THE GENERAL ELECTIONS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIX, Issue 12639, 28 October 1905, Page 8

THE GENERAL ELECTIONS.

MR. W. G. BASSETT AT

MOSSTOWN

Mr. W. G. Bassett addressed the okctor.3 of MosstoAvn in the Schoolhouse, last eA'ening. Mr. D. Jones Avas voted to the chair, and briefly introduced the candidate. He said Mr. Bassett Avas known to them all as a gentleman Avho had for years bean prominently associated Avith nearly all the public movements of the town and district, with credit to himself and benefit to them. „ • i Mr. Bassett, Avho was Avell received, expressed his pleasure at meeting the electors of MosstoAvn. He briefly explained the purpose of his candidature, which, he said, emanated in an honest desire to serve his fellow colonists. He assured them that if elected he Avould do his.best to further the best interns of all classes of the community. He said he proposed to commence his addi'ass where he left off at the Opera Houso the other evening, and then, it there was time, to briefly refer to the matters Avith which he had then dealt with. Speaking first of all on the su-b-JeCt°£ TAXATION, ho expressed his faith in the correctness and fairness of progressive taxation, viz., that a man should pay taxation in proportion to the amount of his income". He explained the present law in relation to the income tax. endorsed tho principle of the law, and expressed the opinion that it ought to go further. He maintained that the men who in other countries were rolling up wealth by millions Avere no happier tor so doing, and he believed that if a man knew he Avas reaching a point of Avealth-o-etting beyond Avhich he could not go, ho would desist and devote his energies to more Avorthy ends. When the present Government came into power the Customs duty averaged £3 7s. Id. per head. To-day it stood at £4 Bs. <*d. Yet this considerable increase had come about under a Government which claimed to be a people's Government. Tho increase worked out at £5 bs. 6a. per family, averaging five per annum. Ho thought it was time that a Government which professed to help the working man should endeavour to afford some relief in the matter of Customs duties, especially on those things which most affected the struggling workers. Hj contended that no Government could consistently boast, as the present Government did, of a large surplus every yea", and at the same time maintain so high a rate of taxation upon the necessaries of life. In regard to the important subject of EDUCATION,

ho said he believed in the maintenance of our present magnificent State system, as introduced by the earlier Governments of this colony. There Avas, as they knew, a strong agitation in favour of State aid being granted to private schools. With this he totally disagreed, because he realised that it would lead to the destruction of the whole existing system. The operation of the principle of State aid to private schools would be felt most harshly in the country districts, but would be injurious to the Avhole colony. As to the agitation in favour of Bible reading in the State schools, he expressed the opinion that the matter should be left to the decision of the people through tho medium of the referendum. Incidentally, Mr. Bassett reiterated the opinions expressed in h:s Opera House speech in relation to the referendum, viz., that vital questions should be submitted to the referendum, the initiative, for the time being at any rate being confined to Parliament, tie spoke at some length in justification of his opinion, and went on to say that ho was an advocate for a practical free pass from the kindergarten right up to the University. In other words, that every promising boy and girl should be privileged to win their way right through to the University without any cost to themselves. He spoke strongly in support of technical education, and expressed the opinion that the time was coming when it would be made incumbent upon every lad going out into the world after leaving school to pass at least in two subjects at a technical school. It was this devotion to technical education which had led to Germany being able to compete as keenly and as successfully as she was doing to-day in the markets of the Avorld. He strongly advocated greater domestic education for girls. At the present timo many very excellent girls who had to go out to earn their living, spent the best years of their girlhood in the factory or office, and he thought it was the duty of the State to provide them with facilities for obtaining such domestic education and training as would fit them for after live. He referred briefly to the suggestion that had been made for the extension of the franchise for the election of Education Boards, and expressed a doubt as to ■whether at the present time such a change was desirable. Not that he objected to the people hay-ing the vote but the proposed change would entail too great a transformation in the administrative machinery. With regard DEFENCE, ha believed in the maintenance of the Volunteers in a state of satisfactory efficiency, but felt that they must look to the British Navy as their chief means of defence. To-day it Avas possible to communicate in a flash with the remotest parts of the Empire, and lie believed the time was not far distant when it Avould be an absolute impossibility for a foreign foe to make a surprise attack up this colony. For that reason he was an advocate for the total abolition of coast defences. Thousands of pounds had been spent upon our coast defences, and he felt that practically all that money had been wasted. Tho change in modern armament Avas so rapid that our guns of yesterday Avere useless against the longer-range guns of to-day. Therefore ho believed it Avould be better for them to cease spending money upon coast defenoas and deA-ote our funds to building up the Navy. Speaking of the proposed electoral reforms, as embodied in the ABSOLUTE MAJORITY and second ballot suggestions, he criticised Mr. McNab's Bill, and also Sir Joseph Ward's measure for a second ballot, contending that neither of them Avas satisfactory. He clearly explained the weaknesses of the tAA-o proposals, loth of which, he pointed out, made possible the return of the candidate least approved of by the majority of tho people. The only solution seemed to bo a continuous series of elections, until the issue was reduced to tAVO candidates, and that in the case of the E resent Wanganui contest Avould mean vo elections, and Avas obviously too costly and too troublesome a method to bo adopted. If a system Avhich would eiable one election to decide the issue fairly could be devised, he AA rotild support" it, bu? so far no one had succeeded in devising such a system. On the subject of "NO LICENSE," tho candidate said his views Avere well known, and there was no need for him to dwell at any length on that subject. Ho Avarmly supported the threefourths majority, as being most satisfactory to both the people and the liquor party. He strongly favoured the provision of HOMES FOR WORKING MEN, but ho did not consider the Government's proposal at all satisfactory. He did not think that any man who Avanted to get a home through the medium of the Government should be compelled to build in a certain fixed locality, bearing tho brand of the Seddon or any other Government. He considered that

a man should be able to select his own site, to build in the style which suited him, and to receive reasonable State assistance in the form of cheap money. Under tho Government proposal every man would have to live in a Government location in a house built to the stock design of a Government architect. Ho advocated that the working man should be enabled to get cheap money, like the farmer, and that he should then bo allowed to build his house to suit his own requirements and tastes. Speaking of tho proposal for an i ELECTIVE MINISTRY.

ho briefly contrasted the present system with that proposed by the advocates of an elective Ministry, and gave his opinion in favour of a trial of the latter system. Ha was indlined to beliovo that the proposed method, especially in view of the unsatisfactory condition of our party system, would result in the appointment of stronger men to the Ministry. He held similar views in relation to the constitution of THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. As matters stood at present, the members of the Upper House were merely the nominees of the Seddon Government, men who had been pitchforked into the House for purely party purposes. If the elective principle had bi-cn in existence, we should, he believed, have had a much better Upper House than we had to-day, men, for h stance, like the Hon. John Bryce. As tho Uppsr House was constituted at "present, he thought it might be utterly abolished without any loss to the country. Mr. Bassett then went on to refer to the WANGANUI RIVER, and said that although he differed with Mr. Hatrick on many matters, he recognised the pluck and enterprise he had displayed in establishing the steam service. He had heard complaints as to the changes made by Mr. Hatrick. As to that matter, he expressed no opinion. But, without in any way deprecoting Mr. Hatrick, and while fully and frankly recognising the value of the' work he had done, he was strongly of opinion that the service should be taken over by the Government. He referred to the difficulties with which the River Trust Board had been faced. Time after time, he said, the Chairman of the Board had had to go to Wellington and practically go down on his knees to plead for the money necessary for the adequate prosecution or tho work. But they could not .get the money. Sir Joseph Ward had authorised them to anticipate their vote, and Mr. Hatrick, to his credit, had given his name at the Bank for £1000. That money had been spent", and then- eh.l rman had since tried to get it from the Government, but without avail. The Chairman had expressed himself as hopeless of getting the money, but he (Mr. Bassett) had told him to have no fear. Were it not that a general election was close at hand, there might be reason for apprehension, but he was confident that, on the eve of an election, the Government would not dare to withhold the money from them. He felt sure that the £1000 would be forthcoming before the House rose, and perhaps a little more for them to go on with. He felt strongly that the work should be expeditiously prosecuted. On a kindred matter, the PARAPARA ROAD, he spoke with equal force, and dwelt upon the importance to the town and district of this long neglected work. ABOLITION OF THE TOTALISATOR, and incidentally referred to the enormous growth of the gambling evil throughout the colony. He reminded them that the colony was to-day drawing a revenue of £20.000 a year out of the totalisator, and he contended that it was wrong for the State to profit from a thing which was known to be demoralising a large proportion of the community. Ho referred at length to tho eonrmous amount of money sent out of the country to Australian sweeps, and said that to check this lamentable evil he would prohibit the publication of the telegrams announcing the results of the drawings. Mr. Bassett then went on to reter to the subject of LAND TENURE, and spoke at some length on the lines of his Opera House speech. In this connection he emphatically condemned the treatment meted out to the baekblock settlers by the Government. He touched briefly on other matters referred to in his opening address, and concluded by thanking those present for the patient hearing they had given him, and by again assuring them that it elected—as he hoped and believed he was going to be—he would do his very best to promote the very best interests of every class of the community. Mr. Bassatt, on resuming his seat, was warmly applauded. QUESTIONS. Only one question was forthcoming from the audience, and that was as to what the candidate considered was the difference between a speculator and a gambler. Mr. Bassett replied that "speculation" was a, word difficult to define. He was aware that some people looked on all business as gambling, but he considered that legitimate business speculation could not be regarded-as. equivalent to what was commonly recognised as gambling. ~,r T, MR. BASSETT AND THE WORKERS. The Chairman said he had heard it stated that Mr. Bassettj if elected, would support a reduction oi workmen's wages. He personally did not bel'eve it, but he thought it would bo well for Mr. Bassett to make some public statement relative to the matter. Mr. Bassett said he Avas pleased to do so. The statement, he said, was Avholly without foundation, and Avas on a par Avith some of the other stories which had been set afloat about him. Ho had been an employer of labour tor years, here and on other parts ot the coast, and his most effective answer to tho statement referred to by tne Chairman Avas that he had all along paid his men a higher rate of wages than the Government was paying at the present time. Ho disliked having to refer to personal matters, butm fairness to himself he felt impelled to add that there was not a man or a boy in bis employ to-day who was receiving less than the award provided tor, whilo all his boys and many ot his older hands were, receiving wages in excess of tho award rate. He instanced the case of his yard foreman. Under the award he could pay that man at per day, and could put him off when work was slack But as a mat. ter of fact, although there had of late been times when for a week at a time he could easily have dispensed with that man's services, he had kept him permanently employed Avet and dry, and had paid him £3 a week. His foreman could tell them how he had persistently endeavoured to keep men employed when work was scarce, rather than put them off. He sympathised with the workers, .and also had done so, and that too, in a practical manner, and if he could do so with safety to his business he would Sadly pay them even higher wages. But they must remember that, unlike the Government, he had to meet competition both" in Wanganui and elsewhere, and if he were to attempt to pay men a much higher wage than his competitors paid their men his business would inevitably go to the wall, and ho would not be m a position to employ them at all. Incidentally he referred to one or tAyo other villainous and lying reports Avhich were being circulated against him, and mentioned that among the questions sent up on the occasion of his Opera House speech was this: "Is it true that you promised tho mother of a boy in your employ that if she voted for you you would raise his wages?" It was difficult to

find language to describe a person who could anonymously formulate such a question as this. Ho would contend himself by saying that that person, Avhoever he Avas (and he Avas in Wanganui someAvhere, and Avould doubtless read the report) Avas no man. He had never in all his life tried to influence anyone's vote, directly or indirectly, and in all the many municipal and political contests in which he had been personally interested during the past 30 years he had scrupulously refrained from interfering in any A\ ray Avith any of his employees. In conclusion, he said he would like any elector avlio heard anything to his discredit, to come frankly to him and ask him for his version of the story. As for those responsible for originating and circulating these abominable falsehoods, he challenged them to play th-» part of men and come boldly out at any one of his public meetings and prove their assertions. (Loud applause.) On the motion of Mr. D. Jones, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Mr. Bassett, and the usual courtesy to the Chairman concluded an excellent meeting.