BAY OF ISLANDS FLECTION.

Wairoa Bell, Volume V, Issue 225, 24 November 1893, Page 5

BAY OF ISLANDS FLECTION.

MR R. M. HOUSTON AT ARATAPCJ. Mr Houston addressed about 120 electors in the Aratapu Hall on Saturday evening, eight or nine ladies being present. Mr T.' Bassett occupied the chair. Mr Houston’s speech was the same as he has delivered in other places. He began by defending the present Government against a charge of extravagance in holding a second session in 1891 ; and went on to refer to the appointments to the Legislative Council, made by the former Government and the present. He considered the Upper Chamber should he made elective. The abolition of the Property Tax and the introduction of the Land and Income Tax, with the exemption from taxation of all stock and improvements, the provisions of the Land Bill, the Lands for Settlement B’ 11 Native Lands Acquisition Bill wer- -> th ® to as showing the work -- aI J referred ment, whom h* »- * * p'f Present Governvs - nau supported, to he ox a most ( - -md. Mr Houston then briefly told the story of the Liquor Bills of last session—Stout’s Direct Veto Bill, Earnsbaw’s Bill, McGuire’s Bill, Fish’s Amendment Bill, Stout’s Licensing Act Amendment Bill and the Premier’s Alcoholic Liquors Control 15111 were all touched upon. Stout’s second Bill passed its second reading and got into Committee where it reached its second clause aud was then killed by the Government 9n a small majority of two, The Government

I then brought in their Alcoholic Liquors Control Bill which he helped them to carry and for ; the repeal of which he would not vote. He considered it, an advance because it made Judge Denist,oMs absurd reading of the old law impos. sible, made it more difficult to secure a new license, and made a prohibited person getting drunk liable to the same penrdty as the publican who supplied him. Cheviot Estate, Bank Notes Issue, and Electoral Bills were each spoken of and then the candidate explained the very liber .1 provisions of the Native Lands Purchase and Acquisition Bill. He afterwards referred briefly to the Rating Act Workman’s Wages Act in all of which remarks he showed the liberal tendency of the measures, and claimed that the measures of the last three years would compare favorably with those of any other similar term. He said it was the intention of the Government to push on the Arbitration Bill till it became the'law of the land ; to so ai-range subsidies that they should be given to local bodies only according to their necessities. It had been stated that he had been more careful to look after his own district than this one but he did not think such charge should be substaminted. He had received and answered 800 letters and 100 telegrams. He then quoted the following figures from the Public Works statement to show that he had endeavoured to deal fairly with each portion of the electorate— Votes for roads etc., in the Northern Counties.— Mongonui £IO7B, Wangaroa £950, Bay of Islands £2503, Hokianga £1683, Hobson £2680. Question were asked by Messrs Slater, F. Bradley, T. Bassett and Stallworthy hut answers to similar questions are given in our account of the proceedings at Dargaville. In reference to the vote for the Opanaki bridge there must he some error in the reply sent to the County Clerk, for the sum of £3OO appeared on the Supplementary estimates and must be available. Mr T. Slater moved and Mr W J. Bassett Seconded a vote of thanks and confidence- There was no counter proposition and the motion was carried 24 for and 11 against, more than half of those present not voting. AT DARGAVILLE. Here Mr Houston addressed some 180 electors, including nearly 20 ladies on Monday evening. His speech was much the same as that he delivered at Aratapu. In referring to the platform issued;by the Gumdiggers’ Executive Committee he said he was opposed to an export duty on gum as it would cheque the industry and fall on the digger; he was in favour of reserving Crown guru lands for gumdigging purposes. The Government could not restrict the production of gum to British subjects, such a step might lead to serious complications with other powers. It would not be right to interfere with private gum lands and he struck out the words 4 private or otherwise ’ from question 4 and then he answered it in the affirmative. He was in favour of good land near gutnfields being roaded and thrown open for selection, also of the Government taking over the main roads for maintenance and he also approved ©f 1 the Arbitration Bill. The State ownership of gum lands could only apply to lands not already disposed of. The scries of question which followed was long and exhaustive and came from lmineroys electors. He was opposed to an elective Governor. It was true that he applied to lease a large area of gum land and that he stated that the signatures to a petition presented to the Land Board were forgeries; he repeated the statement and his questioner knew they were forgeries. (Mr Houston spoke with great severity to one Farrar on this matter and boldly denounced him with righteous indignation, the man richly deserving the castigation he got. Wo are sorry that we have no room for Mr Houston’s full denunciation of this character.) He was in favour of the plan proposed by the Bill of last session for the management of the railways. He did not think Stout s Direct Veto Bill would ever become law ; he did not vote in favour of it. He voted for the increased honorarium conscientiously. He did endeavour to have the rules under the Imprisonment for Debt Act made mare favourable to the person claiming. He did not think gum should be treated the same as minerals. He was not in favour of the Government acquiring gum lands from private owners and would not support such a Bill if introduced ; only land fit for settlement should be acquired. He could not say whether it was a fact that the Atkinson government left £1,400,000 to be dealt with when they left office, but would send Mr McLeod his reply when he got home aud could look the matter up. Asa Solution of the Austrian difficulty he suggested that foreigners coming into the country should deposit £lO towards the purchase of a pi‘”\ e of land, which money should ho la** they did not settle ; a heavv q{ should be charged ' Qn m ' liey being taken outjsf tlie ’ jiony . He was opposed to the k „e taking the unearned increment. He did not approve of any of the suggestions yet made for dealing with the gum industry, a Commission composed of such a man as Qiles, a gum-dealer, and a gumdigger, should, he thought, be able to niake so “ e praetical suggestions; he objected to the Government becoming a purchaser oi gum. The vote of £3OO for the Opanaki bridge was put ®n the estimates at his request and no one else had any hand in getting it. A vote of thanks proposed by Mr Fitzpatrick and seconded by Mr E. Harding brought a long and interesting meeting to a plose.