THE ELECTIONS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1612, 26 July 1887, Page 3

THE ELECTIONS.

THE HON. W. ROLLESTON AT WOODBURY.

The Hod, W.’ Rolleston addressed the electors of the Bnngitata district in the Woodbury schoolroom on Saturday evening. There was a good allendance, the large room of the school being well filled, Mr C. G, Tripp occupied the chair, and briefly introduced the speaker. Mr Rolleston spoke for about two hours, his speech being on exactly similar lines to that delivered by him at Geraldine on Wednesday last, and which was fully reported in this paper. At its conclusion the Chairman invited those present to ask any questions that they wished to. In reply to Mr Thatcher Mr Rolleston said the difficulty in the way of an Income lax was that it would only reach a fev. [f a man had a good income and was ipending it well he was contributing very-

largely to the revenue. In reply to Mr Corbett lie said he thought thellpperHousemightbecurtailed considerably as to the time for which its members held office. With all due respect for age he thought that at present thero. were too many old fossils in it. In reply to Mr Thatcher he said he thought the Opposition had done right in forcing a dissolution, although Parliament was so near its natural termination. If they had not done so the country would have to bear the heavy load of taxation thft it was proposed to put upon them through the customs. Mr Flatraan wished to know if Mr Rolleston thought the assessment of the Property Tax was fair as regards improved and unimproved land, He quoted an instance of where a person had bought 1000 acres of a company and hud improved it. He was now taxed at the rate of £4 per acre, while the land, which bad been allowed to lie idle by the company, was only taxed at £2 per acre.—Mr Rolleston said the man that had improved hia land had increased his wealth, and what were they to tax if not wealth f If the man who had improved were to sell bis land ho would reap the benefit of those improvements. The aspect of the case was altered when it came to a question of sale —Mr Flatman thought that was taxing thrift, and that unimproved land should be heavily taxed to make it be brought under cultivation.

At this stage Mr Corbett proposed a hearty vole of thanks to Mr Rollesten for his address that evening. Mr Fiatrnan seconded the proposal. Mr J. Thatcher moved as an amendment —“That a vote of thanks and confidence be passed to Mr Rolleston,” Mr /. Webb seuonded this. On the proposition and amendment being put the latter was carried by 1? to 11. On Thursday night, Mr Rolleston addressed a crowded meeting in the Oddfellows’ Mall, Ashburton, and was accorded a vote of thanks.

On Friday evening he delivered a similar address at South Rakaia, in the Town Hall, which was crowded. At the conclusion of his address, Mr J. Ivobb, who was present by invitation and occupied a seat on the platform, spoke. He said he was present in response to a challenge Mr Rolleston had thrown out to him and Mr O’Callaghan. He then proceeded to strongly condemn the speech that had just been delivered, and denounced in unmeasured terms Mr Ro)lesion’s actions as as a public man. He had expected to have something new imparted to him that eveniog, but ‘he speech they had heard was nothing but a tirade of abuse of the present Government. He wound up by stating that the country was quite sick of tbe Halls, the Atkinsons, and the Rollestons, and he would pity the country if these men ware again returned to power. Ha would move “That this meeting records a vote of thanks to Mr Rolleston for his address, and begs to assure him that it has no sympathy with his views, and condemns the administration of the Government of \ which he was a member.” Mr Morrow saconded the motion. Mr Rolleston said it would be unfair to ask the meeting to pass such a motion, He bad been listened to in a most cordial and patient manner. H 6 would not reply to such personal I abuse as Mr Ivess had indulged in. The motion was then put and carried and the meeting terminated.