KAIAPOI SEAT.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 14223, 11 December 1911, Page 8

KAIAPOI SEAT.

MR R. AIOORE AT EAST OXFORD. . * On Saturday evening Mr R. Moore, ' the Reform.candidate for the Kaiapoi district, addressed a fairly largo meeting of the electors at East Oxford Town Hall. Mr H« Campbell, chairman of, - the School Committee, presided. Mr Mooro apologised for asking the electors to meet him at such short, notico, and on Saturday night, but thero was no timo to lose in again visiting tho electors before tho second ballot, ■which had been rendered necessary. Al-' though tho ballot had placed him at tho hoad of tho poll, it was requisite for his friends to again visit tho poll in stronger force, if possiuie, than ever. . The outlook for tho Opposition and tho cause of reform had never been better 'assured, twenty-tivo having been already returned on the first ballot, as . against twenty for the Government, tho sweeping majority of Mr Alassi-y in itself being a strong contrast to tko Pre- . mier's small surplus of votes. ' The return of many of tho men who liad done yeoman service in the cause of the country by largo maiorities was not to be mistaken, it was nlain that tho Government had outlived its usefulness, and there w-as no need to , entertain the j , question of anyone increasing the Gdv- ] crnment vote for this district. Ho had no j indention of giving a long speech, but there woxo a few matters to be dealt , ■with. "When he spoke last he referred to the actions of the supporters of the Government, particularly member ■■• for Lyttelton, in their determined opposition to tho freehold. ■ Thia statement ■was questioned by Mr Dalley, who requested proof from Hansard, or otherwise, to bear out his statements.. At his next meeting at West Oxford, he '(Mr Moore) quoted from Hansard . giv- ■ ing date and volume in confirmation. Ho was sorry that Mr Dalley, being unwell, was not ablo to bo present this evening, but ho hoped ho would soon roeoTeT. On a former occasion tho question had been asked ,as to whether ha. -would favour increased accommodation at tho railway, premises. He then said if tho business justified.it, it would receive his support, and since then having gone into the question " and finding that 26,333 sheep, 408 pig 3, '■ . 702 hales wool, 1386 parcels, and 8327 ,-, tickets were issued with other items - in the outward business; and 3293 parcels, 3411 ehcep, 65,411 ft of timber, 06-5 ' tona merchandise, and 779 tons of coal, inwards, passed through the station, ho -" ' '"Ti?*- " Imt * convinced that for some time - X« ;w * I l ta^ rf P ubUc at the railway fj*™° been reasonable, and should bees' seen to. (Applause.) A

question had also been put to him in reference to the purchase of the 'warren estate for settlement. Hβ had s:nce made -enquiries, and was satisfied troin tho quality-of the land, as well as its .admirable jrosition in relation to the Oxford market, it might well be purchased and cut up by the Government, increasing the population and products of the district. He always held it was to the interest of the Dominion that estates good enough for settlement should be taken over to enable persons with small means to improve their positions. He referred particularly to the establishment of tho Public faervice Board, in order that all desirous of getting into tho service should be able to do so on their own merits andyjon absolutely equal terms. Referring te the splendid system of education, he had always been a strong supporter of its aims to fit the children to pass on from tho primary schools to the ■University. In sixteen years' service on a local .School Committee'he was pretty well acouainted with the subject, and recognised that all its advantages had to be safeguarded. One name that i would always be held in respect in connection with free education was that of Sir Charles Bowen, who had represented this electorate at the time tho first main Bill was passed. (Loud applause.; The candidate dealt at length -with settlement of native lands, urging _ a vigorous native land settlement policy that, while dealing fairly with tho natives, would bring hundreds of thousands of acres into profitable occupation. At nrcs-ent the Government was going in the direction of building up a native aristocracy, and carrying out a "taihoa" regime the Maoris at the present time holding largo blocks which were not beiii2 cultivated. This blockage of settlement was a' most serious one when the rest of the country was progressive. Local government reform and the votes to local bodies on the ovo of elections were referred to, Mr Moore holding that tho local Boards should have a regular and assured income, and remo vo the impression that people were bribed when the elections were near with their own or borrowed money. No .ocal Board should have to go cap. in hand for assistance for its increasing administration, but should have its definite amount allotted from the Consolidated Revenue, and held responsible for its proper expanditure for local works. This wou d remove the allegations of undue favouritism being shown by special Government grants. Persons whoso cows were condemned, he considered were not fairly trated. Where a farmer had bousht in open market, and in the usual way, a cow for £12, for -which, on being condemned, he was only granted £3 15s, it did not scorn an equitable way of dea.ing with those who had a good deal of hard work in maintaining the dairy industry. Where, in the interests of the public, it was necessary to destroy property, the eufferer should receive a larger pereeniage of the loss than the Agricultural Department at present aJowed. He urged the electors, in tho approaching ballot, to vote for the man whom they judged best fitted to a£sist in administering the affairs of the Dominion, and whose views were of a genuinely wide and comprehensive character in the direction of doing the greatest good ■ for the greatest number. He hoped they would trust to men who were straight and had sufficient force of character to represent their interests. On the motion of Mr Cooper, a vote of thanks was unanimously carried.