Mr Bruce at Feilding

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 17, 19 July 1884, Page 2

Mr Bruce at Feilding

Mr Bruce, a candidate for the Rangitikei seat, addressed a largely attended meeting of electors in the Town HaU last evening.

His Worship the Mayoj was voted to the chair, and said that Mr Bruce had been requested to come and give an address at Feilding by some of his friends. He then introduced Mr Bruce. His address was for the main part the same as he had delivered at other places in the electorate. He first referred to the land question. He advocated the allotment of the lands in as small portions as possible, and he did not think the Government should attempt to make a profit out of the lands. He would like to see the average size of holdings not more than 5,000 acres. Hi 3 remarks on the selling of the "land at costprice and on deferred payments were received with applause, as was also his remark that the absentee was a direct hindrance to the prosperity ofthe country. He gave several instances, and what he said was evidently much approved of. He repudiated the interfering with a man's accumulations as this was the very way to prevent accumulation. He did uot approve of land speculation. He wished to speak with all deference of the Feilding Corporation, but according to his method a much better Feilding than the present one might have been created. He referred to the leasing system proposed by Mr Rolleston, of which he expressed- 'his disapproval. He said freehold tenure of the soil fostered energy and independance, and was best calculated to produce prosperity. He here read an extract from a letter on this subject which he had addressed to a local journal. He next referred to the general depression and re-stated some of the principal causes, but said there was no royal road out of the difficulties. We must aU put our own shoulder to the wheel. As to the honorarium he thought 100 guineas was sufficient payment for the House of Representatives, and that payment to the Legislative Council ought to be abolished, He then went into the education question and again read an extract from his published letter. He believed in two kinds of education — a good English and a good classical — and dijapproved of a mere smattering of the latter, which was not an acquirement of knowledge — which he held education to be. He would educate up to the 6th standard, and let each go to school for at least seven years. He would leave the higher branches of education to private enterprise. He would send children to school at six years of age, and have a school wherever there were twenty children, He was not for reducing the salaries of the teachers, as he wished to see them take their proper position among the other civil servants. He did not approve of a concession being made to any denomination of Christians, and would vote against it. He had been accused of angling for Catholic votes, but he could safely say he had not angled either directly or indirectly for any vote in particular. He had not at any time during his political campaign trimmed his sails to catch the wind. He alluded to what Sir George Grey calls taxation of unearned increment, which he explained, and said he regarded as a great injustice, as striking at the rights of property. He could see no fairer tax than the property tax, which placed the heaviest burdens on the strongest shoulders. With reference to borrowing, he thought much of the money borrowed had been recklessly spent. He was opposed to indiscriminate borrowing, but still we must borrow. He would borrow for the acquirement of Native lands, and for carrying out the Roads and Bridges Construction Act. He alluded to railways and the central route, and said the only /justification of a* line* from Wellington to Auckland was the opening up ofthe interior. He would vote for the route which was shown and proved to be the 1 best, whether it should be from Feilding or Maj.on. He would be in favor of nominated emigration, if it was restricted to producers. As to. local option, he was strongly in favor ofa system which was not calculated to make men enemies to each other. He agreed with the present licensing system, which he thought would ultimately work well. He referred to the federation question, and rather approved of federation with Australasia. He approved bf Imperial federation, and read extracts from a etter he wrote to the Advocate some years ago, the. sentiments expressed in which he still held. As to what party he would support he repeated what he had said at 'his former meetings and said he had been accused nf not being sufficiently explicit on this matter, but said he should not attempt to be more explicit than he Fad been He could not under present circumstances say what party which had the welfare of the country at heart. rfe|repudiated the cry of " what has this or that man done tor his district P" and thought it sufficient ior a man to do his level best to get done

for his district what was necessary, whether it was actually done or not. He referred to the other candidates for the seat — Messrs Stevens and Arkwright of whom he spoke in enlogistic terms. He disapproved of votes of confidence, as ' they were often treacherous and misleading, and he would have their confidence recorded at the ballot box. Dr Johnston asked Mr Brace if he thought the time had come for cutting up the large tracts of lands. Mr Bruce repeated that this could not legally be done. He had no right to interfere with them, as it was striking ai the rights of property. He farther repeated the remarks be • had already made on the subject. He emphatically said he would not santion any interfer- _^ ence with any person's private property? ™ No other question being asked, Mr Lethbridge proposed and Mr P. Bartholomew seconded a hearty vote of thanks to Mr Bruce, which was carried amid &reat acclamation. • - ; .*- --«_■_■__■_■_■_—_—