SIR JULIUS VOGEL AT ASHBURTON.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 55, 21 June 1884, Page 6

SIR JULIUS VOGEL AT ASHBURTON.

Ashuukton, Juno 1-J. Long before the hour of meeting tho hall was crow dod to excess, tho gallory being given up to ladies and tho platform being filled with representative men from all parts of tho district. Sir .Julius Vogol was listened to throughout tho address with rapt attention. The points of his speecli which found most favour were his defence of his public works policy, his denunciation of the raising of tho grain tariff and of the property tax. His remarks re immigration wore received with some disfavour, but he adroitly socured applause by staying he would only bring capitalists and mon of moderato means. He spoke for an hour and forty minutes with greater vigour than has been heard for many years. At tho back of the hall was a compact band of malcontents, who tried to interrupt, but were persistently stumped down. At tho close ot tho speecli thero was hearty cheoring, then a regular string of questions came, which were handed up to tho Chairman in quick succession for nearly 40 minutes. Strango to bay, only one dealt with a puroly local matter. Great amusement was caused by Mr Jolly, one of the candidates, and a man of colour, who tackled Sir Julius Vogol determinodly about railway construction, till the pationco of the audience becoming exhausted, he was forced to retire. Sir J ulius Vogel fairly brought down the house at the conclusion of this "heckling" by turning to Mr Jolly, and addressing him in his most urbane munner ; "I did not know till this minute that my questioner was a rival candid/ito, but it gives mo tho greatest pleasure to make his acquaintance." Mr Walker, who moved tho vote of confidence, and was the moving .spirit in bringing Yogel out, is Chairman to the County Council, and possos^os considerable local influence. MrParncllspoko adversely to Vogol's candidature, saying tho constituency should resont Vogel's interference when eligible local men wero available. He in vain attempted to speak, his remarks being barely audible to the reporters near him. His vote of thanks found a beconder in tho person of an individual very anxious to Inn c public houses closed on polling days. At tin* stage there was a deal of uproar. Ultimately the motion was put and declared cai 1 ied by a lame majority. A call for tlnee chceib for Mr Wason, who was in the building, was \ igorously lesponded to. Tim the Vogelite* defiantly ausweied with emphatic gioanings for Mr Wa^on. The opinion i>, if Sir Juliu= Yogel visits and spu.iks in all paits ot the dintiict he must win. He ha-, \eiy hard workers in town, but Mr Wason expects to poll heavily along the hills from Methven to Kangitata, including Mount Somers and Alford Forest. There are about 1,000 on the rolls, and nearly 1, 200 of thorn will voto, and it is anticipated that 700 of the latter will voto for Vogol.

Sir Julius apologised for not being ablo to speak standing, owing to his invalided condition, lie went onto explain how ho was brought on to stand for Ashburton, pointing out that under Mr llobort Stout's advice, who showed him the critical state of the colony, he Had consented to stand for Ashburton. Ho did not know what the result of the present state of affairs in Parliament might be, but in any case he meant now to sock their suffrages. Sir Julius gave an explicit denial to tho charge that he wi&hod to go into Parliament to force an alleged claim against Government. Ho had no sucli wish. Any claim he had he would put before the Plouse as any other freeborn citizen would ; but it -\\as totally untrue that he sought the seat with a view to helping himsolf to establish that claim. As to staying in the colony, if it were necessary for him to undertake political responsibilities he would certainly be prepared to remain in the colony before he did so. Ho had no fear in speaking to a New Zealand audienco anywhere, as he could point to thousands of happy homes thifc were tho fruits of his policy. (Cheers, laughter, and hisses. ) It was the object for which borrowing took place that should be considered, and not that the money should bo used simply for expenditure. His Govevnment had held that tho land benefited should bear a large proportion of the burdens of the railway, and that tho price of land should be raised to help to dofray their cost, but tho Parliament had not been with them in these. Pie spoke strongly against the sales of the lines by Government. He thought that if a lino could be constructed that could be worked at a return of two per cent, it might be made. Ho had never calculated at the outset that the lines should be immediately remunerative. It was the colony's duty to make roads, and tho lines were only roads in another form. He was not then in a position to look into the figures of the railway profits, but he did not see that Major Atkinson had any right to set down an iron rule that the lines should yield four per cent. If the people of Canterbury had calmly sat dovn undor the infliction of a tariff raised at a time when Government raised the grain rates, they would not have been worthy of electoral rights, and he contended that the power Major Atkinson had exercised in that matter was one ho had no right to exercise. Pie favoured non-political boards of railway management. He could not believe that it was in the colony's interest for the Canterbury people to oppose tho construction of tho North Island main line. He believed the construction of that line would cause the North Island to take a now departure, and that a flood of prosperity would follow j the line's completion. But he was averse to borrowing simply for the purpose of spending it on any other than the main lines that were calculated to open up the country, promote settlement, and increase production. Amongst these lines were the two which the colony already stood committed to— viz., the North Island Main and the Otago Central. He eloquently urged the construction of the West Coast line, but he thought the Government should pause before they undertook this line, and should endeavour to sco how far they could help its construction by private entei'prise. The property tax was inquisitorial, calculated to foster cheating and deceit. He was against the property tax, and thought the land tax was the proper form in which the revenue should be raised. The property tax was unfair and unwise, inasmuch as it threw a burden on mortgagees, which would have tho effect of driving away money. He did not favour the taxation of improvements, but the land only according to value. He did not propose this in a vindictive spirit, but with an object, and it was vindictive taxation that caused want of confidence. He was neither a protectionist nor a free trader, and he had always contended that no fad of any kind should come in to interfere with the imposition of Customs for the sake of revenue. He thought the colony did not produce enough. It was improving, but still there was great room, He instanced the grovrtn in the export figures of the last two years, but showed that, against population, it was not enough. He thought this colony could '

absorb tho whole trade of tho South Sea Islands. Both France and Germany wero casting their eyos on that trade, and had mndo no secret of their objects. He had plans which he would not now disclose, but which ho hoped to see carried out, and these, ho trustod, would tond more to improve New Zealand's position in commerce, by cemonting a trade in the South Seas, and this trado, ho believod, would be far bettor than tho federation scheme proposed. This federation scheme he did not approve, because it did not give to tho ITouso of Parliament in each colony the right to adopt or reject the moasures upon which tho Federation Conference might be called upon to logislate. In conclusion he pointed out that the sugar industry was much neglected in New Zoaland, both from sorghum and beet-root, and he thought a great industry in this article might be built up. In reply to questions, he said the nationalisation of the land was one of the biggest humbugs ever introduced into a colony with millions of acres to sell. He was against denominational oducation grants, and said the cost of educational institutions was no more than tho colony could bear. He favoured tho construction of the "West Coast railway by private enterprise, because he did not believe the colony would consent to its construction out of the public purse. Ho thought a commencement of a telegraphic lino to connect Queensland, New Zoaland, San Francisco, Fiji, and Now Caledonia should be made from Queensland, and at private and not public cost. Ho believed 13 millions had been raisod "\\hilo ho was in the Ministry, and if ho left burdens behind him he found burdens thore when he came into oflico. It was only a question of time for tho direct line of steamboats to carry tho mails. Ho had, ho believed, in eleven years roooived £27,000 from Government. Mr W. C. Walker, Chairman of the County Council, moved a hearty vote of oonfidonce in Sir Julius Vogcl, w Inch was seconded by Mr Charles Reid, and carried against a vote of thanks only,