THE ELECTIONS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1205, 17 July 1884, Page 3

THE ELECTIONS.

MR FRANKS AT TEMUKA,

Mr Franks, the fourth candidate for the Geraldine seat in the House of Representatives, addressed a large meeting of the electors last Tuesday night in the Volunteer Hall, Temuka. At half-past seven (the advertised time of the meeting) the attendance was very small, but at eight o’clock the hall waa full, Mr Franks requested Mr J. W. Miles to take the chair. The Chairman introduced the speaker of the evening in a rather long speech. He stated that Mr Franks had determined to contest the election in the interests of the working man, and of the brewing trade. The brewing trade, of which Mr Franks was a member, had had a great many harrassing restrictions placed upon it by the Legislature, while at the same time the country derived a large amount of its revenue from that source. INTRODUCTORY. Mr Franks then came forward, and was greeted with applause. He stated that he had asked them to meet him there that he might explain to them his views on the general topics that were interesting them at the present moment. He came forward at the call of duty that he owed to his country, to this constituency, and to himself. If ever there was a time when every man should be trying to do something to alter the condition of the colony, this was the time. They must all admit that the colony is in a state of depression from one end of it to the other. Ho thought it behoved them to enquire into the cause of this depression. They were in a beautiful country —there was not a better one under the sun—yet from one end of New Zealand to the other, they could see nothing but depression, misery and debt, and he thought it was excusable for any one to come forward who thought he could relieve the country. It might appear strange that he had not come forward before. He waited hoping that a better man might offer himself.; the depression. The cause of the depression appeared to him to be their enormous indebtedness. Until they commenced to borrow, —and had to pay money into a sinking fund and for interest —they were prosperous. The colony is indebted to the amount of something like £70,000,000 (public and private) and the population is abcut -500,000. Of those there are 35,000 men, and 20,000 of these were working men, Upon the latter falls the whole burden of the colony. The amount of their debt was stupendous. A million would take a very long time to count, and how long it would take them to pay was another question. Well, the remedy for the depression was not to increase their indebtedness and to increase the population. By increasing the population they further divided the debt. They must settle people on the land— the land that wps now unimproved. Then they wanted manufactures as they wanted employment for the people. Industries would find employment for any number of people. They had enormous resources if they only developed them. Instead of half a million, as the population now was, the colony could maintain a million, and more. It was for those at the head of affairs to foster industries. (Here there was a great uprosr, and the speaker had to cease speaking for a few minutes). They had, for some time, gentlemen before them desirous of representing them, but it was his opinion, and the opinion of hundreds of others, that neither was the sort of man required. (Here the uproar was renewed. Mr Franks, after calling on one individual to leave as he was creating a disturbance—and he not complying—called on Constable Mortoa to remove him as a disorderly person. The individual then left of his own accord amid a perfect babel of voices, and great laughter). the candidates. They had two candidates before them, let them consider the fitness of those two gentlemen. As he observed before neither of them was the man they required. He would not be personal. Not a personal word should escape him. He respected both of them, they were both good men. Let him show that a working man’s candidate could contest an election with as much good humor and decorum as the Right Rev. Mr Cox or the Hod. W. Eolleston. (Laughter.) On the shoulders of the Hon. W. Rolleston was thrown the sins of the late Government, whatever they might be. He thought that would finish him off. (Shouts of laughter, and cries of “No, no.”) Mr Cox was in Parliament along time before, for a nothern district. He (Mr Franks) was not far off, but he had never heard much of what Mr Cox did for his constituency. Silence might be commendable in a.private individual, but he did not think it a recommendation for a member of Parliament. Whatever he might have done at that time he must now be rather rusty—(marks of disapprobation)—and even if h« was in better condition he would be no good, for he did not go far enough for them. Mr Cox was a little too generous and quiet, and he was afraid he would come into contact with some who were too rough for this genial man. He would now say a few words about himself. (Cries of “ w hat about Mr Bolton.” One of the candidates he had spoken of (Mr Cox) had said in the colony he could not see much difference between Liberalism and Conservatism. He (Mr Franks) could see "a vast difference. Liberalism aimed at the good of all, whilst Conservatism aimed at the aggrandisment of the few by unjust laws and unjust taxation. The effect of these laws were to make the rich richer, and the poor poorer. He would ask them to consider which of these two principles bad been at work in this colony for a few years past, and they wott'd notice that since the Hall-Atkin-

son Ministry took office the colony has been going down —(cries of “ No, no.”) and he hoped there would now be a change for ihe better. Be could tell them he was a Liberal. He aimed at the advancement of the colony. If he had not been so he could not have met them that evening. They were made up of all classes, and he thought there was not % party in the community that he could not be Liberal enough with, if it was for the good of the colony. It was for them to consider whether he would represent them in preference to Mr Rolleston. Mr Bolleston did not disguise-in the least that if elected he would go in for the same line of conduct as before. (“ Hear, heat,” and Quite right.”) If you choose

Mr Cox, it will be a modified foim of the same Government, just as the Atkinson Government is a modified form of the Hall Government, and the Bank of New Zealand will control it as it has controlled it for years past. (Cries of “ What about Mr Bol+on.”) INCIPENCE OF TAXATION. He would now deal with the incidence of taxation, and would first of all take a glance at the property tax. £85,000,000 is the value of the property assessed under the property tax. These £85,000,000 yield only £268,744 towards the revenue of the colony. It does not even bring in that amount, as the cost of collection is £27,000, or about 7 per- cent. There have been 14,000,000 acres of land sold, and there are 20,000,000 acres of land still to sell. Our private debt amounts to £2o,ooo,ooo—that is nearly £2 per acre for every acre of land sold. There are 6,000,000 acres of land adjoining the railways improved, that is ploughed up and laid down iu gras", etc., there are 3,000,000 unimproved. A lax of Is per acre on the unimproved land would bring in £300,000. All this land has been increased in value from 100 per cent, to 500- per cent, in many cases by the £20,000,000 spent in the railways and on public works. By a tax on the unimproved land all the farmers would be free from taxation, industries would be free, and the colony would derive more revenue than from the Property Tax. Last year the Government reduced the Property Tax 25 per cent. They did not reduce the customs or the excise. The class paving the latter had no influence to bring pressure upon the Government as the former had. (A voice “ Wliat about the beer duty.”) The great bulk of the land is valued for property tax purposes at £2 per acre. At this valuation a tax of three half pence per acre —the amount which would be paid at this valuation under the property tax —on 16,000 acres would only equal the property tax the Kaiapoi Wollen Factory. The Kaiapoi factory was an industry they ought all to be proud of. (“Hear, heai.”) In 1859 he was liviug in Kaiapoi and thought it would be the capital of Canterbury. In those days the flax was growing in the streets of Christchurch. At that time Christchurch was not much of a place. It took a fortnight to get one’s luggage from'Lyttelton. As long as the Maori Bush lasted, Kaiapoi was a prosperous place, but when it worked out, the town no longer thrived. The railway was made and that seemed to finish it. When the Kaiapoi Factory was started it did not pay for many years, but the directors were the right sort of men, and persevered, and it was now a great success. Thanks to the factory there was now not a more prosperous town in the colony. There was not a house to let and property was eagerly sought after. He wished there was such a factory here, but the late Government had so ground them down by taxation that he thought it would at present be very unwise for anyone to start any industry whatever. He thought he had now gone through the cause of the depression and the means of its cure. Their decision next Tuesday would affect the Gove;;;::.cll of the colony for three years. He asked them to consider carefully what was best to be done. If they thought him more fitted, and that he would do more for them than either of the other candidates, let them elect him. EDUCATION. The next question he wished to discuss was education. It was one in which all of them felt an interest. It cost a large sum annually. It cost £500,000, or £1 per bead of the population, 'or £5 for every child attending school. Secondary education cost £60,000 and primary education cost £284,000 and yet the teachers were not over paid. There was a great deal of waste somewhere. He was of opinion that Boards of Education should be abolished and the work done by a Commissioner of Education. High Schools could be done without ; they cost a large sum. The High School at Akaroa cost thousands and was only attended by 6 children. There was £50,000 spent on the education of children under 7 years of age, and he -did not think it right that children under 7 years should be sent to school at all. It was doing more harm than good. He proposed to_ provide scholarships for higher education, and that would be a better plan than sending, as at present, boys unfit to learn to the High Schools, who were only putting teachers to unnecessary labor and pain. With regard to Catholic children the Catholics were one-sixth of the European population and ought to be considered. His opinion was that education should be free, secular, and compulsory, and that no sectarian element should be allowed into the school. But clergymen were going into the schools and teaciiing religious education in them. (A voice : “ Out of school hours.”) It was not right to interfere with the conscience of the people, and as the Catholics built their own schools, and educated theirjchildren up to the standards, he would give them a capitation grant They worked at a great disadvantage ; for years to come they would not have the same appliances as the Government schools, but if their zeal overcame these obstacles he saw no reason wliy they should not receive consideration. They were saving a large amount annually to the State by building their own schools and paying their own teachers. RETRENCHMENT. He was in favor of retrenchment, and would abolish the Upper House, «s It was not necessary. A large amount might be saved in that way. He would have the Upper House elected by the people. Hansard cost £6OOO a year and .ought to te abolished. There were 15 clerks in the railway audit office and a considerable reduction might be made there.

RAILWAYS, IMMIGRATION, ETC. The Government was incompetent to manage railways, and he would he in favor~ of placing them under a nonpolitical Board, to be elected by the Road Boards. One hundred and seventy thousand pounds was spent on immigration, when there were more men in the country than there was employment for them. The people no sooner were brought here than they hooked it off again. Three hundred went away last month—more than came. (Cries of “No, no,” and “ The other way about.”) The honorarium cost £200,000 for eleven days’ work, ( ( ‘ No, no.”) That was, a most extraordinary expense. He would be in favor of reducing it to £IOO per session. The Government is going to spend £IOO,OOO onthe Dunedin railway station and £50,030 on a bridge which was not necessary*

MR TWOMEY S BANK SCHEME. He would support Mr Twomey’s bank scheme. He supposed if he did not t;iy something’ about that he would get a garbled report, and as he was late in the field a great deal would depend on the report he got. As regards Mr Twomey’s scheme there was something in it, but it was nothing new. As long ago as Mr Stafford’s time it was talked of. He believed in a national bank of issue, and as they all wanted money he thought it was a nice way of providing it. If they borrowed £2,000,000 and made it into £8,000,000, it was an easy way to make money ; and surely our notes would be as good as the Bank of New Zealand’s. It was the most immediate way of relieving distress. He would not, however, trust any Goverracnt with its management. He would place it under non-political [management. He concluded by stating that all eyes were directed towards Geraldine at present, and expressed himself satisfied that he would be elected. (Great applause.) Mr Twomey essayed to ask a question, but was called on to go on the platform. On going on the platform Mr Franks refused to allow him to ask the question. He would answer no question which was not in writing and signed. Subsequently Mr Twomey handed in the following:— Does Mr Franks know that there was at one time a hank of issue in this colony; that a bank of issue is different altogether from a Government bank, and that ho is confusing one with the other ?—Mr I ranks said he did not know it. ! > REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. In reply to questions he said the reason be consulted Mr Edgier was because he knew he was a more pratised politician than himself. He was not prepared to say how much of the £170,000 spent on immigration was paid by the friends of thr immigrants. He would not bother about Federation. He had not promised two hogsheads of beer to Mr Bolton, Mr Clinch, and the 135 other electors, if Mr Bolton would retire in his favor. If made Minister of Lands he would recognise Mr Edgeler’s ability, if that gentleman was competent, by making him Ins private secretary. He believed he would make a good Minister of Lands. He would settle people ou freeholds of their own. He was not only fishing for the Catholic block vote, but for all of their votes. He would put a fair honest price on land, and give it to the first that applied for it. As ho would reduce the honorarium to £IOO, he would not give that sum to the Road Board to defray legal expenses when they were sued by any one for puddling their own water. (Laughter). He could not pledge himself to support either Sir George Grey or Sir Julius Vogel. He was not in favor ot making Parliament a home for the destitute. Ho hoped such a home would bo nearer at hand,

As he was a Liberal he woqld support a grant in aid of Jews, Spiritualists, Freethinkers, and other denominations, as well as to Roman Catholics. Will Mr Franks tell the meeting what attraction there is in his right had trouser pocket. (Great laughter). Mr Franks said not a great deal, and after having spoken for some time, turned the pocket inside out. He said he was not in favor of a beer tax. The present restrictions on brewers were iniquitous, A brewer was not allowed even to draw a glass of beer out of a barrel in his cellar to give a customer a sample until the duty had beeu paid. A license would have been much fairer. The brewer helped the farmer by using his barley, and v/ere entitled to more consideration than they get. As the country was so hard up he was in favor of a tax on newspapers. He did not see why they should not pay as well as anything else. He would tax some of Ihem double. Iu reply to a question as to whether he was in favor of the Bankruptcy Act, Mr Pranks said he thought a bankrupt should bo entirely in the hands of his creditors, if he was honest they would' not deal hardly with him. He said the burden of the colony was borne by 21,000 men, because it was the men who produced from the foil that supported the colony. Hi* opinion of the Temuka Town Board was that it was a very useful body, and he hoped it would prove equal to the work entrusted to it. In reply to a question as to whether he was in favor of the raising of the hotel licenses in Temuka from £3O to £45, Mr Franks said he did not think the publicans could afford it. In reply to a question as to what steps he would take to prevent the influx of criminals into the colony iu the event of the Rdcidiviste Bill passing the Lords in France, Mr Franks said it was a question with which he felt quite incompetent to deal. He would be in favor of giving a vote in Licensing Committee elections to ’ every lady who paid rates, whether married or unmarried, VOTE OF OOMEIDENCK. Mr H. Oldfield proposed a vote of thanks and confidence in Mr Franks. Before he came to the meeting that evening he was against Mr Franks. Now he was entirely for him. Mr H. Nicholson, juur., seconded the motion. On being put a large number of hands were held up for the motion, and none against it, the result being greeted with' applause. A vote of thanks to the Chairman terminated the meeting.