MR LEACH AT TEMUKA.

Temuka Leader, Issue 701, 24 November 1881, Page 2

MR LEACH AT TEMUKA.

On Tuesday evening last Mr Leach addiessed the Geraldine electors in the Volunteer Hall, the latter being literally crammed with persons who,were eager to hear his views on political questions affecting the welfare of the Colony, at large and this district in particular. Mr Lee was requested to take the chair but before doing so he said, fiom the body of the hall, that if those present do sired to give Mr L'-ach a fair and impartial hearing he would only he too happy, to accede to their wishes and preside over the meeting but he would oot be made a fool of. (Cries of no, no.) Mr Lee then took the chair amidst applause. In introducing the working men's candidate to those present be remarked that he (the speaker).had never occup r ed the chair at any publio meeting before. They all knew their candidate who was about to address them. The working man had, up to the present time, very iittle to say on political matters, but now they were called, upon to exercise their judgment m the choice of a candidate for Parliamentary honors. Mr Leach, had consented to place himself in nomination a 3 their candidate and lie trusted they would give him a p.it'ent hearing. Mr Leach: (Who on rising was greeted with considerable applause,) Mr Chairman and gentlemen, I come before yiu tonight in the hope that you-will support me i" my candidature for the vacant seat for Geraldine in the. House of Representatives, There were three other candidates and I am the h'st, but perhaps not the least, in the field. The other candidates in their speeches had pulled each other to j ieces. 1 suppose I shall haveto follow in the same track- [ come forward as a Liberal. Many people have different meanings for the term. Liberal. It meant first, truth or just balance of any nifc-.sure. When any man came forward seeking a public position he should b« a n.an of truth and possess a fair balance of public favor. On this rock of truth we have based the word Liberal. If men go to the House aud spend the country's money in a fast manner without ascertaining fiist whether it would be for the benefit of the country, that would not be a liberal but foolish policy. Three months or so ago, when it was thought that Mr Wakefield had no chance of being ajain elected, several gentlemen met together and decided that Mr Post'ethwaite should stand for the Geraldine electorate. Mr Postlewaite then canvascod the district with a letter from Mr Wakefield in his hands. Mr Wakefield then annoiincr'd himself as a candidate. The electors then looked around them for a candidate on the Liberal a-id it was suggested that Mr A'hvrigh't, of Lyttclton, should be tequested to stand for the constituency, bu; I would not agree to this as Mr AUwnght although avowedly a L : beral, was a supporter of the present Government. Mr Wakefield then received a very largely signed requisition and has since been well supported and I believe he is the best man of the three candidates. (Hear, hear, no, no) Next came Mr Postlethwaite, with no policy at all. He advocated the letting of the Crown lands to the squatters at a valuation, but those valuations were to be made by men appointed by squatters themselves, so that they would get the land at their own valuation. Ni'Xt comes Mr Wakefield, 1 don't know what policy he advocates in regard to tin land. Mr Hayhurst said that bhe Crown Lr.nds should be put up to auction and I: think t';ut is the better plan (A voice : Let u> have you own policy." You will get my policy directly. Many of the squatters, both in Canterbury and Otago evaded taxation, especially in regard to the pro

pertyTax. Mr Wakefield said that ihe Native L\nd Department wa3 done away with, but I say that large sums.of. money are still being spent. Mr Wakefield h»s also told us that the Government are curtailing expenses and saving it for you and. the country. (Laughter.) It had been said that the Representation biil was framed on. a proper basis but it was not so for there are more votes than people. (Voices : Whist ! whist !) The railway policy —(a voice : Keep your hair on)— was not a good one, lor the railway companies would take all the good land for constructing the railways, ;.ud the Government would, ha.7e to lay down litiea. through the bad land. In regard to the Crown and Native Lands. Lid. (Lit"rruption); When this Bill was before the House, th«- Opposition parly tri< d to force the division, but the Government would not have it. After talking some

time, one member said the Government

did- not possess the confidence of the House, and if they had they would bring forward a bill for the redistribution of:

seats- (A voice ; W.hal about the rail-

ways ?) Mr Saunders got £.25,000 for the Cheviot Council, whilst other Councils

got noihiag !■ How is this] (A voice:. What's the pi ice of wool?) I look upon it us. nothing more or less .than corruption. Unless you get men in the House to look, aftev your interests you.will not gta fair distribution of the country's funds. (A vo'ce : Give us your policy.) We 11,., gentlemen. I believe in education only to a limited exteni, becniss,. if we spend money on technical education,, we should have to tax,the masses.lor the benefit of the few. There was no guarantee they would stop in the country alter being educated at the country's expense. In regard to taxation. Each person iu the colony, was indebted to the amount of £SB. In New South Wales the amount was only £l9 17s ; and iu Victoria, £25 lb's 4d. (A voice: Who told you so?) Iu Western Australia, £l2 lis lOd; and iu Tasmania, £l6. (A voice: What's the pi ice of meat ?) [Mr Leach then quoted at.length figures showing the difference between tho imports and exports of the colony.] Ton will see the position the colony is now in. We have got a debt of iwenty.-niue millions, and I want to show yon how to get 0.1 of it. We have got several millions of acres of laud not yet sold—(inteiruption). We should establish permanent settlers on tfie land, so that in after years there would be a coriespond--ing power against the large landowners. At the present, time I will instance the Levels.atatioa : ths good laud only pays a email proportion oftuxation, whilst poor laud, such as shingle beds, etc., pays largely in this respect, and supports the country. All over the colony it w,as the same. I now come to the. Local Option "*" Bill. This question had caused cousider-

able excitement nil over New Zeulaud. 4fc.l arii elected to the House. 1 will en ; deavor to get a clause inserted to effect that if any new license he allowec, and iifurwards taken away compensation should be given. (Interruptions.) I see. that the meeting >s not going to be very quiet. Let me talk for a quarter of an hour longer, then I will let you talk- one at a time. 1 will now sl.ow you what the large landowners have done for *js. In

1.666. in England, the land laws—[A voice

We want to know about New Zealand and your policy.] (Considerable interrupt'-on.) You cannot have a good, sound Government w'alst the country is governed by large landowners. We have the New Banking Company ring, and other l:>rge company rings also. (A voice : Right wheel.) [Considerable interruptions, during wli.ch the chairman vainly endeavored to restore order,] I came here with a land policy to-irj>ht that no one in New Zealand can tell yon about but myse f. (Applause.) The Government ought to do this. (\ voice : Keep your hair on.) All those who have got children should look out for the land If you don't, tlie big bugs will get it all. (A voice : What do you call big bugs ?—Another voice : Maoii bugs ) I propose that the Government should se'l no more iand to capital-

ists. They should not sell aDy lan'' iill fresh land laws were pissed. The laud

should then only be sold in small blocks

of from CO to 500 acres. Let parlies select for themselves, and the Government either sel' it *'• lit out, or sell on the deferred payment s3 - sfem. Let him be a bona fide settler, and then you would do a good thing. I ha- e also another scheme, the capitalisation of all the Crown lands of the colony. The Government should lease them or sel? oo deferred payments to people at prices varying according to the quality of the land. (A voico : What have you done with your old clothes, D;ivie ?) It might be asked how Government could cany on without money? They could borrow on the lands of the colony at from 4£ to 6i per cent, and at the end of 20 years the debt of the colony, through lilx-rul land laws, and by disposing of bind at a cheap rale, woul&x. / be cleared off. Mr Leach concluded his speech amidst continuous upioarThe Chairman remarked he was thankful tho meeting had heard a working man V hml. As a rule the country had . been filled by large landed pro. rietois or lawyers, l-nt he thought that in the composition of the next Parliament there would be a considerable change. The manner in which they had heard Mr Leach might be the mean* of a better .m&A

coming forward. (A voice : Don't stand that Davie, go for him). If they got the working class fairly represented surely their representatives would l<.»"k after their interests. He then c-died upon any persons desirous of asking Mr Leach questions, to do so. Mr Donovan : The question 1 desire to put Mr Leach iB a most important one, because if you do not answer in the affirmative it will disfranchise this most important district. 1 ask, tir, have you ever hud the measles ? The question caused considerable meriiment, taking Mr Leach quite by surprise. At length he replied that he had had the measles. Loud cries for Mr Essery to go up to he platform and address the meeting. After a long pause, Mr Ollivier came on flit platform ami said : Mr Leach, gentlemen, and larrikins. There is one thing I now ask you. I hope you will give Mr Leach a fair hearing till the close of the meeting. There is a deal of undeveloped abiliiy about him. I would ask you, Mr Leach, in the event of our returning you to Parliament—(A voice : What's the price of soda-watei)—will you be favorable to the volunteers receiving a Capitation Grant? You know we have been up to the front. I d''d not go and am not ashamed to say so, because I advertised it in the Temuka Leader that I was not going. We have had three candidates before ua and one said that the volunteers should bhoot sparrows. (A voice . Three groans for Hayhurst, which were not, however, given.) Mr Leach : I look upon the volunteer movement as a healthy graceful exercise. It would improve them mentally aud physically. It makes people respectable and respected. Several young men had gout*, to the front from the south and h e though they had done their duty in doing so. lam against the policy of the Government, but not against the men. (A voice: Question.) I will support any bill which would give them an allowance to keep up the Volunteer movement, as long as New Zealan 1 stands. A voice : What sort of bill. A three months' bill ?

Mr Luciis here got on the platform,

keeping possession of it for some time •without asking any questions. Ultimately at "the request of the Chairman lie reresumed his seat in the body of the hall. Mr Levens, amidst cries of hats off, as-ked Mr Leach, that after our mw boy a had been to the front and tat n Te Whiti how should they dispose of him ?

Mr Leach . I would set him at liberty and give the volunteers a job to go and catch him again.

At th ; s stage of the proceedings Mr Essery was called on by the lneeiing to go on the platform amidst considerable uproar. Mr Essery did not do so, however.

The Chairman here asked if any person had any more questions to ask.

Several voices : Axe ! axe J axe ! Have you not got a tomahawk ? ' A person got on the platform and asked Mr Leach : Are you in favor of the working man 1 (Loud cries ot 'Go it Dutchy!' etc.) Mr Leach : I'll soon answer that question. lam in favor of the working man when he takes his own part.

To this the party replied that he could not be, for lie robbed him of one week's ■wages. (Uproa~, hisses, and cries of ' Pay the man his wages !') In reply to a question as to whether Mr Leach would retire in favor of Mr Essery, he replied that he would not :etire in favor of anybody. Voices: Pay the man his wages. Stick to him like a leech. ,

Mr Levens . If you are returned, would you take a portfolio 1 Mr Leach : I would take anything that was good, but nothing bad. Mr Bussell : Would you be in favor of driving the Chinese out of the colony to Hong Kong ? Mr Leach . It was not possible to drive them out cf the colony. All that could be done would be to stop them coming into it. (A voice: Drive them to the pound, Davie.) In reply as to whether he was in favor of Local Option, Mr Leach said : 1 am in favor of local option to this meeting, so that you cin govern yourselves. All people have a right to control everything in their own neighborhood. In reply to a question as to whether he was in favor of the present Bankruptcy Act, Mr Leach said : I don't believe in it Better do away with it altogether. (A voice : How ■would you live ?) The ol her candidates had arrived at the conclusion that a 10s basis was a proper thing. I say not, because a man doing a large amount of business, with a large stock, could get through the Court, even then, much easier than a poor, hardworking man. I propose that no man should go to the Court without first going to his creditors. If tney they t:.ke over h's estate, and give him a receipt pure and simple, he would then be free, but if he defrauded his creditors—(cries for Essery, and ■uproarious interruption.)—he should then be dealt with by the law. Are you in favor of agricultural machinery being imported into the colony free of duty ? Mr Leach : No, not altogether free.

Mr Donovan : It is with that I have sat and listened to so able a speaker as Mr Leach. It is not became he is a working man that we should despise him. We ought to appreciate Win for bringing his rievfs before the working man. (Applause.) 1| it my pleasing duty, nir, to ,propose the

following resolution—" That after hearing Mr Leach's views, in the opinion of this mee inir, with such brains as he has got, he is too high and classical to represent the OerakUne constituency in the Lower House, but that the Hon. the Premier be recommended to call him to the Upper House." (Laughter, cheers, and applause.) To raise hi-) victor head, and see Your hills, your dales, your falleys free: That, gift of bliss is all he craves Between his cradle and his grave. Mr E?sery came forward amidst applause, and briefly seconded the resolution. Two or th '•ee rotten eggs were here thrown on the platform, falling, however, short of their mark.

Mr Levens: Where ignorance is bliss 'tis folly to be wise.

A voice : Where's your father ? Mr Levens : Never you mind, he's about. Mr Ollivier : I have to pvopose an amendment. After Mr Leach telling us f hat he would let. Te Whiti loose, he is fit for the Lower House.

The amendment not being seconded, it was not put to the meeting.

Several eggs were again thrown, two of them hitting Mr Lucas, who persisted, ever and anon, in going on the platform, evidently with no set purpose.

The Chairman then put the resolution, which was carried unanimously. (Shouts of 'Hupper 'Ouse.) The meeting then terminated, amidst continuous cheering.