MR GEORGE HUTCHISON AT NAPIER, (BY TELEGRAPH.) Napier, May 3.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8175, 6 May 1895, Page 1

MR GEORGE HUTCHISON AT NAPIER, (BY TELEGRAPH.) Napier, May 3.

Mr Goorgo Hutchison addressed a mooting in tho Theatre Royal to-night, and notwithstanding tho iiicloment weather thoro was a large attendance, including many ladies. Tho major part of tho address was similar to that delivered elsewhere. Ho answered a number of questions put to him by the Evening Nows, most of them being of a per-onal character. In answer to one ho declined to go into what occurrod botwoon Sir H. Atkinson and Sir P. Whi'akor somo years ago, as both of tho men wore dead, and no good object could bo served by reopening tho question. Ho denied that ho was on tho stump at anyone's expense but his own, or that ho had r3cently received LlOOO for two or three days' work for tho Globo Assets Company. Ho contended thai tho reductions by tho valuations Court of tho value for rating purposo* of tho Pomahaka s ctions from L 4 to L 2 justified all that had been said by the Opposition. Mr M'Kenzio, at Hastings, had a deGnition of somo of his land purchases as white elephant^, saying that such animals were clean and white and nice. Mr Hutchison said tho whito was tho whitewash put on by tho Waste Lands Commissioner, but it was washing ofl in big patches, and before Mr M'Kenzio had travelled tho colony with his performing elephants they would bo black enough. Ho approved of raising a now loan at throe por cent, but expressed astonishment at the cabled statement that Mr Ward had declared (hat when tho land tax was collected five months befoio it was due ho had three millions of unpledged securities in London. Ho thought there must bo a mistake in the cable, otherwise it was discreditable to tho colony that such statements should bo mado to influence tho issue of the now loan. A hearty vote of thanks was passed nl tho close of tho moeting