Wallace Election.

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 32, 5 December 1905, Page 3

Wallace Election.

MB. J. C. THOMSON AT OTAUTAU.

ENTHUSIASTIC AND BECOBD MEETING. Mr J. 0. Thomson addressed the electors m the Town Hall, Otautau, on Friday evening- . The hall was packed to overflowing, numbers having to be content with standing room. The chair was occupied by Mr E. Matheson, chairman Otautau Town Board, who briefly introduced the -candidate. Mr Thomson, on rising, was received with hearty applause, and obtained throughout his speech a respective patient hearing, his remarks being punctuated with applause- Mr Thomson referred to the favourable manner m which his work during the past term as their member, had been recognised m other parts during the present campaign. Becognising that the duty of a member was to the colony as a whole, and not only to be a canvasser for his own' electorate, he still had kept its wants steadiiy before him, and, as a result, the substantial sum of £32 000 appeared on the estimates for Wallace. Of this sum, £10,000 was for the Orepuki-Waiau Railway, and a sum of £4000 was already m the hands of the Wallace County Council- He : had been a strong supporter of the Act, which had become law, giving to local bodies half the revenue derived from flax and timber royalties, which, m the last five years, had amounted to £8000 m Southland. JHe considered that local government should be placed on a better footing, as the present "grant" system tended to make Parliament a huge Board of Works, and he thought a more equitableand less objectionable , method might be adopted, which would 'attain better ends.

THE LAND QUESTIONHe had voted against the setting up of the Royal Commission, but he might have considered the expenditure justified if legislation had been brought down after the report had been received. This had not been done, and the land question was now before the country. It was the principal political question, and he ventured the opinion that according as men were returned to Parliament with definite views upon the matter, so they would find that legislation would be brought down m accordance with the views of the majority. With an increasing debt, increased production was necessary m order to swell the exports, and to hand out to settlers the option of the freehold would act as a powerful incentive to the expenditure of capital m improving the land. Crown tenants were m a state of unrest owing to the advocacy of revaluation, which, so far as bush sections were concerned, simply meant , that the settler would be asked to pay increased rent on his improvements. This was advocated by certain organisations, as would be seen from the evidence given before the Land Commission at Wellington, where the representative said revaluation should take place on the death of a lessee, a time when it would press hard on the widow and children. The Land Commission's report was most unsatisfactory, as it simply reflected the mind of Parliament. Half were m favour of the freehold and half m favour of the leasehold, and thus their labors had offered no solution of the difficulty. The Commission, however, stated that a condition antecedent to successful settlement was security of tenure, and the most secure form known to law was the freehold, which allowed a man to work his farm without the interference of boards and rangers, and placed them beyond the reach of those who advocated revaluation. He would allow lessees-in-per-petuity of ordinary Crown lands to be placed m the same position as those on sections under occupation with right of purchase, so as to have uniformity, the difference to be adjusted and with respect to the acquired estates, he would give the option of equitable terms. He believed m a vig orous public works policy. They had twenty lines of railway m course of construction, the rate of progress of which was very slow and disheartening, This year they had £940,000 distribute! amongst these. Then there were roads, bridges, telephones, etc, all of which required money, and to make more rapid progress with public Jworks they required more money. How to do this without increasing the borrowing was the problem. Well, the colony had borrowed £4,000,000 for the purchase of estates, and if they allowed the exercise of - the option, money would be coming m that could be used for the purchase of more estates. This would do away with the necessity of more borrowing for land acquisition, and would allow the Government more for pushing ahead the various public works so urgently required to increase the productiveness and maintain the prosperity of the colony. A policy of universal leasehold was impossible of realisation. Besides it would not be m the best interests of the colony for many reasons. If there was a fall m prices this would cause a slight depression that would bring about a demand for reduction of rentals, and aq the margin between the rate at which the money was borrowed for the purchase of estates and the amount _ paid i rent was small, the" landless tax-payer W")uld be called upon to make up his Blare of the loss on taxation. On the other hand, when the loans had to be renewed, and the colony had to renew ll^.milliona between this and 1910, if the rate at which they had to be renewed was more than B£%, the colony also stood- to lose, In every way th©

problem was surrounded with difficulties, and financial considerations were of the first importance. New Zealand was an educated and intelligent democracy. Predictions regardinng the evils likely t.o arise by extending the option were imaginary, as m the universal franchise they had the great corrective, and an educated democracy progressing on lines thoroughly safe giarded would never tolerate a condition of things inimical to the interests of the community. The Statewas composed of individuals, and the property of each was the prosperity of the whole. As a representative who studied the welfare of all clasr ci, he would vote for advancement on the lines he had indicated.

OTHER SUBJECTS,

Touching other subjects, Mr Thomson said he had voted to allow farmers to to have direct representation on the Assessment Court but the motion had been defeated. He still favoured that He believed m the workers' dwellings, and thought the policy should extend to the country, so as toattract men to the country who did not wish to farm more than 50 acres, and would like work out side occasionally. This would be mutually advantageous. He did not believe m the imposition of a duty on agricultural machinery, but would protect the local industry by means of a bonus, or, if the fiinances would permit, by the reduction of the duty on raw material. It jwould not do to allow the local competition to be wiped out, as the Harvester Trust could then exact from the producer what he liked. He advocated free education from the primary school to the University, admission to the latter to be by means of scholarships, to enable children of ability of the poorest to obtain the full advantages of our splendid system of education. He had always supported teachers' superannuation,, and was gladthat it was now provided, but the profession would not be on a satisfactory basis until salaries were paid out not on average attendance but on the certificate and length of service of the teacher. By doing this small country schools would have no difficulty m getting good teachers, and young people gifted that way would be enticed to enter the profession.

At the end of Mr Thomson's address, he was accorded enthusiastic applause, and, m response to the chairman's invitation, no questions heing asked, Mr N. McLaren moved and Mr R. Scatter seconded, that Mr Thomson be thanked for his past services, for his clear address, and this meeting expresses its continued confidence m him as the member for Wallace. The motion was carried with acclamation and cheers, after which Mr Thomson thanked the electors present, and moved a hearty vote of thanks to the chair.