HON J. CARROLL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1615, 30 November 1905, Page 2

HON J. CARROLL.

ADDRESS AT GISBORNE.

ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING.

His Majesty's Theatre was ■ largely 1 1 attended lost night, whon the Mativo ; Minister, the Hon. J. Carroll, Rave a Beoond address to the oloctora. Mr Oar- | roll was welcomed with prolonged applause. Tho Mayor (Mr J. Townloy) occupied tho chair, aud briefly stated tho object of the mooting. , Tho Hon. J. Carroll, who, on rising to speak, was received with enthusiastic op* plause, said that as tho time for the election drew nearer tbo fight beoamo keener. He rejoioed in a good election fight, and was glad to note that , such interest was being taken in tho contest. Ho had noth" in to complain of his opponents, excepting in regard to the poreistent reiteration of implied charges again tho administration nnninak himnnlf nnrsonallv. He Went

on first to defend what had been done in v regard to the administration ofnativflland p affairs. Ho produced a map of New Zoa« t land upon which there were many large t blaok spaoos marked with tho object of t showing that tho blaokoned areas were loclted-up native lands. He sail the map t bad been produced in tho Auckland Herald ae the leader of tho Opposition, i and was being industriously turned to . account locally. It was, ho said, based i upon a roturn called for in the House six I years ago, and their opponents pretended , to have no knowledge of what had been done Bince. (Voice : Good hit 1) They would have them believe that from Waiapu to Gißborno was lookod-up native i land, lying idle, not in profitable oeoupa-

tion for pastoral and other purposes. (Applauso.) Ho was oharged- that as Native Ministor ho had grossly mismanaged native afiaits, and had Igi6 in an | unproductive state 700.000 acres. He gave this statement an empbatio denial, contending that ho had done nothing to prevent the settlement of the land. There was little or no native land available for settlement between Gisborne and the Waiapu river; in fact he did not think that there wes mare than 15,000 acres. There were 2010 j acres at Anaura, and other small biooks at other j places. In Tolago Bay district he thought ' there might bo 1200 acres. The settlement of the native lands had been proceeding since 1893, when the Validation Act was passed and titles I given to a largo area, and their work had I been proceeding ever since. He warned his audience to receive every statement from the Opposition with “ a grain of Balt.” Within the Cook County he defied them to bring forward any blook of 10,000 acres that >as not in profitable occupation for pastoral and other purposes. If anyone wanted to take up native laud there was plenty of it. Anyone could come along and within reason take up any block. A voice: I wish you would tell us where it is. Continuing, Mr Carroll said that the only native laud in the district was from tho Waiapu onward. Proceeding, hs justified the policy of the Government, his remarks boiDg in the main on the lines of his previous addresses. Justifying the decision of the East Coast Trust Board in disposing of a large area of native lands for 16s for which they were subsequently offered 27s 6d, Mr Carroll explained that the latter price was offered for 2000 aores only, and could not be entertained. Referring to the personnel of the East Coast Trust Board, the candidate said that no possible exoeption could be taken to tbo appointment of Messrs Shrimpton and McFarlaDe. It could not be said that those gentlemen would lend themselves to any swindle or fraud. As for the appointment of Mr Harding, he would say nothing about him, as the ladies and gentlemen present knew as muoh about him as he did himself. (Applause.) He considered the East Coast Board had done good work. As far as he could see, the Opposition party in Gisborne assumed a command of all the virtues that humanity were entitled to. (Laughter and applause.) Continuing, Mr Carroll dealt with the question of the Rotokure domain, justifying the position taken up by the Government. He contended that full compensation bad been paid to tihose who bad Buffered any pecuniary loss in the matter. Speaking of the Te Puia springs lease, the candidate said thatwhen he was first asked about the lease at Waipiro he knew nothing about it, and stated so. As member for the distriot he considered that he should have been informed about the matter. When the lease oame up on tho following day it was stated that he had all the time been aware of what had taken place. And after all what was it ? Merely the lease of one acre for a period of 14 years. It was necessary that some one should go there for a time aud live there in order to cater for the wants of the travelling public. The Gordons had done this, and were as much entitled to compensation as were the Rotokare settlers. (Applause.) If anyone had reason to complain in regard to the Te Puia township it was the natives who had not received a penny for it. (Applause.) In maoy oases they found a higher appreciation of public matters among the Maoris than among the Europeans. Speaking of the Te Araroa grievance, Mr Carroll fully explained this to the satisfaction of all present. He pointed out that there were Europeans squatting on the land at To Araroa. They had no security of tenure, because it was native land and it was impossible for him to get a title. He went purposely up the Coast and asked them to give him 50 aores and he would out it up into a towdshlp. They then generously handed over a blook of land. They made a free gift of .it, and it was out up and sold. They asked that a certain cultivation should be reserved, and instructions were given accordingly. But the surveyor in laying off the land either overlooked these instructions or wished to

ignore the natives, thinking they would forget the matter; but they did not do so, and made representations to him (Mr Carroll) which he was bound to respect. The natives, however, offered an equivalent in the shape of a recreation ground, but, this, instead of being devoted to its' proper purpose, had been sold to tbo looal publican in which to run his horses. It was a gross act of injustice in the first place taking away the natives’ land Boeing that the Maoris gavo them the land for a township in order that tho settlors might get their title. The Opposition had been making great capital out of the above, going so far as to say that he (Mr Carroll) was afraid to go to Te Araroa. (Laughter and applause.) He had disproved this, because be had been there, and the explanation that ho had given was in every way deemed satisfactory. There was another charge against him,

and that was that he had countenanced * lohuoganism, but this was malicious as it ( was untrue. He need not tell the audi--3 ence that if anyone was against tohungaism it was himself. But nevertheless it was a I native difficulty that they had lo cope , with, and the thing was how to cope with it. Proceeding Mr Carroll said that they , could not transgress the liberty of the subI jeet. They could no more misrepresent the tohungas than they coaid Professor , Dowie or any such impostors who come 1 and played on the credulity of the public. There were those amongst the natives who were skilled in herbs, who were in fact herbalists, and these it had been decided to license. And because he had put his name to the Gazette notice licensing these herbalists it was stated that he was- heart and soul with the tohungas. In regard lo the district votes, Mr Carroll showed that, although the Cook County Council had only received the snm of £1613 last year, there hadJjeen £3596 spent on the roads by the Roads Department, whilst the expenditure on the Gisborne-Karaka railway was £116,000. There had also been a large expenditure on publio buildings throughout the district. After a personal explanation ia regard to the position he took up in regard to preference to unionists, Me Carroll concluded an excellent speeoh by replying to the attacks of his opponents in reference to matters affecting the existing political parties in New Zea- j land. The Opposition described all their , doings bb “ bribery and corruption,” and never gave them credit for doing anything 5 that was fair and just. The Opposition f did not give them credit for having a soul ) above parochial affairs ; they would come 1 down into the ordinary gutter and be- q Bmiroh themselves with the hardly dried jj taud at the bottom. This was the chav

actor of tha politics of the Opposition, and always had boon. The Government had established factories without number, but tbo only factory that the Opposition had established was a scandal factory. (Laughter and applause.) Those who started on a campaign to make others squirm were generally the first tbcmselvoß to squirm. (Laughter and applause.) Their oritioism was chiefly misrepresentation and miastatomentß. (Laughter and applause.) His opponent, Mr was

Soo aggressive aud too egotistical. Tboro b was marked on his programme tbe groat a personal pronoun “ I.” Mr Clayton v objected to boing designated aa William ] Pitt, bo ho would refor to him as William c Pitt’a doublo. (Laughtor and applause.) Ho considered it was a grand thing for , young pooplo to emulate tbo doods of ’ great men, but they should bo careful in ; regard to making premature announcements. They should be guided by public ; opinion in this matter. (Applause.) After , ridiculing his opponent (Mr Clayton) at some length, the Native Minister closed hie address by remarking that abuse was the strongest argument used by the Opposition, and, as they were well aware, abuse was no argument. Ho was sure that tbe party which he represented was ontitled j to their continued confidence, and that they would be granted a new lease of their favor. (Applause,) Tho usual nuinber of bouquets were showered upon tbe candidate. Questions being invited, the first handed up was as follows: —“ Is it true that the Karaka ongine requires now brasses on account of the pace it goes ? ” I “It all depends whether you are in a hurry or not,” replied Mr Carroll. “ I should like to see it aceelerated in the pace of construction towards the Hota.” “ You stated od this plattorm that there I were oolj 200,000 aores of native lands unoooupiod in the district, and Mr Clayton states there are 770.000 acres. What is tho true state of affairs ? ” Mr Carroll: There are less than 200,000 acres —that is going from the Waiapu towards Capo Bunaway. A number of other questions having been asked and satisfactorily answered, Miss Welch proposed the followipg 1 motion:—“ That this meeting, while i thanking the Hon. Mr Carroll for his able ; address, deplores the unwarrantable per- , eonal attack made by the opposition, and i assures him of its unshaken confidence.” : I The motion was seconded by Mr Bell, i and carried without opposition, cheers . being given for the candidate and tbe 1 Government. > A vote of thanks to the chairman teri minated the meeting. I I '.ik-lfeiit