THE WAIKATO ELECTION.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 2348, 28 July 1887, Page 2

THE WAIKATO ELECTION.

MR J. B. WHYTE AT HAMILTON'. Despite the state of the weather over 150 people gathered together at Lc Quesne’s Hall, Hamilton K»ast, on Tuesday night, to hear Mr W hyte’s address. 11 is Worship the Mayor (Air C. J, W r . Barton) was voted to the chair, and in opening the proceedings, said it was quite unnecessary for him cither to introduce Mr Whyte to them, or to bespeak for him a patient hearing. (Applause.) He would therefore content himself with asking their late member to address them. Mr Whyte, mi coming forward, was received with hmd demonstrations of applause. Before proceeding with the mam subjects of his address, he wished to express regret that Te Arolia had been severed from the electorate. He was sorry to have to part with so many old friends, but there was this consolation in the fact, that henceforth Te Aruba would have two members instead of one, or rather, since the boundaries of the Coromandel district had been altered it would have a shaie in three members. This he looked upon as a great advantage, not only to To Aroha, but to the whole colony, as it was to the mining industry they must look as one of the means to relieve them of the present dillienlties. Some Misunderstandings. He wished before going further to clear away certain misunderstandings and mis representations with which lie was beset. Amongst other things, he had been accused of saying that Mr Kusseli was a poor man, and therefore not a fit man to represent them. This was very absurd, and ought not to require a refutation. It was quite certain that if poor men were to be debarred from politics very few could stand—certainly he (the speaker) could not. (Laughter and applause.) He had also been misrepresented with regard to his actions concerning certain measures in the House. It had been stated that lie was in favour of taxing tea and sugar, and at one of his meetings he was asked to pledge himself against the tax. The answer lie gave was that he could not absolutely pledge himself to vote against such a tax, because, as our financial prospects stood, it might be necessary, in order to avoid repudiation. He, however, hoped that no such tax would be required, and rather than resort to it he would almost be inclined to fund the deficit until, by retrenchment, our expenditure was brought within our income. The same applied as regarded any increase in the Property-tax. He had always contended that exemptions were contrary to the spirit of a property-tax, and had said that no one would find it very burdensome to pay six or seven shillings on every tTOO he possessed. Still, having noticed the bad effect of this tax in keeping capital out of the country, and as capital was really the fund out of which wages were paid, he would object to any increase in this tax unless absolutely necessary. Concerning the Eight Hours Bill it was quite true that he had formerly voted against it, but finding that a large number of his constituents were in favour of it, ami believing that no great principle was involved, he had promised to support it. He was also supposed to be “crooked” on the woman’s suffrage question. (Laugher). He regretted that no ladies were present, because ho thought they would agree with him. He not only voted against the bill, but lie spoke against it, and ilia reason for doing so was tiiat the women did not want it. Experience taught him that when a woman wanted a thing she generally said so, and knew how to get it. When he became convinced that women wanted the franchise he, for one, would not deny it them. (Applause). The Real Issue.

Now he came to the real question before the country, which was whether the present Government were to have a fresh lease of power nr not ? It was upon this question that the dissolution was granted. He was glad to find that Mr Russell, in his address at Hamilton, had admitted that this was the question. He also said he woidd give his vote to keep the Government in, but that he would go in as an independent member. Now it was absurd to suppose that a man could go to Wellington and steer his own course. There were only two lobbies. (Laughter. ) His opponent was a siipnorter of Sir R. Stout and Mr Hallance, at any rate, and tlie.se gentlemen could be judged only by their past, what they had done, what they would have done if allowed, and what they proposed to do. The Sins of the Government.

During the past three years and a half the country had been going to the bad at the rate of about £100,009 a year, that is to say the Government had raised that amount by seizing the sinking fund, imposing hospital contributions on local bodies, increasing the Custom and and Stamp duties and in other ways. They had also largely increased the public debt. He had seen it stated somewhere or other that the Canterbury people wanted to get Major Atkinson back, so that they might get their leases renewed. Now they all kn w that it was the Canterbury Phalanx which kept the present Government in power. The effect of the last four years Government was to injure the colony'scredit as shown by the fact that it cost £53,480 to raise the last loan. Another little matter was the District Hallways purchase. Ho did not object to this proposal altogether, indeed he voted for part of it. but there were two railways purchased by the Government which were reported not worth buying, and there was also the Waimea Plains railway which Government purchased, and which belonged to the same category. The Government simply lobbied and lobbied until they carried their point. So much for the Government which Mr Kussell wished to keep in office. They had heard of the Midland railway. This was to be constructed for the purpose of carrying the West Coast coal to Christchurch. While the Government gave huge land grants to the promoters, they at the same time guaranteed two harbour loans, so that the coal might he carried by sea, so that they would have the two schemes competing against each other. Then there was the village settlement scheme. He wished to say little against this, as it was worth trying. The House regarded it in that light, and voted £3OOO for the experiment, but after the Government had been defeated (ho laid stress on those words) it was dragged out of them that they had spent £70,000, or fourteen times the amount of the vote. (Shame). This was bud enough, but the worst feature in the business was the manner in which the money was used for buying political support. Beginning at the North they had John Lundon in charge. Some years ago this gentleman was convicted of stuffing the roll in the same district, and it was only right to assume that he would do the same again, seeing that lie was going to stand for the seat. It was ridiculous to suppose that he had performed all the work in connection with the settlements merely for his expenses, which only amounted to £32. (Laughter). Going down the Coast, they found that Colonel McDonnell, a gentleman who had given great trouble to Mr Bryce in his election, had been appointed land purchase agent, and that Mr John Stevens, who was now a candidate for Rangitikei, had received a cheque for £2OOO or £3OOO for his services in purchasing land. It was clear that the money of the country had been put to very improper uses. He could assure them that it was unpleasant to have to abuse the Government in this way’, but he would remind them that when the present Ministry got into office he was quite prepared to give them a fair trial; to allow them to remain in so long as they conducted the business of the country properly. If they had done reasonably—even reasonably well, he would have supported them, but they had not. Amongst their sins was the creation of paid billets, for which members of the House were eligible. He had always endeavoured to put a stop to any measure in this direction, but if the Government had had their way one third of the members of the House would have been in their pay A private member had proposed to add four parliamentary Under-Secretaries, and this the Government had supported. Regardthis matter, and to the Insurance and South Sea Island Bills the Opposition had done good service. The present Government said they weie going to reform the Upper House, yet they had put more members in that chambers in one year than their predecessors had in five years. The Government talked about retrenchment, yet they were solely responsible for holding a second session this year. The Opposition were quite prepared to form a Ministry, and go on with the work, but the Government thought better of it, and in consequence of that he was now before them. The Government had continually threatened the House with a dissolution, and they kept their word. In 1879-80 Mr Bryce attempted to make reductions in the Defence Department:, but it was only with the greatest difficulty that he succeeded, He c mfis ed that he had never had such a hard time in ] his life, replying to the entreaties of the I

sisters, cousins and aunt-: >.f th--'e wh-—; services were dispensed with. He u. >u»;e-l to reduce the number of in-jecPa.- ti; eleven, but when .Mr Ildlanc- came into office he at once reinstated th-m. vuth the ' applause of the c.nntrv. The previous I t iiivvi nment had reduced th-ir s-.lan- - fid . ! bat all tins present Gov-rnment pr.., 1 ; Utis ( ,j ' a , Jho (»uvcru ia*-nt ha«l m- 1 dnned every principle; th,.y [.ad allowed their measures to !»■ defeat.-d, th-ir tarills to he rejected and their e-lima**-' to he cut down, anything ni fact in preference to giving n,i heir seats. I lie eifect was lead. Government ij.oi the acts of the Opposition to shelter urnter. The truth of this can.- home to them pretty stromrly in Waikato. When anything was required the Government said lla-v v.,edd 1 have been glad to do it, but (apt. Rus-liV motion had put it out of their power. I’heie was the e se of th- bridge at Mnntlv. Ho strongly urged that work. 1 eran-e'a small toh of fid a ton on all cal coned over it would have paid intc-re-l -n the c-l of construction. The (I...eminent told him he had cut it off, while at the same time they were erecting a traffic hii.i.;,- at A-h----tinrton close to a combined tr.itlic and railway bridge. Government pr- -fe-'ed to Itin favour of nationalising the land, hat what could people think of their pr.fe"ions when they found them giving - j millions of land to one company in the S -nth. He did not complain of their doing this, but quoted it merely to show the inconsistency of the men who did. (Sir K. Stout and Mr Ballance also belonged to a party which sold more land in one year—l*7ll—than any other Government before or since. The present Government was essentially a city Government. He did imt wish to say that a good Government could not be got out of the cities, but the Government fought the battle of the towns. The most notable instance of this was to be found in the manner they dealt with the Representation bill. It was only with the greatest difficulty that the country succeeded in retaining its position. In the Upper House the Government refused to go on with it, and a private member took it up and carried it through, a thing unheard of before. It had been claimed that the Government favoured the working classes, yet in ISSIS they proposed themselves to tax tea. Had they been permitted they would also, by means of their local Government bills saddled the country with an additional debt nf £IIOO,OOO for fin years. The money was to be given to local bodies on the £T for £T system so that the scheme would have operated in the interests of wealthy localities; in other words the Government proposed to take from the poor and give to the rich. It was a most pr-dii-gate proposal; it meant the borrowing of six millions of nvmoy to bit given to local bodies, whether they needed it or not. Then there wjw the Midland Railway and

the Mcijopj episode, conceniinit whi-h the Opposition had saved tiie country 1*77,000 a year. The Opposition, also, by carrying Captain Russell's motion, removed the necessity for raising a million loan in that year. (Applause). He had been greatly amused at Sir J. V.i ff cl ! s apimrism that economy was in itself an income. It reminded him of a pood story. A man who had been in the habit of paying (»d for a plass of hecrcame to a town where it was to be had for 3d. Concluding thathe saved 3d on every glass, he set himself to drink as many as lie could, resolving that when he had saved £lO3 he would have a hip spree. (L md laughter). Sir J. Vop-1 said the fall iu the revenue was due to increased temperance, but he (U)3 speaker) felt sure that it was due to increased hard times. (L iupliter and applause). If the (government had been allowed tn have their own vv.-iy, tiedeficit would h.vve been U'OO.OX). end vrbero would the'. liuvo got the nrnii'y fr-i;. In spite of loci taxation an-i iiiL-rea-cd cu-toni-v dutiev. tin; (tovcrn:ii--nl came down with prop..;: t-> further inere-i-ie the custom.', liy doubling the duty on boot' and sii* ic', patent medicines, &c. Most people knew what that meant ; it in-ant that the Waikato farmers were to pay double the price for their boots, in order to increase the profits of a few people in Auckland. It was also proposed to increase the property tax. He had already told them that this tax was keeping people out of the country, and an increase was there! -re most undesirable. He had seen it staled in a paper, and he quite endorsed the statement, that they might get a worse House, but they could not get a worse ministry. Retrenchment.

The great question of tin; day was retrenchment. The reason why (as he had often told them) it had not been resorted t.. before was this: The people were not ready for it. The necessity for it had long been recognised in the House, but it could not be curried out, for when any local semec or otiice was threatened there immediately arose an outcry. Mr Dryce's efforts at retrenchment might be pointed to, to show how difficult was the task. Now. however, it was different. The country appeared to be earnest. He imped it was, as the next Ih.vernment would have a most disagreeable job before them. They would have to begin at the top with the Governor, and go right down through the Government and the Legislatme. Last session he voted for a reduction in the number of members. He thought a great saving could be effected by am dg.imating offices; he was not in favour oi cutting down salaries, but it was scarcely necessary to go into details, as the piogramme was pretty well agreed on ail over the country. Education.

His opponent, Mr Russell, spoke in favour of raining ttie school age to seven. Well, he thought this was quite right, but before miking the alteration they must consider whether the effect would lie to close country schools. The difficulty might be met by increasing the capitation, but it required consideration, and in any case ho did not see how i‘112.000 was to be saved. Mr Russell bad since modified his views upon this point, and also in regard to secondary education. He would repeat that the subject must be handled with care. He had voted to do away with the Hinemoa. He thought a large saving might be effected in advertising. Protection.

There was an outcry in some quarters for protection, and they were asked to encourage local industry. Well, his answer was: “ Show your industry, and if we can help it, well and good, but we must know what we are doing.” He thought it would be a good thing to establish something like reciprocity between the colonies, so that their markets would be open to one another. New S .v.lh M'ales was supposed to be a free-trade country and yet they put a tax on 2d a pound on cheese. There was a good market there but the duty was prohibitive. M’hen hard times came they were very apt to blame the tariff, but he would remind protectionists that many things were already taxed 1(U per cent., so that with other charges the consumer had to pay about 331 per cent, over the English price. Protection must decrease ths purchasing power of the farmer’s products and it was out of these they paid the interest on loans. At the present time the manufacturers in the colony had as much work as they could do. They were told that if they established manufactures they would provide a market fur the farmers, but tney all knew that the export price must for m.mv years rule the market. America was often quoted as an example in favour of protec tion, but they must not forget that America was a little world in itself, each state being bigger than New Zealand. Yet he Xew York were in receipt of charitable aid, and that the misery of the labouring classes was intense ;SO per cent, of them work over 10 hours a day. It was easy enough to put on the duties but thev were not easily got rid of. Like quack medicines, if they did not cure, the dose must be increased. Protection tended to make men combine together to increase the cost of living to the masses. There was plenty of money in America certainly, hut it was all in the hands of a few rings. They might also to consider the effect of a protection policy, as applied against the colony. Suppose England put a duty on wheat and wool, where would the farmers be? It was hard enough to get along as it was, but what would they do in that case? [A voice: Hurst up.] He was in favour of giving an industry a little temporary assistance, if such were needed to put it on its logs. He believed, however, that what the country wanted was better prices for its products, and he thought it quite within the range of practical politics to ded with this subject so far as it related to opening up new markets, &c. He agreed with "the Premier that unlimited education tend, (i to do away with class distinctions and enabled men to grow up with popular sympathies. In this respect he was a pro- j tectionist: He certainly thought tiny should not import their legislators. Railway Reform-

He now came to a matter of greater importance, namely, the management of the railways of tha colony, lie \vould say, ia

the fir>t jd ic.% that he had sm <<i reason .o e --nil-: tin m t;..* maimer in v. h>h hi* vievs t 'O' 'ii had 1* —m J. It ii.»d j... c ., u !d n--l p# the wh'-I- 1.-iiCth with Mr Vaile, that lii-r-f -i- I;e w.i- aj uijjit and m th- l»-| “Jit. fill*' Was* Midi an ao*iud that it w.»* Jiainful t<* Irtve to c -ntr idiet, it. He had written ' m v.hirii h** had |*ointed nut that j n.-i >— :i«*t fr*-urht«—wrre at the root «*t ttie ii» i;r-—iojj, aud omM anvln-dv d**ny tin*? It pri::* * w**nl up wmiM they not be ail rL'iil': 4 Hear, hear.) lletriudtn -h*<w in iii-i I'-tt’-r-, th tt nnV-s reckless timing reaped the condition nf the country would Pc wor- * than it now. His na'aiiijia. hvA.Mvr. ha*! d*-ltbf»rateft* di*b*it»*d. He had always tried to g/t r* f*»rm, aud if any«»n** car»*d to M-e them, he he! w:!h him ,-i ii-t of inductions in fi.uglits. wf irli hail 1 *s*n oltaim-d fr..m the I'.-pniioent fi.on lime to time. .Some 'i-. or - •-*-ii y-.irs rig., he hud advertised m the papers, requesting ail those who had gn-o .ij’i-.-. against the H-paitnent Pi como nnmat- with him. He expected to lie fi • ni-d. but lie did not get a single t an-vv-r. H- r.-js-at'd tiie imitation three I y-ais ago, v-a'h a j i.ci-lv similar result, | He had always been willing and anxious

to s,--*i-j,. ref-.im. Tiis-y were continuallv ha*.mg the \i.-t .riin railxxavs thrown at to-ir h‘-a is, hot the rat-s tfier- wer- in unrv cases higher than here. For instance, th<-y charged U! las f,,r taking a truckload of cattle 1(0 miles, while here the charge was £-_* ](),. The railways there paid wdl, I -:t the s eC ret lay in the fact that they all radiated from one Centre, not Consisting, as in Xew Zealand, of scraps h-‘re and there. The cases were not analogous. U-t them take a rctros. peel of his acti.-n in respect to Vaile’s scheme, which was the came of his having to contest the seat this time and not enjoying his mnal good fortune of being nnopp.-cd. Tw.. years and a half ago he listened to Mr Vaile in that hall, and he was so struck with some of his remarks that he projesed to head a subscription to send Mr Vaile round the colony. Next be presented a nmnlier of petitions in favour of the schenie in the H.<Us», bringing them up as prominently as he could. Mr A aile evidently put a high estimate on his services, for he wrote and thanked him. Next in he again brought the question b' f'.re the House, and got, what was a very ini thing, the old iietitimis revived, and finally he got a committee apje.iuted to consider the question. He. Lad never actively opposed the .scheme, hut, on the contrary, had giv*-ii it every chance of being ventilated. He wished lla* committee to enquire into the g--ner.il question of management, but the Minister ti-d him down t-> Vailc's scheme. The committee’s rejs.rt had )<een claimed as a great victory; if it was, then he was the jier.son who should Ire thanked f«.r it. In that c-enmittee he had always voted with tiic friends of the scheme, Mr \ aile said he once voted against it, hut the question was one of no moment. Then Mr Russel! appeared on the scene, and the League was urged to make Vaile’s scheme their platform. Then it was that he (no doubt it was very impolitic) thought it right to state his own views on the matter. As ! he stated then, if his friends made it a test, lie was willing to retire, and his inteuti'jn tiHMi \va> Vi try and get Mime buna fide Waikab* man, kn«»wn to them and an opponent of the Hovernmwit, to come forward. He would |iav<»a>k»*d his old friend Captain «Applause). The event proved that many <f his old sup!n*rbers did n"t consider \ ail*/s scheme a vital point in hi* pohev, and f«r that iv.i-on he was behue tlaaa that nijrnt. (Applause). He had <*«t**i>Ml tin* c nUo-t, :u»r! !»e meant to win. i'boiid ;!]ipl.oi'4*L He h;id written I*t> to slio v his old friends to w hat extent *d :i*id to wh.it <*xteiit he d'>iC3V"l with Mr Vaile. He agreed with Mr \ aih* that production, •»nd ’and settlement should lw the prime object of the railways ; that fares diouM not It* a bar to travelling; that fr- iirlit siiouM !»,* lowered, nnd thatcncessouis ,-hould bMij.ido in the ca«e of long He >tij-:dated. however, that the redtiction sliould only bo made in second class faros, and that tho-u who wanted luxury >ho ild pay it. He had -eeuivd in mv reductions in was n „t his intention to discuss Vaile’s scheme; it had b*3*ond that f-tajre ; but hi> chiof objection to it was that it confined itself to fafos. Th« rates promised wereextwine, and he >aw djfiioaltic-s iii the syspun, winch w-<i:'d abo tend to kill the smail towns. A-rain, ho p-dnfed cut tliat bad management was just as possible under \ :dle*s scheme as under the present *y.*tenn If* l did not wish to rai-e the fpie.di*'n, and if liis >uppojt* i.s had Con>idered it paramount. he would, as lie had stated, iuive retired- X-» one could value the importance of ;]jt> confidence they had placed in him more than him*«*]f. There were two things wmch wo i!d make him retire. The fir-t was tii it h** di-mid i*e asked to advocite anything he did not l*elieve in, and the olh-r, that he did not wi-h to fijjht aordn-t friends, who had priced the *. aiue of tpiur fnend>hip oj» mi many occa'i -n-. His opj>..ii.-ut, Mr had •jiven them a scheme, and many others in that hall could d’« the s.nii‘% Put nevertheless he had made a reservation which left him a back door to e-d out of, in the event of his beinjj coinV‘ "*i*;d to oppose the scheme. He referred

t.. his reservation regarding the id. interMaikato fare Xow he knew for a fact that Mr \ ailc had been asked to make this concession and had distinctly refused, as it would upset his system. It appeared then that Mr Russel! was a follower, not of Sir Voile, but of him (the sjieaker) since he had advocated a system such as Vaile’s with the inter-Waikato fare left nut. His Opponent. Mr Russel! had said a good deal about new men and sucking old servants, but they should be very careful in such matters. Mr Russel! said he was going as an independent, but h- did not see how he was going to do it, and yet vote for the Government. unless he meant to emulate the “ Auckland Four.” (Laughter.) That would mean p'dilic-i! suicide. Perhaps, however, they would have a new p irty, the “ linssell party,’’ but if they had it would l>e what the miners cad a 4 ‘ hatter.” .Mr Russell was a man of considerable ability and, from what lie kid heard, a g.v«d.speaker, but he bad laid down a line of policy that nobody could carry out. He was in favour of retrenchment, and yet would follow the most extravagant Government they had ever had; he would reduce the cost of education, and yet follow Sir R. .Stout, who would admit «.{ no reduction. and he Would establish an agricultural college in Waikato; he would reduce the duties on the necessaries of life, and yet support a Government who wished to increase them ; he would reduce the cost of defence, and yet support Mr Kallance, the man who was tesjionsible for all the wasteful exi-enditnre, and who had created “ our only Major General ’; be would support A ades scheme, by going to the opjiosite side of the House from that where Mr Vaile (who would in all likeliluxd be returned) would be found ; be would support a Government who were opposed to Mr Vaile, and was against Major Atkinson who was in favour of the scheme ; he was in favour of free trade in native land and yet snpjwrted Mr IHllance whose policy was tile reverse of this ; ho would vote to give the Government another lease of iKiwcr and yet be "independent” If the Government hist whcie would he be? Then he advocated a reduction of the l'pl>er House and supiiorted a Government who had done in-we than any other to increase the number of members : he was in favour of village settlement and would support the agricultural interests and yet he was in favour of protection, and supported a Government of city men ; he was in favour of land nationalisation, and yet suppirted a Government who gave away more land than any other, and he believed that prohibitive taxes would give increased revenue, (Laughter and applause.) Conclusion. In conclusion, ba would tell them that he was sorry he could nut go to the farmer and say wages should be cut down tods <>d a day, and to the labourer that he should have Os; it would be pleasant to say nice things, but the times were too serious for that sort of thing. All that was left for him to say was that he had done his best far them in the past, and if he desired anything more than that he should obtain their Confidence, it was that be si c ild deserve it. Mr M byte resumed bis seat amidst loud and prolonged applause. The Mayor having invited questions, Mr A. Swarbrick asked Mr Mbyte whether, if a prop,sal weie brought down to risk a large sum of money in a trial of A aiie s scheme, be would support it Mr M byte said his present inlouilon nit to vote at all on the matter. He

Coma II .I vote fur it, but be would nut oppose it. ns so many of his friends w.-re in labour of it. He was in favour of a th rough lovi-i n ..f the present system, !■ -r, and. in teplv to a further <pie.-.tion hr .Mr .Swarbrick. said he would endeavour to have the whole subject thoroughly inVettigatsd.

Mr Smith aiked if Mr Whyte would pledge him-elf to oppose any Ministry who declared their inability to carry on the (lovernment without increased taxation. Mr Whyte thought they eotild pot along without more taxation. Put retrenchment he would remind them, could not he carried out all at once. Speaking generally he was opposed to further taxation. Mr Tippetl said they ought to commence at borne. Would Mr Whyte advocate the running of only one train a day to Hamilton Mr Whyte said the matter would have to he considered. Mr Tippen sail one train a week would he sc 'ieieut. M- Sedih-'U asked if Mr Whyte would support a policy of retrenchment. Mr Whyte : Certainly. Mr Parr: Are you still in favour of plural voting ? Mr Whyte; So long as politics mean money the people who cannot leave the country (being tied by their property) should have slightly more voice than those who can, hut, I woidd limit the votes to one. for residence, and one for property. He regarded the privilege as a spur to industry. Mr If. Swarhrick asked if Mr Whyte would do away with the i'aOO exemption to the Property-tax ? Mr Whyte said he had dealt with tiie matter in his speech. Any increase of the tax would do harm. There being no further questions, Mr S. T. Seddoii moved a vote nf thanks to and confidence in Mr Whyte. The consistent conduct of their old friend, Mr Whyte, was the best guarantee they could have that their interests would be looked after. (Applause.) Mr Henry seconded the motion, which was put to the meeting and carried by acclamation, only one lad holding up his hand against it. Mr Whyte returned thanks, and the meeting closed with the customary compliment to the Mayor for presiding.

MU WHYTE AT OAMUIUDGE.

Mu Wiiytk addressed a cinvdcd meeting at the Public Hall, Cambridge, last night. The chair was occupied by the Mayor of Cambridge (Mr .fuhn Cwynnoth), Mr Whyte spoke generally to the same effect as at Hamilton, and was listtoned to will) marked attention. At the close a number of questions were asked and satisfactorily answered. Mr Wells moved, and Mr McMillan seconded, a vote of thanks and confidence, and Mr limnskill moved, and Mr Sargent seconded, an amendment giving a vote of thanks only. On being put to the meeting the amendment was declared carried by a small majority, the chairman remarking that many of those who voted fur it were youths under 21. A full report of the meeting is unavoidably held over.