MR LAKE'S HAMILTON SPEECH.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 2997, 29 September 1891, Page 2

MR LAKE'S HAMILTON SPEECH.

TO THE KUlTiiI:. Sue,—When I wont to hoar the great nominee of the Opposition 1 expected to hear a slashing criticism of the Government proposals 'and also an outline of the policy which Mr Lsko himself intends to supnort. But however, I, like a number of others was doomed lo disappointment, a< I heard neither thu oiw; u<;r the other. When addressing the cYctors it is usual for candidatel! to discii-s all ;ho cm-it politic il ( |ii'!S. tions of the <j iv. and so .nviMe the i-lr.ctors to decide on their -..■v.-ral riv"-it--. IJ'it this course Mr Lake scmiml-iu-lv avoids, and in his exceedingly short, dull, aivljirosy speech all the most importiint qiipsti ins of tho dnv werecomoli'i.elyii-'n'i-'"!. Whether he supports the land i\\ in ireferenco to tlia property tax, whether \\« suujmils or np|jo«eth th') inennin tux, whi-thi.'i , hojsn l'rotoctionist or a Fiv.etrad"!-, arc r|it'?sti"ns that after hearing his addrpss I am quite unable to answer. Tt w.is only in r?p'y to a question that he was o-mnnlled to admit that he was opposed to V'liln's •β-hnnv , , not tliat lie liiis -my rirgninniits ai'nmst it, or tho smallest pxcuse for not -.nppnrHng i , , ';'isiinply the nvnt-il effort w'ucii would be req in red to enable him t> "understand it '' was ton severe a task on his groat niind and he "gave it up" in cnn«o quence. Mr Lake, is opposed to the single tax, his reason being that it is not the presence of population thatcivos « value to land but the "outside market!" I would like Mr Like to exphin why a foot of Hnd in Auckland in worth more than a hundred acres in the Waikato, and why agricultural land in England is worth from thirty to forty pounds an acre, whereas land of equally good quality in New Zealand i.s not worth a tenth part of that sum. If it is not the presence nf population that makes tho difference, will he just s«v what does make it. There is not in Mr Lake s speech the smallest attempt to lay down even the semblance of a policy ; there is not in thn whole compass of his address anything that can be caller! a proposition, except the proposal to cut down the education vote, and if the electors return a political nincompoop pledged to vore as the leader of the Opposition shall think tit todictate, simnlv because it suits Mr Urvce to advise them to do no, they will bo silly indeed. It is manifestly necessary that each representative should have a policy that he c-in pr-merly call his own, and tlv.it he shouM support Urn Government or the Opposition j'ist so f.ir as they are prepared to five effect to that policy, and not n step further ; and Hi.mpli it may suit Mr liiyc" -""i his |>-trl V to support a candidate who will he "H«dienr. to Hie call of the leader of th- Opposition, r«B:<rdless of his own convictions and the wi-lms of his constituents, is is inanifMly not. ,n----terest nor the duty of thn electors of Waikato to (Jo so It uhviys has been the fnnVoendent members who have done the real work of Parliament, and Mr Bryca s hiph-ilown talk about members wlv.i are neither cold not' hot is simply humbug, and will bj treated os such. If tho electors am wise they will return an Independent Liberal member with a policy and a backbone, and not an Opp-isition partisan with neither tho j one nor tho other.--1 am, &".> .Tclu.n. Kirikiriron. 20th Sei'.,:mber. '