POLITICAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 106, 25 October 1911, Page 3

POLITICAL.

THE RAN'GITIKEI SEAT. By Telegraph—Pros* Association. Marlon, Tuesday. Mr. C. 15. Collin«, solicitor, Marton addressed over three hundred electors at the Town Hall, Marton, last evening, and was accorded an attentive hearing, The candidate claimed that since the (.'overnment had promised the iroufounders to revise the tariff in the direction of higher protective duties, the tari(fT question was an important issue of the election, but apparently the Opposition policy did not differ from that of the Government. He announced himself a* a. freetrader, and a considerable portion of the address was devoted to the principles of freotrade. Other matter advocated were the freehold and the right ot tenants of private landlords to their improvements, on the lines of the English Agricultural Holdings Act, and the abolition of the Legislative Council. THE TARAXAKI SEAT. The second weekly meeting of the j town committee working in the interest < of the (iovernment candidate was held last night in the Town Hall, seventy being present. The meeting was ; iiiii-t enthusiastic, most encouraging reports being received from various parts I of the electorate. The organising plan ' was further perfected and captains appointed for nearly :J0 special block-. I'lans for the furtherance of the candidate's programme in other centres were completed, and a strong committee from the executive, which meets to-night, will visit Inglewood on Friday evening to organise in that district. MR. C. K. WILSON AT TIKORANGI. ' (From Our Own Correspondent.) ' Mr. C. K. Wilson, the Opposition candidate for the Taumarunui seat, addressed a fairly well attended meeting at : Tikorangi on Monday afternoon. Mr. J. Hine, jun.. presided, and briefly intro- ' dueed the candidate, who, on rising, was , received with loud applause. • , Mr. Wilson, after apologising for,the ( i-hort notice and inconvenient hour; at , which the meeting was being held.' said ] lie came before them as an opponent of ( the present Government, and as a sup- ■ porter of Mr. Massey and the Reform ' s Party, and, before passing on to the , various political questions, lie paid a high tribute to the courage and tenacity J shown by Mr. Massey in the face of ■ tremendous odds. In- the candidate'* opinion, however, the country was now - sick and tired of the autocratic actions i '

of the Ministry, the members of which were, lie averred, surfeited with self glorification, and a long and eoutimied misuse of tiie powers entrusted to them. During their loner tenure of olTiee, the party now in power had no doubt put some very good measures on the Statute Hook, but no party could live entirelyon its past, and it'was the future that most concerned us. and he would show where, in his opinion, the Government. fails to recognise the changed conditions and requirements of the Dominion gen-l erally. and first and foremost he would put the native land question. Speaking as a resident in the King Country, Mr. Wilson said he had only too much reason j to know something of this question, and | he scathingly denounced the inaction of ( the Government in reference to it. All native affairs were absolutely dominated i by the Hon. Sir .Tame* Carroll, than, whom no more astute person was in, Parliament. No matter what efforts were j suggested to deal effectively with the question, >*Mr James Carroll'echoes and re-echoes "taiho-.i!" There would. Mr. Wilson said, be no effective settlement of the native land question \mtil Sir .Tames Carroll was removed from office, and the better way to effect this very desirable reform was to remove the lot. from the Right Hon. Baronet ilonvnwards. In the candidate's opinion the I proper course was to individualise the | lan.d as much as possible, am\ i yV'rMi! proper safeguards against aggregation.! allow the natives to deal with it. The! present system was not only a curse to: the country and to those who were | anxious and willing to settle on the land,! Imt was also injurious to the natives themselves.

Mr. Wilson, after declaring himself an out and out freeholder, then proceeded to criticise the general land administration of the party in power, who had no fixed principles, but were mere opportunists anxiously watching every phase of public opinion., He referred' to the Government's many Land P,ill=. and especially that which was so heroicallv nailed to the mast by Mr. McXab. and on which they were to stand or fall, but. as his hearers would remember, was hauled down with such indecent haste that even supporters of the partv were astounded. Mr. Wilson considered that the laie Mr. Rolleston's policy of land settlement, which consisted of occupation with right of purchase, deferred payment, and cash, as the most liberal form that could be devised, and would revert to it to-morrow, if it were possible. Mr. iViNon went on to refer to the inhumanity and criminal neglect of the executive in their treatment of settlers in the baekhlocks, many of whom are paying an extra rent on account oU their lands being loaded with roads."vhicli arc not yet made nor likelv to be for a very long time to come. Votes and appropriations of Parliament are often unexpended, and if a deputation ventures to Wellington in respect of some broken promise they are met with insult and contumely from the Minister of Public Works, who forgets that he should be the servant of those who placed him there and not their master.

l'ilS-1))..' Dll 10 till' (|ll('sti011 of f>(lllCiltion. Mr. Wilson declared that the cducaiioi; boards were being starved, and the conditions existing in some parts of the electorate were simply disgraceful. Jli' knew of a ease where the native? offered an old disused whare as a school which was gratefully accepted by the Department, and settlers' children were "educated" there. This state of affairs continued until the natives even stepped in and refused to allow the place to be so used any longer as they recognised it was unfit for the purpose. Mr. Wilson maintained that practically every chihl in the Dominion should' he n--snreil of a primary education under decent conditions. l,nt he had no hope of attaining this ideal under the present administration.

The candidate then referred to anomalies in the management of the railway, and also to the statin of the Civil Service, considering that hoth would lie more efficiently managed by a nonpolitical board, and lie- employe- would he removed from the baneful political influence which was discouraging some of the best men in the service. Tit reference to the increased cost of living, Mr. Wilson said this was a question that would have to he faced. im il he nrvv -idered that a revision of the tariff in the direction of redoing the taxation on the necessaries of life was imperative. Tn concluil'ng an inlere-tiii"' and forcible address. Mr. \yv , : , , I;,.:, | lis llMr . ers. who were livi't-r i" M„. comparative comfort of Wvilisatiou. io slrike a blow for their brothers in Ihe more remote parts of the district h\ voting for a party pledged to ref-.-.m'., a nartv who would honestly endeavor to improve the conditions of every genuine worker in the Dominion.

| Mr. Wilson, who had been accorded a (most attentive and sympathetic hearing.; ; then resumed his seat amid loud j and prolonged applause.. In answer to Mr. Wilson said the licencing question was in the hands of tlu/people, and lie was quite, prepared t ■ abide by their decision; that, if elected,! lie would certainly support any well con- , 'ceived local government Bill, and that | although satisfied with the party sys- | tern, lie was not .prepared to pledge himself in favor of an elective executive. | Mr. J. W Foreman said he had listened ' to Mr. Wilson's remarks with very great interest and he had much pleasure in moving a very hearty vote of thanks to the candidate for his clear and straight-forward address. He would not add confidence, as, in his opinion, such votes were oftentimes meaningless. The motion, which was seconded by- Mr. J. McKcnzie. was carried by acclamation, and a vote of thanks to'the chair concluded a most successful meeting.