MR J. A. TOLE, M.H.R., AT EDEN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5423, 7 July 1879, Page 3

MR J. A. TOLE, M.H.R., AT EDEN.

[Bt Tsleobaph.]

(from our own corhespondent,)

Auckland, July sth. Mr J. A. Tole, M.H.R., addressed his Eden constituents last night at Newmarket, "The Boys" mustered ia force from some distance around. He eald on nearly all political questions he was pretty well in, harmony with h: a constituents, with only ens exception, which it was unnecessary to speak of. Parties were pretty well balanced last session, as they were at present, though some would say that one of them had Bince then lost it 3 Ballanco. It was one thing to promulgate a liberal programme and another to cany it out. The land tax was a measure altogether new, but the information procured would be of great value. Then there was: the Tariff Bill, the. relief to be expested wasLll7,ooo. Then as to the tax on timber, Southern men said, "You must take off that duty;" they insisted upon a' reciprocal advantage for the removal of duty upon grain. He thought it had not been produciire of good, and etated that it might have created some local or temporary depression. There had been no great importation of foreign timber. Then there was the Railway Construction Bill The line to Taranaki was a work every man in the Colony or South should desire to see completed. He believed land would bs acquired and the line taken to Tara naki sooner than might be expected. There was also the Land Purchase Bill. He thought the Government should take Native lands into their own hands. They had a large staff of sur veyors; they could have these lands surveyed and get a fair price, for the Natives could offer such lands for sale, so.that a man mijht buy if he only had moderate means. As matters were now this could not be done. He admitted that the present state of things wai not at all satisfactory. He approved of the Triennial Parliament Bill. As to the Electoral Bill, the residential clause passed the "Upper House, bnt then came the issue of the, Maori dual vote. This wot objected to as giving the Natives an undue influence locally. There was no reason why the Natives should have a "second vote, but it only affected some three or four constituencies oat of 84, and 1500 Maori electors out of 40,000. It would come up ggain, and he , would be guided by circumstances in regard to it. It could not be defended except on the ground of expediency or policy. He did not think that the Native ' difficulty was purely a Native difficulty. It was a Pakeha-Maorl difficulty. There should be a firm stand taken with the Native people; murderers and outlaws should be brought to justice. As regards the Chinese question, he believed there were only 2000 Chinese in the country. So far as is known: in this country, they were industrious. He would reserve bis right to discretionary action. He would endeavour to obtain a fair shire oi public expenditure for the Northern part of the Colony. As to the question of education, the views he held last setsion were in favour of secular education, and he he'd t'eßatne.views still. He believed the State should pay only for secular instruction, and only for poor people. . It was admitted that the State could not and should not ■ teach religion. It followed, therefore, that the State could not give complete education. No one could argue that the State could give any other than merely fractional educational. If the State could not teach religionthe Bible could not be introduced into the schools. The Bible was, indeed, the book of books, but nobody, could,deny that it was a controversial book. It was disrespect to it to turn it into a mere reading-book to be thrown on one side when the reading lesson was over. So far as he was concerned he had no desire to' break up the present system of education. As long as 12,000 people wore dissatisfied there would be bickering upon these questions. This discontent was growing, and it would goon. He really believed people wera education mad. By whom wasall this agitation led ? It was led on by the. more intelligent and wealthy class, by many gentlemen who were educating their children at the expense of the poorer classes of the community. '■•■■•'■ - '- Mr J7 M. Lennox challenged Mr Tole to show where the children were who were educated at the expense of the, poor. . He denied that the wealthy avoided public schools because they were not seleot. In his district all clajees used the public schools in,perfect harmony and good, fellowship. . . • A vote of confidence was carried.