MR TWOMEY AT KERRYTOWN.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1622, 18 August 1887, Page 2

MR TWOMEY AT KERRYTOWN.

Mr J. M. Twomoy addressed a very large meeting of the electors of Gladstone in the Kerrytown Schoolroom last Tuesday evening, Mr M. O’Driscoll occupied the chair. Mr Twomey spoke for an hour and a half, and was listened to very patiently. He said the principal question now was whether they were to reinstate the present Government in office, or band the management of thoaffairs of the Colony over to the Hall-Atkinaon party. He gave a brief history of the (wo parties, and showed the Reforms which the present Government had made in the Civil Service.

j In reply to questions he said that from information he had received ho concluded the Village Settlement in the North Island was n great success. In reply to Mr Oldfield he said he never believed in the West Coast railway, but he believed it would have been made if the present Government had not been in power, and the question was whether the I present Government had made a good I bargain ? They gave land, but it was land I of which they were making very little use, 1 and if t ho Railway were made with it he was not sure that it was not the best way of making it. At any rate the people would not have to pay taxes for interest on money borrowed to make it, and he thought that an advantage. Many people thought now that the land ought to have borne a great of the cost of the railway. However, it was a thing of the past now, and it was no use to talk about it, but he remind them that the Atkinson Ministry x had made a survey of it previously, and os almost all the Canterbury, West Coast, and Nelson'Members were pledged to carry out that railway; whatever Government was in power would tiave rnade it. He did not think West Coast Harbors were made at the expense of the State. ' The State only guaranteed their Joans, (Mr Scanned: We got £IOO,OOO to make a harbor in Timaru.) In reply to further questions *Mr Twomey said no estate under 1000 jacrea would he touched under the Land Acquisition Bill. He did not approve of the Government putting 5 per cent, on cotton goods, or on anything that could not be produced in the colony. : He did not know what reduction the present Government had made in the grain tariff, but he believed it had raade a reduction. He bad no desire to see the rates increased on wool, la fact, his great desire was to cheapen the railways for everything. The very fact that industries did not flourish under the present tariff showed that further Protection was necessary, Mr O’Oonnor anked how the Bible in Schools would work. Mr Twomey said it could be arranged so that those who did not want to rend the Bible could leave at 3 o’clock, and those who wished to read* it should remain behind. (Applause.) Mr Gallagher said that Mr Postleth waita had said at the meeting of the Political Reform Association at Winchester that the Audit Office had passed an item of £2OO for a pair of window blinds for Sir Julius Vogel’s House. Was that true?— Mr Twomey said he was not in the confidence of the Audit Office, but it did not seem to him to be true. It looked much like an electioneering cry. The fact that Mr Postlethwaite said it at a Political Reform meeting did not give it any additional weight in his (Mr Twomey’s) eyes. Ho would enquire into it as soon as he got an opportunity. On the motion of MrO’Rorfco, seconded by Mr Kennihan, a vote of thanks and confidence was carried unanimously and he meeting terminated.