ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 241, 11 October 1893, Page 2

ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN.

THE WAITEMATA SEAT.

MR R. MONK AT HENDERSON,

Thb electoral campaign in connection with the constituency of Waitemata was initiated lasb evening by Mr R. Monk, who unsuccessfully conbested tho same seat ab the lasb general elecbion. The address waa delivered in the Henderson Public School, to some 60 residents, of whom some 20 wero membors of the recently emancipated sex, aboub half of tbo total number, however, wore electors of tbe Edondiatrict. Throughout tho long oration, tho candidate was listened bo pabionbly and attentively, and the meeting was extremely orderly. Mr Cranwell was voted to tho chair, and in introducing the speaker he asked thab Mr Monk should be given a pabient and careful hearing. Mr Monk, on rising, was greotod with applause. Ho said he felb proud that he could address tho ladies as fellow electors. Many years ago, wben he had advocated for them the privilege they now possessed, ho little thoughb he should have tho honour of soliciting their favour. Ho utterly denied the statements thab tho time was not yeb ripe for the extension of the franchise to females, and thab bhey wero incapable of making use of bhe privilege. They would prove (ho contended) apt and capable pupils, and thab from them would come a satisfactory solution of some of the vory difficult social problems now facing tho colony. Mr Monk said that in this oneBided democraoy of manhood suflrago the enfranchisement of women had become his political fetish. Ho thoughb a great many moro women would exercise their privilogo with more fidelity than men would. They had boon freed from the feudal slavery of pasb ages, and he would advise them to drive gently, drive slowly and drive surely, Coming bo polibics generally, Mr Monk said he was vory glad to bo able to congratulate them on the solid progress the country had made during tho past few years—a progress thab had been gained by individual efforts. That progress had been the roeulfc of felling the foresb trees, of clothing tho land with verduro and increasing the wealth of tho country by expanding its rural resources. He wished them to remember that no Government was responsible for the result, bub that it was due to the energy of its people in developing the market for produce of tho country in London. He camo before them in tho position of an absolutely nonparty man. He said that parby Government waa injurious to tho best interests and besb welfare of the counbry. Ho felb bhab if he was reburned aßa party man he would be tiod and would porhapa havo to vote for a measure to which ho waa antagonistic.

THE ELECTIVE PRINCIPLE,

Referring to the Legislative Council, ho thoughb thab it should bo oloctivo (hear, hear). The Upper House as ib was now constituted, was simply a repetition of tho Lower Assembly. Some said ib was a collection of fossils. Thoy could geb over tbat by making tbe Upper House elective. Mr Monk suggested that one-third of the membors should retire evory nino years, and that the electorates of the colony Bhould be divided so as to allow of a special election for that purpose every threo yoars. Tho Upper Houeo should be elected only by persons who contributed to tho taxes, so thab ib mighb be of a Conservabivo tendency. He thon spoke ab length on the advantages thab would accrue to tho country from such a practice. Mr Monk also advocatod tho elective method for the appointing of Justices of tho Peace. Many persons had beon placed in that responsible position recently, before whom he would hardly like to bo tried, especially if he was conscious of his own innocence. The remarks mado by some of tho Supremo Courb judges with regard to the decisions of Justices of tho Peace, proved tho importance and seriouunesß of tho quostion.

EOBBOWINQ AND DISTRIBUTION.

In conneobion wibh the borrowing question, Mr Monk said they should reduce bbc power of the Governmenb in thab direotion. Be could assure his auditors that bhe liabilities of tho colony wero increasing, The borrowing was going on insidiously, and tho country would soon be in a bankrupt state. The nexb reform required was a more equibable disbribubion of public expenditure. He said the peoplo North of Auokland talked about borrowing £100,000 for the purpose of forming roads and facilitating traffic through tho country. They should nob borrow one penny, because bho amount they were contributing to tho revenue was adequate to do road-making north of Auckland if they got a fair share. They were paying yearly £70,000 in Customs duties alone, of which they only received a paltry pittance of £900. Ho thoughb thab there should be tho same unanimity of opinion by all tho members of the Auckland province as there was in the skinflinb parby some years ago. The mombers should work bogethor bo socure to the North a fair sharo of tho revenue. Ho would work for thab when they roturned him, and be would see thab thero was the same honesty in the administration of the publice revenue bb in his own private funds.

THE LAUD QUESTION,

The native lands, said Mr Monk, oughb to be mado to contribute to tho revenue, Tho lond should bo rated for tho revenue of the local bodies, who improved tho value of bhe land by, making roads through it. Ib should bo broughb to precisely the same lovol as European land with tho exception of a fow acros which should bo exempt from taxation. The natives should be allowod free trade in their lands. The past legislation of native lands had been a discrace. Tho natives knew thoy had beon wronged. Their lands should bo rated, and tho Treaty of Waitangi did nob prevonb that course from being pursuod. Whonroburned ho would endeavour tto promote as far as possible land sottlemonb, for tho occupation of tho land gave them a thrifty and capable yeomanry, Ho believed bhab public debb hud been sufficiently increased. The national income should furnish a sufficienb amounb of money to make Bafe and steady progress in tbe improvomenb of tho counbry. Ho mentioned some £1,000,000 which ho said the Governmenb had recently imported into the country, and mado the assertion withoub any hesitation bhab thoy were nob now living wibhin bheir income. He said bhe Governmenb had drawn £400,000 lasb year irom tho Post Office and Trust Funds and Life Insurance. He was prepared to vouch for the accuracy of bhe statement. He was nob paying as much under bhe land tax as under the property tax, bub thoy surely mußt have scales over their political vision if those working to make thoir homesteads bettor failed to discorn the increasing mortgage thab was stealing over their property in the accumulation of debt.

POLITICAL QUESTIONS,

Mr Monk said he advocated political resb. He thoughb thab a session should be shorb, sharp and thoughtful. He would liko t.em to look back over tho legislation of the lasb few years and see many of the Acts which had been passed by bho Legislature which could not be done withoub, Tho Property Tax, Femalo Sulirago and Land Acts were some of bhem, although ho did not think much of tho latter, and said thab Hon. J. McKenzie had urged Governmenb officers on like sleuthounds to hunt up Idummyism, Tho Acb wob no improvement on _Mr Richardson's. Tbe gum trade, which was of so much moment to the I norbh, was owing to the activity and energy

of bhe gumdiggers. He bhoughb bhab if tho land had been fortile like in the South Island, and with no gum, ib would hare been better for the country. He considered thab a special effort should be made to locate the large numbers of gumdiggers on the land, and that would be a part of his policy when returned. He also referred to bhe offecb bhe silver crisis in America had had on the gum trade, in depressing the price and retarding tho export. SOCIALISM.

Coming to political economy and sociology, which he said were synouymous terms, Mr Monk said thab a fashionable fallacy was tho idea thab capital was antagonistic to labour. The strikes which had taken place a fow years ago showed tbat tbo natural sequences had been broken. He believed in Unions, but objected to aggressive action of Unions on other interests. He thought Mr Reeves' moasuro waa bitter and compulsory and would do no good. He suggested a solution of the difficulty of dealing wibh strikes by sotting up a Board of so many competent men on the one side and co many competent authorities on bhe othor and allowing thorn to decide. Ideal socialism Beemed to him to be impracticable. He believed in ib because ib was forebold in Holy Wrib. The bime whon a redistribution of property would bo capable nestled amoug the coming ages. Ad the presenb bime it would mean robbery, because ideal socialism meanb a condition of absolute trust and repose in each other and an assurance of' individual resource — a time when every man would have everything he wanted. Referring to public oduoation, Mr Monk said tho system musb bo very defective if it did not secure to every person a high average of national intelligence and constitute in them a power to prevent bungling in tbe discharge of public functions. To young colonials they would have to look for tho future. Of the 039 drunkards charged with tho offence lasb year, only 39 had been colonials, whilo of tbe criminals only 13 per cenb. were New Zealanders. Ho wanbed his young hearers to cherish this rocord a3 tho promise-tinted preface of the history which had yeb to be written for them. In conclusion, Mr Monk said ho would be happy to do any littlo sorvico for any of those prosent. He folb an honost eonoorn for their welfare. If thoy retumod him, he would be sorry to havo to go to Parliament with tho honorarium ab £210 insbead of £150. Every mombor returned to Parliament for an incroasod honorarium would be placed under a sbigma, and he hopod Now Zealanders would wipe out the shame. He wanted them to remember tho intrinsic value of the principles he advocated rather bhan his own poraonal merit. Ho would recommend the electors to givo tho candidates a good rubbing down, for if tho metal was good tho brighter it would become, and if inferior tho flaws would be exposed. (Applause.)

QUESTIONS. In answering questions, Mr Monk said thero was not tho slightost doubt that the country could be governed by less mombora. They woro now paying aa much for their Parliament with nob so good a representation as previously. He thought thab an inconsistency had been shown in increasing the honorariums to £240. He thought that £150 was sufficionb. Mrs La Trobo wanted to know whether tho oandidate had said somo years ago that 3s 6d was sufficient to keep a raarriod man, and 2s 6d to provide for a bachelor. Mr Monk denied having ever made tho statement. Ho did not boliove in land nationalisation, and thought bhab bhe Government should put. as good carriages on the Kaipara lino as they did on tbo Waikato branch. With regard to Mr Seddon's Liquor Bill, ho had never read if, but ao far as bo had heard and could gather an opinion on it, ib waa a retrogressive measure, It would havo boon fur bettor to have left the old law as ib was, and simply confirm the decision of the Committee, which would have traversed Judge Denniston's ruling with regard to the Sydenham Licensing Committee. Asked as bo whether he thought ib right thab the County Councils of Now Zealand should have the power to levy a tax of £1 on every vehicle held by a furmer, Mr Monk referred again to the misappropriation of the public revenue by which tho North Auckland districb got anything but its fair share.

Mr La Trobo thon moved, and Mr Jones seconded, a voto of thanks and confidence touMr Monk. About half tho hands in the audience ware hold up in rosponso bo bhe Chairman's appeal for the aflirmntivo, and none were Bhown againsb bho motion. A vote of thanks to the Chairman torm'itintqd the proceedings.