MR BEETHAM AT OPAKI.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1731, 9 July 1884, Page 2

MR BEETHAM AT OPAKI.

A large number ot settlers from Opaki and the eurroimding districts met last night to hear Mr Beotkam's views on matters of interest to the colony generally and of the farming interests of the district m particular. Mr R. Welch occupied the chair, and in stating the object of the meeting a»ked the electors present te accord the sane attentive hearing on that occasion as they had done on the previous evening to the other candidate. He trusted all pt>tty grievances would for the time being be put out of sight, and the burning question of the day, discussed, the moans of dispelling the cloud of financial depression now overspreading the colony, and for this object the views of both candidates shonld be attentively listened to and the ballot box would show them in whom the majority placed their confidence. Mr Beetham said there was little difference between himself and the other gentleman who \va3 seeking the honor of representing them at the forthcoming Parliament. He (the speaker) had already represented them in the House and it would therefore be necessary for him, before entering on the question of his future policy to dwoll for a short time upon his action in the past. This was an important era in tho history of the colony, the people were suffering under a season of great depression, and it bobove each individual man to take that lively interest in the forthcoming election throughout the colony as would secure the country the benefit of the services'of the the men best able to copo with and to bring to a successful issue tho great questions of the day without fear or favor, men of knowledge and experience, whose object would bo to work for the good of the district and country as a whole and not aim at sotting class agaiust olass, He bad for ymn given the Atkinson ministry his earnest aud consistent support, believing it to be to the bust interests of his constituents so to do When he said the Atkinson Ministry he of course included under that, tho Hail Government, which was the same in principle but with a different head. He considered that Government had | at a former period in the history of the colony when tho country was in a similar state cf financial depression, raised it to a state of comparative prosperity aud placed it upon a sound basis. He had also sup. ported that Government for the many beneficial acta thoy had introduced from: time to timo, conspicuous amongst them being " Manhood Suffrage," an aot which gave every man who had been in the colony 12 months, and lived in the district for the si* preceding months where he exercised his privilege, the power to vote. He considered this &i liberal a measure as had been passed by any Government in any colony. (Hear, hoar.) They had also passed the Property Tax. Possibly some at that meeting did not agree with that form of taxation, In any form taxa% was'not an agreeable bolus, but money inist be found for the public service afld it was f or them to consider tho form most oongomal to themselves, He would point to settlers or intending settlers, that under a Land Tax they would have to pay an acreage rate, and as some possibly knew a man might be but tho nominal holder. Under the Land Tax the owner pays on the full value of the land, under the Property Tax he only pays on tho value less the difference of tho mortgage. Tliia. 'gives the strugglim, farmer a chance and gets at the mortgagees who W nld otherwise go free of taxation, Property Tax also touches those who have accumulated property aud dwell in the towns-professional men and the like. One reason given in favor of a Land Tax was the tendency it had to effect the bursting up of large estates. _ He was entirely against too much land being allowed to accumulate in tlie hands of one man for speculative purposes, but there were many parts of New /aaland where land, unless hold in large blocks, would b,e altogether unpayable and could not be held profitably. Anothor thing was that the substitution of a Land Tax for Property Taxmeant the absolute cessation of the importation of foreign capital into the colony, and the result would be absolute stagnation., He would not dwell too long upon this subjeot as they had possibly read what ho had said upon this and other ques* tions in Masterton.

(A perfecthurricane, increasing in strength completely drowned the sound or the speaker's voice, and the nieeting.'adjourned for a while.) °- '• Ou resuming the meeting, Mr B?etham programme mo elements having robbed him' of a great deal of the time he had hoped to have devoted to them, but he invited them to meet him at the Camp, when he would farther address them. There was one thing he, must blame the Into Govornment for, and that was for having withdrawn from sale the Crown lands lyine between Masterton and Pabiatua and as Mr Bolleston had informed him that his name was again phioed on the list of members of the Waste Land Boards, he would use his best endeavors to have this land immediately ppened up for settlement. It hid been asked what hful he done (or tho District: To those who knew him there was no oooasion tq reply, but to others he woujd say hat he never visited the district without feelings of pride and gratiflcation at the progress he saw and that he had been greatly instrumental in bringing abouti he did not say unaided, but he had always with readiness and will forwarded-the interests of the district, It had been said that he had used, '.'back stairs" influence but he would emphatically say that he had never used this influence to gain his own ends, He would further Bay this, that it was the quiet, persistant man and not the one who figured moat in Hansard who had the greatest power forgoqd or evil in his dealings, with his fellow members in the House. But he would defy any one to accuse him of ever having used that influence to wilfully injure, directly or indirectly, anv man. For the furtherance of political ends at this juncture a certain party had been

brought foiward (they well knew who he meant, he alluded to Mr Sutton) to parade his Bup|ioscd grievances, and in reference thereto he can only say as he had said in Masterton, that if he wero again returned to the house he would use his utmost endeavors to obtain him the enquiry he Bays he wants before the Public Petitions Committee. Being confident that he had not acted in any manner unjustly toMr Sutton, he had invited that gentleman on to the platform at the Masterton meeting that he might openly state what his grievance was, and he (Mr Beetham) had publicly denied the charge mide, although there had been displayed on the part of a portion of the audience a desire not to hear both Bides of the question, which was an un-English modo of procedure. Mr Sutton took the opportunity of that he (the speaker) and Mr Buchanan hadJE used their influence to hound him down* That Mr Dick had told him the Department had no charge against him, but that Messrs Boetham and Buchanan w&nted him re. removbd, he (Mr Beetham), knowing this could not be the oase, because there was no element of truth in the statement, telegraphed to Mr Dick as follows ;- Hon. T.Dick, Dunedin,- y Sutton states that you told him tkattt&p Department had noohargeto make apffit him, but that you said tiiat Beethamfaud Buchanan insisted upon his removal. Please reply. . ... • Geokseßeetham, And his reply was:— Dunedin, July 7. George Beetham, Masterton,— Department had charges against Button'.'' 1 ! His other statement was also quite incor-f rect. v

Thos.Dioe, This answer spoke for itself, Another accusation was made by Mr Sntton, that he with Mr Buchanan and others had pursued him after he had gone into the employ d the Gear Company. McKenzie had distinctly denied to him (Mr Beetham) the statement made by Mr Sutton, and he had further said that he intended to absolutory contradict the statement through the papers, What lie had done was to call the attentionor tho Department to the fact that the scab was not decreasing in the district, and to insist upon the Chief Inspector coming up to see faitheoiate, Not wishing to deal harshly with Mr Sutton the Department had allowed hun the opportunity of exchangmg to another part. It was not likely afta having done this that the Department would allow an enquiry. Instead of the persecution being on their (Beetham and Buchanans) part it was brought bytLe other sideto enee the elootion against them He would® detain them auy longer upon this matfc Their meetiiw had been delayed through the humcaneand he would not dilate ouany tIL other subject at present. He would be at** I he Camp to-morrow, and he would invite tnem to meet him there,

The Chairman invited onyone present who wished to question the candidate to do so

In response, Mr Sutton stepped forward and asked permission (which was granted) Beetham had brought up that telegram at bis meet.ng he would like to put himself nght with thoso present who might think otherwise that he had stated what was not true. He had intended replying through the papers to the published telegrams, but as it had been introduced in this meeting and as ' permission had beengrantod him, for which he thanked them, he would say a few words there. It was m April that the alleged complaint was made, and it was not till August, or four months afterwards, that steps were taken in the matter. Ho would read an extract f.om a letter his mother had received from Mr Moss, the member for Auckland, dated August 2nd -.- T„? ln r 0 V e o ei y iD e y° ur letter of 25th July I saw the Colonial Secretary, buffmd that no enquiry is being made or any troubk whatever in connection withs.the WairarJb sheep nupeohon, There must, I think W some mistake Let me know if this is aot * the case and I will gladly do anything I can. % Yours truly, F. J. Moss. Heaiso would read afterdated August llth on the same subject to himself:-' SiR,-I have just seceived yonr telegram andw ( ll see the Colonial .Secretary asTsoo'n mlom. It will not be before Monday" This must have been sudden, as I asked him a«ek ago if a report I heard of soma movement or complaint against you was true and he told me he had not heard ofT lerhaps your removal is not on acoount of a M S k ' ifoUthe Bee ham and Buchanan conjointly, as you imply, their influx Wollld J be * »*» a me raf rs for the district and sup y poC of the Government, 1 will write after J have teen the Col, Sec.

Yours truly, F- J. Moss. ?Zf? t pleaseb ?' inmiudthefollowi "?. Z"2 ■ *"onAupttlu 6th that lie Rot th ß notice oj removal from the departmeat—that a, week prior to the 11th August, Mr Moss had been told by te Oolomal Secretary thathehad heard D othW of he complaints concerning the WairarapT Sheep Inspatoor, and yet on the 12th of August Mr Moss writes to him as follows< t h * TO Se9U Mr Dick ' Ho tells me that in offering you Nelson, or rather in removing you to that district, the Government were not in the loasfc damaging vonr position, or doing anything derogatory to your character, I understood him to say ate' Preforred retiriu 8 altogether - and talwgtho management of a run. and that ihey had written, or would write to yon y ? U of any im PuMou on leaving ■ the Goverhment service. The right of the Government to transfer an officer if they think for any reason it is desirable to, wo2 n °\ /• SpUted byt,w House ' and 1 would advise your disputing it. Yours, truly, F.J. Moss. He could not understand how Mr Dick could reconcde the above with read by Mr Beetham and published in to-days Daih, except on the apposition that he was troubled with a defective memory, and he was not going to leave the distnot whilst these ambiis charges were hanging over his head. ° Mr Beetham said Mr Sutton was not o.havged with embezzlement, Mr Sutton replied that he was not to ktk bf'i an t WQulalwo thm letters in the hands oi the publio to do him instioe He believed Mr m was ST* " 2 aT? ould state anything different to what Mr Dick had said, and hitfi mlr£i he , publ i o to ,ea w a false statement.-(Cheers). ,™ « tj the Bouse, faeiiitatetheif Mi SI i e Tl r/ into the matlerfavorable ?I S tber Mr Uceth ™ Council SUBpenßlon of the County

: wo!i r d E S h r X ft ed ' haUhe plin ii , me beforo Parliament at all Persoaally, he would take no steps to inter fere with the declared wish of the majority S P 'r M - uld h 0 attempt to S far? Whet?? 0 ' &e C ° lonial Score " 3; VVbet W they were wise in this matter \yaa another question, He would a m,B »pproliension, When he th« I" 1 ,f nS !u 110 P' aoe(1 his resignation in the hands of the Chairman of tlio Oountv tn. Sis iournST 11 ' fit ' a3 Wbn ho Btarted ODj ins journey he was not quite cerhm hn would go further than Auckland, and he wasastonished ou his return from England at receiving a notice from the Clerk Ed* a meeting of the County Council Out of S t6S V.£ a " ended - ™«* knowing the Wishes of the district he refrained from votg»UeßtWa; ad MrMc Cardle been lh of £ B /f nd ml " orlI ! e(1 llim of the m *,°J the , ratepayers he micht have Mr T if' waß for theiD 'o ask attend ti * lt « 18 that he did noL„ represent t he lr interests at tbat| - n ° furl,ler questions to tn nrn ca '' e d upon s'ome ona to propose a vote of thanks, EVereU responded ia a Phasing

The motion was seconded by'Mr Brora* nunt and oamed. A vote of thanks to the Chair concluded the meeting.