CITE ELECTION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 206, 29 August 1879, Page 2

CITE ELECTION.

MR. GRAHAM'S MEETING. The Provincial Hall was again crowded to excess last night when Mr Graham met the electors. His Worship the Mayor, having been voted to the chair, said he trusted those present would give the candidate a patient hearing and conduct themselves in as orderly a manner as at the last meeting, which was a credit to Nelson.

Mr Graham, who was received with cheers, said— Permit me fo thank you for your attendance and to say that I trust the request made by the Mayor will need no repetition. The fact of .your giviug every candidate a fair hearing does not bind you to vote for him, but yon are invited to exercise your judgment and if you do not approve of me you can show it by your votes, if you do I ask you for your support, but at all events I hope you will give me your kind forbearance and attention. My present duty is to give you tny reasons for coming forward as a candidate. You will probably all of you concede that with a system of Government like ours, it is necessary in order to secure justice for all alike that all classes should be fairly represented. The class to which 1 hate the honor to belong is the only one that is not represented in Parliament by members from its own ranks. It is well known that in this country the runholders and the merchants and the legal faculty are all represented, but this is probably the first time that a real working mechanic has come forward for election in New Zealand. If I am successful it may be the means of introducing others of the same class who will help us to secure our rights and to adju3t more fairly the burden of taxation, whereas it I atn defeated it may produce the opposite effect and deter many good men from coming forward for years to come. If you consider a change in our representatives necessary it follows that one of our late members will have to give way, and I do not think that long service is a reason why such a change should not be made. I have heard it said by some of Mr Curtis' friends that he ought to be returned because he is most likely to be in the next Ministry. That might or might not be an advantage, but you must remember that either Mr Curtis or Mr Sharp might have been in the present Ministry, but it was considered that the Government would not stand many week 9, whereas they have been in . for two years. What may we not have lost by his refusing a seat? He might have done as much for Nelson as Mr Macandrew has for Otago. (Mr ltowell : He'll never get the chance again.) At all events, I put it whether by Mr Curtis not accepting we may not have lost our railway. But not only has he had an offer and declined, but wheu he was in Mr Stafford's Ministry what did he do for Nelson ? He considered that every individual constituency ought to give way to the colony ad a whole, and when Mr Luckio asked him to put the Nelson City Loan Bill providing for certain important works affecting the health of the town, which stood number 47 on the Order Paper higher up, he replied that the Government could not interfere with private Bills So we see that not only would he not use his influence as a Minister in forwarding measures which might be construed as a benefit to the district, but we should also lose bis influence as a private member. You will quite understand that I have not to occupy your time in explaining my past actions and mistakes, nor in referring to the payment I had received for doing a little or much work, nor as a landholder have I to speak of a railway proving beneficial or otherwise to m}' property, but I have to speak on important measures which will, or ought to be, brought before Parliament, and first of all is one which has not been touched upon hitherto, and which I consider primarily affects the class to which I have the honor to belong. I refer to IMMIGKATrO.V. In my opinion the present system of free and indiscriminate immigration, carried on at the cost of the taxpayers, of persons procured by touters or ageuts in England who are paid so uiuclj per brad is altogether wrong, even if there are public works sufficient to absorb all who come. But these works must cease and then what is to become of the workers and their wives and families? Those who can will leave the country which had been taxeu to bring them out to compete with the laborers already here, while the others will remain and add to our burdens. Hand in hand with immigration there shou d be provisions for all lands held on lease for pastoral or agricultural purposes being cut up into moderate sized blocks and sold by auction on deferred payments, so as to give the children of the colonists privileges equal to those offered to the more recent arrivals. (Mr Rowell: That's what we want.) There should be no more immigration except of those nominated by respectable residents, who would care for them when they arrived and show them the ways and means of making a living and thus help to relieve the country of its burdens, and assist us in bearing our heavy load of taxation. If a large portion of the money spent on immigration were added to the amount devoted to public works, there would be an influx of working tuen of the right sort coming at their own cost, and so, instead of adding to our staggering load we should get hundreds of sturdy shoulders and strong hands to help us in carrying it. (Mr Rowell : You're doing first rate old man.) ELECTORAL BILL. I approve of manhood suffrage and think that every man who has been here long enough to ascertain our requirements and contribute to our revenue should have a voice in the government of the country. (A voice : Who wrote out that sermon for you ?) That's John Hogg, and as I expected he would be here to annoy me I took the precaution of writing full notes. (Cries of, Turn him out.) When an old campaigner of 13 years standing like Mr Curtis was put out by interruption, there is some excuse for a young hand like me. (Hear, hear, and uproar.) While for members of Road Boards and such bodies, I approve of a man having a vote for property for which he has to pay rates, I think that for representatives of the colony, every man should have one vote because he is a man, and not one for every district in which he may be a ratepayer. (Hear, hear.) Many of our present members have not only dual, but triple and quadruple votes, whereas, with manhood suffrage, they would have only one. With proper provisions I would support the Electoral Bill, and here I may say that there are members in the present House who voted against it in 1876. such as Major Atkinson, Mr Bowen. McLean and others. (Mr Rowell : Ah, that's the aristocrats.) TRIENNIAL PARLIAMENTS. This is a measure which will have my hearty support, and I fully believe it will become law next session, some of the members of the late Parliament having been compelled to promise to support it, even Mr Curtis, although he does not see it, one of his objections bring that of expense, I did not understand whether he meant to the country or the candidates, but judging from certain circumstances I think we ninst conclude that he did not mean the country. The power belongs to the people, and as we cannot all take part in the actual making of the laws, and therefore have to delegate representatives for that purpose, I think that three years in a rapidly progressing country like this is a long enough time to confide our interests to one set of men, because while the men you elect may then be up to the times, three years hence they may be just that much behiud them. (Cheers.) INCIDENCE OF TAXATION. This is a question of great importance, especially to the poorer portion of the community All will recognise the principle that no one ought to expect the protection of the laws without contributing to the expenses of government according to his means. The bulk of the revenue is now raised by Customs duties, and the man of moderate means pays nearly equal with him who has twenty times as much. This ought to be altered, and the j man who has an income beyond his actual

wants ought to contribute in proportion to that surplus, and I would like to see those whose incomes are only sufficient to maintain their families decently go almost free. Mr Curtis, when questioned by Mr Levestam, did not care to go into details, but would ' deal only with principles, but in his speech ' it suited his purpose to go into calculations to show that the working man with £100 a year, with a wife and four children, con tributed at most £3 to the revenue. Suppose for a moment that to be correct, though I do not admit it even for that time, is not £3 to a man with £100 a year far more than £30 to one with and income of £1000 ? But the working man pays far more than that proportion. To show this, you must take the Customs revenue. £1,300,000, and divide it by the population 435,000, which gives £3 per head, so that a family of six pays not £3 but £18. (Mr J. Harley : I That's rot true —Mr Rowell : Oh, never mind him, he's one of Curtis' men.) To remedy this, there must be direct taxation on all that portion of a man's income above that which is necessary to keep his family in comfort, and iv order to bring this about you must return men of your own class. (Hear, hear.) NATIVE AFFAIRS. lam not competent to say much on this bead, but I am sure that the natives will have to be treated with as strict justice as the Europeans. (Hear, hear.) Stringent measures will have to be adopted to prevent the landsharks from dealing in native lands, which ought to be purchased by the Government only, and put up by them for sale in small blocks. Peace can only be maintained by strict and impartial justice. The Government are blamed for attempting the Waimate Plains survey, but instructions for this were given by the Atkinson Government. REPRESENTATION BILL. This is the one measure of the Ministerial programme of which I disapprove. Under it this city would lose one representative, and the larger ones would be given additional strength to that which they already possess. This is unfair, and our members will have to fight, as Mr Stafford said the other night, shoulder to shoulder against it (cheers. Mr Rowell : You and Adams can manage that first rate). PUBLIC WORKS. Many of you know that I am earnest in nay desire to procure railway communication with the West Coast and the South, for the construction of this railway I consider to be of vital importance to us, and in this matter Nelson has received the grossest injustice from the present Ministry, and especially from Mr Macandrew (Cheers). Notwithstanding all the promises made, and the money having been actually voted for the extension from Bell Grove, even the survey has not yet been completed. If Mr Blair wrote his report on his own responsibility he deserves instant dismissal for interfering

with mattera not connected with his professional flutter hnd if f n accordance with the *»n of \to Minister for Public Works, both ought to be deprived of the power of do«'r,g forUwj: mipchiof. I w ju vote a^ nst Ministry thnt i« not prep-. red to recognise the jost clanns of Kelson. the infusion of new Mood into onr membPrs [Mr Fred Atkinson : Vaccination s not a bad thing ] mieht have a beneficial efov ;t in procuring the justice which has yet been acconle(i ' lo us One argnrr.ent brought forward in favor of Mr t,ur» !<, is that he is much respected in the Hoiipp . (Mr Atkinson : And so he ou e ht to oe- '.he little man.) As a private individual 1 mow of none more deserving of respect Thear, hear), but he is wanting in energy, and our membprs ought not to leave a stone unturned in fighting for our rights. The Government cannot but know how dishonestly they have broken faith with Nelson. The editor of the Cntoni.it showed some time a«ro that in proportion to the public works in the two places we were contributing to the revenue 10s 7d per head more than the people of Otago. (A voice : That's Macandrow again), and the calculation was made goM use of by Mr Adams in replying to the Minister for Public Works (hear, hear). CHINESE IMMIGRATION. I am in favor of a poll tax on Chinese (hear, hear) as a means of checking too great an influx of these celestial individuals, who, if allowed to come in free, will soon reduce wages so that the European working man cannot exist. Those who come, after paying the tax, should be compelled to attend to the laws of cleanliness and made to occupy more houses, and in other ways to pay more" to the revenue, so that they would have to ask more for their labor. (Mr Rowell: The swells like the Chinese to come so as to get cheap labor.) LICENSING. I think that the public houses should be classified, each class to pay a uniform fee, and I know of no good reason why Clubs should not be licensed as well as other houses. In Mr Stout's Local Option Bill I see nothing objectionable myself or, that any respectable hotel keeper could object to. and therefore I will support it. coroner's juries. 1^ think that those who serve on coroner's juries should he paid for their services, and that people should not he compelled at the dictation of a policeman to leave their work and do the business of the State for nothing. They are paid in England, and ought to be here. * PERSONAL. The question has been asked whether I should be able to work with any other representative from Nelson. If elected, it would be my duty to do the best for you, and it would also be the duty of your other member, so that if both are willing and anxious to promote the interests of their constituency we must of necessity work together. Several have objected to me on the ground that I should have no weight in the House, but I hope that in time I should, for surely the House is not so aristocratic that members will listen only to men of property and professional men, to the exclusion of any representatives sent by the people. If I thought that of the members of the House I would work the more earnestly to induce others from our ranks to come forward, so as to compel them to listen to the people's jnst claims. (Hear, hear.) Judging from our treatment in the matter of public works it seems that hitherto our members have not had much weight and influence, or we would now be in a very different position. (Mr Rowell: That's where the rub is. Give it 'em Graham.) They did not make their voices heard or their influence felt, but seemed to be mere voting machines. (Mr Atkinson: Just like clothes pegs.) I cannot

behove that our legislators are so wedded to red tapeisni and the old associations of Toryism that tljey would refuse to give any member a fair nearing. Be they what they may, I don't lay that to their charge. You require two members (Mr Atkinson: Yes, and two thorough good 'uns), and T hope you will vote for those you think the best." I have been told that the friends of one candidate intend to plump for him. I deprecate anything like this, for no man has a right to go up as your member who does not represent the majority. lam a. Nelsonian, born and bred here. (A Voice: More power to you.) My whole life has been passed among you. and I am the son of a horny-handed son of toil, one of the early pioneers, who succeeded in bringing up a large family, of whom I am one, on an income of less than £100 a year. If you think I will do you good service, and secure privileges for your children and mine which. Me ourselves did not enjoy I hope you will elect mo (Mr TCowell: We "will, and you'll be a credit to New Zealand), and for the purpose of doing this I trust you will lay aside all petty jealousies, and work shoulder to shoulder like a British army in the face of a hostile foe. With you is the power, with you the will, and I now place myself in your hands. (Loud cheers.) Mr Graham having stated his readiness to reply to any question, Mr Txjtty asked Mr Graham whether he was in favor of the present system of local Licensing Commissioners, and if not whether he could suggest any other plan. MiGraham replied that he was not prepared to offer any suggestions, but would consider any that were made. Mr Tutty: Are you in favor of licensing Clubs and placing them under police surveillance? Mr Gratiam was not prepared to say that he would approve of the surveillance. Mr TfTTT said if he kept his house open after I], a policeman came in and wanted to know when it was going to close, and yet at Clubs they could stop up all night gambling if they liked- Why should they be allowed to sell spirits without a license, when a publican was not ? Mr Graham did not think people had a right to stop at gambling at Clubs any more than at public-houses. He would be prepared to legislate for sending all men to their homes at midnight. | Mr TriTT expressed his satisfaction with the answers, and a hope that Mr Graham would be elected. After a pause, there was a cry of " Now then Rowell," to which that gentleman replied " There's no occasion for me to get up now, Graham's my man." In reply to Mr Hogg, Mr Graham said he would be prepared to support an additional duty of threepence per pound on hops which would be an immense boon to the grower, while it would not hurt the brewer. | Mr J. Harlet said he had occasion to pull up Mr Graham in his statements about the bearing of the Customs duties. Mr Graham had said that they should divide by the population, thirteen millions— At this there were shouts of laugher, and when they had subsided, Mr Harley repeated that Mr Graham had said the revenue was thirteen millions. The laughter and uproar now became general and long continued, and it was only at. intervals that Mr Harley could he heard, the tendency of his remarks being that he had known Mr Graham from a schoolboy, and wanted to move a vote of thanks to him for his manly speech, although he was politically opposed to him. As another questioner was approaching, Mr Harley left the platform, being bowed off in the most graceful manner by the irrepressible "Little Fred," amidst peals of laughter. Mr Bond called attention to the manner in which the tables showing the death-rate were drawn up, remarking that they were calculated to do much harm to Nelson, the healthi-

ness of whose climate was universally admitted, by showing the death-rate to be so high, a fact which was accounted for by its being the sanitarium of the colony, to which many people came to spend their last days. He suggested that a foot-note should be attached to the tables, showing that, this was the case, a suggestion with which Mr Graham entirely agreed. Mr Bond said that, as was generally known, he was an advocate of the cause of temperance. He did not think they could do much good with the present generation, as their habits were formed, but thought that a book like Dr Richardson's work on alcohol should be introduced into the public schools, in order that the children might learn to use the minds that God had given them in forming their cwn opinions on a sub ject of such moment. Mr Graham was not acquainted with the particular book referred to, but thought that works of such a tendency were calculated to produce a healthy influence on children's minds. Mr Row-ell rose, and was greeted with great uproar, when " Little Fred " came to his rescue, making the appeal " Come, come, gentlemen, he counts one, let him be heard." Order being restored, Mr Roavku. asked, " When we send you and Adams up, will you give him a hand to compel the Government to put the harbor in order." Mr Graham would have much pleasure in helping Mr Adams or any other member in this matter. Mn Bowell : I haven't done yet. (Mr Atkinson : Jnst like a child with his breakfast.) It's ridiculous to bring people here when they can't get out of the harbor without wading up to their middle in mud. T move a vote of thanks to Mr Graham for his able speech. This was seconded by Mr Harley, and carried amidst great cheering. After a vote of thanks to the Chairman the meeting broke up.