BAY OF PLENTY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 273, 17 November 1899, Page 3

BAY OF PLENTY.

Mr W. H. Herries, member for the Bay of Plenty, addressed the electors at Morrinsville on Wednesday evening. The main trunk railway he described as a colonial work, and expressed himself in favour of raising a loan to complete it. He advocated the penny post. He agreed with the Land for Settlement Act. and Advances to Settlers, but contended that the Government were placing the wrong class of men on the land. He advocated strongly the reform of the Upper House, which he thought should be elective on similar lines to those proposed for the commonwealth of Australia. He explained his reasons for opposing the Old Age Pensions Bill, stating that he was not antagonistic to it in principle, but thoughtit should be universal and on a contributory basis. He objected to Maoris participating in the pension, and thought all restrictions on the sale of their lands shouiVbe removed and the natives taxed in the same manner as Europeans. He predicted that the Seddon Government would never again occupy the Treasury benches, and said he thought a change of Government would be productive of a vast amount of good. Mr Herries was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence, there being only one dissentient voice.