MANAWATU ELECTION

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 197, 17 July 1884, Page 2

MANAWATU ELECTION

THE NOMINATIONS.

At twelve o'clock yesterday a large number of electors assembled m the Towu Hull for the purpose of nominating the eandiilutes lor election t > the Hoi>e of Representatives. Mr Joseph Harris, Returning Officer, presided. At a little before 12 Mr Burr seized the opportuuity of a few being present to address them fro;n the platform, and at precisely twelve o'clock, Mr Hums rose aud said he; supposed they all knew that they .were there to nominate candidates, and jroceeded to read the advertisement appointing the day auii place for nomination. He Btxid he was now prepared to take the nominations one {after the other, and after that the candidates could address the electors .m the order m which they were nominated, and finally a show of hands would be given. NOMINATIONS, Mr Sinclair George proposed Mr A. Burr as a fit and proper representative. Mr William Waugh seconded. Mr J. Linton proposed Mr D. H. Macarthur, and Mr Sherwill seconded. Mr Sly proposed Mr Donald Fraser, and Mr Prate seconded. MY Linton m proposing Mr M»car~ thur, said he hoped that anyone who might speak would be allowed to do so without interruption. There had been some egg-throwing m the past, of which he hoped every right minded man would be ashamed. He looked upon Mr Macarthuv as a person who ■was m every way qualified to look after the district. He greeted him as a man who had been before the public a great many times before. In local bodies he had been mixed up for many Yearn, and lie held the position of County Chairman most ably and creditably, as well as other public positions. He was known to every mm there, an! the best claim a man could have to represent a distiict m Parliament, was that he had successfully occupied local positions. Mr Macarthur was a resident also, which vaa a very great argument m his fiivor. During the past week or two they had heard or seen reports of ibth candidates' addresses, and they had had the opportunity of discussing the several claims of the candidates, both pni.licly and privately, therefore they could form their own opinions, and it was unnecessary for him 4 to >ay any more m favor of their choosing Mr Macarthur. Mr Sherwill m seconding briefly repeated that, Mr Macarthur had been before the public for ten years, holding prominent positions, and had shewn very much ability and tact m them. He wag a tried man, and for all he had done for the district m the past he deserved their hearty support. Now, the othev gentleman that was* standing against Mr Macarthur was from Rangitikei, and Mr J. Stevens : was standing for that place, and with Mr Wilson for Foxton, who was also a Rangitikei man, the trio would be ■ complete. Now they had had a taste of being represented by men who did not live m the locality, and he felt sure they were not going to again place themaelvea m such a disadvantageous position. (Applause.) Mr Sly then came forward, and was greeted with applause. In bringing forth his motion, he remarked that he had known the time m Victoria when it was not safe to differ frem the popular candidate's views m politics. Bat there was no fear here. He had heard a candidate address his audience as : — "Gentleman and sons of gentlemen," but he would say " Fellow electors," and would call upon them to us* their judgment next week m such a manner as they would not . repent of. They would be known by die man they cho.«e to represent them. Other people will say of their representative that's the best mau the Manawatu can produce, and moreover that step would have an effect m the future to all time. Some of those present "would say they had no children so it didn't affect them, but that difficulty like most others was easily got over. They had not heard Mr Macarthur at I£areve as yet, but Mi' Fraser had been down there. He quite agreed that Mr Macarthnr was au al>le man, m fast he was perhaps too able. An able man must be peifectly undoubted. It had beon stated m a former address that he (Mr Macavthur) could play euchre well, and the speaker didn't think that possessing that quality would make him any better fit for a representative. (Audience noisy. Mv Sly offered to retire. Cries no, no.) If the words he had made use of were not true he would recall them., (Mr Snelson demanded the speaker's authority for such a statement. The Chairman interposed and suggested that personalities might be omitted.) Mr Sly knew Mr Macar'hur was an able financier, and also possessed a most convenient memory. ' He could remomber things or forget them very easily. He also remembered the three figures one, two, three, very carefully, No, \, Macarthur ; No, 2, the Feilding Corporation; No. 3, was the people he sought to represent. (Laughter.) They must remember that on Tuesday when they were drawing their pencils through Mr Macarthur's name, they were not doing him an injury, but if anything a good turn. He had known Mr D. Fraser for a quarter of a century. He has spent all his time working his way up, and he was a man they could rely on. He had told them m public that he would do his utmost to do anything they required, and said if he could not carry out the work he would return to them and give up the position for them to find someone else- The ensuing session »vould deal with many important matters including Education and Taxation and many other things, audit behoved them to put m such a man as was through his past life most fitted to deal with them. He had often been on the winning side before, and he hopeJ to be on the winning side this time as well. (Mr Burr here made pome remarks about Mr Johnston, to which Mr Sly said he (Burr) talked very loudly against Mr Johnston when he was absent, but when be was present he was willing 1 to lick the blacking off his boots.) ('Applause.) He would advise every man to vote next Tuesday as if the

whole question depended upon his vole. Mr Pratt said it was not necessary for hun to say ,my more and simply seconded the motion. The three candidates having been nominated, Mr Burr, beina; the first, camo up and addressed those present. He had no doubt, he s id, that they had a great deal of sympathy with his friends, the other two candidates. They had got their seconds to do their work for them. He would do his himself. Now, would Mr Sly go to the House viih Mr Eraser 1 ? for if not, what would thai gentleman <lo without him ? He would say nothing about his other friend, for he was so honest that he didn't think he required to be noticed. (Great applause.) Mr Macarthur then cante forward, amidst prolonged applause. He said since he was last there, he and the other candidate had been round the country and laid their policies before them all. It was only fair that he should criticise the views held by his opponent, and more especially as he was present, and could refute any statements that were not correct. He and Mr Eraser were on good terms, and he hoped they would continue do be bo always. He thought, however, that it was right that he should point out the differences between their respective policies. EDUCATION. In the education question, they were both m unison on the question of economy, and to a great extent m the way it should be done. But on other points, such as secular or denominational, he was like many other electors, and was quite of the opinion that Mr Fraser had tried to please both parties at the commencement, by trying to hold such views as would suit both, but he noticed he bad come round to his (Mr Mauarthur's) way of thinking now, and advocated secular education. No man could serve two masters, or assist secular and denominational education at the same time. Ho would have thought better of Mr Fraser's straightforwardness if he had declared himself at first. LAND. Mr Fraser said the price of land should not be reduced, so as to main.* tain the value of these lands already occupied. This seemed to him (Mr Macarthur) to be a similar view as that wliiuh MrFrasertookonthe education question. Me Fraser wished to please both parties. He thought they fully understood his views on the question when he told them thai his idea of the result of settling the waste lands of the colony, would be to increase the whole of the other land m value. But iv land as well as m education Mr Fraser could not hope to please hoth sides. RAILWAYS. Mr Fraser had been opposed to non-political Boards m his first meeting, but now|he was veering round to his (Mr Macarthur's) opinion of it. Many Ministers and members approved^ the scheme. Mr Fraser shews that he doesn't understand the argument m favor of a non-political Board. The Government is always subject to political pressure, and thus are always apt to be compelled to aqt m a -way- -th«y- -would not otherwise do. This was why he advocated the principles of a non-political Board. The difference between Mr Fraser and himself on that point was, first, he had utterely condemned non-politi-cal Boards, and then he had veered round to his (Mr Macarthur's) own way of thinking. KATES. Mr Fraser propounded a scheme for caputaliaing tbe rates. He had previously condemned the present systems of the Roads and Bridges Construction Act, but the scheme lie had brought forward instead was only the same thing m another form. When a local body took up money under tbe Roads and Bridges Construction Act, to construct a district road, they did m reality capitalize their votes for. a terra of years. The only, difference was that the interest at present was only four and twothirds per cent., and consequently the scheme Mr Fraser denounced was al most similar to, but a little more beneficial than the one he eulogised. In some other points Mr Fraser and the speaker were quite, at unison. FEIENDLV SOCIETIES. He did not believe m Major Atkinson interfering with the Friendly Societies. THE GORGE RAILWAY. There was another very important thing. Mr Fraser, m his reported speech at Palraerston had not said a word about the Gorge railway. He afterwards explained this by saying that he wan waiting until some elector wight bring the matter up m a question. Now this was right enough and he accepted Mr Fr iser's explanation. It was a natural one to come from one who was not thoroughly acquainted with the district. But to a local man, like himself, who knew what the important local matters really were, there was no necessity to ask questions on a subject of such great importance as that was. QOIEPE^JSATIQN AT BUNNYq}HORpE, Mr Fraser, still m the same style as the education question, had said he would favour those who held town sections at Bunnythorpe receiving compensation, m the event of the railway junction being changed to Pal' merston. He would also favour the junction being changed to Pal merston .Now, this compensation would at once handicap him when asking for the change, and tbe consequence would be that the Government wb'ild not hear of it. Ihe original sale of tbe Bunnythorpe township was undertaken by the froviucial Council, and they promised then thai the railway junction should be there, but had no right to do so, and they had no power to bind the general Government to fulfil their promise, for it was one they had no right to make* THE CORPORATION. Now, who would have been the parties who were more entitled to compensation than the Feilding Coiporafion ? They had more land there than twenty other people. But he had written Home and told them his reason for changing the site of the junction, and they quite agreed with them, (Hear, hear), and he thought the junction, should, be at Pajmerstop,

even if it did lower the value of a tew town section* at Btinnythorpe a little. FEIISONAL. Tlie Corporation subject had Ibeen brought forward much more prominently since his last address, but ho was quite piepared to justify Ins position. The Company he represented did not shark land and lock it up, but it was a Company that was continually dissolving, and before the present Parliament was over it would have become a thing of the past, for \ all its lands would be m the hands of small settlers. (Hear, hear.) Whatever the commercial success of the Company might be, it at any rate would leave behind it such towns as Feilding and Halcombe. The poll on Tuesday would show that the very people whom he was supposed to have beeu hard upon, and injuring, would show, as they had »hown a dozen times before, that they considered ' him their best friend. (Applause.) At Mr Eraser's meeting m Palmerston, Mr Ferguson had staled that his (Mr Macarthur'*) only slake m Palmerston was valued at L9OO. He considered this was a considerable stake, but he had a large interest besides that which it was,2however, unnecessary to refer to. (Applause.) He thought Mr Ferguson would come and support him m. three years' time. t ! e did not know him fully; yet, but he was just the man to act according to his convictions when he found he was justified m holding them, Jble (Mr Macarthui) came forward to fill a gap, as a local member. He had served an apprenticeship m local bodies, and it seemed to him to be a very poor incentive for men to interest themselves m local matters, if, when they came forward as a repre sentative, the electors were to choose a man to that honor, who came from another place. He believed, howevea, that he would be returned by a very large majority. He would not be ashamed to come back to the electors at the end of Parliament, and give an account of his stewardship, and then to meet any. of those who had been his strongest opponents. (Great applause.) Mr Eraser then came forward and was received with applause. He said tlie last candidate had made a good attempt to pull all his threads to pieces, but while he quoted various speeches m the papers, tiiey must take the papers as they found them, for no two out of three papers would ever report a speech alike. He was personally most friendly with Mr Macarbhur, and hoped they would always remain so. (Hear hear.J EDUCATION. He (Mr Macarthur) had spoken on the education question and would make it appear as if he (Mr Eraser) had been " trimming." This was not his nature. He only came forward at the request of a number of electors, and all he said was that while he sympathised with the different sects, still he wouldn't be a party to anything that would break up the secular system. RAILWAYS. He certainly admitted that he ' didn't know much of the railways and thoir management, but it still appeared to him that the Government shouldn't allow any pressure to overrule them m that matter. LAND. Here again the other candidate seemed to think he (the speaker) was "trimming*" to suit two sides. It wasn't for the sake of trimming, but he thought they should always look at both sides of Ihe question. He didn't think it was to the advantage of the country to lower the price of land, especially as that would open up the door to monopoly. LOCAL MATTBBS. He was accused of not mentioning the most important thing 1 , the Gorge Railway, tut he felt a delicacy m bringing it forward m case the people should say he was trimming for votes, but he knew as much about the importance of that railway as his friend did. With reference to being an outsider and not having any stake m Palmerston he owned 2000 acres within two miles of that place, still if he were elected and had no land, he would endeavour to represent his constituents just as welL (Applause.) He thought the man that allowed himself to be elected for a district, and made use of his position to serve the interests of . another district, wouldn't- be worthy the name of a man. (Applause.) He had been known by many there from childhood. He would once more tell them to vole as their conscience led them and put aside any party feeling whatever. He would if returned, seek to serve first the whole colony, secondly the district be represented, and if he found he could not do thi< properly he would come back and give them back the power to elect a more able man. (Great applause. ) The Returning Officer then said it only remained for the meeting to show their hands m favor of the candidates. Upon the show of hands being takeu, the following results were declared : — D. H. Maoanhur ... ,„ 53 Donald Eraser ... ... 42 Amos Burr 9 Mr Burr demanded that a poll be taken, as also did Mr Sly on behalf of Mr Fraser, A vote of thanks to the Returning Officer terminated the proceedings.