NOMINATION FOR EAST WAIRARAPA.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume I, Issue 17, 27 April 1867, Page 3

NOMINATION FOR EAST WAIRARAPA.

The Nomination for East Wairarapa came off last Saturday, at Masterton, pursuant to announcement. There were about twenty persons presents, five of whom only were electors for the district.

The Returning Officer (H. S. Ward ell, Esq.), on rising expressed his regret that it had become necessary for him again to call upon the electors to proceed to the Election of a fit and proper person to represent them in the Provincial Council, in the place of the lion. R. Stokes, resigned, in consequence of an error which occurred on the previous occasion. The Writ, under which he then acted, was made returnable within twenty days of its date, as, however, it did not reach him until five days after its date, it allowed but fifteen days within which to make the return. If he had fixed the days for Nomination and Polling so as to get at the result within that period, but little time would have been afforded the district for reflection. As it happened the return was made within twenty days of the receipt the of writ, but not within that period of its date. He had hoped that the error could be cured, but the Attorney-General having decided that no election had taken place, a new writ had been issued, under which he was then acting. The error, the responsibility of which he (Mr. Wardell). took upon himself, had arisen from his desire to -meet the wishes of electors, and he trusted they would forgive him for any personal inconvenience he might have caused. He then requested Mr. Freeth to read the writ, which having been done, Mr. Wardell stated that, he was ready to hear any elector who desired to propose a candidate.

Mb. Joseph Bennett briefly proposed Mb J. C. Andrew, as a fit and proper person to represent the East Wairarapa in the Provincial Council.

Mb. John Collins seconded the Nomination, and said that he had no doubt from the large stake Mr. Andrew had in the district, that he would make a good representative. Mr. Wallace Smith proposed Mb. Samuel Revans as a candidate for the representation of the district. Mr. Edward Harris seconded the Nomination.

The Returning Officer, having ascertained there was no other candidates to propose, called upon Mr. Andrew to address the meeting. Mr Andrew said, Gentlemen, I am not simply a fair weather candidate, neither are my proposer and seconder simply fair weather supporters. My appearance on an occasion such as this, or at a critical division in the Council is not likely to be intetfered with by a passing shower or a low barometer. A considerable body of electors have requested me to stand at this election, in compliance with their wishes and at some personal inconvenience I have consented as a duty to do so. The request of these gentlemen shew their good opinion of me. It was also gratifying to me a few weeks ago when we supposed the election over, to be informed by a member of your local press that my opponent of to-day had expressed to him his conviction that I was a fit person to represent the district, the testimony of an opponent is doubly valuable. The real secret of the present contest lies in the fact that the electoral division of East Wairarapa comprehends two distinct interests. The electors on the Coast to the north and east of Masterton look to the sea as their outlet. The holders in the valley of the Ruamalumga and the slopes miming down to it south of Masterton naturally regard the roads of the Wairarapa as their line of transit. I would ask these latter gentlemen to consider that a disinterested advocate is most likely to plead for them with weight. Had I lands which would be materially increased in value, or timber which could be conveyed more readily to market by improved communication between Wellington and the Wairarapa, this circumstance would be sufficient to throw suspicion on my motives in pleading for the improvement of that communication. I do not say that the suspicion would be just, but it would be plausible, a plausible objection is often as fatal as a substantial one. An elector or correspondent of the Wairarapa Mercury a week ago requested to be informed of the opinions of the candidates on several points. I will endeavor to explain myself on some of these, A railway to the Wairarapa would no doubt be a great benefit to the valley and to the country generally, but I do not see how the necessary funds are to be raised. I shall be glad however, to support a motion for the expenses of a preliminary survey; and also for the commencement of the work, if the means are forthcoming, as far as the Ilutt. This will be a step in the right direction. The Tueru road no doubt requires metalling, in order to be passable daring the winter months. It ought to be completed without loss of time to Castle Point. As regards the assessments levied by road boards, the fairest plan I think is to rate the land according to its present annual value. The rates for repairs are reversed from year to year and if the produce of the land rises or falls in value, so pvill the rate. If an owner is sawing and carting away timber, the annual produce of his land is for the time being great, but so also is the destructive effect of his teams upon the road. I mentioned in an address to the electors, a few weeks ago, the importance of attending to the education of the children growing up amongst us. A great authority in South Australia has said, that the population there will bear favorable comparison, in point of education, with the same number of people, taken at large, from the Old Country, but that he trembles for the ensuing generation. I think the same is true here, and that we have grounds for the same fears. In Norway, a country in which I have spent many happy days, the people are thinly scattered over a large territory, as in our country districts. They have been so scattered for ages, and from the severity of the climate must continue to be so. Yet it is rare in that country to meet a person unable to read and write; many even of the peasants are familiar with another language besides their own. The machinery of education is worked by the Government. Salaried teachers are appointed for each district, who pass from house to bouse superintending and helping the parents in the teaching of their children. Something of the same kind might be found applicable here, and be supplementary to the schools of the more thinly peopled neighbourhoods. If any elector has any further question to ask me, I will give him an answer, so far as I am able.

Mr. Revans said, he would first refer to a remark made by Mr. Andrew, in reference to there being opposing interests between East and West Wairarapa. He could not admit such to be the case, and so far as he was concerned, he had a station in the former district, upon which he had resided many years and till quite recently, since when he had moved to the west side of the valley and commenced a new enterprise; which would not be without utility, and in other ways .advantageous to the valley. But it would now be evident, that in forcing an election good had already arisen, in as much as they had heard some of Mr. Andrew’s views, of which they would not have been possessed had the return upon nomination not proved a failure. He was opposed to the views of Mr. Andrew about a railway, for if his suggestion was acted upon, it would be just the very best way of creating a conviction that railways will not yet pay. To bring a railway from Wellington a short way up the ITutt, was to incur the greatest rate per mile likely to attend a railroad between this and Auckland, without placing the terminus in connection with anything—for the produce going out of the Hut't was but small in quantity, whilst the timber of all that district was nearly exhausted. The nearest spot to Wellington at which the railroad should terminate for the present should he Masterton—then a fairer average of cost per mile would be obtained, and a large timber district would be enabled to supply Wellington with boards, scantling, post and rails, and even firewood, which would yield a large amount for carriage to the undertaking, in addition to that to be obtained from the large quantity of goods even now coming into, and of wool and butter going out of the valley. Railroads had arisen under two sets of circumstances, to facilitate the communication of existing populations, and in anticipation of settlement, which experience had proved would be the result. He did not think the railroads of

England had cost the Empire a shilling, so far as the expenditure had been legitimate. Capital to make them had by their creation been emancipated from commerce. As to the swindling portion of the transaction, it had had no effect on capital, having been a transfer of capital from pockets in which it should have remained into pockets which should have remained without it, but it evinced a state of morals, which did not entitle England to boast her superiority over the United States of America, with the self gratulation so truly vulgar. A shew of hands was then taken, which resulted in three being held up for Mr. Andrew and two for Mr. Revans. The Returning Officer having declared the shew of hands to be in favor of Mr. Andrew, Mr. Revans demanded a poll. The poll will be taken, at the different polling places, on Saturday; and the declaration of the poll will be made at the Court House, Masterton, on Tuesday next.