THE GENERAL ELECTIONS.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 7, Issue 372, 8 July 1884, Page 5

THE GENERAL ELECTIONS.

„ 0 The announcement that Mr A. Baldey would be a candidate for Hokonui was, it appears, somewhat premature. He had not then fully made up his mind on the subject, but has sincfl decided that he will not contest the seat. It is stated that the publicans of Dunedin have resolved to vote as a body for Mr Green in preference to Mr Stout, for Dunedin East Mr J. W. Mit?hell has decided to stand for Awarua. So has the irrepres- ' sible Andrew Kinross. The other candidates are Messrß J. P. Joyce and J, L. McDonald. During an address to a large meet- ; ing of his constituents at Hawera the \ other night, Major Atkinson paid the defeat of his Government was due to the increase of the grain tariff, and the stoppage ( of further jobbing in native lands. He favored direct taxation ,and thought' the Property Tax was the best one. The exemptions should be less than at present. Last year the Go- j yernment spent L 400,000 more than during the previous year on account of the depression. The Government had largely aseisted local industries j Although people were crying about hard times 3£ millions were spent on spirituous liquors and tobacco last year. He was strongly in favor of i 'dominated immigration and, would npt favor an elective Upper House; opposed any further sale of pastoral lands ; would not pledge him* self to. eithpr rou^e,for ; the main trunk line, favored free secondary education to children who showed ability, and believed in religious education. He Would not favor any reduction of Ministerial salaries. At the conclusion the speaker received a vote of confidence. Regarding the honorarium question, which has been so much talked about and discussed in the press of Jute, Mtj Driver said at one of his Bruce meet- 1 ings that he had always been in favor of fair and liberal compensation being given for expenses to those who left their ordinary avocations to go to Weilingfcon. Thero wag;,* 'difference between payment ofr members and compensation for expenses, and he thought ;hey were about half way, .now. Thej jvujount now paid (L 210) was,;a ; great j cieftl more than thereasonable expenses j of the ordinary session. Considering, therefore, that the late session only lasted eleven days, he thought aj moderate sum should have satisfied | Members. If it had been a matter of payment per annum, it would have been a different thing entirely. Considering the existing depression, , the members; themselves should have been the first to display economy by taking as little as possible out of the pockets .of the country. He would prefer to see substituted for the present system tfcfae voting of a yearly sum. It had he&a asked what he did with the honorarium for the two or three days work Jie did during the late session. The ex^ct amount he received was L 122 9s lid. He did not leave that money in the Treasury j to do so would have been foolish, for a member had a right to do what he liked with the money. Onehalf of his honorarium, then, he had given to the Athenaeum and other institutions in his old district of Hokonui, so that he could not be ac« cuse.d of trying by that means to secure votes. — (Applause.)