ELECTION NEWS

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 211, 16 July 1887, Page 2

ELECTION NEWS

MR J. B. WHYTh ATMORRINSVILJLE.

On Thutsday evening last, Mr J. B. Whyie, !\1 li.ii., for'Waikalo, invited j the electors to meet him at Morrinsvilie, ; The meeting was held in the dining room of llie Phoenix Hotel. During the afternoon and evening, priur to the meeting a number of electors interviewed Mr Whyte re tne questions ot chief interest now before tue county. The meeting was announced to commence at half p.tst seven, by which time the largeroom was filled with a thoroughly representative audience, numbers of oihers. standing round the open doors leading ; into the hall ; altogether probably some fifty to sixty being present. Mr John llorrell was voted to the chair and in a few opening words invited Mi* Whyte to address the meeting. Mr Whyte piefaced his remarks by stating he had not invited them that nighl for the purpose of giving a full address, for two reasons ; first because he had not yet sufficiently recovered from his recent illne&s, and still felt very weak ; and secondly because ' there was plenty of time in any case to, address the electois more fully,. a 9 tiio election prouably would not came off for a couple of months yet ; and he therefore only proposed to have a quiet talk with them on the present occasion* Mr Whyte then proceeded to Bay * The main question before the ronnty just now was that of retrenchment,, and they were all agreed that it was necessary,, anil must be faced. Hitlieito when any member proposed retrenchment, especially if likely in any way to effect the district he repiesenteii, there was a cry out against it ; but he believed tltecounty as a whole now really meant retrenchment, and would get it. With respect to the present Government, they con Ul only be judged by what they would have done, il they had been pei milted to. entry their proposals into effect. They had now been in office three years, and had practically increased our expenditure by £400,000 a yean £250,000 forme Ay devoted towardsreducing the debt of the- colony, by means of a sinking fund, was now used For revenue purposes ; £75,000 feirmeriy paid by Government, was now -a.idled on the various local bodies, for provi linj? ho<pit.d and charitable aid , ••\hich, together with increase of customsduiy, st'imp*, and certain olner items made up £400,000, '1 his id wnnt tln-jr have done consider w.hat would they have done if they had been allowed. Government proposed to set apait £3v)0,lK»0 poi annum, for 25 ytars •> and local bo lies were told in order to make sure of it, to borrow against it ; it did not maiter whetuiM' thuy needed it or nor. It was easy to see what the cam-ing mit ot "Urh a system as this would leal to. Such counties as iSehvy.i and E en for instance, now fully supplied with loads, would have been practically told to borrow say £200,00" whether they needed it. or not, wherea und.'rthe Panic ?)Stein outl) ing districtwould have been starved. For the parpose of getting the East and West Coast Railway constructed, the present Government proposed to subsidise Mcssis Meigtfs ami Co. working expenses, and also give £9 1,000 a year as well ; Ihe proposal was rejected by the House, and b- fore the year was out an English firm was found to undertake the constiuc*ion of this line without an> subsidy apart from the land grant. Iv 1885 Captain Russell's motion to hay the estimates reduced by £500,000 was. cariied, and thereby interest on another £1,000,000 loan which it would have been necessary to borrow, was saved. Again the present Government proposed to add another Minister to the list, and also the appointment of four Parliamentary under secretary's at salarys of about £500 a year each. In fact if all their proposals had being givrn effect to, the gifts of the Government to members of the House would have increased to 32,. or say a thiid of the House. Another instance was with respect to chairmen, of Committees. Before the present Government took office, only two such chairmen receivod payment ; the present Government raised the number to four for one session ; and included in the number a gentlemen who was opposed to the principle thus laid down and actually returned the £100 paid to himself to the Government for which lie was rewarded by being turned out of office and another gentleman, who was a supporter of the Government, was placed in his stead, although by no means so well fitted for Hie position, and £100 placed on. the estimates for him. Let them consider also how the Special Settlement business had been made use of for political motives by the Government. Believing every little scheme likely to promote settlement of the land should be encouraged the House consented to £5000 being set apart for the promotion of Special Settlements ; and what had present Government done, why made the country liable for fourteen times the amount on the strength of thttb £5000 vote. But even worse than that, had palpably made use of the scheme for political purposes. For instance Mr. John JUmdo.li who had taken stvh an active part in promoting this scheme north, iv 3 879 was publicly accused of roll stuffing in the district for which he is now standings and we are asked to

as far as possible, be piopoifcionod to the rateable, value, an. l number of ratepayers of cndi ruling; i objectively." By this negleel, if not ioclili d, four members, noulii continue to sit for KarangahaUo and \Vaitckauri. whereas they are only entitled to two. Tho two Riding mVnod to return rates to tho amount of £oO on basis, whilst Waitoa Riding, having enly one member, returns £S0 on the levying of a similar rate, and yet, in the face of this fact, the Count il decided that the lepresentation should remain as afc present. T<- show how indifferent tho Coirtcil aio to the interests of the V\\ii(on settles i r h»\s had £150 from Go\ on m^ui( at ,i< di-p..s»l f->v tho las* v[o\)t uiontlis for i ; X- pui[)Of.o <>f niAing a \o.vl int.-» t\<\* ui^r.ct. r.nd sot h:ivo )ie\er ha.l lie wk i.ut., although the toiil'i^ xia«o r.ot. u ro ; ,d safe fc heel tr.ii'ic. Oou'i' ?ueh an injustice occui if i' 1-'1 -' "nifi properly le[tivsentc >.! ?

Biding. Tt.ue.iHe Value. Voters. \ otes. iVnitoa £'27,019 20 38 Waitekaur", 1.443 61 01 Karangaliakc 4,3*26 Paero.i 51.103 01 80 01 107

The i< ! <urn .<: iumvd ropre^Mit Ino rate.ilil*' \ "I 1 ' «■! * •*'> tiul'm^ <»f Oliiiu--mmi Count), niul number of \olois t. lioi c:n :—: —