THE GENERAL ELECTION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 270, 13 November 1896, Page 3

THE GENERAL ELECTION.

0 THOMPSON AT TOKATOKA

a?.9qs, M.H.P.-:for Marsden, met *** tot Tokatoka in No. 2 school on """"^Lrnooo at 3 o'clock. There was i friW naß ber present, among them ii^Jl^ Mr W. E. Johns bßi"^ YB' od iJr Thompson spoke oa the f l' j the day. At the ciose of his (Uli!i<» 0' ; TOC j a unanimou* vote of *^.S wnfidence. In Sba e~eniug l'ffS ? terms to Mr J. M. iJ^-iS, death, and epoka highly oi MjSii^ PubHc care3r". Hl (Mr *" as kad always workea in the in-I^-fujjconstitusßcy and oitke colony d^'i- . B d j9tend«d to do so as long '' .Si » member of tbs House or KW * * - v<|j g 3 bad besn the naataber for nine years and had a frTfrtßffhicb electors could judge oi « ability *o repreiSDt chaia. He ii";., -ii blame oi any errors oa his !JM«^y »Cted i.dependeatly F>! tarty I" *h« Houss- Bo latend9d r to hia own laenta. In 11 waidsay was that he ww a good ■ cffiaa. »Dd i{ Biecsed cna PQO?l° of f L«ttld iaava a pao^cienßioaa repreHe'counted llr -Msaoa among friend.-., and hoped tha predeiit U would bring no change ia that, f ibiip Ha pointed out sh9 peculiarities f the Rating on Unimproved Laada Bill, JL aatmted bis hearsra to carefully i Sa« tba power they had had vestsu in fcmrtl»ss bf means oi this measure. He ° lEUi tMfe while it nughi work well in it woulsi be juat as uaauits', j g jnoibsr, and caraful conaidergV ;„ necessary before introducing '..(. |js smaos sestlsrs. He rarerred ' , fl iJailway Cla3sitic:ition Bill, pointed a^-Itsohiefcharacteristica, and adrocased l' redactioss of freights for settlers. L. fining Bill was tha nesS meaaora j . kß ,jjpou, sod -Mr Thompson fully exLiftoff the Governmsr.u had reserved Ht»8ffl8fl!«a the right to take orer any i indcoßEainws gold or silver. The pass- | ;, z jf Siia Bill had cauaad a depression j4 {lie mininf raarket, bub that was wan W LoDdon eapitalisca mi3underitudinetie meanios or tha msasure. In jcaiinj ?P 0D t^iS a £B3 Protection Bill oa'irßbed' to explain to ail prassns "ia true, circumstance? of his position ii reference 60 the clause re gu.mdigffers. Ihadaase wbicfa csiusad all the bother was judrawn up by the law draughtsman, ik bad been gi*en to understand that jjsdig^e"wsrß employed by the storeispers opoa wasas. After he first saw iijctoin the Bill be referred i& to the livdraaghtaman, and informad bim ;hat h jidioineet the true grievance of gumijjjafj.bat he was cold that is was too late tiliaihschms, aad tba Bill must) go to difigoH. Ha tiban went to Mr Trogear, the ; Secretary of Labour, and asked him if ha had caqiataQicated with the Gucodiggors' Ha, '?d raceivod on answer in the tiaaiin, Mr Tregear showing him thß rjpljfrainiJrSili", Secretary of the Gumfyjfli Onion, in whick t'ae Union begged Ii ijforatfia Gorarnmen!} that the clause diiirtueet the difficulty for which it was infolded, »ad therefore was useleaa. He llbsijßiker) therocpou decided to do his atoit tgainaS bho passing of tha claase, i jj'i lbs it was brought before a Comnittn of tha Honaa ha proposed an jiwraeoi tha?, (be ciausa as written ■mlii only apply to private lands. ffijussaiisent was defeated, and he then jnijisad another, '" that tho clause as villa siiouid only apply to Hobaon Cwij,'1 jad once again his amendment tailirawnouv. Seeing that he could not Mill natters, he lsfc tha House and did Xi mis apon the Bill. The Bill was waltouah the House, but) was kicked ntiitlJaCquaci!, and ho was very jflad, as (!3(iit7»r3 would iave been ia an wkwidfix with etorekeapsrs, »3, accordiijio tha clause, every transaction besween lpmdigger and a jSoreka^pgr would have Wtobeacaah one, aad difnoalties which

™Mha»a made Che clause unworkable,

raidfcava arisen on both sides. He might apliiatb* Sroe grievance of gumdi^gera 11 ana (listing upos private iands oaiy tint liia owners of the land demanded rajtiSyfrom ail diggers working upon their ppertj. Aa a member of the VYaste iaadi fioard he discovered how private wssjj ?ate treating gutndijrgers, and ha P»ed a motion through the Board by all anoccupisd gum lands should wain in the hands of the Crown, And aaaalfißß not aa acre of gum iand had been Jfitl by the Gorersment. The evil of the jus trade existed in the meShod adopted jj private owners of gum lands levying liaibji! apon the diggers, and the only taj nx of overcoming the difSculty w»ld bo for tha Crows to resume the ■jha of anch. properties, charging gumHwi for a license, which charge would &tthe Government not only to taka up t^eni private lands, bat also to meat •to Aastrian difSculty. At present «8 State was helpless ia tha matter, aa Wag to existing treaties between ling- *» »nd Anstria, Aastriana had e7ory Wto york upon New Zealand g«m- !*, bat bj isjuing licenses to gum*BS»n the Goyernmsnt would have the right; to foreigners »'!! he thought, »7as the only way of S*f»go\er the Austrian difficulty. He •k ff a3 ' on * a8 8 was a meiaber of tofloaaQ ha wouid alway3 try to aid the .Jk* speaker tbea referred to the banking ™«iOB. This had been a failure, and *' montry. waa responsible through this ■«r Ira and a-qaarter million?. He always W« this leeislatioo, a ß d thought! it wahwa hasn batter far the colony as a »M to let the Bank go its way. In «?wo to fotare iegisiatioD, he advocated "««ta»B Upper House. He aupported A ProPo»ition that the Governmeni) iiav ta!t3 BOrne of tne resP°a- . iiies off local governing bodies. local bodies had enoogb to do "';«* ifter tha making of roads without JfT* "MTitable aid rates, etc. He was 'neopmioathattbey wanted less iogi?- , a ln **>o colaay. At present thsre £J»iMny bill* put before tk« Houie iaiiM had no!i time t0 read thsm < ~., "Worea were often passed which I "iterwwdi found to be uaelea*. Ab *he wcom, 82 electioa ho had no hope for 3 Jt , ppoßUion« a"d wan confident fcbat the j ( , Bmenb *oold have aa strong a majority fl»a!rf* 9Vr P4riiamentl as baret«fore. tod hid^c?" Oownment waa a stroag one, *m & BS morß in °Penin£ UP o{ lands So, *a? previous Ooverßtaeat. In rela**a!Bn I °PBoing ap of the Tokatoka feian' 'aid U waa fche intention of the P9usd s ment tO- Bpend nine or ! en tno0"*0* 1 i^-j °PQa i^i and when draining waa i*o en the °Pen laDd would be cvii up 'Polio? T tf> I9ctioD?. and let by ballot *o UTi'c 9~"'he workers in the swamp Atlh , ightß any claim. Ha 'f clos9 of his addrees, Mr ThumpSdßii dfl *aGCordßd a vote of thanka and !a/ o i •Jtawpson also addressed a tneefc»!»h JS tor« Pahi, Kaipara, dealing ij Meeti matiters end tbe approachtiiißtEa 'and waa accorded a vote of