THE COMING ELECTIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 244, 12 October 1908, Page 8

THE COMING ELECTIONS.

MANUKAU ELECTORATE. MR C_E___E_. AT ONEHTJNGA. On Saturday night Mr A. A. Creamer, one of the candidates for the Manukau seat, delivered a political address at Onehunga. He explained in his opening passages that he was not standing on his own initiative, but because pressure had been brought to bear on him to take the field in the campaign. He ' had met the experiences which usually confronted a man going before the electors for his first political fight. ____>S OF MA__U__AU. Dealing with the needs of the Manukan, he expressed the opinion that the _ec_n__te had not been allotted its fair and due share of the £250,000 placed on the amended estimates. There should, he declared, 'be-better harbour provision. The question -of dredging the harbour was one of Dominion, not merdy local, importance. He thought that the control of the harbour should be transferred ;tp some, consti-. tuted responsible authority,'either local or joint, whichever vr_s considered best ' by those most concerned. The Government at present appropriated all railway fees, and were hanging on to the ' wharf for that reason. THE CANAL ROUTES. The speaker realised that the question of canals was a serious one in the electorate. He was not prepared to decide between the respective merits of the Whan and Otahuhu routes, but was emphatic that it was necessary that the Manukau harbour and the Waikato river, should be joined by a canal. It was a matter for experts to say what route the canal should take. MANGERE BRIDGE. The question of the Mangere Bridge was another local matter. Would such a state of things as existed in respect of this bridge be tolerated in a constituency represented by a man who had any influence with the Government? It was one of the arterial roads, and should be, if not entirely subsidised by the Government, well and healthily subsidised by it. The taxation for the bridge on the two local bodies should be abolished. THE LAND QUESTION v. The candidate opened his treatment of the land qeustion by saying that he considered that the land laws at present in force in New Zealand were the grandest in the world. The bogy "freehold v. leasehold" was being continuonslv raised, and it was inherent in British-born men to desire the freehold. But, where would the men without money be if there was freehold and nothing but the freehold? He held that the graduated land tax was a good law. benefiting those whom it should. The Opposi±ion,-o_ee its bitter opponents, were now coming round. NATIVE LANDS. This was a large question, and affected large tracts of fertile lands which only needed the muscle and sinew of man to develop them. It would be unwise to allow the Maoris to sell their lands indiscriminately. The Native Land Act was a big question, opening up much food for thought. The last move of the Native Land Commission was highly commendable, and he looked to it for good fruit. LABOUR MATTERS. Speaking of the Arbitration Act, he said it should be the object of all, without interfering unduly with legitimate trade, to secure to -the working man a fair return for his labour. (Hear, hear.) It was necessary at times foT the iron hand of the law to be put down firmly. Reviewing the labour laws of the Dominion, he termed them as very progressive. If, he argued, an industry could not be conducted without injustice to the employees, abolish the industry. (Applause.) The influx of labour into the Itominjon, now that the market was bad, should be stopped. EDUCATIONAL. Education, he said, was the groundwork of a young person's life, and from the primary school to the university the stepping stones should be free to rich and poor alike He was d_itine'tly against all religious instruction and bible-teaching in schools. (Applause.) While agreeing that scientific subjects should be taught as far as children could assimilate them, he was afraid that the present system was bordering on a system of cram. Not only that—the children could not assimilate some of the subjects, nor, even if they could, make use of the knowledge in after life. What was the use of cramming the children with all the "ologys" when their parents were not in a position to provide them with the opportunity to make use of it? A Voice.: Would you be in favour of Universal school books? The candidate replied that he would not be, because he thought it would be to the detriment of the children, for if Mary knew that Belinda's books were to be.banded down tp.her she would know the contents off by heart, and not get--the lessons thoroughly ground into her. But there was a solution of this question —free school books. (Applause.) __F_NCE, .... Passing on ix> the subject of defence, he said that his experience as a volunteer and as a „v___ had led him to the conviction that the Government should give greater assistance to _te volunteer __o_a__tt. We did not realise our posittion in view of the possibility of an invasion. He thought Government asastamce was the remedy. Tboagh nothing of an __B__3st, and .thinking that there was no immediate prospect of an "Eastern*' in___on, he thought that there should be laws on the Statute Book to make it, if no. an impossibility, a matter of extreme dif___ty for Asiatics to enter the country. It was unfair, unjust, and —-politic to permit them to enter in the numbers in which they were -flocking in. New Zealand should be - kept "white." ■'(App____. No matter how much we ____ted the principle of equal rights for all men, we could not at the present time in justice allow the Asiatics and Orientals to come in and enjoy lie rights and privileges dne to our other citizens. New __—___. he held, did not pay its fair share towards the Imperial-Aus-tralian navy. He would agree to the payment of a bigger subsidy. WORKERS' WAGES. In deaHng generally with matters concerning the pay of - workers. _c made a point of-the. wages of railway employees, who, he said, deserved consideration. He tHd not think the .ower.pay .grades on __B ___way received-, consideration. "Putt_sg it into principle, pay. our/lawyers less, and our ploughmen more." (App_H_s_. _NNUl'J___ __b_) PENSIONS. He. thought that a scheme of national t____iea. «a outlined by the late Mr. Spadae. ~r<____e _ good Hang. It-would - m -._

-educe the calls o_ charity, and provide for those -who disliked drawing the old age pension a means of obtaining assistance. The old age pension scheme would ■stand as a monument to the memory of its propounder long after his name was forgotten. He detailed the portions of the Act -which he objected to. ISLAND TRADE. Mr. Creamer deplored the f__in<r off of trade with the islands. The chief branch, the fruit trade, needed particular attention. He related how bananas had gone up in price, and said that if the stringent and harassing regulations were persevered ■with, bananas would soon be sixpence apiece. The high price of fruits pressed heavily on the working man with a family. HIS STAND. "I am a Government supporter. -I am a Liberal out and out, and will stand 'by the present at___is__t_o_ until it crosses my conscience and the principles of true I-beraiism." H being a Government supporter meant knuckling down and sinking one's principles, then he would say that he would be a Liberal, and a Liberal only. He would he bound to exercise his own judgment. He was a New Zealander—proud of it—and pairi-' otic. He asked them to, all other things being equal, throw that into the balance m his favour. He would be proud to represent the electorate ia the Paxliainent which -would have the making or the •breaking of this, God's Own Country. If elected he would undertake to remove to live in the district, to show the electors tnat he took a real interest in it.' QUESTIONS. The candidate was asked what he was prepared to do -with the Maori if he was in favour of a while New Zealand.—Mr. Creamer replied that he had not referred to the Maori, whom he looked upon as a brother. There was no more noble heart than that beating inside the "brown skin of our brother the native, for whom he had the greatest admiration. (Applause.) "What about No-license?"—He was in favour of No-license, but it was a matter for each elector to decide at the polling booth . (Hear, hear.) In a reply, he said emphatically that a strong Opposition was not necessary. Manukau had. a man of splendid "character in the House, but had he any influence with the Government. The opposi-. tion the candidate believed in was the free lance in; Parliament — The man who was with the Government,- hut would bring to bear that internal criticism which was so effective. To other -questions, he replied that he would not be in favour of entirely taking the duty off imported timber, being- in favour of a small protective tariff. He was strongly in favour of making the payment of port wages compulsory. (Ap■phwrse.) He wouH. vote for the abolition of the -to__cs_tor. He would restrict hoo-makers in the plying of their'calling to the racecourse. A KESOLUTTON.V Mr. J. J. Sutherland moved that the candidate should be thanked for his address, and that the meeting considered Rim a nt and proper person to represent the electorate in Parliament. The mover described the candidate as a man who was fearless, and as straight as they were made. ' Mr. I. J. Pople seconded the motion, which was carried without opposition on a show of hands.