WORKING MEN’S POLITICAL ASSOCIATION,

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 173, 3 July 1884, Page 2

WORKING MEN’S POLITICAL ASSOCIATION,

A general meeting of the above association was held at the Good Templars’ Rail on Tuesday night. There were about a hundred persons present. Mr. Sandlant was voted to the chair, and opened the meeting by saying:—! presume you know for what purpose we have met here .to-night. . It is to further the interests of this Association, the objects of which are well known. It was formed last week and a progressive committee was elected, and it was deemed advisable to have a meeting of the committee on the ensuing evening in order to form a code of principles to work on, which will be submitted to yon. I will now call on Mr. File to read the minutes of the previous meetings and the code of principles as revised. Mr. File now read the minutes and the code of principles, and said These are the principles that we are called together to-night to. adopt. At the meeting of the Committee it was resolved that sub-committees be appointed at the various outlying places, to report to the central committee; that the programme be printed as soon as possible ; and that the Committee be authorized to call this meeting. Mr. Cross—l beg to propose that the report of the Committee as read be adopted. Mr. Fryer—l second that Carried. The Chairman—lf any one wishes to enrol themselves as members they may now do so. In response to that, a number of persons come forward, and paying their shillings became members of the association. Mr. J. G. Henderson—At the meeting of the provisional committee I suggested that a sub-committee should be formed throughout the district. It being only a committee meeting such a step could not be taken, but now, as this is a general meeting, I wish to propose, “ That this meeting approves of sub-committees being formed throughout the centres of population in the electorate. Mr. P. Malone—l second that. Carried. Mr. Henderson—Following up what I have moved, I wish to make another proposition, “ That this meeting shall request the chairmen of such committees to have a ballot for the candidate to be nominated, the result to be forwarded to the central committee, who shall also have a public meeting on the day they may select, and that the candidate nominated who has the preponderance of votes receives the full support of this association.” This is the way it is done in America and throughout the whole of England. Mr. Mcßretny— Do you consider, sir, that there is time for such committees to be formed throughout the whole of the electorate for this election ? Mr. Henderson—This is not merely a thing for this election merely. This institution is to be a thing to last for all time, as far as we know. Mr. Mcßretny—You do’nt say so in your rules. The Chairman—The best thing is to test it. Mr. Mcßretny—l do’nt think we are now in a proper position to do so. You are now in Mr. Rees’s stronghold. Voices—No, no. Mr. Mcßretny—l repeat it, you are all here in Mr. Ree’s stronghold. The Chairman—l would ask you not to refer to personalities. Mr. Adeane—Our object was principles not men. Mr. Burton—l second the proposition of Mr. Henderson, in reference to the balloting. We are all bound in honor to vote for the chosen candidate. The proposition was then put and carried. Mr. Henderson—ln order to remove an impression that appears to be strong in one gentleman’s mind, if not of others, that we are now in Mr. Rees’ stronghold, I would move that a committee of those present be formed, wholly and solely of working men, and that it be a thorough working man’s committee. I move that that be done. The committee to be a permanent one. Mr. Taylor—Would it not be better to elect a president before proceeding with the other business.

Mr, Burton—l think that all persons present who are not members of the Association should not vote on any question put to the meeting. I would go further than that, and say it would be advisable to ask them to leave the room altogether. Mr. Chambers—l think the last suggestion is anything but a liberal one. Many of us have come here to be convinced by what you say, but we have not yet had that opportunity, and you may trust us not to hold up anything against the Association. Mr. Taylor—l rise to a point of order. We are already an Association, and outsiders cannot be allowed to speak. Mr. O. Gallagher—Everybody has been invited here to-night, and should not be' expelled. I move that the rules be read over again. The Secretary read the rules again, explaining their meaning as he went along. Mr. Chambers—l have to thank you for having re-read the articles of the Association, and there is not much to find fault with in them. I think that no man who has got the welfare of the country at heart, can join this Association with a light heart, but in some things you ask for too much. The concluding rule is that any member should be pledged to support the whole of the otherrules. Now you may get one to pledge himself to support nine of the rules but the tenth he would not, and so on. Now, I should like to know what are true Liberal principles ? I believe that I am a Liberal, there is no such thing as Conservatism in New Zealand. Are the principles of the Liberals for the advancement of the state generally., or for the advancement of the class only. That is my trouble. If you can show me that your principles are for the advancement of the state, I say then you are perfectly correct, but if it is for the class, then I say you are cutting your own throats, by this action. There are only two classes the working men and the squatters, I have lived in New Zealand thirty years and have not yet seen the difference. lam most intimately acquainted with the squatters, and they have the same troubles and struggles as the working men. When the squatter’s interests are low, so is the working man’s, and vice versa. You cannot strike at one without striking at the other. We have hardly yet commenced to settle the North Island. The native difficulty has been the cause of that. Millions of acres of land have not been opened, as should have been done by the Government, but who have been unable to do so. The land has not been monopolised yet, (The Chairman : I hope it never will) and will not be for years. I hope that such legislation will be made to enable the man to buy millions of acres of land, bemuse if he is able to buy it, and to put great improvements on it, that would advance the country. The men that come here and have to work in the bush, are the men to be protected. lam not very clear as to the meaning of a progressive Land Tax. In my own mind I take it that it means that a man buys so many thousand acres of land, and is taken so much per thousand acres; but I say that principle is wrong. Tax the land, and let it pay its failshare of taxation. As long as the land is occupied and being improved, it is benefitting the colony, but if it is lying idle. Tax it. I am speaking now in the interests of the working man. If you frighten capital away from New Zealand you cut, your own throats. In a country like this the aim should be to encourage capital coming here, and to prevent capital being invested for speculative purposes.

Mr. Tharratt—ls this meeting hold for the purpose of converting Mr. Chambers or not? We ought to get to business, as our time is precious. Voices—Go on Mr. Chambers. Mr. Chambers— I think the measure you mention there, is about the best, and to reduce the expenditure from free education up to a certain point. The Chairman—The whole of Mr. Chamber’s remarks are upset by clause nine. He speaks of capital and of land. Now, the difference between capital and land is this—land is a real value, capital is represented by so much paper circulation, which can be increased to an indefinite extent. I would propose that the Government not only nationalize the land, but have a paper issue which will meet every want and requirement which we ask.

Mr. Burton I should like to bring to the recollect ion of the meeting, the suggestion that was made at our first meeting, which was to the effect that gentlemen like Mr. Chambers should not be allowed to come in and join the Association.

Captain Tucker —I judge Mr, Chambers by myself. I think those gentlemen who are willing to remain h e should be allowed to do so, because they will not hear one word that they should not hear. After much disturbance a motion was carried that all outsiders should retire. Mr. Chambers—l am sorry I spoke at all. I understood that this was to be a Liberal Association, and not a Working Men’s only. He then withdrew. Mr. Adeane—l move that a central committee of ten be elected. Mr. Pearce—l second that. After a great deal of wrangling and unnecessary claptrap, the following central committeemen were elected:—W.Thanatt, Maddc-r, Burton, Pearce, Steele, Griffin, Haughey, J. Henderson, and Morgan. The Chairmen of sub-committees in the outlying districts were duly elected as follows ;—Makaraka, P. Malone ; Patutahi, O. Gallagher; Ormond, Mr. Felts ; Matawhero, W. Judd ; Wairoa, W. Light; Tologa Bay, J. S. Lincoln, Mr. Matthewson’s name was put down on the central committee, but he asked to be allowed to withdraw, as the committee should be composed only of working men. It was decidea that seven should form a quorum of the central committee. The undermentioned officers of the association were proposed and elected ;—Mr. Sandlant, President; Mr. W.Fryer, Vice-President; Mr. W. L. File, Secretary ; Mr, Matthewson, Treasurer; Messrs. Luke and Adeane, Auditors. Mr. W. Morgan moved “ That advertisements be inserted in both papers to the effect that all persons desirous of joining can give their names to the secretary, at whose office may be seen the principles of the association.”—Carried. A motion was carried to the effect that the secretary be empowered to call a public meeting and make all the necessary arrangements. This closed the proceedings of the meeting.