CAPTAIN MACKENZIE AT GORDON.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 6, Issue 346, 8 April 1884, Page 3

CAPTAIN MACKENZIE AT GORDON.

|3aptain Mackenzie's meeting at Gordon pn Thursday night was held in Mackay's Hall, and was" r aiten<led By a fairly ' large number «pf electors. Mr E.. S. MxsGill, a mem.l^r of the Town 'Bpafdj was in. the chair, " .-" \ '...'* v ■-.... Captain Mackenzie delivered a length}' address, travelling over pretty much the came ground as on the previous evening at Wynd^ami. He, first dealt exhaustively with the lan^d question, laying special stress on. the necessity for an increase to pur populaebn'lti Sfder \o lessen the burdens pn those yfyp Haft', already ' tHacfe' New 1 2ea!la'nd 'their aoinfy/^fttiy, ftther. subjects wejie touchedUWh, anl ape'oial Renunciation passed on the action of the' Government in constructing a useless railway bridge at Dunedin at enormous ccft, . while . railway sidings promised to this joL'-tric't had never been forthcoming, to' ; th'e' : great- deiriment of the settlers. In.CDnclijsion.he hcpid t^J those, present wdxfld.jiot ! |aU to. question 'him; £pr. : >fs p'rincipaf'obj&ct*' in nbl'ling "thes6 "meeting "vfas to ascertain the' AVill- of his constiiuents, and this "xould.be h.^t 'kno^n'hj a ;ree "pf thoughts a^d ideas. There was one-'tnatter .he "had not so far referredji i tQ-rtQftt. was the ..Gore-Kelsa Bailway, about . w.hich he together with his constituents had experienced a goo" deal of /anxiety. They were all anxv to sea iV./.W.^: nd -- fe® ie y? r 4 " *he ]%ww?igemtot first entej^ in?o ftaq ;■ , ■. . fefeeniflepart^i ivoW ih© • railway would' now have been under That arrangement was thajn the. line should be started at the'Keisoend, and that after the j first ffod-ha-d'btfefi v turned the settlers of the HistricKsbouJd ;lpfr cpnsul^ed aad fixjJP°a HeltermfßU^fei the 'flftfflf. end, He belfeved that uitimatftly the. line would have.come into Gordbn^i ;I <while he; .did not wish to blame anyone for what had occurred he must say he thought that when they elected a repre-er-tuHve they should have full connd^ape in && and tiotcaU xp aid of out

side members. Altogether the sum of TJO.OOO had been voted for the line, bu*the bill authorising its construction had Leon thrown out in the Upper House, mid while he could not sny what the upshot of the whole matter would be he could fearlessly assert thjs v that the railway was much required and would pay well. Mr Briggs asked whether tho member was in favor of: the Vv aimea railway tax ? Captain Macker.y.iV exp\iincd his ideas nt som length. He said that people who invested money in s>nch a concern as the Railway Company did «o with the object of obtaining a direct, return in the shape of interest, ?eveu per cent en thr-ir outlay having been guaranteed. They could not be blamed for desiring to oMain that by any means in their power. There might* be 'some legal quibble by which the settlers could escape paying the rate; but bo very much doubted it. He was not there, however, to speak of the law on the matter ; he merely expreeswd an opinion that he thought it highly probable the rate could'- br enforced. But it was not right t■ h a\i ; ; tax a few in order to secure and mi : •••<■! ; >■•'• hat' was undoubtedly for the benefit of th^ whole community. The line was of great importance to the Lakes and Dunedin, and bo failed to see why the whole J burden shauld full on the settlers. He re- | peatcdnow whaf he had said at other meetings, that under the peculiar circumstances ■ on nee ted with i his railway, seeing that the ?i< ople were 1o be so excessively rated and 'hat the line w; t s greatly mixed up with Government line?, it wp.3 the duty of the Go-vr-rnmpnt to take it over, which they could do at a very small outlay. He had the authority of the Secretary to the Railway Company for saying that already the Government had. advanced L 70,000 on the line. He advised those interested to petition the Government to buy the railway at once. Mr Arch. Fletcher, referring 1o our criminal population, asked whether Captain Mackenzie would not be in favor of substituting for the long sentences given at present short one 3 with application of the lash ? Captain Mackenzie highly disapproved of the lash. Next to hanging, the worst use they could make of a man was to floe him. .Mr Fletcher thfMi askpd why ihe Treaty of Wnitanin hid not boen adhered to? j Captain Mackenzie replied tat the reason I was very evident. T!.e white people preponderated, and the niggers had to go to the wall. •■■•'• •• Mr Fletcher ask od whether it was not a fact that in the early days of Ot ago and Southland large tracts of land were acquired, not for a proper consideration, but an old song?- .'',>. Captain Mackenzie was not aware of it. In the early days the Provincial Government was hard up and did sell land cheaply but not for a mer--- 1 song. The onlyinstanceas"f->ras he knew in which they had approached that was in the case of Joseph Clarke, of Moa Flat. Mr Bowt ell asked if the Licensing Act of 1881 should not be reconstructed ? ■ Captain Mackenzie replied that licensing affairs were more satisfactorily worked when the benches were composed of Kesident Mugistratea and Government nominees. The present Act ' unnecessarily imposed costly burdens on the people. Personally he had. no objections to local optibn, but he thought the only effectual way- of putting down drinking was to convince men that liquor was not good for th.em. .Mr Bowtell — Don't you think licensing powers might be vested in County Councils or Town Beards ? Captain Mackenzie was not disposed to think so, because for revenue purposes it would be to the interests of these bodies to increase the number of licenses. He- had no hesitation in saying that at present they .had too many elections of one sort and an- - other. An- Elector — What is your opinion of Mr 'Driver, member for Hokonui ? (Loud laughter). Captain Mackenzie had no objection to giving Mr Driver an excellent character as a business man, but he declined to -say anything of him in other respects. In reply to Mr Wm. Henderson, Captain Mackenzie said he would do his "beet to get a bill for the construction of the ; Gore to Kelso Bail way re-introduced. Before ' going to Wellington he did not know what ■ he could do, for a great ■ deal depended on i the, strength of the Government. If they had only one or two of a majority, they were remarkably civil. He -was not particular where the line came in at this end, but would prefer. Gordon. \ ', f In reply to an elector, Captain Mackenzie r promised to endeavor to relieve the Waimea B"ttli-i's of the burdens lately imposed on 1 !hfm ; and in, r-oply to Mr Briggs he said he ■ w^s not in favor of extending the railway . tax to Queenstown, Otama, Gordon, &c, be- . cause he thought Government should take over the line. Mr Hunter desired an explanation regarding a passenger siding at Gordon, and the placing of a man in charge of the goods shed. . . Captain Mackenzie said he had taken action in that matter, and all he could get was a promise that a man would be placed in j charge of the shed, at all events during the busy season, when grain was being shipped. As far as he recollected, Government positively refused owing to motives of economy, , and the fac tha' th' j re was another railway station within a -hart ijUfcnnce, to make Gor* don a passenger station. Ho had urged all points in its favor, but the railways did not seem to be run on commercial principles, but . on ca^t-iron rules framed for the benefit of > the. deparment. ; Mr Penney, referring to remarks made on , the land question, asked whether the agril culturist or the large 'andowner exported \ most, and was of most benefit to the cqunr {try? Gaptafn Mackenzie, replied that in some instances the large landholders were very considerable exporters. He mentioned Ellis Bros., of Five Elvers, as coming within the category, , ' Mr Alex, Brown moved a vote of thanks /& th captain for his address, and of confidence in him as representative of the Ma. taura constituency This was seconded by Mr Wm, Henderson, and carried unanimously. In returnirg thanks, Captain Mackenzie said he was plqaaed but not'surprisecTat tn'e yote just passed, for he ' had done his best &or all parts of the district. He would continue in the future, whether their representative or., not, to work for the advancement of the land in which his lot waa oaat. ' A yote of- thanks. \q the phairman term,i r . niv ed the proceedings, '. I •- '-." ...■'..