THE ASHLEY ELECTION.

Press, Volume XLV, Issue 7125, 23 July 1888, Page 6

THE ASHLEY ELECTION.

MEETING AT SOUTHBROOK. Oα Saturday evening Messrs Dixon and Saunders, candidates for the Ashley seat, met the electors at South brook schoolroom. About 130 were present. Mr G. Wallace, Chairman of the Mandeville Road Board, piesided. Mr Marmadukb Dixon, who was cordially received, said no one regretted more than he did the decease cf their late representative, who had grown so much in the esteem of everyone. In response to numerous requests, he had consented to offer as a candidate in the present election, believing; that it was only to be contested by Mr Verrall and himself, although the names of Messrs Parish and Parlane had been mentioned. Since he came forward several of his friends he found had telegraphed asking Mr Saunders to consent to nomination. He (Mr Dixon) was, however, first in the field, and as the meeting proceeded he believed that the views of Mr Saunders and himself were nearly identical on all cardinal points. Mr Saunders had asked his permission to address the electors at his meetings, and it was with a great amount of pleasure he consented, seeing the electors had two attractions instead of one. (Hear, hear.) Whether elected or rejected, he (Mr Dixon) hoped none of them would be any worse friends, as his object during the thirty-four years he had been a resident of the district so far ac public affairs went was to do his duty fairly to all. In time past the township in which they were assembled was part of the Mandeville Provincial Council district, which he had the honor for many years to represent, and during which time he assisted in the introduction of the present Education system, as also in the plan of managing their local affairs by road boards, and here he was again for a time Chairman of one of the first boards of the district. For these reasons he could claim an acquaintance with their history and requirements. Going on to speak of colonial affairs, the time had come when it was absolutely desirable that they shou d be conducted and carried out with a greater regard for economy. As the Government had grown, and thecentreshad increased, it had reached an overwhelming systemof expenditure, too large and wasteful when compared with the proportions of the country and the number of persons to be governed. (Applause.) No doubt the country had a good form of Government of a paternal character, having a kind heart towards the poorest, and a wish to advance the interests of the settler., either by giving them an opportunity to take up lands by deferred payment or perpetual leases. Now he did not agree with the nationalisation of the land. People were constantly using their voting powers, and would do so in directions which must lead them to borrow. Individuals might benefit, but the State would suffer, and hence he proposed that they should adhere to the plan of the freehold system, which prevailed generally wherever the Anglo-Saxon races predominated. (Applause.) Relative to the interest being paid on the public debt, they failed to realise that year by year the payment in interest and compound interest on the thirty millions borrowed was becoming a very heavy handicap upon the colony in its competition for advancement with other colonies. The period had come when the greatest possible attention had to be given to a judicious arrangement of their affairs to keep the balance and prevent disaster. In the carrying out of economies, he believed they were capable of accomplishment without being of a cheeseparing nature, and once their financial affairs were adjusted it would not be long before trade assumed a desired buoyancy and the farmers looked on their position as being of a more hopeful character. (Applause.) He deprecated the idea of pensions and other expenditure by the State, which caused an expenditure for which there was no adequate return. Of the pensions in the past, engagements had been made which the people were responsible for, but he thought if Civil servants were well paid in their office they should not look to the State for more than an ordinary servant expected from his master. (Applause.) It was his opiuion that a vast deal too many clerks and officers were kept by the Government in Wellington, and the time had come when several of the offices should be marked "To Let." (Hear, hear.) It was with the most complete pleasure he reviewed the the_ success of their education system, and believed no other colony had better advantages for their children. So far as the matter of economy should extend in this department, he considered that in the sparsely populated country districts the school age should not be raised, and that the teaching staff should be maintained at the best state of efficiency. In the towns the case was slightly different in respect of the age question, for there those who sough; the advantages of the High Schools should be prepared to pay for them. (Applause.) As to the University reserves, he was one instrumental in having them created, but here, as in the Government of the colony, jealousies bad brought about excessive expenditure. Because Canterbury had a University, Otago. Nelson, and Auckland must have theirs, and hence there was waste. He held the lauds reserved for Universities should be managed by the Government. Another large question was looming up which must inevitably come before the electors, and possibly at the next time he should address them, if elected on this occasion. He referred to charitable aid. In all time they always bad the poor with them, and their human nature and Christian feeling taught them to extend their charity and afford relief to the poor. It was the duty of the State to consider the position of .the poor, but he felt like many others, that here again there was a large amount of extravagance. Undeserving cases were recognised; the husband -was by the system in operation encouraged to leave his wife and family, and the parents were aided in the desire to relieve themselves of the care of their children, and place them on the car<j of the State. All this was too fully borne out every day, hence it was desirable to devise some plan by which needful relief should be afforded to deserving cases without going into the matter of manufacturirf? poor. Thex-e was also the aspect of the question of cost. The poor sought refuge in the towns. The towns people took no interest in sending them out to earn their livelihood in any way and the country people were called on to pay a larger proportion of the cost than they ought to oe expected to contribute. (Applause.) However much they might resist it, poor laws and poor rates had to be met and he trusted that as industries grew up there would be no need for men to claim for charitable aid to the extent they were doing at present. (Applause.) On the matter of freetrade and protection, he held while It might be the duty of the Government to foster useful industries which would eventually hold their own in the competition which trade created, yet everything in the way of pressure ou the people to cause them to pay more for their goods and restrain the great principles of trade and commerce was decidedly objectionable. A few might benefit for a time from high protective tariffs, but the result coula only prove disastrous to the public by the increase in prices and the retardation of trade. In the case of a farmer all his expenditure was controlled by the price of his wheat, and taking it at 2s 6d a bushel the larger the amount of tax he had to pay on his property in rates and through the customs tariff, the lesser amount he had to devote to the employment of labor, not to say a word about profit, tor the farmers now-a-daye had hardly any idea of profits. (Ap plause.) It would be his endeavor then to assist in the establishment of industries' so far as they did not increase the fetters on trade and indirectly burden the farmer with taxation. In the last baU century there had been a wonderful growth of industries all over the world, their young men were growing up around them under all the advantages of a aqund and liberal education, and with the improvements of the past as examples for study, and in the nature of things the people of the colony would devise means for developing' the industries without being pampered and petted to do so. (Applause/) He saw with much concern that was being demoralised in various ways, and that the Government had been encouraging this, b lieving it was doing a charitable act. He objected to the importation of Chinese, however skilled ana olever they were. (Applause,) HU face w&» set against farther borrowing. The country must set its house \x\ order first, and return to a settlement of good yeomen on the land, which it could only, do by restoring confidence, reducing the taxes, and inducing farmers with capital to come among them. Mr Verrall was setting up a State Bank as a. panacea for all their troubles, but he could only say that scheme was a flimsy structure, and could not undertake the management of the statutory currency of the country. A puff of wind would demolish it, and. scatter its notes to, the winds. (Applause,) If in the wisdom of the district he was etected he should do his utmost to keep the Government up to U>e collar m wijring out financial reform, and eufgrctys A strict regard tQ economy. He \TOuWTbe glad fq answer any questions* (Load, applause.) I

Mr Alfred Sattnders, received with applause, claimed the indulgence of those present as he was suffering from a throat affection, rendering it tedious for him to speak. Like Mr Dixon, he shared iv their feelings of regret on the decease of their late member. As to the matter of his speech this evening, he should like—old men sometimes did—wish to take his audience back to the past, and review some of their history from which to point a moral as to their future. He then reviewed the history of the colony since 1853, when it received its Coustitution. He deprecated the feeling which had been cultivated in the colony for excessive borrowing, which had grown like a bi« snowball the longer it had been rolled, till it threatened by its weight to crush those who had assisted in rolling it, as well as the innocent and industrious colonists. (Applause.) ■ In the last general election the people had decided—positively decided — that borrowing should cease and taxation be cut down, and their representatives who went this year to Parliament were distinctly pledged to carry out these matters, but they no sooner got into their benches than they still approved of more borrowing. They were disposed to make some economies by cutting down postmasters, school teachers, and stationmasters, but there they drew the line. It appeared that they were afraid to cut down the Civil servants in AVellington, who had written their speeches for them, and proved . obligiug with other acts of kindness. Sir j H. Atkinson had reduced the expenditure by £100,000, but he appeared unable now to see his way to make further reductions. A few thousands was all he could at pre- , seat undertake. Considering it was ! costing £15.000 a day to govern the colony, the population of which was only equal to a large city in England, it was time for an outcry. The Civil servants in Wellington received at least a million a year among them. They originally had ample salaries when labor was scarcer, provisions dearer, and gold cheaper, yet, under the reverse of these circumstances, all salaries had been increased and were kept at highest rates. He did not hold that these salaries were of such a character that they could not be reduced without even causing any hardship. (.Applause.] Eight years ago he was one of a Civil Service Commission, and chairman of the same, which during eight months went into' every department and nearly every office of the Service, and which reported that, with very slight reductions, at least half a million of money might be saved at that time. [Applause*.] When he hauded the report of the Commission to Sir John Hall, he said " I do not dispute your figures, but you have little idea of the trouble you have couferred upon mc." It was not only shown then but since what an amount of opposition could be raised to this necessary proceeding. Sir J. Hall was not on'y not supported by his own colleagues, but he was not supported by the country. Hβ had reached a reduction of £130,000 when he had to stop when his health gave way, and he had to leave for England, and Sir John Hall's place was taken by Sir H. Atkinson, who lost no time in restoring the reductions previously made to the extent of £100,000 in addition. The right thing for the Government then to do was to explain that the finances could not be managed without further taxation ; to say that gold had increased in value, so that a pound would now purchase thirty shillings worth and that there could be no hardship in reducing the Civil servants' salaries to two-thirds of what they formerly were. This would have effected a saving of £333,000, and enabled us to go on without further borrowing, to carry out all the necessary offices of the country without year after year heaping up taxation to drive their people to less profitable but really more prosperous countries. (Appluuse.) Could they get the Minister in office to do this? Those who had enjoyed the luxuries of borrowed money during successive years were hardly the people to be trusted to bring about financial reform. A Civil Service Commission prior to that already mentioned had the question before them, and after sitting a year these men, who were Civil servants, decided the system was as good as ; any outside, and recommended that its efficiency could be improved with pensions to officers reaching sixty years of age. (Laughter,) It appeared to him—and lie thought those present would agree—that it was not those who were paid out those who had to pay who were the proper person's to decide the question of salaries. (Applause.) He considered they would not look to men living in 'wealth and ease at the public expense, but to to decide what he coald afford to pay. (Applause.) It had been said it was unfair Government should pick out persons at a distance from the seat of Government for the practice of economies, as it was possibly no fault of theirs that they were not in Wellington—(laughter)—or that they were more actively encaged in their duties than some of the officials in that city-. (Renewed laughter.) The reductions, he contended, should be made equally, and in such a way as to raise neither bitter or jealous feelings. He did.not go to the Government bails, which were often used for improper Durposes in influencing the minds of members perhaps (laughter): but he had taken a peep in at them (laughter), and in 1861 he noticed the ladies were content to appear in nice well-made gingham gowns (laughter), and the dance went as merrily to all appearance then as it did more recently, when the women folks could not; get along with their silks, satins, and furbelows (laughter). He ventured to think hone of them were any happier. MM that they had to do in the reduction of salaries was to be guided by allowing to each a fair amount of calico, silk, or satin, and Mrs Brown would be as content as Mrs Smith and their respective husbands would accept the reduction and }?lve their service-* as cheerfully as ever to their duties. (Applause.) The North always had erroneous Ideas, that the wealth of the Canterbury farmers was very great, and these were shared in by the Premier, who, when the exemption of agricultural machinery from the property tax was proposed, conte7ided the Canterbury farmers were the wealthiest In the colony. So far as his (Mr Saunders') experience -went, they -were much poorer, and hid to submit to many untoward vicissitudes in their efforts to livo contentedly. (Applause.) This fact caused the farmers at the last election to send up to the House men who, by their experience, saw retrenchment 'was necessary, but he feared that some of these members had been allured by the blandishments of the civil servants. , His position was such, however, that if the electors approved of him, he was prepared to do his duty without flinching, and to show he could do so referred to the fact of having previouF\y effected a reduction of £200 in the of the Houses, and £300 of officers D f the Assembly, having really succeeded \ n i & ing more off.the estimates Wl( .j ] the House than any other private member These were broad facts would soon be contradicted if it possible to do so. Sir H. Atkinson had,, acted nobly in the reduction of the Ministers'expenses, and in cutting the expenses of the House, butthw was nofc enough. In 1861 the RepresyMtfatlves had £1 per day, or at the end. of the session about £60. This was increased to £200, and lately reduced *° T?i& a ?*J mi S ht be kirly brought down to £100. fApplause.] The sum of £100 was enough for a poor man to bear his expenses in Parliament, and if a rich mar, wanted to go there and to live in riot ar, a wantonness, he ought not to expect the country to pay, but should pay for his amusement or entertainment out or his own pocket-. (Applause ) He was opposed to any reduction iatheEdu. eafciou {expenditure, which wouW prevent the establishment of necesaaiy schools ana the maintenance of a tbotoueh-eoinz olaaso* teachers. The Education vote was met out of the Customs levenue, and he had no doubt parents would resist the cutting away of any ot the advantages which were oained by the Education system ana the imposition of fees. (A»----plause-i As Mr Dixon pointed out, however, those who keep their children at school, and higher schools, ought to be expected to pay.iand indeed no one, he hoped would expect the State to pay for education after a certain period of life. (Applauae.) He did approve of raising the spboxH- age, but not the proposal of the Minister of Education that the country should save on the amount cow exponden. It was necessary to follow up the children into the country, and as the time during which country children were sent to school was short, every facility must be given them during the time the children could attend. It WBS also proposed to forbid the attendance of children after reaching the fourth standard. Now, he thought it wa.s to the credit of all con-! cerned that the children should be advanced in the standards as far as possible. If, on the other hand, it was decided a child must leave on reaching the fourth standard, he thought parents would themselves so arrange matters that at the inspection the cnildren would be absent, and thus never pass that standard. (Laughter and applause.) A check on education such as this would be a brand of inferiority qd the public of the oolony, which, would not soon be effaced. (Applause.) He regretted to

a*t the Minister ot Education to cnpple education by intend ing to an»s ' as little money on it as possible A«t the character of education it was •■* gested to have Bible reading and renoEX instruction given in schools, and he fnS how many votes ho should lose and tfc support of how many men he should ftS? • • feit by saying It, but he would tell plainly he would not be a party to vo«* single penny of public money for *£* minational or sectarian education (a plause.) During his residence o£ forty ££ years in this country ho was glad to «tl* the fiaternity of feeling which had mrSf , up among religious communities and h! disappearance of muny old sunemifu. but he still held thatHftJfe idea was correct, "God eav* ♦£* Christian religion to mankind and tk Father of Lie* invented theSSoef* Coming to the question of protection TZwa freetrade, the country, as admitted »« not in a position to be without CustAnT duties. Again, it had to be borne inS that, too heavily taxing the laborerwaani conducive to the growth of certain ln«W trii'B, and it was not part of the of the Government to handicap theiES?' lation in such a manner as to renderuß profitable the employment of eithercanlSi or labor. Farmers who were strußßUno u meet low prices might well complain S some of the items of the Customs tarsi? Tliose selling pigs for curing, tortZ' stance, as a duty of 33 per cent, w≥ placed ou salt. The fact wae, thX in many matters of this kiud tk. country found itself but feebly represent*? as compared with the representation!* the towns. Men in town were he thouri* naturally selfish, and it would be to thl advantage of both town and country If » larger proportion of couutry member were at each election returned to PariS meat. (Applause.) It was more unfortn nate to lose one man like the late tnemt*» of that district than to lose twenty tow* members. He canned to be able toreopS sent this district iv the directions he hut indicated, in witness of which he had. an army of 10,000 Civil servants opposed to him—(laughter)—aud about Uuu) W ell meaning and well-organised denoml national opponents—(luughter),—but h* challenged them to return anyone who would more faithfully or more studious!* serve their interests. His resideuceii fifteen miles from the chief polling x>\tai ought to be no hindrance, us the sympathies of the Lincoln district, in whichbelived! were identical with those of Ashley ana he believed they would neither find him wanting in the will or the ability to serve them as their representative. (Loud anplause). r . A number of questions were put to each candidate* and replied to. Mr R. Evans moved a vote of thanke"to Messrs Dixon and Saunders, both of whom were fit and proper persons to represent their district. (Laughter and applause*. Mr Pashuy seconded. .

Mr Ci. Watson considered that the motion did not meet with all their vlewi' He moved an amendment—" That a vote of thanks be ptven to Mr Saundere, and that this meeting has confidence In hint and pledges "—(uisaent, during which MS Watson resumed his tseat]. Mr Saunders, though obliged to Mi friend for his Idnd intentions, could Dot accept any motion of that sort, as th» meeting was called by Mr Dixon, and ft was through his courtesy he was present, The motion was then put and carried. A vote of thanks to the chairman concluded the meeting at 11.5 p.m.

On Friday evening Mr J. Miles Verrall met the electors at Loburn. The meeting voted Mr Joseph Barker to the chair After reviewing the principal political questions of the day a hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr Vemill for hit address. It will be seen thatMrVerraU announce a meeting at the special desire of several of the electors at View Hill on Tuesday