THE RICCARTON SEAT.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 14222, 9 December 1911, Page 10

THE RICCARTON SEAT.

MR ENSOR AT CHURCH CORNER. 2tN ENTHUSIASTIC RECEPTION. •Mr C. "H. Ensor, who is one of the candidates in tho second ballot contest, addressed a large gathering of Riccarton electors at the Church Corner last night, and was accorded a most on-

thnsiastic reception. Mr Ensor referred first of all to the new -political situation created by the returns which were final, and which Beriou-Iy altered the balance of parties. Tho Ward Ministry, ho said, had ceased to exist. .

A Voice: Question! Mr Ensor: It was a question, and the question was answered this week, and tho answer is that 25 of the Opposition hay© beeii returned and 19 of tho Government. There is a second ballot in thirty electorates, but when tho men get to Parliament after contesting tho second ballot, there will soon be no second ballot. Some other method will havo to be tried. (Hear, hear.) Continuing, Mr Ensor said he came out as a direct opponent of the Ward, Administration, and on thosd lines lie was going to,continue. The Ward Administration had lost the confidence of the country: that was shown by the .;'■ election returns to hand. The country ; required something new, something ' fresh; something piogressive. Twenty years ago the old Conservative Party ■. out. and after that followed the Liberal Government, which did splendid work until its latter days, w ben the Ward Administration took office. Abuses and misuso of power had crept in, and the opinion of the country was that the .Ward Administration must fo (Hear, hear.), and must be'replaced y a new Administration. The Ward Government attempted to keep itself in power by its borrowing, but that policy was not in the best interests of the country. A large propcrtion of the population were now dependent on the State for a living in ono way or another, and practically one-sevonth pf the people were Working for the politicians. Tho politicians were their bosses, and they had to go hat. in band to them when they required anything. Once in three years, just before aa election, the politician camo.hat in hand to the State.worker soliciting his vote. The system was a frad.one altogether. The men in the Addington workshops had their wages increased just before the-election, but if the .increase was due, then it should havo been given a year, or any other fame, ago, and not just before an election, for, the purpose of influencing votes.,; The-wo'rkers in the Public Service.should be absolutely free from the influence cf the politician, and shquid be given the;sah.o political privileg-W as the other workers of the country. • Referring again to the present political position, Mr Ensor said it might happen that the balance of power between the'two parties,would be in the hands of the Maori members; but, that would bo an intolerable position to be in, Tho second ballots should be conducted in such, a : manner as to leave tho Opposition with a majority, after allowing for the Maori members. ■Mr Ensor then spoke on- the land question oU the lines of his previous addresses, contending that a penal tax should be placed on iand that was idle or unproductive or held for speculation. Tho cropping areas of the country were decreasing every year, and that indicated that there must be something radically wrqng with the Silicy of the present administration. c had no doubt that k tho new Government- would establish' a policy which would make the land of the country produce as it had never produced before, and tho ; niore the land produced the greater would be tho prosperity. - - In conclusion Mr Ensor said that right throughout tho campaign he had received the most jkindly treatment from all the meetings he had addressed. His opponents had fought a, clean, honest fight, and when it was all ovor there would be no trace of bitterness" or .ill-feeling left. Mr Ensor was loudly applauded and cheered at tho close of his address. In reply to questions Mr Ensor said that as far as he could see. the Labour Party and the o"*>nsition were out aga'nst tho Ward 'administration, as beipg the first obstacle to be removed in tho fight for clean politics. The people had for twenty jears returned tho present party to break up land monopoly and to eettlo tho land,' but these objects had not been achieved. Were the people then going to continue to send that party back? (No. ' no). • ' :

_At.the close of. the meeting Mr Ensor was accorded a unanimous vote of thanks, and rounds of cheers Were given him before he left.