THE GENERAL ELECTION.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10482, 21 October 1899, Page 10

THE GENERAL ELECTION.

MR T. H. CAVERHILL AT EAST OXFORD. On Thursday evening Mr T. H.-C~verh_U, ft candidate for tbe Ashley electorate, addressed a well-attended meeting of electors at East Oxford Town Hall. Mr G. A White presided. Mr Caverhill, who was well received, said both parties in politics hod asked bim to contest tiie sext, but mc had chosen to do so with • free hand, his platform being, he trusted, fair, honest and progressive, having in view the general good of ail persons. The question of the land laws of particular interest to electorates like tbe Ashley would claim first attention. In a general manner he approved of the policy which had been acted upon by the Ron. J. M'Kenzie, but it did not go far enough, and on some points he could not tee eye to eye with him. The demand which for years had existed for land was only partly ratisfied. No one would wish to remove tho spirit of the Land Act, and it seemed certain that for year, to come there would be a gradual cutting up of large estates. This was as it should t>., and he should use all his influence to that end, provided the land for small settlements was of good quality, and sufficient within the present limitations of the law for persons to thrive upon. (Applause.) The squatters had been a necessity; they had broken in tbe country, and proved good masters and liberal wage-payers, and it would not be an muni-—d blessing for many working men when the squatter was gone. They had also put capital into shipping and woollen companies in the inception times of those concerns, when they were non-paying, and to their enterprise was due. the freezing companies. It was a righteous policy for the Government to re-purchase and sub-divide these properties for closer settlement; nor did he think the owners were quite adverse to selling, seeing that fifty-five were offered last year, from which five were bought. Land ought not to be taken compulsorily, except in extreme cases, since the offers of estates would meet requirement for many yean. His mam objection to the Land Act was that the freehold was refused to Crown tenants who bad started as leaseholdft-.. It was the natural desire to own the land in fee simple, and to farm it as persons thought best, without the intervention of a Government inspector. (Applause.) It was atrocious that settlers now not in circumstances to buy the freehold should for the term of their lives and the lives of their children after them, be worse off than tbe rest of their fellow colonists. It was -ordering on lunacy to trunk that the desire for freehold would die out. To refuse the option of freehold was a direct encouragement to continue the evil of a class of landed aristocracy as separate from the more humble leaseholders, and in a democratic community it would appear intolerable. (Applause.) Few tenants might be in a position to buy tbe land, but they say if they had the prospect before them they would put more and better Work into their land. He favoured payments by instelmente with proportionate allowance for interest. It was absurd to think this course would lead to the gradual accumulation of large estates, for all that was needed was a law limiting the freehold holding as exists in respect of leasehold; and should Ij- mortgage or otherwise a larger area fall into one person's hands, he could be compelled within, say, cix months to sail the surplus, and the Lands Registry could be empowered to deal with transfers before registration. Mr Seddon said "the Goverrvment would stand firm and go out of office rather than do this thing." All he could say waa that before very long Im must either take back those words or go out of office, since the voice of the people would be raised (Applause). The Hon. 'J. MoKenaie —whom he (Mr Caverhill) belie—ed to be one of the best men in power lot many years, and the apostle of leaseholders—had hod an eye on a good freehold (_aag__—r), and he got it (non-molly for his mm). For some time be thought more fuss waa made about Buahey Pork than necesaary; bat now he was inclined to think that gentleman had fallen from his high standard. Mr Caverhiil Iswring referred to the Buahey Park tr.ns.r-ion, went on to speak of _hat_, and what he deacribed as "the tittle rne that did not come off." (A laugh.) number of the men about Oxford in a fanner election contest were promised that fibs Goran—ait would acquire and out up 1000 acrea of this notorious Glentui into 50 •ore lota. It did not do so, (Laughter.) Bat a certain gentleman made an offer for it (-Slighter) possibly for tbe men for whom he VBOMased a large hearted friendship (more laughter), or perhaps for ,a certain Mr Meredith, for wthom the representative of the district entertains a moat abounding affection and profound admiration. (Loud hnghter.) He dad offer straight out, but was prepared to spec—ate to the land tax valuation, plus 5 per cent, and this being refused, he, like Brer Fox, "lay low and said nuffln." When the affair became public property the tax value was shown to be simply £2 4s per acre, yet Glentui waa next sold at £6 10. per acre. Now what did he do? First, he asserted tbe tax value quoted was not correct, and the special 1000 acres that he wanted was taxed higher. Bowled out in this, he then said be had no idea what the tax value was, and made the offer. Now they could not expect him to give his opponent any first class reference—(laughter)—but having known that gentleman fourteen years he was prepared to assure them that he was not such a fool —-not that kind of a fool anyhow, when his own pocket was concerned. (Loud laughter.) They all knew that in many cases lands were over valued by a. much as Glentui was under valued, btzt H was not reasonable or finr to the —ember of a Land | Board and a M.H.R. to suppose he would not take the pains to ascertain the value. (Applause.) If be was the duffer his own story represented him to be they would perhaps agree that it was nearly time some one else represented them. (AnnLuue and laughter.) Moreover, that gentleman, to give him his full due, says "I consider it would be a nmtake to give Crown tenants the option of tbe freehold," and "I hope the Government will stand to its guns and not yield." (Ironical cheers.) It was no secret that friction existed between land boards and tenants and the Government should be reduced on each board to two members, and two should be elected by ballot of the tenants (hear hear) which would constitute tbe Board an Arbitration Court; and, disclaiming all intention of being personal, he -bought M.H.R.'s should not be eligible to these boards. He was satisfied with tbe Land and Income Tax. Like many others, he opposed borrowing, but recognised that further loans would be necesaary far railways and public work.. Expenditure should be watched to check waste, and he would also endeavour to have loans earmarked so that the amounts should be expended on the works to which they- were alioted. He cordially supported the Liberal proposal of the Opposition to reform the Legislative Council, and persons ir«t feel tome surprise tbe Premier had not moved in that direction. He favoured also a MinisSf elected on the votes of the House, c would support a uniform tariff on the S__wuys,and! quoted the Lyttelton andCnristurch line rates, and the tariff on the *in*-s north of Amberley, the Feilding-Masterton section, and the Oamaru-Dunedin line. A seduction of carriage on the Springfield lino was not granted to the Oxford line, and the system of carriage was capable of adjustment. He recognised the importance of completing the main trunk lines, and that complete sections should be tini.«hed rather than that a piecemeal policy should be undertaken. He heartily supported the prosecution of the Waipara-Cheviot line. Both parties in tiie House agreed that this should be port of the main trunk line. If this section was to be done, he contended it ought to be done at once, while the Crown taunts were struggling with their initial difficulties, and it would pay interest from tbe start The appropriation of £6000 towards this railway was a farce, and too small to be a guarantee of good faith Mr Rolleston and others, at the Cheviot meeting, of May 23rd, had forced tbe hands of the Minurtry and the Cheviot settlers ought to be astute enough to see that so small a grant was a trick- That meetm-hod been de-g----nated a Tory gathering. Whatever * was, i% truly represented the public wants; and _Ugh 7 tiTmemb-r of &{£>£**£}

A work of this kind was a legitimate employ-J ment for the unemployed. It wis time Canterbury bod a share of public expenditure, j The works expenditure for 1838 for Westlond j was £2 9s Id per head, while that for Canterbury was Is lOd per head. Mr. Caverhill next dealt with the roadv_-ablenes3 of the Government interfering in mercantile matters, since so much' dependence might be placed on their management of grain freights and meat carriage as to seriously disturb healthy rivalry. Hb most cordially approved of tae decision of the Parliament to send troops to the Tran-vaa-r-(loud applause)—andl te read a telegram from the seat of wor in that evening's "Truth" amid renewed applause. In the matter of Prohibition, he was like Mr Meredith, a teetotaller, and approved of the existing Act, by which the license question was dealt with by the elector-, and he favoured the three-fifths majority. He was convinced that a change of systems brought about by a substantial majority would prove safe and lasting, and that with the bare majority there would be no finality, bat tae question would be see-sawed and create constant irritation. (Applause.) In regard to Education, he desired to see the request of the Teachers' Conference given effect to, whereby the head teachers of the larger schools should be allowed to classify scholars and "pass" them. Regarding the Midland Railway thirds, he thought the district owed much to Mr J. O'Halloran, who had obtained an admission from the Government that the thirds on 139,000 acres, £80,000, were due to Ashley County. (Applause.) But the Premier pleaded he had no funds to pay. If that was so he (Mr Caverhill) considered the local boards interested should apply for long dated biJs or debentures bearing 3 per cent, interest, and as time went on the debt would be extinguished. (Applause.) He 'approved of Civil Service reform, and a board to conduct the appointments, so that there should be greater independence and efficiency, and a system of uniformity. Penny postage to England he approved of. He approved the reduction of .he interest on loons to local boards guaranteed by the Government to the charge of 3_ per cent. As to Federation, ha approved of giving free trade to any country giving that privilege to this colony, and would tax imports from those countries penalising our exports. The final discussion of the Federation question must rest with the electors, and he held his mind open for further information, but at present he considered as the nearest markets were naturally the best, it was to the interests of a producing colony to join the Federation and obtain free ports. Mr Caverhill pointed out that he opposed the sitting member on the freehold question, and he held that on the Glentui question, the present member had penalised himself, for a working man had said, if he had got that land he would have pocketed £4000, and said goodbye to Ashley electors. HJs action on the Cheviot railway question proved he was time serving. If the electors wanted a man, a mere echo of the Premier, they knew who to elect, but if a member to give earnest, honest and independent consideration to district matters, they had better send bim (Mr Caverhiii) to look after their interests. (Applause.) His opponent, they might recollect, went forward as a supporter of the Atkinson Adimnistration, and they might probably conclude that when Mr Seddon left office his motto might be, "the king is dead, long live the king." He read the Liberal and the Opposition programmes, and concluded by saying his motto would be,"Measures and not men." (Loud applause.) A question was asked, amid scone interruption, by Dr. Weld, as to a whole holiday for tbe people on one day in the week. (Mr J. Mounsey moved a hearty vote of thanks to Mr Caverhill, and this was seconded by Mr Henry.

Mr H. Ffitch moved to add words expressing confidence in Mr Caverhill's ability to ably represent the district.

Mr Caverhill said although the matter was wliolly in the control of the meeting, he would be pleased if in accordance with the spirit of tbe ballot the question of confidence was held over till polling day. (Applause.)

The vote of thanks was then carried, and a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to the Chairman.