Manawatu Election

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 10, 3 July 1884, Page 2

Manawatu Election

MR MACARTHUR AT FEILDING In pursuance to notice given by advertisement, Mr Macarthur addressed the Feilding electors in the Public Hall on Tuesday night. The room was crowded and the address was listened to with marked attention throughout, there not being a single intemption. The Mayor, Mr Sherwill, occupied the chair, and when he introduced the candidate, asked for a patient hearing. He also requested that, in order to save time, only such questions would be put as had a political bearing, or were relevant to matter introduced in the speech. Mr Macarthur then came forward and was received with applause. He said that he had often appeared on that platform to solicit their suffrages in connection with local bodies : he now asked them for the higher position of that of their representative in the General Assembly. He explained the false position the Manawatu electorate had been put in the past, when represented by an absentee Wellington merchant, who only looked on it as a pocket borough. A local man of even less ability than Mr Johnston would have represented the district better. Mr Johnston had pnly I>een elected by the local feeling which had existed m the past. The speaker hoped to prove that the idea was a wrong one that a man from one part of an electorate could not represent the whole. He gave a brief account of the contest between Mr Johnston and Mr Halcombe, and explained the local causes which led to the defeat of the latter. Since that time a general feeling had begun to exist among the electors that they should be represented by a local man. The seat should not be looked on as one that could be taken at discretion by any Wellington merchant or lawyer who might find means to excite local jealousy. If elected he. would faithfully do liis duty to Halcombe, Palmerston, Ashurst, and Feilding, without distinction. He briefly alluded to his opponents in the field. Mr Macarthur apologised for repeating what had already been made public in the reports of his' speech in Pajmereton by the papers;, He had nothing new to put forward in politics. On the subject of education, he was in favor of secular and free primary education up to the fourth standard. At present the means of the State were strained and secondary education must be dropped. He had been offered the block Catholic vote if he would support their demands for special subsidies, but he refused as he objected to the Education Act being tampered with, for if .one religious body were subsidised, the whole should be, and the objects of the Education Act would be entirely frustrated. With secondary education the large towns were benefitted at the expense of the country. He gave an account of the steps which led to the closing of the High School at Wanganui and commended the action of the Board. Higher education should be paid for by the parents that can afford it. He would not curtail the ages at which children should be sent to school, as by so doing many of the small schools would be shut up by depriving them of their capitation*. The children, possibly, did not lea.n much, but acquired habits of discipline which would be useful as they grew older. On the land question a number of new ideas had been promulgated by Henry George, in his book on Progress and Poverty, and in another author's on Jiand Nationalisation. The ideas were full of fallacies, and although very charming in theory, were utterly impracticable. It was the instinct of every colonist to become a freeholder. He disapproved of Mr Rolleston's scheme -of perpetual leasing. If it were adopted the time would come when the leaseholders would become a political power and would eventually obtain freeholds on their own terms. The. State can never be in advance of the people. He opposed the sale of lands by public auction, as during the excitement of men paid higher prices than the land was worth. The land- should be leased in moderately sized blocks for long periods and residence should be insisted on, or if the lessee did, not live on it, he should be, compelled to improve it in a greater proportion' to the' resident holder. Under such* a system men would know exactly what to do according to their capital; and' would'%ofr put all their money' into the land: and get into the hands of mortgagees fr.om.want of funds jbo work it |io profit.. Government shoujd not try to get a . large revenue oat i.of the waste lands, but should, by making the terms of ..settlement, easy, promote the prosperity of the people and the colony.' 'All surplus revenue from waste lands" should be spent on roads, to make access easy. He was of opinion that the railways should be managed by a non-political board, the

members of which should be beyond political influence, and who could only be remoTed in a similar manner to judges of the supreme court, by the rote of Parliament. He beliered that the interference of the Atkinson Government with the grain tariff had led to their defeat. He explained that the outcry was not really | from the farmers, who had already sold their produce to a "ring," who wero losers by the change. Jt had been proposed to sell the railways to a company but he would Dot approve of this .., . ..N o company would pay the sum the railways had cost the country, or if they did they would charge higher rates in proportion, to make them pay a dividend. It had been said that steamer competition would prerpnt the rates being raised beyond a certain limit. This statement was^proba- , bly correct but the limit was not defined. The Mam Trunk Railway should be completed, even if we had to borrow more money than that already authorised by the House. He went orer th« ground ; which is already familiar to our readers, on the want of faith displayed by Mr Johnston and Mr Mitchelson in the matter of the Oroua Valley route. The Roads and Bridges Construction Act had been in some degree a failure. The Manawatu had applied for £110,000 out of the whole £200,000, with the object of getting a larger proportion. The Government had altered it so that each body could only apply for £6000, We had only received £900 of this sum. He explained .the distinction between main and district roads. He thought that the local bodies should decide on the point. It was a mistake to make tho grant depend on the land fund, the surplus land revenue should be spent on tile land from whence it came. He would support the Government in obtaining* loan to carry out the provisions of the Act. On native affairs he said that a few years ago this was a very important sub* ject, but Mr Bryce had made it a very unimportant one now. Native affairs had been ably managed by that Minister. He advocated tho resumption of the preemptive right by the Government. He approved of the scheme of federation if it does not mean an increase of taxation, lie explained what would be the powers of a Federal Council, and how it would be effected and utilised by local legists* tures. He considered separation .a men political cry and would oppose it. Local option. His reply to a question on this subject in Palmers ton had been some* what misrepresented. It was a subject of small interest in the Manawatu. This principal of the thing was good, as it pre* vented the opening of new public houses. He did not. believe in shutting up existing hotels without full compensation. He considered the. best plan was- to educate the youth ot the colony to habits of sobriety, by example. , He said that the Political Party he would bave-snppported in the House, had he been ' elected when Mr Johnston was expected to resign, would have been the Atkinson party. He disagreed with the Insurance *'Fad M of Major Atkin«on,and the Land "Fad" of Mr Rolleston, but he would infinitely prefer these men to either Sir G. Grey or Mr Montgomery as they were better men and honester po<iticans. Sir Julius Yogel was a new factor in the position of parties, and he would support a coalition Ministry if he (Sir Julius Yogel) was a member of it, but if the choice lay between Yogel and Atkin*. son he would prefer the latter, it was better "to have a devil you know, than a devil you don't know." He' thought it highly probable that the slight political differences between them* would be put aside or overcome. He would like to see Mr Bryce Native Minister. He would not assume the role of an "independent member," and go into the House to sit on a rail. As to the ability of any Government to make better times he^did not believe in it. A rise in the prices of wool and grain would do far more,"C(« the subject of Charitable aid he said this' was a difficult question, bat he con* sidered that local bodies should be sub* sidised as they always knew where the shoe pinches. The subject of the Oroua Valley Route and its exploration was of vital importance to Feilding, but all he would expect from the Government would be that the. best line should via. The only expensive piece >of ■ work Mrßoohfort had found would need to bo done was the bridging the Jlangitkei. The surveyors had been taking the level* from Marion as if that was the rente already decided upon.. If he were elected he would press on the Government the necessity of considering the claims of the alternate route joining at or hear Feilding. At one time he wax of opinion that the junction of the <^orge Railway should be at Bunnythorpe, but* since Palmerston and Ashhurst had been so rapidly settled he thought the junction should' be at the former place. There were other interests to be considered. Feilding was not much anVettd, and Palmerston would be much benefited while the settlers at Bunnythorpe wero not inconvenienced its they had* a railway station there already. The advance .f»f Palmerston meant progrpAs to feilding. Palmerston had always helped us in the past and we should gire and' take/" with them. He thanked the audience for the patient hearing they had given liiin. fte would strive if ejected, to represent them as a whole., lie would take no narrow view! : he would give an amount of his stewardship after each. session, and would if re. quired address them before each meet ing of the House to hear > their* riowson cu*i rent politics. (Loud applause;. ■ ° ' : I'he Mayor asked if aayqdtstiona were desired to be. put.. ' • '•. ••• Mr Warbiirton. of Palmewton. wns underload to ask of M r Mncarth ..r was in favor of Judge* of District Courts and R.M/s being lawyers. • .• , The reply was iliat he was, but that the salaries were so small that no barrister

or solicitor of ability would accept the appointments. „ .: • Mr Gosling asked if Mr Macarthur would' support the reduction of the honorarium* . ■ Mr Macarthur informed them that he would approve of a reduction of th* honorarium to £150. He approved of the principal of payment of members as it allowed poor but able men to represent the people, and Parliament would not be in the hands of rich men only. He would abolish (he payment of members of the Upper House as they were all wealthy men. Mr Saxon asked if Mr Macarthur . would pledge iiimself not to take more << :than £100. Ihe reply was in the negative for the reasons above stated. Mr Smith wished to know if Mr Macartliur would oppose Sir Julius Vogel's claim for commission. Mr Macarthur said that as he did not know the details he could say nothing on the question. . Mr Peter Bartholomew moved a vote of confidence in Mr Macarthur, which wa« seconded by Mr Gosling and carried almost unanimously as only two hands were held up acainst it. Mr Higgin moved that the meeting pledge itself to support Mr Macarthur in his candidature. He spoke in the highest term* of his old opponent in municipal matters, and said that his untiring energy and ability displayed in the various offices he had held in the County and B>rou«h were qualities that eminently fitted him to represent the electors in Parliament. He knew that Mr Macarthur would devpte the whole of his energies to the performance of his duties. He would remember that in promoting our interests he would be promoting his own. Mr HigginV speech was a v«ry telling one and was loudly applauded. Mr P. Y. Lethbrige briefly second? d the motion, which was carried unanimously. A vote of thank* to the Chairm an was suitably renponded to by Mr Shcrwill and the meeting dispersed. ME MACAKTHUR AT HA LOOM BE La»t evening Mr Macarthur addressed some 100 persons at Halcombe, Mr Tompkins in the chair, when, after stating bis political views before them, the following question* were a«ked : — WrLacey— Are you in favor of large companies Acquiring blocks of land for means of settlement, or do you think the Government should do it ? Mr Macarthur preferred that the Gorrrnment should do so if they could be induced to, and in reply to Mr Harris, favored leases for 21 years, with power to purchase after, say. four or five years, compelling non-resident ! holders to improve to n greater extent than resident holders. Nor did he see hia way to supporting any measure that would tax »b*enteet heavily, for they had bought .the Und iv good faith iv the laws of the colony, which could not now be fairly altered. Mr Jj&cey — If returned, arc you prepared to sever your connection with the corporation ? Mr Macarthur— Certainly not. What is hvoeficial to my company i« also beneficial to the settlers, because their interest* are similar. - (Hear, hear.) Mr Lacoy — Why was the petition signed by 800 ratepayers treated with contempt P Mr Macarthur — No petition was ever treated with contempt. Voice — Were you not blamed for making somr expenses too heavy when representing the council, and did yeu not try to make Feilding the central station ? Mr Macarthur — No, I did not try to make Feilding the central station, and no officials ever charged me with, too heavy expenses. Mr Macarthur was in favor of obtaining a monthly sitting of the B.M. Court at Halcombe, and was not going to advocate the interests of his employers any more than any one else. If he found lie could not represent both in the House he would resign the one or the other. W hen accused that anything he had don« for Halcombe had been done in the interests of his employers, Mr Macarthur Mid, since his company's interests and those of Halcombe were ro identical, it would b© impossible for him to do anything for the one. without the other. If he had. not done anything for his employerg in Halcombe, he would have been quite idle-.. /. . In reply to Mr Linton, Mr Macarthur would support a renewal of nominated immigration. ">.«<• M r R. Linton then proposed a vote of confidence in Mr Macarthur, Mr Bell seconding. Mr Harris moved an amendment of a Tote of thanks, but not of confidence, Mr Lacy seending. Both Ihe latter gentlemen spoke on the amendment, and between the kicking of boots on tite floor and cries of " turn him out" and " shut up" pointed out the heinous qualities of the candidate. Mr Lacey asked if the meeting knew Athat the Duke of Manchester owned a large piece of land close to- Halcombe. Voice— Yea, and everybody uses it. (Loud laughter and applause.) The motions were then put, and the original resolution declared to be carried, onljr three dissenting from it. A vote of thanks to the Chairman con eluded the meeting. .