MR FRANKS AT GERALDINE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1206, 19 July 1884, Page 3

MR FRANKS AT GERALDINE.

On Thursday evening last Mr Franks, a candidate for the Geraldine seat in the House of Representatives, addressed the electors in th* Oddfellows’ Hall, Geraldine. The hall was well filled. Mr G, Ward was voted to the chair, who briefly introduced the candidate and asked that he might have a fair hearing. Mr Franks, who was re-aeived with applause, said he came forward in the interests of tbe working men of New Zealand. The sum and substance of his address was similar to that delivery at Temuka. At its conclusion the following questions were put to him in writing which he answered :

In reply to Mr T. Sherratt as to under what scheme he would put the working classes on their own freeholds, ho stated he would have the land surveyed and divided into 160 acre blocks and have it fairlj' valued. Suppose it were valued at £3 per acre ; he’d fix that as the price and would place a man on it on paying a small deposit and paying interest for the remainder at say 5 per cent. If at the end of five years he had improved the land to the extent of £3 per acre, and had paid the balance of the purchase money, then a Crown Grant should be issued in his favor, but he would have him improve the land first. He approved of the Victorian system. When people landed in that colony and had sons over 16 years of age, each son was presented with 40 acres of land, but such land must be improved to a certain value before they received their titles thereto.

Mr T. Taylor asked : As Mr Franks is in favor of reducing the honorarium to £IOO, if the other members did not agree to the reduction would Mr Franks only take the £IOO? —Mr 1) ranks said under those circumstances he certainly would not take the reduced amount, but would with the others draw the full amount.

Keplying as to which of the other candidates ha was going to withdraw in favor of, Mr Franks said the questioner could go and ask the other candidates which of them was going to resign in his favor, (Laughter.) Mr J. Bobbie asked if Mr Franks were in favor of further immigration ?—Mr Franks said he had already spoken on that subject to the effect that it was a cruel thing to bring out more immigrants when go many of the working men were at the present day out of employment, but if men of capital could be induced to emigrate from the Old Country so much the better. Mr Owles asked if Mr Franks were in favor of extending the franchise to women ?—Mr Franks : Yes, to unmarried women and widows who had property and paid rates.

In reply to a question if Mr Franks were in favor of taking the duty off beer, he said he was, most decidedly, as it was the most iniquitous tax ever imposed in the colony. Through this tax several brewers were struggling for bare existence, and large brewing companies, as fast as they made a profit on the beer they sold, lost it through the hotels they possessed. There was more money lost in the beer industry than any other industry in the colony. If they must be taxed, let them be licensed like the publicans and do away with the beer tax.

Mr Frank* was asked if he were elected would he become a follower of Sir Julius "Vogel I—ln1 —In reply he said he would, but should that able man launch out into reckless extravagance he should leave him. [Mr Franks here gave a brief history of the early experiences of Sir Julius Vogel in this Colony.J He stated that if further borrowing of money were resorted to it should be expended in reproductive works only. Another question propounded was— What are the particular sins of the present Government I—Mr Franks said that one particular eiu of the Government was the putting the burden of taxation on the working classes instead of the wealthy. The Government had been controlled and corrupted by the large banking and other companies. Mr Dohbie asked if Mr Franks were in favor of Members of Parliament having free passes on the railway I—Mr1 —Mr Franks said he was in favor of free passes if the members used them legitimately, but he found that many did not do so, but used them for business purposes. In reply to a question as to whether he wai in favor of Mr Twomey’a Bank scheme, be said he saw a good deal in it, and it was a good one. Did it not occur to them that it would be a good thing for the colony if the Government borrowed one million and converted it into four millions by issuing paper ueder the same system as rhe banking institutions did 1 It would be the best way of relieving the present depression, and they could lend money to the farmers at 5 per cent, after they had themselves borrowed it at the outside at say 4 per cent. He, however, was not in favor of buying out the Bank of Hew Zealand for it had fleeced the people too much already ; in fact it had flocked them. (Laughter.) He was asked in what way did the Property Tax press on the industrial classes I —Mr Franks said the industrial classes were crippled, and no new industry would be embarked at the present time. If that tax were not in existence new industries would start up and give employment to a large number of men. In reply to a question as to whether Mr Franks would be in favor of members’ wives having free passages to Wellington, Mr Franks said he was not aware they had, but he would be in favor of their being allowed to accompany their husbands if the session were to last three months. If returned he should like to take his wife with him. (Laughter). Another question put was as to whether Mr Franks would be in favor of doubling the poll taxon the Chinese ?—Replying thereto he stated he thought not, but that the present tax was a sufficient one. Ho Chinamen were coming into the colony at the present time, in fact they were leaving it. Mr Hughes asked if Mr Franks was aware that in the face of the property tax —which he had stated rendered the establishment of industries prohibitory —that seveial dairy factories, woollen factories, and linseed factories were baiug started 1 Mr Franks replied he did not say that the property tax was prohibitory, but that no encouragement bad been offered by Government towards their establishment. Another question was—Would Mr Franks be in favor of perpetual leases 1 — In reply be said he w»s not, but rather thaa the people should not be settled on

their own freeholds, he would be in favor of that system. A question was asked if Mr Franks was in favor of local option I— Mr Franks said he was a Liberal in the fullest meaning of the word. He believed local option was a good thing. The people should have a voice in the matter, and decide what was good for them in regard to the number of hotels that should be in their neighborhood. Although he was a brewer, yet he could say there were too many hotels in the colony, and he would sweep away, say one in five in the large towns, or within five chains of each othet, and say five miles apart in the country. In reply as to whether was in iavor of free trade, Mr Franks said he was to a certain extent, but considered all articles manufactured in the colony should be protected. Would Mr Franks be in favor of a land tax instead of a property tax 'I —Mr Franks said he would tax all uncultivated land, but ho would also impose an income tax on incomes over £3OO. He was also asked if lu '. era in favor of the Temuka-Oxford railway line being constructed ?—Mr Franks said he was not.

In reply to Mr Dunlop as to what ho would do with the bridge, Mr Franks said he did not know. The bridge was perfectly useless, but it was better to lose that altogether than to go on with the line itself on the present depressed state of the colony. At this stage of the proceedings some merriment was caused by some persons outside sending an empty barrel into the hall. There being no further questions to the candidate, Mr R. Taylor proposed and Mr Williams seconded a vote of thanks to Mr Franks for his able address. There being no amendment, the Chairman put the resolution, which was unanimously carried. The proceedings, which had been most orderly throughout with the exception of the one little episode above mentioned, terminated with the usual vote of thanks to the Chairman. THE NEW PARLIAMENT. The following members have been returned for the new Parliament without opposition: — Dunstan V. Pyke Selwyn E. Wakefield Port Chalmeis ... J. Macandrew Kaiapoi E. Richardson Franklin South ... E. Hamlin Thorndon Dr Newman Clutha J- W. Thomson Oaversham W. Barron Auckland City East Sir George Grey Marsden Hon E. Mitchelson Waikato J- B- Whyte The above were all members of tbe last Parliament*