ELECTORAL.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2706, 21 November 1881, Page 2

ELECTORAL.

De. fisher at pleasant POINT. Dr Fisher, a candidate for the Gladstone seat, addressed a public meeting at Pleasant Point on Saturday evening. There were between 200 and 250 persona present, Mr A. Mee was voted to the chair. Dr Fisher was well received. He. commenced his address by a reference to the position of the constituency with respect to the Candidates in the field. The Mayor ofTimaru had been asked to stand for Gladstone, but a number of country settlers said they would prefer to be represented by one of themselves, and he came forward in response to an invitation from them. The town of Timaru had one member, and it would be unwise for the country district to elect another town man, because if any battle of taxation arose the town members would be sure to look after town interests, and country lands might be made to bear a heavier burden than town properties. He then gave a brief sketch of his previous acquaintance with politics. He had been a member of the Timaru and Gladstone Board of Works for five years, and during that lime had, he hoped, done the district some service. He had worked hard on the Board to get the Timaru Harbor Works set on foot, and had agitated for the construction of a line of railway from Timaru to Temuka, at a time when bad roads made the transport of produce to the port almost impossible. This would show that he was not, as an attempt had been made to make them believe, an enemy to the farmers. He was a farmer himself, and had been ever since his arrival in New Zealand. Going on to the general topics now before the country, he began with Education, The public seemed to him to be education mad. The children were being over educated. He would go so far with the enthusiasts as to require every child to be taught to read, write, and cipher, but beyond that the State should not go. If parents desired any more than that they should pay for it themselves. The result of the present system of over-education was that as the children grew up they all wanted some “ genteel ” occupation. They were not content to accept the positions their parents occupied. High schools were supported by the people to educate the children of people who could well afford to pay for the benefit they received. It was not righr that everyone should be taxed to pay for the education of these children.

Taxation—Comparing the property tax with the land tax as alternatives, he declared himself in favor of the former, as it would reach a greater number of people. Professional incomes would escape both, but it was a hard matter to get at everyone, and if a professional man were successful he was bound to invest in property of some kind, and so become liable to taxation. The land tax would affect the farmer more than any other tax, and the farmer already paid taxes enough without that. Dr Fisher then told his audience how families whom he had met in England, and rendered assistance to in their preparations to come out to New Zealand, when be was at Home, had changed their minds and gone to America, in consequence of the imposition of the land tax by the Grey Government. Taxation being necessary to pay the interest on National debt and other purposes, and as everyone who had property received the protection of the State, everyone should pay a share of the taxation in proportion to his income or in proportion to the value of his property. The Land Question —He approved of selling land in small areas—in 5, 10, or 20 acre lots—on deferred payments to provide homes for laborers wherever there was a chance for them to obtain work in the neighborhood ; but it was a delusion to offer men such lots away from centres. A man could not support a family by farming his own land,unless he had at least 100 acres, and the land must be good then, and he must have hands enough in his own family to work it. Respecting the cutting up of large estates, he considered the force of circumstances would soon oblige them to be cut up. Large blocks would not pay the interest due on the purchase money if they were left in tussocks, and the owners knew that as well as other people. A great had been said against the “ bloated squatter," but the squatters had been the pioneers of the country, and all knew that it was they who produced the enormous wealth of raw material which was sent Home and paid for the goods imported into the country. Political economy taught that a country could not be prosperous whose imports exceeded its exports. The squatters had now been pushed back “ to the snow-line," by the farmers buying the land from under their feet, except a few who took measures before hand and bought up the land themselves ; they borrowed the means, and the result was that they had such a burden to bear that they did not know what to do with themselves. The squatters further back in the mountains had not been so pressed, and j et nearly all of them had borrowed money and were not able to pay the interest. They were little better than managers for the mortgagees, and the mortgagees did not foreclose because they knew their debtors were the best managers they could get. They got a portion of their interest and in good seasons might get the whole of it, and leave a little for the stationholder besides. These were the men who were so much cried out against. For his own part he pitied them. Their lives were of the roughest, and if those who decried them were to spend a winter on some of the stations, they would see something they little expected. Railways —He thought that if the railway rates were reduced by one-third it would bo better both for fanners and for Government. There would be more traffic and the revenue would be increased. At present diays and wagons were competing with the railways, and stock that would have been sent by rail was being driven long distances on account of the high rates. General managers should have carte blanche to make what arrangements they thought proper, and a Minister of Agriculture and Commerce should be appointed, whoso business it should be to remedy such defects in the railway system. Representation in the English Parliament —He had often read speeches delivered in the British Parliament on subjects of importance to the colonies and had been struck with the ignorance displayed with regard to the colonies, and especially with regard to New Zealand, and this ignorance was only representative of the general ignorance prevailing in the mind of the British public. If anything came before Parliament connected with the colonies, no one soomod to know anything about

it, and little or no notice was taken of I it. He questioned whether the Secretary of State for the Colonies knew any more about New Zealand than the rest. He would suggest that New Zealand should have two representatives in the British Parliament, one for the North Island and one for the South, and he named Sir Edward Stafford and Sir F. Dillon Bell, who are now at Home, as gentlemen thoroughly suited to so represent the colony. Local Bodies—Speaking briefly on this subject he said he was of opinion that the County Councils should be abolished and more power be given to the Koad Boards- The two bodies were antagonistic to each other. His Opponent —Dr Fisher then proceeded to criticise severely the address of Captain Sutter,)his opponent, on those portions where Captain Sutter had referred to him. He denied what Captain Sutter asserted, that the law of 1877 “protected the plundering of the country.” The land was all open to selection at £2 per acre as before. The country had progressed, and people had taken advantage of that progress, as every sensible person would. Captain Sutter had stated that he (the speaker) had employed a surveyor to pick out every bit of the agricultural land on his run. The facts were that before going Home he saw a Timaru surveyor and two Otago speculators on his run ; he saw they were going to buy the land, and he saved them the trouble. He was not going to allow his land to be bought from under his feet, nor would anyone else do so who could prevent it. He did not buy “ all the agricultural land” but only three pieces, and buying it did not prevent farmers from buying. Farmers were too sensible to buy land in the Mackenzie country, 40 miles from a railway, at £2 an acre. They could do nothing with it if they had it. Captain Sutter said he could not blame the squatting fraternity, who had the making of the laws, in making them to suit themselves. There was no doubt Captain Sutter would have done the same in the same circumstances. Captain Sutter had quoted from Mr Sealy’s pamphlet. All he (Dr Fisher) had to say about the author of that pamphlet was, that he waa an unfortunate speculator in laud, whose speculations having burst lip, he was playing the part of the fox in the fable, —a fox lost his tail in a trap and then tried to get his friends to cut theirs off, his argument being that they could run so much better without them. The Bible in Schools : —On this point Dr Fisher spoke very decidedly. He was quite opposed to the Bible being read in schools. The children should read it at home, and at Sunday-schools ; it should not be introduced into the schools to cause confusion. He agreed with Captain Sutter that the Catholic schools were entitled to receive the capitation grant, but he charged Captain Sutter, who had avowed himself a deadly foe to denominationalism, with turning round now on this question in order to catch the Catholic vote.

Licensing and Gaming and Lotteries Acts —With respect to these two Acts o£ last session he said the latter interfered too much with the liberty of the subject. He did not see why a man should not invest his spare cash in a sweepstake or lottery if he pleased. The passing of that Act would result in from fifty to a hundred thousand pounds being sent out of the colony every year for investment in lotteries. If legislation went on in that direction a law would presently be made to compel everyone to go to church three times every Sunday. The election of licensing commissioners he thought would cause a great deal of trouble. There would be three parties in these elections —the licensed victuallers, the temperance people, and the middle party —each of whom would try to return their own representatives. The mode of dealing with unsuitable licensees was wrong. Insteadof a person being licensed thelicense should be be granted for the house, and suspended if the house were badly conducted, until a better tenant could beput in. It was too hard to ruin a valuable investment by taking away a license altogether because a tenant misconducted the bouse. In conclusion Dr Fisher said that if elected he should go to Wellington as an independent member. He would make no promises but w ould do the best he could for the district. He would support measures not men, but at present he was in favor of the Hall Government. ■

Questions being invited by the Chairman, Mr Acton asked why Dr Fisher had given £2 an acre for land on his run that he had said was not worth 10s an acre.

Dr Fisher said he bought it to save his position from injury, Mr Acton—You spoke of the property tax being preferable to the land tax because it would not affect the farmers so much. Have you forgotten that farmers who own their farms are property holders, and that a property tax affects them as distinctly as if it had been called a land tax ?

Dr Fisher—l deny that it affects them so much. Mr Acton —Where a farmer owns his land, as in nine cases out of ten, the property tax affects them precisely as if it were a land tax. (Hear, Lear.) In reply to Mr Lee the speaker said the Upper House was meant to be filled with gentlemen who had served an apprenticeship to the work of legislation in the Lower House, and a House so composed would be a great assistance in correcting faulty bills. The system of nominating members had been much abused, however, and there were many there who had no right to be in the House, Ho was in favor of the members being nominated, butfonly such as had served such an apprenticeship—He was decidedly in favor of property holders having votes in as many districts as they had property in. Mr Lee was proceeding to ask another question when he was interrupted by Mr Newton saying determinedly “ Dry up George. If you say another word, I'll jump down your throat!”

An elector complained of the way grain was received at tiie country stations. The officials only took count of the trucks, not of the sacks, so that if a sack were lost on the way, or the consignee in Timaru miscounted them the farmer had no check.

Dr Fisher said that if returned he would look into it.

In reply to another question, Dr Fisher said hewasin favor of abolishing the honorarium. He thought no one should be paid for going to Parliament.

A voice—Are you in favor of doing away with the sparrows ? Dr Fisher —Yes. I would have a Bill brought in to destroy them altogether. Another voice—lt’s no use bringing Bills in. The sparrows have bills enough now.

In reply to another questioner, the speaker said he would be in favor of placing a duty on wheat imported from Australia to the North Island, for fear a retaliatory duty would be imposed upon grain from New Zealand. We sent over ten bushels for every one received. Speaking on duties generally he said ho was in favor of taxing highly the imports from other countries that placed high duties upon our exports, as was done in America, for instance. In reply to Mr Halstead ho said he was not in favor of an export duty on wool. If wool could be manufactured here so much the better, but a tax on exported wool would not help the manufacture—He considered himself justified in calling himself a farmer. He was this year cultivating half an acre of potatoes an acre of wheat, 40 to 50 of oats, laying down 40 acres of grass, and had 200 acres of rape, and 250 acres of turnips. If that was not enough to make him a farmer ho would like to know what was.

No other questions being forthcoming Mr Clarke proposed, and Mr McCoy seconded a vote of thanks and confidence. Mr McAllister proposed and Mr Orton seconded as an amendment, a vote of thanks only. A show of hands being called for the chairman declared the original motion carried. Not many hands were held up for either. Dr Fisher briefly returned thanks and proposed a vote of thanks to the chairman, after which the meeting terminated. The meeting was very orderly and Dr Fisher was very attentively listened to while speaking.