MR. MELDRUM AT EASTOWN.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 608, 10 September 1909, Page 6

MR. MELDRUM AT EASTOWN.

: ,':,' J; MAINLY.-PKO-GOVEENMENT..-. '■'■■ '■■:'■■' .-(By Telegraph—Special Eeportor.)'-.. ■•■..-■'•' '' . .'. ."' /' , Wanganui, September 9. ■! There was a':good- ; attendanco' to, hear .the address given ,by Mr. Meldrum, a'candidate in ■ the -Government interests; ■'at ■ Eastown . last night. -Mr. Millington occupied the chair.-- .... . Mr. Meldrum -said that -there, was' oflly'. one clear' issue,.before, the electors—whether .they ehould !ybte in 'support or in opposition to the present: Qoyernment. ,The Government- had egislated for., the .'small farmer, as/, against "the land-sharks." It had brought about the reduction/ of interest on freeholUs from 8 to. .10. per ; cent, to 4J ,to:s'per cent,, and: in; this, connection' it r wa9 estimated that already. 9J 'miljions' had been saved, to the farmers. Then, ogam, the workers' were now better off. than they' were. under previous Governments, •as a ,result of the passing of the Factories Act and other measures, ana since the Arbitration Act. was introduced no civilised country-had been more free, from .strikes than, New. Zealand. He-went '.bh:t»'-'eay. : that the various State Departments' had not- (as had been, alleged) been wastefully, administered.. Eeferring -'te the , railways, he' stated that; there were some lines which paid,"and.some which did not pay,:but it would.be found,; he averred, that,the dines which were'paying were those which- had been construoted, by>tho'-Liberal ■ Government, and. those which' were not , .-:lucrative weTp.; those which .had.-bsen built "by.' the Conservative ' party;. , -.\lt'. was' true 'that. the.present Govern-., ment had' piled ; up'the National Debt to the extent, of .:i£32,000,000, but every penny of "that amount Jfis revenue-producing, ,and', was costing,''the Dominion nothing.' The only point on .'lEhioh'.jhe agrce-with' the present Government was land'tenure. .-There could be no; doubt. that' .the: best., tenure, in every - respect, was / the'.freehold, -'and' he -.thought,.;-. that the-'■': Government" should not' require the : Crown tenants'whp wished tocpnvert to the freehold ; to pay the present l unimproved value of the land. He .was in favour of these tenants getting the freehold at the original un-' improved value :plus' the diffsronce of; 1- per, cent.' paid "as ■ interest by holders '. of sections on; the o.r.p. and the l.i.p. tenure. He wienqd also to make it qlear that the Government was going: to continue to. further settle the country (including.'Native land) as.speedily as possible, 'and, in conclusion, he stated that it was necessary in order to ensure-a Liberal, candidatei getting into the ballot for the Liberal! .vote to be consolidated. .He added that, if an 'occasioh arose' on', which he .could! not conscientiously vote foT;;th6:Gov6rnment-on' a'vpte of no-ebnndence, he / would resign ■ the seat.' (Applause.) , .':.•■ '■;:;■": ''■; ■'.'■"■■'■!■'.■■■' Keplying ' to; a question, the candidate said that,he did believe that)the Government in■tendeil; tp 'prosecute its "new Native land proposilsi and that ithe; fact that there were two members of, tho Native, race' in the Ministry t wbuld-not -be a hindrance. '.'. : .;' ■ ; A Another question: Would you be in; favour of/'respecting the'.scruplea;' of residents who do not believe in wor? ■: . '■;; ..- -.-. . ;'■.•■ . ..;Mf..-,Meldrum:,lthink that if a man.is not prepared to help, to defend his'country he has noright.to'stayinit; ■•■■'" '..■; ' . : A third questioner, asked if it were not a fact thatthe'increase in'the cost .of living had been greater than :the'inoreaso 'in the: rates ■. of Avages. ■'' -V ; : ■■.':;■ ■■-•■"." '..' :'• .-;.' ■ ■ .' Mr. - Meldrum :quoted figures , from the. .Tear that it. was. notVfact. ■;. ','■•-.:. . ■■ The- questioner: .Are those , ( Dr. " Findlay's .figures? : -;:->■ -'";-•.■■ '■■■.),■•"' -.- ■ ;, ;;'' ' Mr.'.Meldrum;;;No,, they are those; of experts .who .'know..more about, tho matter than you''Can.".'.- : : .-' ■•'■'■■'- '-'; "■'■-.-' ?'.'"■■' Among pther., questions put to the candidate was.one ae.to whether,'in.:view of, the fact that*the : State control'of the railways, was a success,.he would; : favour the Government acquiring all public. utilities. '■'■■:■■[ ~ '■-. Mr.\Meldrum:'To,do that all .at once would be -like dressing |a- child. in its parent's clothes. A voice: That is a quibble. . ,"- : '', ■■' .< "Has the ■ Government agreed to grant '■■'Hα freehold voluntarily or , owing to the pressun of. the Opposition?" 'Was'a.:further inquiry. replied that, speaking, as a free, holder.'he should-say that the Government appeared to have seen ,the error, of'its, ways, ant accepted: the position in,a .common-sense man. ner.'.'.'lt might have been under pressure' ol the Opposition; it was (iertainly under -th( pressure of. sound reasoning. ■ j ■:■-'.'■'::.;-'. Keplying to additional questions, Mr. Mel drum said that he- thought New' Zealand's pre sent contribution: to the defence of the Em pire was a mean one; that it 'was a. wronj thing to immigrants into New Zealand that he-was not in'favour of any .'alteration: to the Licensing Act; that ho.would not agroi to. the control .of .the .railways being handec over to a commissioner';' and that it would pro bably.be a better thing for the district if thi Government ran the river, steamers. • "Upon the.motion of Mr. Murphy, secondei by.Mr.Duigan, a'hearty, vote of thanks wa: accorded:'the| candidate.;. ' --.•■:' -V .