MANAWATU ELECTION

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 190, 9 July 1884, Page 2

MANAWATU ELECTION

MR DONALD FRASER AT FEILDING.

Mr Frnser met the electors at Feildiug last evening m the Town Hall when tliere was a good attendance. His Worship the Mayor occupied the chair, and opened the proceedings by saying that Mr Fraser had asked then) to meet him there that evening, to hear his opinions on the politiccal question** of the day. Mr Fras>er was a stranger compared with Mr Macarthur, but the fact of his being a stranger was the more reason why they should give him an impartial and pauent hearing, and he would ask it for the credit of the town, and hoped that Mr Fraser would not have any cause to leave Feilding and say he was sorry he had been there. He was sorry to see the larrikin element had crept into Feilding. Men who stood for Parliament were supposed to have more than the average amount of ability, and for that reason, if for ho other, were entitled to respi-ct. Ho would say fchat both Mr Fraser'sand Mr Macarfchur's committee had mustered there m full force, and if any larrikinism -took place the offenders would beat once ejected. He then introduced the candidate. > Mr Fruser came forward and said. i he had been asked to stand as a candidate to represent them m Parliament. Several of the electors perhaps thought more of him than he did of himself, and lie could only say he could hardly express his gratitude for their support. However, on receiving the requisition he thought it only his duty to como forward and state his views, and. let the electors choose for themselves. If he was elected and found he could not represent i them, he would simply return them | the charge they had given him. Mr Fraser then stated his views to the meeting, a full report of which has already been puMiahed m the jVlanawatu Standard. Ho considered that works that were only half done could not pay and therefore it was necessary that they should be completed. He was no advocate for borrowing, if it was not an absolute necessity. 'Bnt he thought they must complete the works that were commenced, m order to make them pay what was already bono wed. EDUCATION. Where the number of children at- j tending a school was small be favored a higher capitation, and would favor giving denominations grants if it could be done at all, without breaking up the present system of secular education. (Voice. "Oh! nonsense ! Mention names.") LAND. He thought the deferred payment system a good one, and believed m making the country reproductive and m settling it, bat they must not injure others who had ahcady bought land, by cheapening it too much. 1 He thought the .size of the blocks should be regulated according to the quality of the land and the locality, and that all farms should be large enough to enable funnel's to -make use of all the modern machinery. No one could otherwise compete with the Americans. Wheat could be grown there and brought to New Zealand and' sold cheaper than they could grow it. He was no advocate for people monopolising large blocks of land, and they must tax such blocks where the land is not put to the full use. . TAXATION. He believed m tho property tax. IMMIGRATION. Any man that travelled round a little would see that there were plenty of. hands m New Zealand; so that none but nominated immigration would receive his support. NATIVE QUESTION^! . He thought native lands that were lying waste should contribute by pay ing taxesi » • .- •■ •'. -.. „, , ;■■■ v - : LOCAL MATTERS. ' He had known raxes where people had paid tuxes for 10 and 15 years, and had never got. roads, and there I were no prospects of them getting any. He thought it possible to propound a scheme whereby the rates | could be capitalised and the roads ba made m half the time. ! ' LOCAL INDUSTRIES. He thought these should be forced on. Any kind of indost\ies ihat shewed any signs °f P a y m § should be nurtured.^;Many would after - ward* take care of themselves and become payable, if they, were enly fostered at first. .; . VOLUNTEERS. . ■ He thought Mr Bryce had found the local volunteers very handy, and wo' Id favor an increase m the small capitation grants, that the Government gave 'them. (Applause.) HONORARIUM. There was more talk than " do " m i his. He thought £100 sufficient. He also thought for the sake of good . example, that Ministers who at present received £1,250 per annum, and travelling expennes, should reduce their salaries to- say £700 or £'800. If a man could not live on LBOO he would not live on 14 000, QUBSTJONfI. Mr Fraser, having spoken for about hulf-an-hour, then expressed his willingness to reply to any questions. „ ' Mr Rutherford asked what stake, the candidate had m Fielding ? Mr Fraser : I have got two sections here, but I cannot tell you whether they are quarter-acres or half-acres. ,Mr Rutherford j Is it a fact that tliese sections of yours have not had the jutes/ paid on them for some years past? Mr Fraser: That I cannot answer, I have paid all that has been applied for. Mr Cotterell : Have jou any stake m the Manawatu ? Mr Fraser ; Yes, m Aorangi, In reply bo a voice saying these were unfair questions, Mr Eraser said he would be pleased to annwer any questions whatever, and the ohairman* then said that since Mr Fraser was willing, he could not interfere. Mr Sexton : I don't think Mr Fraser was clear enough on the point of denominalisation. Will you sup-

port giving- grants to schools bfllong ing to denominations 1 Mr Fraser would do so if any scheme cuuld Ijo propounded to do so, without breaking up the secular system. i Mr Savage : How could you pos- ■ sibly introduce any syslotn of denominations without breaking up the system at once ? Mr Fraser had not said ho wished to liud such a system, hut had merely said if such a system could be ibund, he would support it. Mr Savage : But it can't be done. How can you do it ? Mr Fraser thought that quite as difficult schemes as that had been solved before then. Mr Savage : Yon cannot get a scheme to suit all dominations. Mr Fraser had not. said he would introduce the scheme. Dr Johnson : Yon say you are m favor of denominations 1 Mr Fraser ; No, Ido not say so. Dr Johnston : Then are you m favor of secular or denominational education? j Mr Fraser : Secular. Dr Johnson : Then it is, quite impossible to introduce capitation grants without breaking up secular education. | Mr Fraser : Of .course if you make hard and fast rules it is not, but I don'ijbelieve m these rules. ; Mr Johnson : Well, it appears to I me you do not know what denominational education is. Mr Savage : You say that higher education should only be for those who. can pay for it. Do you come here to represent us * and say that only rich men can allow their children the advantage of higher education ? Mr Fraser : I said I thought the system of free secondary education had the effect of the poor men paying for the education of the rich men's children. . > " :Mr Savage : You are not answering my questions. Your system will not give poor men's children an opport uuity of rising. Because a man is poor do you say he should not obtain the advantage of higher education for his children ? Mr Fraser: I think it sufficient for the State to educate up to the 4th Standard* My opinion' is only one amongst others ; however, I don't go by that of others, I am capable of forming an opinion for myself, however wrong it may be. Dr Johnson: Arc you m favor of the central route of railway or that by Taranaki, or of any other ? Mr Fraser, said he would not be m favor of the Taranaki route at all. His reason was that the amount of country which such a line would open up wouldn't warrant its beinft made. He would decidedly be m favor of the central route. 1 Dr Johnston : Do you mean the Oroua Valley route or that by Marton ? | Mr Fraser : That should, be decided by the engineers. (Applause.) 1 Dr Johnston : You don't answer my question. Have^you any bias to either route, or are you predisposed towards either of them ? (A\ voice : Any particular interest ? any land there? . , | Mr Fraser: "Well. I have Rome j land there, but that will not alter my j opinions.. [Applause] \ Mr Bartholomew : Would you j support the Oroua route m preference, if more land would be opened up and more country ? Mr Eraser : Yes, I would support the best route. • Mr Jjeth bridge : Would you abolish the tolls from the Manawatu Bridge when built. Mr Fraser : Yes, I would. Mr Lethbridge : You would be m favor of having the bridge free ? Mr Fraser : Yes. Mr Lethbridge: How would you propose to support the road and bridge? Mr Fraser: Ithink that road should be made a main road. Mr Lethbridge : It is a main road. (LaughterJ . Mr Fraser : They told me m Palmerston that it wasn't. . . Mr Lethbridge : Well it is; and you would be m favour of taking the tolls off the bridge, and thus forcing a I tax on the settlers of that district, for | they will strike a special rate, and i they will have to pay for the keeping ! of the bridge m repair, and it is more I useful to the general public than it is | to Ui em. Mr Fraser: Since that piece of road is so important to the public, 1 ; think it should be supported by a special grant from Government. Mr Lethbridge: The' Manchester | Road Board are applying to have the work dune; Mr Fraser: TTnde> those circumstances, I don't hold that any one portion, of the community .should pay I taxes for works that will benefit the whole country. Mr Gosling asked what party the candidate would support. . Mr Fraser replied he would not I pledge himself to support any Government yet, but would not support Sir George Grey. Mr Lethbridge : Supposing Major Atkinson or Yogel formed a p irty ? Mr Fraser : If Major Atkinson and Mr Bryce formed a party > with some others, I would support them. (Hear, hear,) Mr Blackmore enquired about local option. M.i v Fraser said he believed that when a man was building a hotel with a view oi obtaining a license, the committee should give him immediate notice if they intended to refuse the application, and if a license were taken away from an existing hotel, the owner should have compensation. (Applause.) Dr Johnson enquired the candidate's views on federation. Mr Fraser preferred feathering their own neat, and m the meantime wouldn't be m favour of it, because he thought we had enough to do already, and it might lead them into difficulties, Mr Gosling then proposed a vote of thanks to Mr Fraser for addressing them that evening, Mr E. H. Wright seconded, and said the chairman had been good enough to introduce his friend Mr Donald Fraser. Mr Fraser was no stranger. He had been known for over 20 years as a straightforward man. He was one of themselves, and no nominee of any landlord absentee.

jjpililihg wasn't the hub of creation. Mr Halconibe had stood once before, ami he -himself stood up and opposed the agent of the absentee, and they did not allow him to be elected. (Cries of "No, no," « Order," " Slmt up.") Tiie pcjple of Pahnerston and Fitzhorbert ;tnd Karere, and m fret everywhere- wore going to vote for Mr Donald Fraser. (Cries of "How do you know." Yells.) The Chairman put the motion to the meeting, no. amendment being proposed, and declared it to l>e carried. Mr FraHer then briefly thanked the electors for their patient hearing, and a vote of thanks to the chair terminated the proceedings.