THE ELECTIONS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1202, 10 July 1884, Page 2

THE ELECTIONS.

Mr Rees has filed an indictment against Mr Locke, for corrupt practice at the East Coast Election, alleging that Mr Locke paid moneys outside and beyond the exception authorised by the first aDd second schedules of the Corrupt Practices Prevention Act, by section 25 such being ao indictable offence. Mr J. H. Sutter addressed a meeting cf electors at Kerry Town on Monday night, and at Washdyke on Tuesday night, and on each occasion. was accorded a vote of confidence.

Mr Wakefield addressed the electors of Selwyn laat Monday night. He said he would assist in the formation of a new, moderate party, with Sir Julius Vogel as leader, and excluding Major Atkinson and Sir George Grey. A vet.e of thanks and confidence was carried by an overhelraiog majority ; an amendment of thanks only being negatived. Some time ago Sir George Grey was solicited to stand for Egmont, but declined. He has since been asksd to support a local candidate against Major Atkinson, but this request he also declined, and has eeut a telegram to the effect that- as he is not to be opposed »b a leader of the party for Auckland City East, he will not countenance any opponent to Major Atkinson. At a meeting of the Working Men s Political Association, Christchurch, on Saturday, it was decided to support any c.;r.c;i.i.itn coming' forward in the Liberal interest, as opposed to Sir Julius Vogel, for Christchurch North.

MR E. G. KERR AT TIMARU. Mr E. G. Kerr, one of the candidates for the Timaru seat, addressed a large meeting of electors in the Theatre "Royal on Monday night. He said to any attempt to burst up the large estates by special taxation he was distinctly opposed. They had had enough of such comunistic ideas hurled at them by Mr Tnrnbull for election purposes. In the natural course of things the large estates would be cut up by their owners, who would find it would not pay to keep good agricultural land for merely pastoral purposes. Ha said that New Zealand had been for a number of years. Tue p'■ •'_'f'y tax was a most iniquitous one. Jf returned he would support any Government Sir Julius Vogel might form. Mr Kerr epoke very strongly against the property tax, and advocated * land tax. He would also support an income tax. He thought the national system of primary education in the colony was too costly. He thought that scholarships should be given in the primary schools every year, entitling the winners to a free education in a higher school. He supported the claims oi the Catholics in regard to the education question. He said that school districts were unevenly represented on tb* Board of Education, the country having an advantage over the town. He was opposed to immigration. He scouted Mr Turnbull's statement that he had been brought forward because of that gentleman's action with regard to the Timaru Racecourse Bill, and made a long explanation of the matter. After a large number of questions had been answered, a vote of thanks and confidence was proposed. A vote of no confidence was also, proposed. The Chairman ruled that the show of hands was about equal.

MR COX AT GERALDINE. On Monday evening last Mr A. Cox addressed one of the most crowded meetings ever seen assembled in the Odfellows' Hall, Geraldine. Mr A. Macdonald occupied the chair. The substance of the address was similar to that delivered at Temuka on the previous Friday night. At its conclusion the following questions were put in writing to and answered by Mr Cox:

Will Mr Cox tell ns whether ho intends to go to the poll or whether he will resign in favor of Mr Rolleston at the eleventh l lour 7Mr Cox : That questi.cn must have been meant for Mr Rolleston. There must be a mistake in the names. When he had the requisition presented to him he asked for a short time to consider, and in fire minutes after he replied in the affirmative that he would stand for Geraldine, and he also told Jlr Rolleston that he would come forward. He went amongst the •lectors with his eyes open, and would go to the poll whatever happened. Are you in favor of a working man getting a pint of beer for 3d ? [This question caused much laughter and was not answered.] Mr Waite asked : Are you aware that the telegraphic report quoted by Mr Richardson of Mr Rolleston's statement about the railway returns is incorrect, and differs from the report givan in the Timaru Herald in these words:—" Seeing that if things were allowed to go on, instead of returning 3 per cent, only 2\ > per cent would be returned I —Mr Cox : Well, 2£ per cent is what Mr Richardson said, and if this were true he (Mr Cox) saw nothing that could upset it. Mr Rolleston would notice this for himself.

Are yon aware that there was a rleficit in the return from the railways to the amount of £56,000 for the year "1883-1884

as stated in the financial statement in these words: "In the railways the amount estimated to be received was £1,020,000 but the amount brought to account proved to be £963,119 being thus £56,881 under the estimate." If not were you justified in attempting to throw discredit on Mr Rolleston's statement without ascertaining one fact for yourself from the official returns ?—Mr Cox : 1 don't see anything there ; it may be a deficit or not. _ It is said that this dissolution of Parliament will cost the country £40,000 and there would be other expenses. It doesn't affect the question in the least. In that account the unfinished railways were included. It was not worth while to turn the country upside down for the sake of £ per cent deficit.

If Mr Richardson's conclusions were based upon incorrect information, are you prepared to restore Mr Rolleston the confidence which you say, upon the strength of Mr Richardson's statement, was very much shaken, in fact clean gone 1 —Mr Cox said he was Bpeaking of the Colonial Treasurer, not of Mr Rolleston. He never referred to him in the matter. Mr Rolleston was Minister of Lands, but was not everything. By Mr Coltman : Would Mr Cox be in favor of imposing a special tax on absentee landlords, who allow their land to remain uncultivated ?—Mr Cox said he was not in favor of it, as their lands would already be taxed under the Property Tax Act. If men had land in different parts of the country— Mr Coltman : I mean absentee landlords in England.—Mr Cox said it was no matter, he was not in favor, of doing so. By Mr Coltman : la it true that at the latt general election you expressed yourself in favor of a national system of . education. If so, when did you alter youi'opinion ?—Mr Cox would still hold that the national system of education was a necessity. He did not take any part in the last election or take any part in politics at the time. If any general scheme for granting assistance or wholly providing for the schools outside the Government on a sound basis which would meet with the approval of colonists generally and the electors of this district in particular, would Mr Cox, if elected, support a measure givinc effect to the same I —Mr Cox replied, "Certainly." (A voice : Yes, and anything else. Laughter). Will Mr Cox please state to the electors whether he is coming forward ns a candidate at the present election in the interests of the Bank of New Zealand, or any other Bank or Institution I— Mr Cox replied that there had been *. time when he had close transactions with the B*nk of New Zealand, in transactions involving thousands of pounds, and he wa3 nerer questioned in such a manner then, and had never before been insulted by such a question being asked him. He had done with all that now, and was not in a position to be tempted. He was not the man to be bought over by any banking or other institution in the country. He was the nominee of numbers, and hoped to be elected by numbers. Having read your address delivered at Temnka on Friday evening last, I would be glad for Mr -Cox to expkm what he means when he insinuates that Mr Rolleston is a nominee of Mr Postlewaite ?—Mr Cox replied that he did say that. He might hare been wrong but. he did not think so. Mr Postlethwaite had been daily driving Mr Rolleston about and was perfectly free to bring him forward if he chose. No man knew better how to carry through an election than Mr Postlethwaite.

A -voice: Yes, and we will show you yet. (Laughter and appaluse). Since Mr Rolleston is in faror of any persons, rich or poor, being members of th© Legislative Council, and for a fited period, instead of being life members thereof, at the same time believing in its members being nominated and appointed as at present, and the probabilities being altogether against the poor man though competent in other respects, would Mr Cox be in favor of an elective Upper House for a fixed period, with a view of getting the best men, irrespective of their social position ?—Mr Cox said he had already answered that question. Does Mr Cox consider the Government acted justly towards all classes alike in raising the railway tariff at the commencement of the grain season when the falling off of the estimated revenue for the the year arose in ihe Customs Department, and not in the railway department? In reply to this question Mr Cox read from the Geraldine Gitakdian a portion of Mr Postlethwaite's speech delivered at Terauka on the subject. Did it not strike them as singulai that Mr Postlethwaitc, on the face of such an assertion that he would not support the Government «ny longer, should wish to put a member of that Government into Parliament agmin, and that he should work in the interest of the Government that had made ■nch a mistake. He supposed Mr Poatlethwaite took fright and voted in order to k»ep them in their place*. It was little enough that Mr Poatlethwaite should urge the electors to have a man to represent them who helped to raise the railway rates and who gave them no indication of ft change in that direction. How does Mr Cox if elected propose to deal with {the unimproved land held purely as a speculation ?—Mr Cox would have it yalued and pay the property tax. Sir Julius Yogel had proposed to let land be taxed for local purposes, but he gave no promise that the land tax should bo raised for general revenue. Mr Rolleston having expressed himaelf to - the effect that a representative should live amongst his constituents, and having promised to do so, would Mr Cox (if elected) do the same.—Mr Cox oai'l if he did that he would put the electors to a lot of expense to find him a house to live in. If elected he would have a free pass on the railway, and could be amongst ! his constituents in four hours. A« Mr Rolleston has expressed himself favorable to the perpetual leasing of the present Crown Lands, the improvements and rental *o be decided by two valuers appointed by Government and uheep farmers respectively, the origin-i I : bolder to have the first refusal, is this i the best and fairest way of dealing with the public estate.—Mr Cox said he did noi. know that it was, he should say perhaps not. At any rate there was no necessity for it and he did not see the obj»ct of it. Will Mr Cox promise to follow Sir Julius "Vogel only so far as the measures brought forward by him will in Mr Cox's opinion conduce to the welfare of the colony as a Svhola ?—Mr Oox had replied to that quea» i

tion already. Sir J. Vogel ought to have a fair trial, but he was one of those men who required to be closely watched- He should follow him whilst he acted wisely and well, but if he did not he would take the liberty to go from him. As Mr Cox is seeking the suffrages of the Geraldine electors, will he be good enough to inform us whether he has any references from his last constituency t Mr Cox said thnt he had a character which had been printed, and he hoped, if elected, when his time was up he would also receive a good one from the Geraldine electors. (Cheers). Perhaps Mr Cox will inform this meeting if he at an} time during his residence in the colony has ever been offered a seat in the Upper House, and when ?—Mr Cox replied that when in Parliament befora he had been offered a seat in the Upper House three times but declined it, and would do so again, as he preferred being the nominee of numberg and not of one individual. Mr Gore asked if Mr Cox were in favor of taking a poll tax off the Chinese and did he think they were good .colonists 1— Mr Cox said they wero veiy good for growing vegetables and also very good for a gold diggings to work over the tailings, but he did not consider then* as desirable colonists in towns. Mr Gore in going off the platform asked Mr Cox if he thought Europeans could grow vegetables as well as the Chinese t [This was received with roars of laughter and was Dot replied to.] Mr Huffey said it gave him great pleasure to propose a vote of thanks and confidence in Mr Cox. (A. voice : A men.) He did so with the greatest confidence. (Amen). Mr A. Sherratt seconded th» resolution. The Chairman having called for a show of hands, nearly all in the hall held up in favor it, amidst which a voice called out " Geraldine Forest." Only seven held up against it. Three hearty theers were given for Mr Cox, and also for the Chairman, and after the usual voto of thanks to the chair the meeting terminated.