THE GENERAL ELECTION.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2715, 1 December 1881, Page 2

THE GENERAL ELECTION.

CAPTAIN SUTTER AT KERRYTOWN. Captain Sutter addressed a meeting of the electors of Gladstone in the schoolroom, Kerrytown, last evening. About 100 persons were present, the little room being packed. Mr M. Quinn was voted to the chair. Captain Sutter delivered the address already published by us as delivered by him at the Point, with a few variations to give certain points a mor§ local bearing. He showed the injury that bad accrued the country by the land sharking operations which had prevented settlement, and through that kept down railway traffic and the Customs duties. He advocated strongly a special tax upon estates held for speculative purposes, to which the expenditure of public money had given a value ten times the amount paid for the land. The tax should be progressive and would not be unprecedented, as such t ax had been introduced in Victoria to break up the vast estates there. In other cases people were forced to submit to special legislation. Shipowners, for instance, who are closely hedged in by special laws. The absentee landlords and mortgagees were a source of the greatest grievance,but he believed they did not know the real state of affairs here. He believed if the British landlords knew what injury they were doing by holding the land they would sell out, but the managers here took care to misrepresent things for fear of losing. their billets. They did not want any landlords at all. Every man should cultivate his own farm. Referring to the renewal of leases of the Canterbury runs, he pointed out that the land was still to be open for selection and purchase but the upset price was too high for most of the land now left. It should be lowered even to half-a-crown an acre, to ensure the land being settled as soon as possible. As showing the different results of the occupation of land in large and in small areas, he mentioned that in Great Britain some time ago there were forty million sheep, an immensely greater number than New Zealand contained, although the colony was mainly devoted to sheep. It was time the largo run system was abolished in the interests of the country, although some fifty or sixty men who now rode about in their carriages might suffer. He did not approve of the property tax, and still less of some of its applications. A farmer must return the full value of his property, much of which depreciated in value during the three years the assessment was in force, while the large sheepowners had received a circular intimating that they might return the value of their sheep at 4s a head all round, adding the value of wool grown upon them from April to October. He did not think they would add more than Is a head for the wool, making 5s a head ; but he doubted whether the Levels Company, for instance, would sell their flock for less than 12s 6d a head. He would advocate an income tax on incomes over £l5O per annum, if direct taxation were necessary ; but he felt sure it would not be necessary if the country were cut up and settled. He advocated an elective Upper House, and the abolition of the free pass to members system, except on a passage to and from Parliament. He spoke in favor of largely modifying the educational machinery by abolishing either Boards or Committees. He had deemed the secularisation of the schools necessary to secure the establishment of a national system, but as he found that at least 75 per cent, of parents (exclusive of Catholics) were anxious to have the Bible read, he gave way on this point. But seeing what the Catholics had done in the way of building schools or supplying teachers, be would not consent to any concession to those who desired Bible reading ufltil the capitation grant was given to properly conducted Catholic schools. He had no doubt the Catholics’ grievance would be remedied at the first session of Parliament, as most of the candidates in the field had expressed themselves in favor of it. Having concluded his remarks on general topics, Captain Sutler read a letter published in the “Tim:;:- jd>rald ” a few days ago, signed “ Denis McCarthy,” in which he was charged with showing want of feeling at the time of the famine in Ireland, i

and with refusing to take steps to call a public meeting to collect subscriptions. That letter was a falsehood from beginning to end. The usual course in Timaru and all municipalities is for the Mayor to call public meetings only when requested to do so by a requisition from the ratepayers. Such meetings involved expense, and he, as Mayor, had no right to apend a penny of the ratepayers’ money on such matters on his own responsibility. The fact was that he (Captain Sutter) went round with Mr Evans, who was very active in the matter, and they got a number of persons to sign the necessary requisition. This was formally presented to him as Mayor, and he called a meeting in the Institute Hall in accordance therewith. The meeting was called, committees were formed, and the town was canvassed, the result being that a sum of either £66 or £69, he forgot which, was sent Home to Ireland. These were the facts. It was easy to see that the letter in the “ Herald” was an election dodge, but a man who told a lie at election times was as much a liar as at any other time. He had met the proprietor of the “Tiraaru Herald” that day and, asked him if he had seen the letter. Mr Belli eld said—Yes. He (Captain Sutter) said—You know there is not the slightest truth in it. I got two guineas from yourself. Mr Belfield asked—Was there a public meeting? He replied that there was, and that the papers in connection with it, the requisition, etc., could no donbt be seen at the Council Chambers. Mr Belfield said—Oh well, its not worth bothering about. He saw Mr Belfield again and said— There’s another thing has turned up that I don’t like. The papers should discuss a public man’s dealings in every possible way, and I would not complain so long as it is done fairly, but this letter is a base fabrication, I ask you for the name of the writer. Mr Belfield said, He is one of your own constituents ; and declined to give the writer’s name. Captain Sutter then threatened to prosecute Mr Belfield, as proprietor of the paper in which the letter appeared, for libel. Mr Belfield said that was nonsense, but he told him it was not nonsense, —he would do it. Mr Belfield then promised to make the writer insert an apology in the next day’s “ Herald.” That, Captain Sutter thought, was enough for “ Denis McCarthy.” [Hear, hear, and applause.] He next referred to report in the “ Herald ” of Dr Fisher’s meeting at Wai-iti, in which Dr Fisher was said to have pointed out to the meeting that if the property tax were done away with and a land tax substituted, £550,000 of property in Timaru would go free. The intention of that statement, it appeared to him, was to induce the country people to set themselves in arrway againstthe town. They probably knew that he (Captain Sutter) had more property in the country than in the town, and he would be cutting his own throat if he tried to relieve the town at the expense of the country. Even suppose he did think of it, what effect would it have ? No one else would agree with him. He had said at the Point that he did not believe direct taxation u ould bo necessary if the runs were cut up, and Dr Fisher had taken fright at this. He was afraid of losing his run, and therefore looked upon him as a dangerous character. That was the reason of the Doctor’s trying to raise a cry against him that he wanted to relieve town property. Dr Fisher had as much property in Timaru as he had, but he had none on the plains. There was no antagonism between the town and country. Each depended on the other, and the bigger the town became the better for the country districts. Timaru wanted nothing from the country. She had supplied herself with water, and would supply herself with drainage in good time. The chief thing wanted that she could not supply was money to extend the Harbor works, but this was an object in which the country was equally interested. In reply to questions, Captain Sutter said he would be glad to do anything to assist in irrigating the Levels Plains. He was personally interested in this matter. —If a really substantial majority of the residents in the vicinity were in favor of shifting the Pleasant Point station, he would agree to its being done, but not otherwise.-—The Borough Council endowment of 2000 acres had been offered in. small farms, but an alternative offer for taking it in one lot was much higher than the sum of best offers for the small lots, and therefore the Council accepted it. Of course that estate should be taxed like other big estates.—The Timaru Borough Council would be glad to erect sheds on the Market Reserve if farmers would come forward and agree to lease them so as to insure the Council against loss. —He was not in favor of a national bank of issue. The notes issued by the Government would not be taken except as the » greenbacks ” of America were taken, under protest, and with a discount of fifteen to twenty per cent. European Governments often wanted money, but they did not resort to such a to provide it.—lt was no use his promising to bring in a Bill to give the capitation grant to Catholics, but he would use his influence with the Government, and with any party working in that direction, to get the Government to amend the Act. Combined action would be necessary, and he would do his best to assist, and to get combined action brought to bear upon the matter. —He saw no other way to compel the cutting up of such estates as the Levels except the putting on of a progressive land tax, beginning say at 1000 acres, and increasing on every 5000 acres. He did not want to confiscate the land, but it should be forced into the market. There would soon be money forthcoming to buy the land if it were cut up.

Mr Richard Hoare proposed and Mr Power seconded, a vote of confidence in Captain Sutter, and an amendment proposing thanks only was proposed by persons whose names we failed to ascertain.

On the motions being put an almost equal number of hands were held up for each, the chairman deciding that the original motion was carried. Captain Sutter, in returning thanks for the vote, referred to a few interruptions that had been made by one or two individuals. He said that the election should be looked upon as a serious matter, and not a subject for larrikinism. Someone said, “We have got votes!” to which Captoin Sutter replied, “ I don’t think you deserve them then, [Applause.] It is a pity that you got your votes before you got sense to use them. You must remember that you have to elect trustees of the public estate, in which not only you but your children are interested. A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the meeting.