The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, MAY 6, 1884.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1174, 6 May 1884, Page 2

The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, MAY 6, 1884.

MR POSTLETHWAITE'S MEETING*. WHEif Mr Postlethwaite roted for the one million loan for the North Island, and againßt the colonial loan of three millions we criticised his conduct severely ; when he opposed the Timaru Harbor Loan we also disapproved of hii action. We never praised, or dispraised his public career since, for the very reason that we were not aware of anything he had done to merit attention. We therefore cannot be looked upon as a supporter of his ; and in fact we were not, for we did not think he was half so liberal in hiß views as he is, or had paid so much attention to public matters as he has done. Mr Postlethwaite has worked quietly, but earnestly and honestly ; he is no wind bag ; he is a worker and not a speaker, and the tact that no one had hitherto heard of what he had done, has contributed largely to his unpopularity. He has been guilty of two acts during his political career of which very few of his constituents can approve : namely, voting for the one million loan, and supporting the Government when ho knew them to be so corrupt as to purchase votes. That he gave the Government his vote without getting anything for it for his constituents is the " head and front of his offending." Ha explains his reason for supporting the Government as follows :—" At a caucus meeting of the Opposition he found them without a leader, and without a policy, and their suggestion was to oust the Ministry first, and then look for a leader and a policy. Preferring the evil he know to that which ha knew

not of he threw iu his lot with the Government, and stuck to them except in such matturs as he could not conscientiously support." As this is exactly the same tale that many others have told, we see no grounds for doubting Mr Postlethwaite's story,.and we must say that with reasonable beings his explanation would go * very long w*y towards being a very good excuse for his conduct, especially when he signified his attention of following the Government no longer and supporting in future measures and not men. I Practically he hat now admitted his mistake by intimating that he would follow a different course next session. We are told that his support of the claims of the Roman Catholics has contributed to his unpopularity. It ought j not because at the hustings he promised to do so, and he has redeemed his pledge manfully and honorably. He only did ; what he said he would do, and surely no one ought to find fault with him on that account, We have now pointed out what he did wrong. Has he done anything he ought to get credit for? We think »n-' He voted againit that monstrous expenditure of public money the grant for higher education. Every true Liberal in the colony approves of this. It is inscribed on the the most radical programme. It is held that high tchools are simply nurseries for rich men's children, and that it is wrong to wf»ste the money collected from poor and rich alike to support them. The rich men support this grant for higher education, the poor men oppose it, but though Mr Postlethwaite is a rich man he voted on the poor man's sid«, and his reward is a vote of '' no confidence" from the free and enlightened of Temuka. Perhaps the " free and enlightened" of Temuka wished to appear aristocratic, and show themselves to have high notions. No doubt they had very wise reasons for their action, for they exhibited a great deal of brain power in what they did. It is most extraordinary the quantity of brains that is required to enable people to bray like asses. Mr Postlethwaite said he was in favor of a land I and income tax. He is a large land I owner and he is not afraid of having ' it taxed but " no confidence" was his reward another instance of the wonderful amount of intellect that was brought to bear on his speech. He showed that he did his best to get £35,000 for making the Temuka-Hilton railway, that he attended punctiliously to the Waterworks Bill, to the Temuka Borough Council, petition and in fact to everything else for the district, to the extent of providing a horse for the police at the request of one individual. He is in favor of leasing instead of selling Crown Lands, and so far approves of land nationalisation, the most Liberal idea of the day. It gives the poor man an opportunity of settling on the land, and prevents the accumulation of large estates. Ue is in favor of every branch of railway paying for itself, he is opposed to constructing railways for the benefit of large estates : in fact, with one or two exceptions his views are very liberal, very sensible, and very good tor the colony as a whole, and " no confidence " is the reward he gets from the people of Temuka. The most Conservative idea that Mr Postlethwaite gave utterance to was cheered to the echo. He deprecated the idea of giving members their honorarium, and said he would prefer to see it £IOO than £2OO, and he was loudly applauded for it, This is Conservatism pure and simple, and it would be the worst day New Zealand ever saw if the honorarium were done away with. There are landsharks and money rings in New Zealand who would sing songs of joy if that were done, bacause then no poor man could ever afford the time to go into I Parliament, and the rich would. legislate to suit themselves. If Mr Postlethwaite suggested the reduction of the number el members to one half instead, we should agree with him, but to reduce their honorarium would be just about as bad a thing as could possibly be done. Members of the British Parliament do not receive any payment, but the British public are now crying out against it because they sec that the result is the government of the country has remainedin the hands of the aristocracy and they legislate to suit themselves. We know of nothing more mischievous, and on that ground we condemn Mr Postlethwaite, but his ' audience in Temuka applauded him. Eeally, when we come to think of it, the Temuka audience behaved very funnily. When it came to ask questions only one man had any sensible question to ask, and he was the quietest and most orderly man in the hall. That man was Mr James Guild. He asked pertinent sensible questions, and he got straightforward and -satisfactory answers for them. Those who made all the noise appeared to have only one single idea in their heads, and that wis that Mr Postlethwaite did not deliver a speech to them last year. They howled, they yelled, they bellowed, they brayed, and the burden of all their song was. that Mr Postlethwaite did not address them last year. There is no use in pursuing the matter further. Anything we would say could have no effect on the people who made all the noise that evening, and consequently it would be waste of words. One thing is certain, however, public meetings in Temuka have become so disorderly now that they are demoralising the youth of the place. They go not to hear but to disturb for pure mischiefs sake. In the disturbance centres all the interest they feel in the proceedings, and they do not care one straw whether the speaker is right or wrong, good or bad, If this is allowed t

to go oa we shall not be able to hear any speaker shortly ; nor shall we be able to ascertain their views, but must elect them in the dark. Ibis is a bright look out. The colony is in a fearful state of depression ; every man in it ought to think over what is best to be done, and we ought to pay the greatest attention to anyone who comei forward to put his views before the public. Everyone ought to have a fair hearing, but we are afraid the day for that is gone by in Temuka.