POLITICAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 1075, 28 November 1911, Page 3

POLITICAL.

MR MONCKTON AT EuXTON

Mr C. A, W. Mouektou, the Official Opposition candid ale lor the Otaki seat, delivered his second address lo the Box ton electors in the Coronation Town Hall last night. There was an attendance of about 300 aud H:s Worship the Mayor presided. The candidate on rising to speak was greeted with prolonged applause. He said he came belore the electors as the accepted representative of the Retorm Part'g and as such he felt it his duly to make his position clear in regard to Mr Brown. Mr Brown had stated that the Reform Party had thrown him over because, among other reasons, he was a prohibitionist aud further because he would not agree to Mr Massey’s policy in respect to giving lessees in perpetuity the ireehold at the original value. Now, these were not the reasons. The Reiorm Party had in its rauks a number of ardent prohibitionists, so that disposed ot Mr Brown’s first reason. In regard to the second the Executive of the Party had informed Air Brovvu that they declined to recognise him in any way long belore its platform was drafted. He would prefer not to give the Party’s reasons for declining to recognise Mr Brown as their candidate. After informing Mr Brown of the Opposition Parly’s decisiou, Air Martin, their organiser, was seut iuto the electorate to select a candidate, aud among others he waited on the speaker. Mr Aloncktou said he was nut ambitious aud had told Mr Alartiu he would prefer that someoue else should coutest the seat, but would fill the breach if uo oue else were available. They had endeavoured to get Mr C. B. Alorrison to again come forward, but without success, and he had theu come foivvard as the Party’semergency. Mr Aioucktou next went on to reler to some statements made by Mr Brown in reference to Air Field, to the elfect that it was practically impossible to get G 1 v-, - in n nt Advances unless the., i-ut through Mr Field’s firm. As the official representative of the Reform Party he wished to tell them that Air E'leld, after twelve years iu the House, was to the knowledge ol members ot both sides, a mau of iutegrity aud houour, bearing both iu his private aud official life, the reputation of a clean living aud straightforward man. Mr Aioucktou said it was his.duty to ‘‘cut up” Air Field, but he would do so purely iu a political seuse. The speaker went on to refer to the statement made by Air Field that although the Opposition had brought a large mimber o! charges against the Government, they had failed to substantiate auy oue of them. This was entirely wrong as every charge brought agaiusl the Government by the Opposition had been proved. He instanced the Hiue charges aud said that it had been proved that certain Government members had been guilty of corruption. The commission set up iu that case touiid that Air Alajor had accepted a commission of ,£3OO for inducing the Government to buy Bay ley’s estate in Taranaki ; Mr Symes hud also accepted a commission of ,£3OO for the same thing. It was also proved that Air Heuare Kaihau had received payments lor presenting petitions to Parliament aud lurtheriug the petitioners’ interests, and Air Symes had been guilty of the same thing. The commission set up also passed the following resolution : “The committee is of opinion that legislatiou should be passed makiug it illegal lor a member ot Parliament to act ou his own behalf, or on behalf of auy other person, in negotiating the sale ot au estate to the Crown.” Then, said Air Aioucktou, there was the E. A. Smith case. Smith was receiving big commissions tor obtaining immigrants tor New Zealand, but when Sir Joseph Ward was questioned ou the matter he denied that Smith was receiving anything. However, wheu the whole matter had been enquired into it was found that Iprge sums had been paid to Smith and Sir Joseph Ward got out of it by saying the advices from the High Commissioner iu respect to same, must have gone astray. Dealing with the Native Eaud Questiou, Air Aioucktou said that iu a receut speecu at Eevdu Sir James Carroll had devoted a good deal of time to this subject, aud had pleaded the case ot the poor Maori, aud asked that he should be assisted in every way possible, and that the advantages of the State lending and other institutions should he placed at his disposal. He did not tell his hearers, however, that the amounts paid iu rents lo Alaoris amounts to a sum equivalent to ,£l5O per annum tor every Alaon mau, womau aud child iu the country. This was apait liom mouies paid them for leases ui tovvuships, royalties ou llax and timber, etc. Sir James Carroll also did not tell them that the Alaoris still own four miliiou acres of first-class land, which is now lying idle, aud the Alaori owners are waiting for the white settlers to construct roads aud bridges aud he will theu grab the increased value. This, he said, is morethau unearned increment; it is bare-faced robbery of the Eluropeau settler lor the benefit ot the Alaori (applause). The Native Rate Assessment Act provided that wheu public works are undertaken to improve the Native lauds, then it is legal for such laud lo be rated. The Raglan Couuty Council look advantage ot that Act aud built roads, etc., which imp., ved the value of the Native lauds. To pay for this work they struck rates amounting to ,£1360, but all

I they were able to collect wa I £3 6s. They took proceedings I against the Natives lor the rei cover}' ol the balance, but the Maoris appealed to the Native Minister and lie went up and ordered the County Council to i write the amount off. This oci ciured two years running and the 1 re.-mii was that the European 1 settler had to carry the burden. It j was nouiing mure nor less than robbery. (Applause). The Natives Had received huge sums from the sale ui Hie Te .vkau and Mokau blocks, and haven't shown what they had done with it. The biggest part of the money received by the Natives was spent in the public house and on the racecourse. There was ouly one remedy lor this stale oi affairs and that was to place the Maori on exactly lire same fooling as the 'European. (Applause). A race that has provided men like Sir James Carroll and the Hon. T. Ngala is surely able lo manage its own affairs. Dealing with Eaud Tenure, Air Mouektou said that he favoured absolutely the Reform Party’s policy on this matter —the Ireehold and real measures to prevent re-aggregation. lie favoured the expending of the money derived iroin the sale of Crown i,auds, in purchasing other land for settlement. lie would prevent reaggregation by a system of classification ol all lauds in the Dominion and stating exactly howmuch of any one class of land one man should be allowed to hold. It a man acquired more than was al.owed then his title to the additional laud woud become null aud void, and the laud would revel t to the Stale. (Applause). Of course provision would have to be made to give lime for the disposal of auy laud over that allowed by the Act, if it came to a person by inheritance, fie strongly favoured the freehold, stating that auy man would rather own 200 acres than lease twice the amount. The present Government claimed to be a triend ol the poor m ai, and pledged to break up large estates, but after 20 years in power it was found that there were more bigestates uow lhau there were 20 years ago. It would pay Parliament to devote a .vUoie session to lUe Eaud question instead 01 was. mg time 011 the Electoral Census Act, aud others equally as useless. What was wanted iu Parliament was “ less jaw and more work.” (Applause). Dealing with the Mokau case Mr Aioucktou said that when the Native Eaud Bill came before the Legislative Council, the Hou. Dr Eiudlay made a lull analysis of the Bill, aud theu asked the Council to pass it without discussion, aud this was done. But in makiug that analysis Dr Emdia> did uoi refer to the Urder-iu-Couucii clause. At tins time Dr Eiudlay knew that his partner, Mr Dalziell, had written to the Native Minister expressly asking that this “ Order-iu-Couucil ” clause should be inserted in order that Air Hermann Lewis might be enabled to purchase the block aud it was 011 account of tnis clause that Hermauu Eewis was enabled to buy the block. This would not have been possible had we a critical Eegislative Council. The ouly remedy was the democratic principle of au Elective Legislative Council. He favoured a Eegislalive Council elected on the same franchise as the Eowcr House, but by say lour electorates electing two members each. They would theu gel a sound controlling body, i'ue question of finance was dealt with at some length by Mr Moucklon, who said that 11 the Reform Partygot iuto power their first act would be lo iustitule a lull enquiry into the Dominion's huauces aud to check waslelul expenditure. He criticised the Dreadnought gi 1 but wished his hearers to unde:staud that it was uoi so much me gilt he objected to as the maunei 111 which it was given—by one mau instead ol by Pailiameiu He was not disloyal or uupatriotic, aud had fought for his county, and would do so again it necessary. (Applause.) Iu order to provide the ,£330,000 necessaiy lo pay the interest, etc., on the Dreadnought ioau, Sir Joseph Ward had laised taxation by ,£448,000, and he ictuses lo say what is being done wild the surplus ,£IIB,OOO. At the pieseu, time, the candidate said, there was a great deal oi unnecessary extravagance, aud instanced Government House at Auckland, on which ,£40,000 had beeu spent, i'hen Sir Joseph Ward had invited the Queen Aiothet to visit ,-Nlew Zealand at the country’s expense, but fortunately she had declined the iuvitatiou. In the matter ol Laxatiou, the candidate contended that the only fair means was au income lax. I" his would meau that every mau would bear his lair snare of the burden. The income tax should commence at .£4OO per aunum, and gradually increase uutil the man with ,£IOOO a year would uc paying aiairly solid tax. Erom that point it would be heavier still uutil wheu they got to the mau who had au income of say ,£SOOO per anuum, they would have him doing sums to liucl out whether his iucome was greater lhau his taxes (applause). The customs taxation was unfair as the married mau with a family of five, had to pay six limes the tax paid by the bachelor. The same thing applied to the graduated laud tax. At the preseut Lime a man could own ,£4999 worth of laud aud escape the graduated tax, but it he had ,£SOOO worth of laud, eveu although there was amort gage ou it of ,£3500, he would have lo pay graduated laud tax ou uie whole amount. The Opposition Patty, said Air Aioucktou, were m lavou-, of a Civil {service

Board, which would control appointments and promotions. It would be removed from political influence, and merit only would count (applause). Another plank in his Party’s platiorm was Reform iu connection with Eocal Government, by which local bodies would have assured finance, aud the abominable system ol Government grants would be done away with. Reiorm in the ludustrial and Social legislatiou was also badly needed. Mr Mouektou went on to severly criticise the action of Sir Joseph Ward, iu refusing to give the House particulars asked for in reference to loans. He referred to the Kennedy McDonald case, and said had the Crown done its duty it would have taken the case up. As it was they had compounded a felony. Air Aioucktou concluded by coutrastiug the increases iu the Public Debt under the different Premiers of the preseut Government. Ballauce, iu two years, increased the debt 46800,000 ; Seddon iu 13 years increased tt 21 millions, but no one could deny that they had got something to show for the money spent during Seddon’s term. Now {Sir Joseph Ward had been iu office for five years and in that time the Public Debt had increased by 20 millions, and what, asked Air Aioucktou, had they got to show lor the money ? Nothing but a baronetcy aud a Dreadnought.

A voice : What about the Alanawatu railway Hue ? Air Mouektou : That’s not paid for ye 1 . It was paid for by debent ;: es. QUESTIONS. Air blunt: If elected, what vvorxs would you support lo benefit Eoxton aud the surrounding district?—l am going to be rather uncomplimentary to E'oxton. 1 think Eoxton has been dead for years aud wants shaking up. The Harbour Board improvement and the Eevin-Greatford railway are required and both would receive my earnest support. Air Hunt : Would you b? in favour of cutting up the flax lands for dairy farms ? —No, Why de slroy one industry to start au other ?

Air ‘‘Paddy ” Sullivan: What is your opinion ou the drink question ? Are you in favour of State control ?—I am iu favour of a three-iilths majority, aud do uot believe in State control.

Air Rockel : You referred just now to democratic principles, the three-fifths majority hardly coincides with that. —I hold that the Temperance questiou is outside parly politics. If the questiou •were decided by the simple majority it would uever be settled, but it passed by a three-fifths majority it would be safe. Mr G. Whibley : Would you be iu favour of getting iuto Parliament ou a thiee-fifths majority ? Yes.

Air Whibley : Do you think you would ever get there ?—I don’t know, but you would get the best mau theu.

Air Huut; Are you in favour of hereditary titles ? —I am not in favour of them in this youug country. I believe that a man should be honoured if he deserves it, but I do uot see why nis sou should be.

Air Whibley ; Are you iu favour ot the Delence Act as it at present stands ? —1 am iu favour ol compulsory military training, but am of opinion that the Defence Act wants amending. Air Whibley theu asked the candidate ii he had ever read the Act,’ aud he replied iu the affirmative. Asked when he read it, Air Aioucktou said he read it when it first came out. The questioner then asked how it was that at Whitauuui Mr Monckton had stated that he was iu favour ol the

~i-seut Defence Act, but afterwards admitted that he had uever read it. Air Monckton denied that he slated he had never read the Act, and sa’d that he must have mis; understood the questiou, Mr AEnoley replied that he had pre.sKica at the Whitauuui meeting aud the questiou was asked by oue ot the audience, aud Air Aioucktou, after saying that he favoured the Act, admitted that he had never read it. Air Aioucktou stated that he didn’t remember it, but he certainly read the Act when it first came out.

Air Rogers : The Hou. J. A. Millar said recently that he would make Luc port 01 Eoxton ”go bung,” and uow the Government had made a graut of ,£250 for the improvement of the harbour. Could he explaiu why that had beeu doue ? —i'he graut was made to “square ” Eoxton. Iu reply to another question, Air Aioucktou said he could uot say whether the graut referred to was obtained by Mr Newman, au Opposition member, or not.

The cauuidaie sum uc iavoured limitation of area and considered 640 acres ot first class laud was enough for auy man.

Air Haul moved that the candidate be accorded a beany vote ol thanks and confidence, aud this meeting is of opinion that he is a fit aud proper person to represent this electorate iu the House of Parliament. The motiou was seconded by Air Hurley aud carried.

Three cheers were given for the caudidate.

Air Spring theu moved that this meeuug has uo cuuhaeuce iu the Ward Govciuineut. This was seconded aud on being put to the meeting abouut 50 held up their bauds iu favour ot it aud oue against, aud the chairman declared it carried.

Mr Monektou brielly returned thanks tor the patient heating accorded him and moved a vote ol thanks to the chair, which was earned by acclamation.

On Monday evening next, in the Masonic Hall, Mr R. R. Martin, Opnosition organiser, will address the electors on the policy of the Reform Party.

Mr Robertson, Labour candidate, will address the electors in the Coronation Hall on Monday next, at 8 p.ra.

Messrs Byron Paul Brown, William Hughes Field, Charles Arthur Whitmore Monckton, and John Robertson have been nominated lor tiie Otaki seat at the forthcoming election.

11 If a man conducted his own business iu the way members of Parliament conduct that of the country, he would be fit for a lunatic asylum. (Hear, hear.) They should do as iu Australia, where the members are prepared to sit from January to December. (A voice ; Quite right, too.) The introduction of business methods is badly needed iu Parliament.” (Applause). Air A. H. Hindmarsh at Wellington.