CAVERSHAM ELECTION.

Evening Star, Issue 2971, 27 August 1872, Page 2

CAVERSHAM ELECTION.

Mr Tolmio addressed a large meeting of the electors at the Drill-shed, Caversham, last evening. Mr Galder presided. The candidate, in dealing with the political questions of the day, first referred to the Public Works and Immigration Act, which he said had not been administered in the way it should have been. At the same time the people hero were too prone to judge without being fully acquainted with the circumstances of the case. Too much reliance was placed upon what this or that journal said, while each paper favored its own peculiar views. Newspaper statements ought therefore to be received with caution. But with regard to the Act. There could be no question that the immigration portion had been wrongly administered. The Government had acknowledged their shortcomings in that respect; and had committed a great mistake in appointing Dr Featherston to the Agency-General. The Otago agency under Mr Auld, had been properly carried on ; and it was a great pity that the attempt was ever made to snuff it out. But Dr Featherston had been instructed to mend his ways ; and apart from that, Mr Auld had had funds placed at his disposal to resuscitate the office. For his part he could not see why Scandinavians and Germans should necessarily be introduced ; and was not one of those who favored immigration ad lib. He rather favored a steady flow of immigrants. They should be introduced in a moderate degree ; so as not to interfere disadvantageously with the labor market. He thought the Govern*

ment wrong for letting the railway contracts to one firm. It was a notorious fact that those contracts were being sublet by that firm to small contractors ; and the question occurred to him—Why should not the Government deal directly with the small contractors? The effect of the present mode was that the large contractors got a greater sum, and the sub-contractor got a smaller sum, while the Colony had to pay the difference. He contended that the works should have been carried out by local men, without the intervention of outside capitalists. There was no doubt that the introduction of capital was a great advantage to the Colony, but at the same time it would be found that the great capitalist would become a power in the .State which it would be very difficult to control. Referring to the Civil Service, he pointed out the necessity that existed for reducing it to a minimum. The General Government service gave employment to 2,100 persons at a cost of L 350,000 a year, and the Provinces to 002, at a cost of LI 15,550. In Auckland there were 115 officials, receiving L1G,300 ; in the Province of Taranaki, 33, receiving L 2,500 ; in Wellington, 56, receiving L 8,200 ; in Hawke’s Bay, 20, receiving 1.4,150; in Nelson, 57, receiving L 13.100; in Marlborough, 2*2, receiving 1.2,500 ; in Canterbury, 77, receiving L 17,800 ; the Province of Otago, including the re-united Province of Southland, headed the list with 124 officials, receiving L30,0()0; the County or Province of Westland —which was untrodden by the foot of vnau eight years ago —had now 91 officials, receiving L 21,000. So that there was an expenditure upon officials of LI 15 550 over and above what was paid to those employed by the General Government. Altogether it came to close upon half a million of money. The first step to be taken to remedy the evil was to remove the scat of Government from Wellington ; and the present w r as a favorable opportunity for doing so. When that was accomplished, they should seek to procure the financial separation of the islands. Referring to the Californian service, he said it was too expensive for the Colony at the present time. He hoped the day was not far distant when the service would be put on a better footing by this and the other Colonics. He was glad te see by the Financial Statement that subsidies to road boards W' re to be continued, as he maintained it was the* true secret of the prosperity of a country to develop its resources by means of roads. He referred to the Land question merely to touch upon a transaction that took place about a year ago, when a large tract of country was sold to one individual in a manner that reflected very little credit upon those concerned in it. — (Applause and “oh, oh,”) They might question his statement ; but he was behind the scenes when it was enacted, and he knew more about it than they did. He would not like to say any more upon the subject, because it was a matter that reflected very severely upon another gentleman.—(Confusion.) After referring to the education question, he said he declined to give any pledge whatever beyond this, that the moment his views did not agree with those of the constituency he would resign. Being pressed to give an explanation of the Moa Flat sale, Mr Tolmie did so after some reluctance, saying that it reflected very seriously on Mr Cutten. Ho said the matter was brought under his notice as Deputy Superintendent by Mr Duncan, who suggested that the land should be sold to fill the Treasury, which was more than empty at the time. He remembered telling Mr Duncan that he disapproved of the thing, and that it was a mistake to go in for sales of that description. Mr Duncan replied that the Provincial Council had affirmed it. Ho (Mr Tolmie) then stated that he could not help it; that he was a responsible individual, and that he would not act unless forced to do so. The result was that a meeting of the Executive was held, and it was then affirmed that these 50,000 acres should be sold to Mr Clarke on certain conditions, which were that a certain line of demarcation should be held as the boundary line of the northern-most side of the block. That line cut off all the low good land of the block. There were other conditions, which, in his opinion, placed it beyond doubt that that proposal would be negatived. Circumstfuces led to his (Mr Tolmie) leaving town for two or three days; and they might judge of his surprise on returning, to leara that the resolution come to by the Government had been totally ignored. The members of the Executive, who were also members of the Waste Land Board, had taken upon • themselves to meet as members of the Waste Lands Board, in the absence of the Chief Commissioner, who certainly recorded his protest against the sale afterwards. The result was that they not only agreed to all the terms laid down, but also waived what was termed the red line, and sold to Mr Clark the whole of the laud at 14s 7d per acre. Considering that a most gigantic blunder had been committed, and also that his advisers had acted in opposition to what was laid down at the time, his first impulse was to have them removed. But he failed to find their successors ; and when communicating with the other members of Government in Wellington, he found that the whole thing was committed to such a degree that he could not get out of it. To Mr Reid credit was to be given. He, Mr Bradshaw, and the Superintendent, stood out manfully against it; but as he had before said, they had gone so far there was no getting out of it. He might tell them that a certain amount of the land that should have been included in the purchase was subsequently withdrawn, and some of it was sold by auction months afterwards at L 4 an acre. He had never before had the opportunity of speaking on this subject; and he. now claimed that he was entirely exonerated in this matter, because he protested solemnly against the whole thing, and it was only when Ids back was turned that the members of the Executive took upon themselves to act in the manner ho had described. By that action not only did the Province lose a valuable block, but a precedent was established that might be used at a disadvantage to the Colony hereafter. He did not blame the purchaser ; he was quite right in making the best terms he could. The land was forced upon him j he was quite indifferent. But he blamed the members of the Executive, because there was not the urgency that some people would had them to believe. The Treasury was refilled very shortly after that time, and the money for the land was not paid for six or eight months afterwards. Therefore he maintained that the sale of the Moa Flat block was the most gigantic blander ever committed in the Province,

Mr M ‘lndoe moved, and Mr Bkid seconded, a resolution that Mr Tolmie was not a fit and' proper person to represent the con: stituency. This was met by an amendment expressive of confidence in the candidate, proposed by Mr David Baxter, and seconded

by Mr R. Stracban. For the amendment there voted 30, against 11. There were between 80 ami 90 persons present.