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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1305, 12 June 1880, Page 2

Mr. John Reid addressed a meeting of the electors g.t South Oamaru last evening in the Sunday Sehoolhousp, There were between 30 and 40 persons present, but Pk e attendance would no doubt have been larger had not a nuijjber of electors mistaken the place of meeting, and gone to the South School. After some delay in securing a chairman, owing to several gentlemen declining the honor, Mr. J. Gilogley volunteered to fill the position. Mr. Reid then addressed the electors at some length, going over very much the same ground as in Oamaru. He claimed to be the frjepd of the workingman, and said that every man who Jj.ad ever worked for him was willing to work for hiijj again. At the close of his address, a- number of questions were asked, many of them having relation to the Railway Commission and its cost. Mr, W.• Paterson asked if Mr. Reid or his manager, oiiayiy man connected with his estate, had gone to Dunedifi and engaged men to do harvest work at Ll or 15s less than was being paid by farmers' in the district, Mr, Reid replied that #>en had been engaged in Dunedin at Ll 10s a week to do his harvesting, and that owing to thg largeness of his estate he could not afford to pay the same rate as others with .smaller farms. Mr. Peterson asked if Mr. Reid could name one man, married or single, in the Teaneraki district, who could afford to work for the wages given by him in harvest time. Mr. Reid said there were men in his employ. On being asked his opinion as to the fairness of the Government paying single men only 21s and married men 23,3 a week on the Livingstone railway, Mr. Reid replied that lie was not aware of the existence of such a gfcate of things, and that he understood the mon ; W.ere paid according to the amount of work done, In reply tp another question, he said that, in order to find work for the unemployed, ho was in favor of spending th<> balance of the loan on reproductive works. Being asked if he thought it was fair that electors having property in the district should "come from Dunedin and vote at the election, Mr. Jtcid replied that ho considered it perfectly fair. JrJp was then asked by Mr. Paterson if ho or any member of his committed bid ;tf.tu!rip*C'.l to bring anyone from Dupcdjn tp record their votes in this district, or if ho had authorised such a thing to bo done, Mf, Rojd re-

plied that 'he did not think it a fair question or that he was justified in answering it. After some further questioning, ; Mr. GifforS Moore proposed ; and Mr. Myers seconded a vote of 'confidence in Mr; Reid. Mr. Paterson proposed and Mr, Wright seconded a vote of no confidence. On the question bei;.g put, .the Chairman declared the amendment carried, the votes being 8 for the amendment and 6 for the motion.

It is stated in Wellington that the Ministry have taken alarm at the bogie raised by them in consequence of the imposition of the beer tax ; ancLthat they will consent to a reduction in the tax from 6d to 3d per gallon. It is further stated that they will seek to make up the loss to the revenue by re-imposing the tea and sugar duties. Such a course is not at all improbable, for the Ministry have throughout shown a lack pf firmness upon any guestjpn pf policy, their sole aim being to please their friends and retain po-wer, The monthly inspection of Volunteers was held last evening. There was a fair attendance of No. 1 Company and the Citizen Cadets, but the Artillery were conspicuous by their absence, the muster being so small that Captain Morton dismissed the parade. After the corps present had been inspected by Major Sumpter, they had a short march out, headed by No. 1 Company's band. Captain Edwin reports indications of considerable sea.

We are requested to draw attention to the fact that the drawing in Mr. Hay's art union Tvill take place on the 21st instant, and to remind the large number of people who have signified their intention of taking tickets thatthey should callat once and obtain them. As we said on a previous occasion, many of the prizes are valuable ones, while the charge for tickets is very small. Our Ngapara correspondent writes as follows !f Qf course the principal topic of conversation here is the forthcoming election. The supporters of Mr. Jones feel confident that he will be returned, while Mr. Reid's men seem to be down in the mouth at the turn affairs are taking. Mr. Roberts I need not mention, as he seems to be entirely out the question. It is true he came kere and delivered his address, but the '■' free and independent " only m'£ide a farce of it, and sent the candidate away anything but favorably impressed with the said "free and independent "of Ngapara. Building operations are going on briskly—in quite an impetus has been given to the building trade. We have now no less than fpHF carpenters hard at it. Mr. Breen is erecting a new butcher's shop and dwelling house, and Mr. W. H. Walker l}as commenced the first of three 3-roomed houses, I facing the main-road. We are also to have a new building put up as a lock-up as soon as the timber arrives, and rumors are current that sundry other buildings and improvements will be commenced at an early date. And yet the cry is still "Np money." The entertainment given some time ago to commemorate the anniversary of the library has turned out a financial success, inasmuch as sufficient was realised to cover liabilities and leave a small balance in hand, contrary to the expectations of some of the Committee, who thought they would have to dip their hands in their pockets to assist in 4efraying the expenses. The polling to elect a member for the Windsor subdivision of the Waiareka R,Qa4 Board was carried out on Thursday last, and resulted in Mr, Thomas Reid polling 30 votes and Mr E. Menlove 4, thus giving Mr. Beid a majority of 26 votes. Mr. Henry Little acted as returning. The weather of late has been seasonable—cold, frosty nights, and mild days, with threatening rain altogether nothing to gojnplfvm of."