THE MATAURa ELECTION.

Bruce Herald, Volume XI, Issue 1078, 14 January 1879, Page 3

THE MATAURa ELECTION.

THK NOMINATION. The nomination of candidates for fche honour of representing the Mitaura Distriot in the House of Representatives took place at W aihopai North cßoad, Invercargill, at noon on Monday. The attendar cc was very meagre, only a d^zen putting ia an appearance. The Returning Officer (Mr A* «J. Henderson) having read tbe writ calling for the election, and'giving the usual information, Mr H. J'aggers briefly proposed Mr J. S. Shanks, whom he considered a good man for the representation of the district. Mr Hugh Carsweil, in seconding the nomination, said he had known Mr Shanks for many years, and felt assured he would do justice to all and prove a good representative^ Mr S. IT. Morton proposed Mr Andrew Kinross, of whom he knew veiy little. Mr Thomas Richards seconded the nomination without comment. Mr Shanks returned thanks {for his nomination, and intimated that he would address the ekctors on another occasion at his meetings. Mr Kinross regretted more interest wa- not shown in tbe election. In the course of his address he said tbe content was between a conservative and a liberal. He st»ted Mr Shanks ***n.s nut forward by the land monopolists. He (Mr Kinross) claimed the support of the G'eyites, for which party he had always exerted hmseif. He was in tavour of the principle of the income tax, and would support such a measure when the proper time arrived. He bad no objection to the Scriptures being read in schools. He was against denominational education. Several other matters were briefly touched upon. A show of bands resulted as follows : — Mr Kinross, 5 ; Mr Shanks, 4. A poll was demanded on behalf of Mr Shanks. A vote of thanks to the Returning Officer concluded the proceedings

MR SHANKS AT MATAURA,

On Saturday evening Mr Shanks addressed a large uumber of electors in Humphries' Hull, Mataura Bridge. Mr K. Winuiug »ai voted to t v e chair, aud, on introducing Mr . v tanks, s»id that had the election been confined to elect' in of the Mataura Valley alone then, even had there been opp< sition, the cont< st woul 1 have been a virtual walk over for Mr Shanks, who had faithfully served the district in many pnsitioi s. He had, by request, decided to de\ r "t j , lis energies in a wide sphpre to further the int r- s^s of the distric*, and he should be suppjrted by the whole district. Mr Shanks prefaced his remarks by vegret'ng the n cessity for the present election, as he was of opinion Mr Wood lind done a great deal for the district. He would endesvour to follow in his footsteps, and would feel satisfied could he do as well. He referred to tbe deferred payment system of land purchase, which had proved a great boon to the couutry, hub there was one p Articular in which he should 1 ke to see the law altered. At jr-sent a deferred payment settler goes upon bis land with a sum if say £200 ; in a, short time the whole of his capital is sunk in improving his land, and through a bad season or sickness he may find himself Jin the position of being compelled to borrow, which - as he cannot give security over the lmd — means paying a high rate of interest, and possibly not b ing able to abv-ain the money at all tbere is a probability of his ruin; whereas this could be remedied were the sett ! er allowed to borrow after making certain improvements on the bind to the extent j of such improvements. In consequence of the wanr <,f power to do so several car-es of great j hardship had, to his knowledge, .occurred, and f"r th'i samerens >n others may probaMy happen. Th*- land tax met with his ap >royal. He considered that th' se wbo iiad the broadest shoulde>s shoi'ld bear the burden ; indeed, large land holders were "f tbat opinion. Ho b lieved in tlie acreage system. * reqnen ly the hard working; settler, wbo • ontrihnted largely to increase the value of unoccupied adj icent land by spending every shilling, by improving his neighbour's laud and paying taxes for road making, received no corresponding benelifc. With respect to manhood suffrage, he was a firm believer in it, under certaiu restrictions. It was necessary that residence should be insisted upon. A la-g-^ i'flux of foreign population such as '"hineseand j others, would completely swamp the bo ,- a fide j electorate. Respecting immigration, Southland j cmld absorb a larger number than was received An injn«t ; cfi had been dr.ji<* to the Bluff and the whole of Southland by sending emigrants round by ober ports, anel thus the best m»n were invariably taken f i* <m them. He would like to spe the present educational system given a fair trial. Mr Perkins asked if Mr Shank' did not think it would I c better to reduce the price of land and revert to the b<d'ot system. Mr S Tanks thought any °ne requiring land should pay the market vab-e. as well as for a' y j other article He doubted that any ben < fie j world be gained by reducing the price. He again suggested assistance being given aa be had previously indicated. Tn rep^y to another question he said he did not think that people gave more for the land than its value. Thos" who wished to purchase, intending to work the laid. knew how far to go. i A Government official would not be such a good judge of the land. In reply to other questions h*s said be did not think eithpr the County Councils or the Road B >ards w«ra gifte ' with too much power. He woul ■' rather see the < ouoty Council's powers curtailed than those of the Koad Bo irds With respect to tho Education Act, it vws clear the Board could n't supply a teacher for cv. ry child In Southland ono teacher wms allowed for eveiy child. By returning c untiy members to the Roavd they could ensure justice being done the country districts. Dr Macnffer moved that Mr Skuiks was a fit and proper person to represent ti.e dist ri :t in the House of Representatives. He added there was no one in the district so suitable as Mr Shanks to represent such an i important constituency. Mr Hugh Cnmeron, in seconr ing the motion, said he had known Mr Shanks for many years. He spoke in very flattering terms of his straightforward conduct. The motion was carried amid applause. Mr Shanks returned thanks f r the compliment, and hope I he would on a future occasion have the pleasure of add essing them as their member in the Ueuse of Representatives. If. however, he was not returned he hoped be weuld be able s-iucerelv to say a better man h-td been returned. A vote of thanks to the Onairman concluded the meeting. MR SHANKS AT APPLEBY. On Monday evening Mr Shanks met the electors at Appleby, about 20 bona tide electois being present, but a number of the Sohnti ler tribe were in attendance, causing the candidate and impartial electors much annoyance. However, t< o straightforward answers given yMr Shanks ealle.d forth unwilling applause from his opponents. Mr P. T. Finn occupied the chair, and im pressed upon the electors the importance of seeming good men as their rulers. iVlr >^ hanks' address was in substance the same as that delivered at Mataura B: idge. ' He was asked a number of questions, many of which were answered in his address. The cross fire was both hot and continuous, lasting about an hour and a half. He ably answered every ques: tion put to him.

MR KINROSS

Mr Kinross hog addressed a nnmb?v of meetings afc places adjacei.it to Invercargill, at the most of which he obtained votes of confidence. His views are somewhat akin to Mr Shai.ks, but approaching red republicanism. He is even more than a thick and thin supporter of Sir

■ eorge Grey, as lie goes fiuther than *the Premier on some points.

The contest for tbe Mataura seat in the House of Representatives has assumed a new phase. The nomination, to the surprise of not a few, only brought out two candidates, Mr Denniston having been withdrawn ; and his party have, it is said, thrown in their influence to secure the^ return of Mr J. 8. who — as is well known — stands as an avowed supporter of the Grey party. But Mr KinToss and his party have made capital of the withdrawal of Mr Denniston, and the support given by his party to Mr Shanks. They very disingenuously dub iheir opponent a land monopolist, whereas they know full well tbat Buch is not the case; and further, their every action implies another ibel on Mr Shanks. He is by them said to be an opponent of the labouring man. This is a question over which there is a great cry aod very little wool. It is only narrow-minded men who cannot discern *the ephemeral nature of such a cry. The fact is Mr Shanks is far more liberal than Mr Kinross himself and more so ihan he j or his party like, and who conjointly, to catch the iabble, go to extremes. Mr Kinross' avowed support of the rights and privileges of the working man is as empty as a dium, and as harmless as the braying of an ass. What wouid tho working man do in many eases without the capitalist ? To a great, extent starvation would be the result. The Biitish workman is too easily led by the clap trap of some etutnp orator such as the one now supporting Mr Kmroat», and who is going about like a roaring lion singing out, "Kinross and the working man." The working man's true friend i 3 one who himself works fo n him, and not he who does nothing but chatter like a magpie. Mr Kinross refers to his past actions in the Provincial Council. The public are of opinion that his conduct when in the Council will not bear scrutiny, at all events the result would not be favourable to him. His supporters say " we promised Mr Kinross that if he withdrew at the laat election we wouid support him at the next." Then we suppose, for tbe same reason, if S r George Grey bad been put iv nomination the latter might have gone to the wall ; the promise made to Mr Kinrofa muut be kept. Now we believe in promises being kept, but not for one moment in this case would it have been considered did it not suit. Mr Kinross ia nothing bhort of a political adventurer. Comparing the poai tions of the two candidates, we find Mr Shanks in a position where, by attending to his businesa alone, he would in a year or two attain a competency. Nofc that that would alter his views oue jut. With Mr Kinross the case is different. He belongs to that class of politicians of which there are not a few representatives in the present Assembly who look upou the honorarium •;•.» a read of great price, and view the trip to Wellington as a Cockney does :-, trip in a penny steamboat. Let the election be fought honestly, then no one can cavil. We will not go so far as au Invercargill contemporary, and say thai Mr Kinross' return wou'd he a public calamity, bnt, in the interests ot the Mataura we. unhesitatingly assert it would be most, unfortunate for the electorate. We would again urge the settlers of tbe Mataura to remember that on Wednesday next they ran either add something to the prosperity <>f the district or give ir another push aside for ihe present. Mr Shanks has obtained and is gaining the support of many outside the Valley he did not count upon, but he still requires that every elector in the Mataura proper record their vote in his favour. Let this be done, and bis return in a* be looked upon as almost a certainty.