the House. But he would gladly retire from politics, if they wished him to, when the Otago Central Railway was an accomplished fact, the runs cut up, and the interior peopled with a thriving population. (Applause.) He must not forget to tell them that a Squatters’ Association had been formed in Dunedin, with the object of attempting to frustrate the intentions of the Land Leagues, by returning to Parliament men pledged to support the squatters’ measures. Squattocratic Candida cs were springing up ail over the country. Mr G. P. C. Browne, who was opposing Mr J. C. Brown for Tuapeka, was an agent of the squatters; a squatter was wooing the sweet voices of the Mount Ida electors—in fact, every constituency in this island had a squatting candidate for their suffrages.

SEPARATION. No one wanted separation—it was a sham and a delusion. What was wanted was a local Parliament for each island, to deal with affairs in a proper manner. The interests of the North and South were not identical, and they could not work together well. Each island wanted a Parliament of its own before legislation would be established upon a sound and fair basis,and before Bills that would have beneficial effects would be passed. The expense of such bodies would be ridiculously small in comparison with the cost of the present Parliament. The “old women,” or Dpper House, he would do away with altogether.

tbe OOLD DUTY ho termed an iniquitioua imposition. It was not fair or right that miners should lie taxed for things that did not benefit them. Collectively, they contributed £SOOO to the county while agricultural-

ists and others had to pay only £2OOO. The duty on gold would have to be abolished, and ho would bo perfectly satisfied if ho could get it off Ad a-year, till it was all taken off. It was shameful that a miner was compelled by law to pay 10s fur a right, and 2s fid for every certificate he required. There was a nominal Minister of Mines, but we had better bo without one. The present Minister did not understand his business, ami his ignorance was only exceeded by his neglect. This country had ■never been properly prospected It had been rooted over a little—in trnth.it reminded him of a dung-hill that a hen had scratched over; she had got a few grains of wheat on the outside, but the real crop was still in the heart of it. Rich alluvial deposits and quartz reefs existed within a mile of where he stood. (Applause.) PE ISONAL The “Cromwell Argus” had published a report of Mr Fraser’s meeting at Alexandra If that report was true, he’ was sorry for Mr Fraser ; if not, he was sorry for the editor thereof and for the readers of the paper. He maid nnt believe that Mr Fraser would degrade himself so tar as to abuse him to such an extent as the “ Argus ” made out he did. He believed it to be a most untruthful and one-sided representation of the meeting in question. True or not.he would not say a disparaging word of Mr Fraser. (Hear, hear.) These, gentlemen, are my views of the various leading political subjects of the day. M r Pyke then sat down amidst prolonged applause. QUESTIONS. In reply to questions put by electors, Mr Pyke said he was in favor of an elective Upper House ; that Mr Fraser had had nothing to do with the construction of the Clyde bridge; thought that free selection of land before survey would act very well ; he was in favor of local option, with liberal compensation to publicans who had conducted their houses in an orderly maimer ; would be in favor of the abolition of the gold duty even although Government did not subsidise the Council to the amount taken off; and would be in favor of making water rights indefeasible. Mr Sims said six years ago Mr Pyke met them in that hall and enunciated certain pledges, which he had faithfully fulfilled. Therefo-e he had much pleasure in proposing a complete vote of confidence in Mr Pyke as I heir member. M r Holt seconded the motion.

The proposition was carried wi f h aeolamation and almost without dissent, only one hand being held up against its passing A vote of thanks to the Chairman terminated the proceedings of the most enthusiastic and earnest meeting held in the district for some time past.