Mr Bruce's Meeting.

Manawatu Herald, 14 November 1899, Page 2

Mr Bruce's Meeting.

Last night Mr 11. C. Bruce, a candidate for the representation of this district in Parliament, addressed the 1 electors* and spoke for an hour and a half. I'be meeting wag very well attended The Mayor occupied the chair. Mr Bruoe» on rising was heartily greeted, and said it was at the request of a very large nurilber of electors he had again appeared as a can' didate, and as an opponent of the Government. Mr Stevens and be had bad many battles, bat there had never been any*il!*feeling. He was not taking up an independent position, but was an out'and'out Oppositionist. Mr Sedcion, he suggested, was rhe pigmy of the hour, the Government having uaed and prostinied the Word Liberal — and had accused all who opposed him (S?ddon), as a toady and an enemy of the working man. He was going to appeal to the intelligence of the au» dienoe, and if there Was any truth in these accusations of those who opposed the Government they would be unfit to be a representative. "Who are these toadies ? He (Seddon) lifts us up to contumely as toadies, who are the sons of the old settlers of the colony. His (the speaker's) father was a follower of Gladstone and Bright, and the persecution received was the cause of the family coming out to this colony, and he therefore bad a right to talk something about Liberalism. In speaking of the land for the people, the speaker said the party in power bad used it as a cry to show that the party he was in accord with had opposed this principle. Sir Harry Atkinson got to power pledged to economy, and the expenditure was so considerably re" duced that a very large exodus took place to Australia. This accounts pntially for the acausation made against hi* party. His policy as to r he redistribution of the land in in bfing in favour of disposing of the lands to a bona fide settler on the easiest terms. He would sell land a' I £1 an acre giving the right to the occupier to purchase at any time he might desire to do fo. He was in f ivour of a freehold tenure — keeping the land in the hands of the State was a system of going backwards. It was communistic, and in keeping with the Maori and the Highland Scots. He had figures to show that, under the Atkinson Government •here was more settlement on the land than there had been under the ore^ent Government. Is it not in rhe bt.~t interests of the community r.hat the waste lands of the (Vown should be settled and developed ? In reference to the siz^sof the holding he paid should be guided by natural nausea. The Government are to be judged from the, legislative and administrative work. The Government kppt making laws to gammon they were doing something. The Government claims its c ntinuanco on the labor legislation it had passed. Hcontend d the legislation had been ,ainst the b; st ?i; interests of the lnw«vivfcvei H" 1 d^ired to a^k thp young m>n present whether this* egi-laiion has put a penny piece in any f>f your pockets. (Cries of yes, vps.) As to the Conciliation snd -^ I nitration Bill ha believed the owner* would close their works in preference to giving higher wages to what they thought fair. He edmitted that the question as to the Government's legislation was in the ■vgion of debateable matter. He objected to the spoils to the victor policy. He said in America this element was entering into the public schools, and scholars were going to private schools. He alluded to the Police Commission, declaring Mr S j ddon most unwillingly granted aD investigation. He pointed out thu Mr Taylor had objected to the members of the Royal Commission. He would not support any Government 'hat had its police force in such a ■rtate of incapacity. He believed Mr Pirani had shown phenomenal capacity in finding out scandals. Tbe New Zealand Cross scandal was next oomraented on, and the speaker re-fe-rrd how the Wrigg decoration had furnished the honour of being a ho!---1 •(' nf this decoration. He paid the only portion nf the way Wrigg had r.o travel that was dangerous he was acfiompani»d by a force. H^re w*s a man crawling for an honour, and here was a government yielding to such a cry. The Marine scandal was next touched upon. He declared Duco Jones knew no more about navigation than the paper he held in his hand. There was something very wrong when a man could get a service certificate who knew nothing about navigaton. The position of his party was chaotic. He was going to speak for himself alone and not for his party on the public policy. The evil of party government was that to keep in power they had to tickle the people. The greatest Statesmen in England said the greatest duty the people had was to put 12 good men in a jury box and not to bother about politics. The politicians give you one thing to-day, another to-morrow, and so on, It has been said the Opposition has no policy and would not repeal any Statute. He would not be a party to repeal, as all these Acts had been placed on the Statute book by the will of the people, and must only be removed by their will. He was opposed to prohibition and held the same opinion he did three years ago. The present act must remain until it has had a fair trial. There is no compact between the prohibitionists and him, he did not be-

lieve in secret contracts. Mr Isitt had asked him to come down in the threefifths majority, but he had answered "no." It had been frequently said that this colony had prospered during the tenure of Mr Seddon. The best government you can put in is bound to mismanage some things, fie was a freetrader and in favour of reduction on taxation of necessaries of life. He was opposed to the land for settlement bill, it produced nothing to the labour or capital to the country, it was opposed to the freedom of the individual. The evils this measure opens the door to dan be instanced by supposing a ' man who had land for sale went to a Minister for Lands who desired to stay in power, he might be induced to offer such terms as to make a sale to the satisfaction of the seller. The temptation should not be put in any man's way. Sentiment was the most powerful feeling of the world, and this was outraged by this measure. He. would not vote for its repeal, but he would have all transactions dealt witlr-/, by a non-political board. It had been r heard by him that it was thought that if the Opposition got in men's wages would be reduced, but it was not in the power of any government. Hebe- J lieved in employing the best men and * giving them the best wages. He had been accused of only paying his men five shillings a day. He wished to deny that he was the instrument answerable for the introduction ot stoats and weasels. During the last three years £10,000,000 had been borrowed. What is there to show for it ? Our accounts are kept so extraordinary that it was impossible for a man, like himself, to understand. The government said that we were paying less interest than we did ten years ago. He gave some figures regarding Westland. It contains two per cent of the population ; the old age pensioners were largely in excess there ; Charitable Aid and Hospitals cost 7s sd in the £ ; expenses of gaols showed each prisoner there cost £go a year. Public Works expenditure per head was 26s 4d. Proposed expenditure for this year was 42s per head. He quoted many other comparisons always showing Weslland well ahead. He asserted that the co-operative workers were kept as a body of voters for the government. The government had increased these co-operative workers by nearly 1000 since January. What was this but an attempt to crush their political opponents? The speaker detailed Mr Seddon's expenses, and said he believed that any man who was so extravagant in his public expenses was bound to be extravagant in other things. Mr Seddon was going about at the expense of the taxpayers to try and crush political opponents. About borrowing. He declared there must be borrowing for this country, as the main lines must be finished. He did not blame the Government for proposing; it, but did not believe they would spend the money properly. He believed the railways were mismanaged. The Minister is put in to manage, and is frequently a man who knew nothing about railway work. He advocated the railways being put into the hands of an expert. He was a believer of Government by party. It had been proved in Britain the best for mankind for our race. The Upper House constitutionally is a tribunal placed above the strife of the other House, and they ought to be a cooling chamber. This has been spoilt by the nominations to tne Council by the Government. He was opposed to the system of cram now in use in our school examinations. Referring to the salaries of the teachers the speaker said rather than have them reduced, he would like to see them increased. The beliet that the fall in morality was caused by omission of religion in schools he did not hold with, as he thought little of a country that was dependent for its religion or what might be taught in a school. He considered character, morality and religion should be taught in the home, yet he would like the leading theologians to meet together and draw up the principles of religion that could be taught in schools. He would like to see the denominational grant put to the referendum. Federation with Australia "will be considered during the next three years, but he desired to say he knew nothing about it. It was his opinion that so long as they remained under the British' flag it mattered little whether they Federated or not, but the time would come when if they parted from the Home Country it would be of much consequence in being a member of a powerful Australian Federation. His sympathy tended towards Federation. He was interested in drawing together the different families of the Anglo-Saxon race. He was enthusiastic in the action of the Government in sending a contingent to Transvaal. He believed Mr Seddon rose to the accasion that time (applause). This Empire was practically a confederation of independent States. Our young men going to shed their blood will do more to cement the colonies together than any legislation would. The question to be decided in December is whether the party in power is to be granted a fresh lease. Ministers are wanted who will employ ( men independent of party. In the event of his return he would support any party who would move in the way he had mentioned. He believed in men. He would not be pledged to any party and stood simply as an individual. He strongly objected to a vote of confidence, he knew he was in a minority a great minority, in Foxton, but he would gladly accept a vote of thanks. (Applause.)