MR BEETHAM AT KURIPUNI.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1735, 14 July 1884, Page 2

MR BEETHAM AT KURIPUNI.

Mr Beetham held a meeting in the Kuripuni Hall on Saturday night. The building was crowded, and the meeting on the whole, was in favor of the speaker, the continuous attempts of a few to interrupt being de.-. cidedly and expressively objected to by the rmjority. Mr Lowes, the Mayor, occupied the chair, and in opening the meeting, said he thanked them for the honor they had done him in placing hiin in that position. He .would endeavor to fulfill the duties of the chair, which he considered to be brevity of spsech, neutrality, and strict impartiality,''Ho trusted the audience would nive each, speaker fair play, and hear what had to be heard, He was glad to find the coming election was causing some little excitement, and that the people were waking up to a sense of the responsibility of the frauchise, and that they would record their votes on the polling day without reaiid to personal matters or class distinction, but in favor of the gentleman who. would not roprose'nt this particular district alone, but the colony' as a whole, one who could grasp tho position' of affairs and help to alleviate the distress of the oolony. He hoped a Government would be elected powerful enough to raise this country in the standard of colonics. He would not detain the meeting further but call upon

Mr Beetham for whom he asked a fair and impartial hearing. Mr Beetham, who was oheered on rising, said he glad to bo able to cordially endorse the remarks of tho Chairman, he had never addressed an audience who would not give fair play until tho other night at the Theatre .Royal, when a small section who ho considered did not know what they were doing, made a determined interruption. He congratulated tho residents upon their possession of such a convenient building in which to hold public meetings. (Cheer;.) He said be appeared before them in two capacities, one, that of a candidate seeking their suffrage for the coming Parliament, the other that of their old member to give an account of his stewardship, He regretted his visit to England had so far prevented him following his usual course in giving a resume of the past session, and he trusted they would allow him now to explain his action, Ho had always been a cordial supporter of tho Atkinson Ministry and he had endeavored to do his duty; he had never considered the interests of one class or party to the detiiment of another. He would not dwell on what ho had already spoken upon, in rjrevio.ua mootiugs,' but would deal as far as he cquld with now matter. He wmild however point out that ho had supported'a set of men who had had the ability to save the country from its lowest ebb—when bonds were at 80 per cent, and the credit of the Grown Agent had to be pledged to raise £25,000—t0 its present standard, when bonds were £IOO IBs instead of £BO only being obtained for eadi £IOO borrowed. This Government also introduced

MANHOOD SUIOTAGE, A measure, which, if properly carried out, would have the very best effect on the future of New Zealand, Every elector, no matter what"lris position, owea'a diity to the cojony as well as to himself. He was woefully disappointed to fjnd there were only sixteen names enrolled in the Pahiatua dis« tncfc, where there might have been 35 or 40. It was a. lamentable fact that people were not alive to their duty, whon they neglected to enroll themselves, whethor they voted for him or not. Ho would like to see a greater interest taken by the seitlers, and not-hear them grumble at others when they so neglected themselves. The late Government had passed so many measures that there would not be time to even cursorily go over them, bat he thought he might point to what had been done by the Native Minister, Mr. John Bryce, who, when he succeeded Mr Shceb.au, found the tjpverninent in, a groat straight over the Native question. (At this stage " Captain" Jonas, who had' ropeate'dly interrupted tho proceedings, was called to order by the Chairman, and threatened with expulsion.) Mr Bryce had, on coming into office, to make certain reductions, which caused him many enemies, For spine time his character was blackened, but now they must admit his action has been satisfuotory to New Zealand. (Cries of Wo | No I it has not!) Mr McCardle had said he would sweep away the Native Department and Armed Constabulary, but lie (the speaker) said they had shown their worth and value when they, ably assisted by the volunteers, brought the Native difficulty to a happy issue, He paid a tribute to the volunteers for theii readiness and willingness m coining forward when called upon to assist the constabulary. Another oredit to the Government was the passing of the most liberal land laws any oolony ever possessed. Any individual who wishes may secure land on most liboral terms, He certainly blamed the Government over one thing, that was in not throwing open the lauds ■ between Masterton and Pahiatua during the progress of the railway. Their idea was that the land revenue would he increased by withholding the sales until the line was completed, but he considered the settlement of the land to be of more importance than the revenue derived from the sale of it, and whether returned or not it should be his endeavor as a member of the Lands Board to alter it. (Voice;' Why'didn't you do it before ?-Mr Beqthani; I did do it before,— Never heard of ii.) On his return to New Zealand he had, waited on the Minister for Lands, and got his name put on the Waste lands Board for this purpose, and it should not be his fault if every man working on the lailway that chose had not the means within the next six weoks of obtaining a freehold homestead, Mr McCaidle, he was rather amused to hear, had said the liberal land laws were entirely duo to him, If so, all honor to him, but how he did it he did not know, nor how he influenced the 90 members of the House, (Laughter), He, Mr MoCarJle, had further: said he would endeavor to ensure that'the' land revenue should not be paid to the consolidated fund, that very course was taken by the Atkinson Government in 1879, so he could hardly rfo what had already been done, The Land Fund was at tho present time disposed of by first paying the cost of surveys, &c, and necessary charges m connection with sales, and the balance used in opening up Crown Lands before sale—(hear, hear)—this has been done as many men may see who takes the trouble to ride through the Forty-Mile Bush. (Loud cheers.) It was not Mr McCardle who was entitled to claim the sole honor of opening up roads, He (Mr Beetham) hni persistently advocated and would continue so to do, that settlers and their families should have roads to enable them to get to their properties on which they intended to settle. (Hear, hoar.) (' Captain' Jones asked if Mr Beetham had any property in the Forty-Mile Bush, and persisting to keep the floor, a scene of confusion ensued, which was speedily settled by the expulsion of the Captain, amidst howls and hootings at the police.) Mr Beetham said be was sorry for the interruption, and that it had been'necessary for the Chairman to havo anyono expelled] but it had been done in the interosfc of all present. He referred to tho hardship of some people who had been settled on their lands twenty or thirty years and had no roads to their property yet. If the system he had suggested was properly carried out, sefctlses would be greatly benefitted. He next referred to the MANAGEMENT OF THE RAILWAYS ■ Department, There was no doubt a great

deal to ba said in favor of soma ohango, There was no system bo perfect but what it would press somewhat unfairly on some section of the community, Thbre was also a.'politioal element-as forcibly shown in the defeat of the present Ministry by their own supporters iu consequence of the grain freight being raised. He referred to the satisfactory system at work in Victoria, where the management of railways was delegated to a Board, and he thought, we should be considering our own interest by going fully into the question of railway management. It bad been stated that he had endeavored to use his influence against the extension of the railway northward, This may have arisen through the action of his colleague, but his own views on this question were quite the reverse of, Mr Buchanan's. He considered that through lines must be completed before the railways could be made to pay. One reason stated why he objeoted to the line being extended to Woodville was that Napier sheep would compete witn Brancepetli bheep, but this he positively contradicted. (Cheers and counter cheers.) (Mr Perry, whose voice was almost drowned in the noise, | was understood, to complain that a person in the room'who was, doing his utmost to. upset the meeting, was ; not even on the Electoral Roll, He thought fair play should.be given. 'Hear, hear,') Mr Beetham then referred to

IMMIOBATIOK. . • Mr McCavdle said he was against nominated immigration—that cease. As a nutter of fact it had already done so, with ; the exception that as far as single girls were concerned it was still in force, (Oh !) and lie thought the more of them imported the better.—(Cheers and laughter,)—Mr McCardie had said-(A voice: Oh, never mind McCardle !-Yells.)-Mr Beetham touched upon the- form of taxation, as stated at previous meetings. He considered a Land Tax would bo suicidal.—(Mr Greaves: Cut the land up and put it into more hands.)— There wore large tracks of land incapable of carrying a large population .which, if cut up into 40 or-50 or 200 acres would assuredly ruin the settler, and Mr Greives would find out how fast the money would roll out of the settler's pocket never to come back again, Again, the acreage rate would fall equally upon the mm who, 'having a corner where roads intersected, was able to cut up his laud into building sections, as upon the man a quarter of a mile off whose only' income was what he derived from off his land. He contended they should pay pro rata. The property tax pressed only on those able to pay. The most rabid objectors to the Property Tax were those who never were called upon to pay it, but came under the £SOO exemption clauses. He would be glad to see all of them Property holders above the exemption. Ho was opposed to the

CUSTOMS TARIEF being put on to force local industries iuto existence, He would substitute liboral bonuses, which would be derived from all classes. The protectivedu.tywasborneon the shoulders qf those least able to bcir it. It had been asked to what party he would belong in the event of his being returned as their representative. There was one thing he would tell tbem, and that was; he would never be found following Sir George Grey. It was a difficult matter to give any indication as to who would probably lead. If Sir Julius Vogel came to tho front with Atkinson it would likely be a strong party, He had great lespeot for Vogel for many reasons. He did not like his reckless borrowings, and he hoped he would, if in office be surrounded by a number ot quiet thoughtful men, who would counteract any tendency in this direction. He. would be in favor of borrowing to a limited extent to gradually complete the main lines of railway, but not to an extent of more than one million per annum, A sudden stoppage of works would be directly disastrous to the colony at large, Mr Beetham then alluded to the effect upon New Zealand in the future qf the opening of the Pauama Canal, and division of European traffic; also to the subsidising of the 'Drisco Mail by % American Government, the fe.deratabn, of the colonies, and other matters that had been fully discussed at his previous meetings, and thanking them for the moderately patient hearing ihey had given him.

In t'espoiiso to tin Chairman's invitation, Mr Job Vilo asked was Mi- Beethain a member in June 12 months. Yes, Vile: This evening in his address he had stated that roads were opened up before lands wore settled, Eow came it that the Pukefcoi Block, adjoining Auniesdale station had not been opened up before it was. sold. Mr Beetham: Because that piece of land had been in the market many months without finding a purchaser, and it was of a class totally unsuited for small holdings. Mr Vile asked was he prepared to open tip tlie Trunk Line of railway to, Auckland. Mr- Beetham replied that if Mr Vile searched the records he would find that he (the speaker) was one of those who voted for the million loan to connect Wellington and Auckland, as he considered that it would bo the means of settling the Native question altogether. Mr Vile asked if Mr Boetharu voted for the last County rate.

Mr Beetbm said he would here explain that before he left for England he had placed his resignation in the hands of his. brother to give to the Chairman of the County Council, and tho County being in a transition state, it was not deemed advisable to put the ratepayers to • the expenso of an election. He had certainly supported a County-rate, it being necessary to meet tho overdraft and keop roads open. He would refer him to his address of 1883 for figures (Cheers),

Mr E. Meredith, after endorsing tho candidate's remarks re the Atkinson administration, and, as one of the Vice-Presidents of the North Wairarupa Settlers' Association, recording his disagreement to the Bevere strhtures passed on it by Mr Hawkins asked Mr Beetham if he had not said at a meeting held in the Theatre Eoyalin 1883 that the Masterton Boad Board should not levy a rate of more thin a farthing in the £. Mr Beetham thought he had said halfpenny, but whatever be did say lie had said it conscientiously, he considered the Board wouM have been subsidised by the County Council was it not pointed with this object, _ The Spoakergot into adesultory conversation, with continued interruptions, and Mr Meredith asked: Do you consider the Counties Act as at present administered in Wairarapa North just and impartial, or do you not admit that a few largo ownors in one particular direction get the lions share of the benefits at the expense of the country as a \yhole?

Mr Bcefcham said he did not know to where he was pointing, whether Brancopeth or Hawkins' bridge, As far as the latter was concerned no one was affected except Mr Hawkins and his immediate neighbors, If any one got lion s share it was the East Coast. (Cheers). Hawkins did not. Mr Meredith said he did notalludeto any one particular seclion, but now he would most emphatically state that the locality that got its unfair proportion was th»t between Kaumingi and. Annedale station, and that between Eketahuna and Annedale station. (Yells and Cheers). Mr G. Beetham sajd he had entirely forgotten the existenoe of that property at the time, he thought Brancepeth was alluded to,

Tho Chairman said it was hardly fair to convert this meeting into a matter between County and Road Boards, He was anxious to see fair play, bat he hardly thought this the time to discuss those questions. (Shouts and Cheers). ( Mr Meredith said it was a question affecting this election, and he wished to give Mr Beetham a chance to put himself right with the electors,

Mr _ Beetham went into the question of declaring certain roads county roads, and said he would at a future meeting be prepared to answer what had been brought forward by Mr Meredith, He challenged anyone to point to any transaction of his that would not bear the fullest investigation,

_ Mr Meredith took exception to the injudicious laudation by, the Daiw of what had been done at Anniedale. It was quite right for the Beethams to go in for these things, but it was only with them a question of profit, the Bamo as with any other business men, not for the interest of the country.— (Cheers.)

Mr Jonas camo forward and was applauded, but the uproar was so great that he could hardly git a hearing. He asked if Mr Sutton's question concerned Mr Beetham or not? Mr Beetham said most decidedly not. Tbe only thing he blamed himself for in the matter was tbit he hid recommended Mr Sutton's appointment to another district; Mr-Jones further asked if he had said \ anything ag»nstMr Sulton or not? Mr Beetham. No! Mr Greaves asked a question whioh Mr Beetham declined to answer as being improper. He said he would not listen to Mr Bunny being introduced. Mr Bunny had done a deal of good for the district in the past. (Cheers). _ The audience continued to show signs of impatience at Mr Greaves' not being prepared with his questiono. A vote of thanns to Mr Beefclnin was /l proposed by Mr J, Brown and seconded by J A Mr Pinkerton, after some little delay, to give iR.. Mr Greaves'another chance, the question was carried, . s