CHRISTCHURCH EAST ELECTORATE.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12350, 14 November 1905, Page 5

CHRISTCHURCH EAST ELECTORATE.

MR W. W. COLLINS AT THE

CHORAL HALL

• Mr W. W. Collins, a candidate for the Christchurch East seat, addressed a large number of electors in the Choral Hall last evening. Mr R. Winter prosided.

The oandidate had a very good reception on rising to speak. Ho said he did not appear amongst them as a stranger, having lived for fifteen years in the East Christchurch division, while he had had the honour of representing tho electors in Parliament for six years. He hoped, as the chairman had said, that he had carried out his duties to- the best of his ability, ond with an appreciation of the dignity of the position in which he was then placed. He. also thought with the cliairman that the defeat he had suffered three years ago was unmerited and undeserved. He might be wrong, but he still thought he had not served in a manner that deserved a forfeit. (Applause.) It was right that he should tell his hearers just where he stood politically. If he went to Parliament after this election he would follow the lines on which •he had gone when in. the House previously. He would support just such' measures as met with his approval, and let measures bo introduced by whom they might, he would be tho judge as to their worth and w»u!d study them in the interest of Christchurch East and the colony as' a whole. He maintained that the work -he had done in Parliament up to three yeans ago was still bearing fruit in the city. His position to-day was just what it liad been in tho past. He was a Liberal—a Liberal of Liberals. (Applause.) When he used the expression "Liberal" he wished to convey what he did when he used the term twelve or thirteen years ago. It would be absurd to cay one's opinions never changed, but such changes as had taken plaoe m has opinions had not affected the views he had professed for years past. Ihey could still most heartily congratulate themselves on tho prosperity of the colony, and to a largo extent that prosperity wa* duo to the policy that had been pucsued by the political powers for the last fourteen or fifteen years. He did hot cay that it was wholly due to this cause, because it was also*attributable to the increased •productiveness of the colony which, again, was largely due to the policy of lands for settlement. Ever since he had been before them politically he had been a staunch supporter of the lands for settlement policy. He was there to advance that advocacy for a vigorous land for eettlement policy. Was the land for settlement pokey to continue P Everyone would say it must. Then was it to

continue-on exactly the Bame.lines as in] the past ? .There were those who argued that the settler on the land should be j allowed to acquire .the fee simple of hia | holding. He might be wrong, but he wished to strongly set forward his opinion. 'When they-borrowed large sunaa of money in this connection, it was not for, the purpose of making a large number of landlords; it was purpose of bringing the land under cultivation,.and ho thojight this purpose should be maintained. He, far one, was not prepared to part with a> single inch of land acquired under the lands for settlement policy; the land should remain for ever the property of the State. (Applause.) Tho time had come when they should demand that there should be 110 further sale of Crown Laaids. (Applause.) Tho 999 years' lease was a mistake. In 1895. his second year in Parliaments he had told the House what ho thought of it. It would lie a grand thing for the settler who held tho land in 500 years. Tho 999 years' lease was doomed now. His own opinion was that there could be no repudiation of. any contracts entered in.o. »A contract made was a contract binding. Was there any way out of the difficulty? He would suggest one. All leases entered into would have to stand, but thero was room for action for all that. His proposal was this: He took it that long l>eforo tho 999 years had passed many of these leases would have changed hands many times. Even now many of them had changed hands. Parliament had never intended that there should bo speculation here. Whilo the lessee might hold the riftht to occupy his land so long as he cared he suggested that any lessee desirous of selling his interest in his holding should be compelled to make his first offer to the State in order that tho State might become the purchaser. In this way ho thought that long before tho 999 years had passed they would have got rid of all these tenants. In future tho land should bo leased for very much shorter periods—say, 33 or 50 years—<and at the end of that time, if the tenant desired renewal, have the right on a new valuation. These proposals wero not very now or very novel, but he thought they would agree with, him that they wero fair, just, equitable and right to tho State and the tenant. (Applause.) In tho past, he went on to say, he had advocated settlement of the Maori lands, and in tho House nine years ago he had advocated that a policy of providing workmen's homes should be pursued. He mentioned these things to show that his political judgment waa right, and he heartily congratulated the Government on having made provision for housing Avorkers. It was time tlie Government bestowed a little more attention on tho workers in tho city than they had in the past, and endeavoured to do something to provide work for the workers. (Applause.) The speaker then dealt at somo length with tho Harvester Trust iand the passage of the Bill dealing with it. He was glad the Government liad risen to a senso of its duty in this matter. If the Act passed! was-not effective then, when Parliament next met, something more drastic -would have to be done. They would have to preserve their own industries as a mere matter of duty. In the interests of the workers of the colony he also said that the timo had arrived when they should consider a revision of the tariff. Many of tho imports to-day pressed unduly heavily. When he was their representative, in the House he had been an advocate of Old Age Pensions and changes recently made in the Act, increasing the pension to 10s per week, ho had advocated years ago. He heartily congratulated the Government on having made the change. It was in no sense of self-glorification that he mentioned these matters—he wished to show that his judgment was right; and there was somo satisfaction in having advocated these measures. Dealing with education he said for years past our system had stood as a free, secular, and compulsory system. It was a natural system, and he asked them: Did they desire to preserve its nationality? There were paid officials at work, and ho said: "Let us maintain that system." At the fiame time ho was not blind to the fact that more could bo done. Why should not our secondary system and our University system be free ? .They talked of the necessity of cultivating the soil, in order that it might give a good return. "Let us." he said, "cultivate the soil of intellect, and it will give a rich return." He bad advocated measures in the ras6 which were now bearing fruition, and he was certain that tho trend of our present educational system was in the direction he had outlined. (Applause.) Every 'child should have the right to go free right to the top, on his educational career, with honour to himself, and credit to his country. (Anplause.) In speaking of superannuation Jor wvil Servants, he asked, why a system of general superannuation for all workers should not be established. If he were returned to Parliament, he would' advocate this. There were other questions he wished to speak upon, but he would do so at future meetings, as he intended to speak in every part of the electorate. It they returned him as their representative would return him as a Liberal and a supporter of the Liberal party, but not pledged, with his consent, to Bupporfc every measure brought down hy his party. He .would not go to Parliament with his hands tied; he would go "with lofty principle and high aim." He outlined a list of measures he had opposed -whilo in Parliament, and declared that the best thing for a man to dq was to stand by his own conscience. If he could not get into Parliament on theso terms he would stay out. He was not about to make any plea or any promisee; he was there in a plain' and unvarnished fashion to put his views and Ins intentions before them. If successful in hes candidature ho would use his every endeavour, conepstent with honoirr, integrity, and honesty, in the test and highest interests of his constdtueincy particularly, and the country generally. More than this 110 honest main oould offer. (Applause.) In answer to questions tho candidate said ho had always favoured tho referendum with the initiative. He favoured justice being*done to those railway servants (in the superannuation proposals) who were mnvolv«l in the labour troubles of 1890. He had opposed the increase •in members salaries on principle. . As to whether he had "pocketed the money," be said, "It was paid to mc, but. it got no further; I dtid not keep it." Everyone in the electorate knew his opinions on No-license, and these opinions had not changed. He had always been in favour of a graduated land tax. The abolition of the totalisator was a question that might fairiy he left On the motion of Mr H. 0. Hornibrook, seoonded by Mr L. Cohen, a vote of thanks and confidence m the cjvndidate <vas carried amidst applause and cheering.