REV. J. O'BRYEN HOARE AT TUAM STREET HALL.

Press, Volume L, Issue 8622, 25 October 1893, Page 3

REV. J. O'BRYEN HOARE AT TUAM STREET HALL.

The Rev J- O'Bryen Hoare, a candidate w one of -he Christchurch seats, addressed meetinc of electors at the Tuam street W_l last night. There was a very large fttendance of both sexes, who accorded the Su-date an attentive hearing. Mr Lnsom, Rinnan of the Progressive Liberal Asso;_tion presided, and on the platform were Serai'members of the Association. The R-r. Mr Hoake, on rising, was well -ceived, aud by way of answer to the ___Z~ people who were pained, distressed, honied and disgusted at a minister roedjj__V_nthe unsacred realm of politics, he o_- c ay that a man's policies were not Zlrtb anyt'iini. unless they were founded Z_ am! hi_ religion was not worth ffi.ch unless it bore something of the super-'r-ctare of politic.. (Loud applause.) In his published address he said he was a * porter of the present Government, and _£ should continue to do so as long as they altered to those great DEMOCRATIC

-rinciple- they were placed in power to liny out. Democracy lie would say was M_er-tood to be government by the people •ndfor the people—(Applause)—and therefore he felt somewhat uneasy when he Lard a Government talked of too much, ge preferred the term Ministry, because the were really the Government, forerned by their representatives, and we Jaald not call ourselves Democrats unless we I,—c that great principle in mind. Party GoTernru ent was necessary, but only as rejsrded methods, and when public questions fißj3.before the Hou.e as party questions tie people suffered. The principles of de-gjpc-jiey were liberty and justice, and it -is to" the creJit of New Zealand that had taken such a leading place ja deuiocrat ie gove r nmen t. (Loud applause.) w> bad —iult suffrage now, and by its __xise the whole nation would be strengthens. (Cheers.)

the land question. Tbst the land belonged to the people was »truism, tie difficulty was in the distribution. Every man had an interest m the __&. Man" was a land animal, and aa a ample matter of course private ownership ns the foundation of his sorrows. Henry George was a much misquoted and misjutiged man. He did not press hi" single tax. It should only be proposed by justice, and such a state of things could not be looked for at present. He (the speaker) __ not like the single tax, but there was one that would serve us at the present, _t<_ that was the graduated tax—(applause) —for the imposing of which the Democrats owed a debt of gratitude to the Government. Jlte,Government had in view no doubt the restoration of a right, for in Canterbury st the present time land could not be obtained _y young meu desirous of settlement. It was aola" bursting up" tax, but a "buying _p"one, undei which the Cheviot estate tras purchased. He did not like the proposal under the Cheviot Disposition Bill to sell any of the land—(applause)—and he hoped the people of the colony would be loyal enough not to' buy it. The sale of any Sirtion of it could surely I c done without. c sugg sted that the Bill should be altered in tide to read the Government Stultification Bill, f°r if the settlement succeeded the Government would have to eventually repurchase to make a further distribution. (Bear, hear.? He felt very pleased when the Midland Railway terms were altered, for as a democrat he was very uncomfortable when there was a chance of so many thousands of acres of land likely to pass into the hands of private individuals. He fcowerer sincerely hoped that the Midland Railway would be completed under tbe new terms. (Hear, hear.) But there was one point upon which Liberals should be agreed, and it was that not a single rood of Government land should be tola from this day forth, and only men should be sent to Parliament who were pledged not to sell, for when we allowed the land to become the property of the individual a passion for greed was created, a wrong was being done to the colony and, ia the words of Sir Geo. Giey, " to the unborn children who would come after us." 33_e matter of fixity of tenure was met by the t perpetual lease system, as acknowledged by Mr Rolleston, with re-valuation on improvements.

CAPITAL AND LABOUR. He was one who believed that if the land had not been sold there would have been no conflict between labour and capital Of all the discoveries that had been made, the moat infernal was that man had a surplus value ; that he could produce more —art he consumed, which meant the introduction of slavery arid serfdom. Gradually, however, this state ot things had been altered, and we had got down from fourteen hours to eight hours a day, with the prospect of four or five. (Loud apSnse.) The great difficulty would be in ling work for the unemployed. He **_bed to speak strongly against capital, which, meant the surplus value of man multiplied by the use of tools. Every man had a stake in the country—the man with _ iamily having one unequally by that of J»a_. (Hear, hear.) Instead of New Zealand being the paradise of the working man, labour had become uncertain and inconstant, ia-reasing man's anxiety, and taking awray ka moral fibre. This unemployed was a burning question, yet he could not understand why the Government with the money that they could spend could not find enough work for the people. He held that it was the duty of the Government to fad work for honest workers. (Applause.) With a little care it would not be impossible to help men without making paupers of them and without the want of employment wing pressed too hard on the Government. He advocated a closer connection between the central Government and the existing weal bodies as a means towards remedying the unemployed difficulty. (Applause.) He hoped the new Parliament would see that honest labour got employment, even at we risk of ro surplus ab the end of the year. (Loud applause.)

the railways. Ow railways should be worked so as to »*»Maeu_ef._l to all classes, especially the "**wnng class, in order to avoid congestion wlabour in the towns. He ventured to wink that we need not get rid of the Rail"*»y Commissioners, but he held that the Board should contain someone who was reto Parliament (Applause). Unless *c had some one on the Board who was from the House the Board would nob be in touch *—a the people. (Loud applause).

EDUCATION. .Education was to his mind the keystone of wffiocraey. The system was not a perfect jjwem, but there was no blame for that. Ha objection to it was was there was too ante*.routine and cram, but we could improve ** we moved. He desired to see secondary ?*"*&**** extended and technical training "*a_fod__e_, without children having to do having to go to Lincoln College to learn Z]_° ID S*. oufc ° nr free system Properly it must be compulsory and unde(Continued applause). He °M| not think that Christianity or any «tn.r religion taught in our school's under a JTStem of bickering and squabbling would «?e *»y effect. He would, however, have secular, and morality should ff*°~e part of the school curriculum. ldppla,__e).

* THE LIQCOR TRADE. There was only one time when the Government should interfere with the habits or S_TS. ° r übertie s of the people, ao-V that _«Lk ,Cn l^e hiterference was for the people. The progress of the I* 0 !"* must be worked for and voted for at • J f*®*- We had a splendid Licensing *ct, iani t y perhaps in places, but like the jj«» at Home it had failed. What was r~ aus s» siuce we were no. a drunken g°P'e * The trade was the cause. (Applause.) -"-re was a lucrative trade in drink ; the *«PPiy increased the .lemand. and drunkendid not die out. But the people ought control, siuce they possessed educasuffrage, and intelligence to vote S_2?«K~\ matttrs. (Very loud applause.) Bill was a compromise between trade and the prohibitionists, and was a "*** issne. He (the speaker) would not -rn 8 !^ 1 ™ 1 t0 the latter more th&Q he would to the former, bat to the people, for -nose welfare first consideration had to be S"«- The Bill of Mr Seddon's was further uutu-ct class measure, and was passed by f f .? ÜBta kea few people. (Applause.) ___rt_l peop,e a three-filth majority have it,_but make it apply to all * a3X3 ol elections. Another indictment

against the Bill was that it was inconsistent, as the bulk of the houses could be reduced by a bare majority. Looking at the subject on its merits he thought the time had arrived when the vote of the people must be taken upon it. (Applause.) PKOTECTIOS AND FREEX-ADE. He was not a protectionist, and England did a noble thing when she opened her porta the world. Protection had a good deal of glamour and pretence about it, and were it established here it would mean an inflated production, imports wonld not diminish, a poorer class of. article would come in and the consumer would have to pay heavier duties. It would not, however, be wise to dash into freetrade at once, but tbe first step should be intercolonial reciprocity—(Applause)— not Australasian federation. There was enough indirect taxation, though every reasonable effort should be made to encourage local industries, while the taxes on the necessaries of life should be removed. (Very loud applause). MISCELLANEOUS. He did not disapprove of the Land for Settlement Bill, though tie was not altogether in love with the compulsory clauses. He approved of the principle of a compulsory half-holiday, but would leave the date to local convenience. We were told that the Legislative Council was a necessary brake on the headlong impetuosity of the Lower House. It was not automatic or autocratic, but unless it were kept under control it became au obstruction. Whatever is done in the way of reform he felt that if the Upper House was by the people made elective the deadlocks would be greater than at present. He would very much like to see the experiment tried of doing without it. (Hear, hear). He did not believe in Australian but Imperial Federation, in the direction of which would be the Home Rule Biil if it were passed. He pointed out that we wanted reform by a sin.piification of our laws, by a simplification of our Government; local bodies should be brought closer and into more constant touch with the central body ; better enquiry into public matters should be provided for, and there should be reform in the conduct of the House. There was much talk about party leaders. He would like to say that it was a mistake to suppose that party leaders led a party. A man who was honest could do a little if he went straight, but the leader of a party was bound hand and foot, and half his legislation was slurred over by compromise. In conclusion, he desired to say that if they did him the honour to return him as one of their representatives, he should do his best for the welfare of the people. (Loud applause). Democracy had only two watch words Liberty and Justice, and to bring them into harmony had been the object of his life. It would remain his object whether he became a representative or not. (Loud applause.)

In answer to questions, he said the day on which a hall-holiday should be held should be left to the selection of the local bodies. Prohibitionists or publicans, if in a majority, should act justly. In principle, he was in favour of a State Bank as opposed to private Banks, but under our present condition of indebtedness we were hardly prepared to commence. He approved a graduated income tax. He was not in favour of a poll tax on Chinese. Every effort should be made by the Government of the country to secure provision for the aged when their work was done, perhaps not altogether in the shape of pensions. When it could be shown that any shops were injurious to the people the people should have power to close them. He was a member of the Farmers' Co-opera-tive Company—(hisses)—but as it was fast becoming what it was not originally he would be glad to sell out. (Applause.) Societies supported by Government grants should be under Government supervision. He would support a reduction of the honorarium, but if it were made too small the labour members' days would be numbered. He did not approve of the Salvation Army or any religious body preaching in the streets. He would approve of a revision of the Companies Act to prevent bogus Companies. (Applause.) On the motion of Mr Widdowson, seconded by Mr Moseley, a vote of thanks was unanimously accorded to the candidate for his address.

The usual compliment to the Chairman closed bhe meeting.