RANGITIKEI BY-ELECTION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 610, 13 September 1909, Page 8

RANGITIKEI BY-ELECTION.

-~ THE CAMPAIGN. 'SPEECH: BY ME. GEORGETTI. (By . Teltiirraph-Special Correspondent;)' ' .;A ; - Taihapo, September 11. ' Mr; >G66rgetti, the Independent candidate, addressed .;a;;'good meeting to-night in .the Argyll Hall, Hu'nterville. Mr. . Georgetti, prefaced his remarks-by. stating that.as all. his interests;were\in the' electorate he would,, if, -returned,; do all he could to, orisure ; its progress, and: support all proposals •■which' would benefit .the.'constituents.- He .emphasised the necessity of, the GbverniUeht settling thb couiW try as speitlilyas possible,"and when.land was to he opened - m a district, it should hrst of all bo Classified and valued by a commission of practical farmers, who hAd made, a success i of farming in ,that, district.' All Crown tenants should havo the option' of/ the' freehold, excepting in special case's 'of high-priced land which- had been acquired by. the Government, for ■ closer settlement.' .He illustrated his con-' tontiori by ; stating that.'it would :never' do. to give'tenants tho freohold of land near rising towns, which would in a.few years require'to repurchase portions of, the land ..for public parks', catchment areas, etc. It 'was'admitted by all. that tho Maoris, were the finest native,! racoon, the world, but that was ho. reason why they should hold the position of, landlords over the people of N6w Zealand; The way in which Native land had been allowed to. remain locked up was a disgrace'to .the: country,, and , ,as' a result, of the improvements creatod., by .-the Europeans. Native land was becoming more and more valuable every year. -The Natives right, to the. unearned increment; because they had done-nothing. to / assist/tp earn it,. and.| after. enough land lvad beta reserved for the Natives,the balance should be.acquired by tho Government and disposed of on, the optional system,, th 6 proceeds to be invested for the benefit of .the former Native owners. ' ; ' In the course of further remarks, Georgetti'said that ffee education from tho pri-: mary- schools .to. the university was no:doubt a pretty' thing. Those •• who wanted •' advanced education should,. ho thought, pay for it themselves. ' The present system, was adequate for all- practical purposes. .'■■ Assisted immigration should havo been stopped eighteen'months ago when the depression was" in sight, and' should not, be' resumed until' conditions were, prosperous, and then only farmers; and farm hands should be helped with assisted passages.'- Tho Opposition should, have protested."; , No doubt they were- giving the Government enough rope

to hang'themselves. Mr. Georgetti was accorded a hearty Vote of thanks.' Mr. Hockly was to address a meeting l at Turangarere to-night. ■ • - v ; ' MR. .HUTCHISON'S • Mr. Ma ss'ojy Leader of : tho has wired to Mr. Hutchison as'follows:— "George Hutchison, Wanganui—'Allow me, on behalf of tho party, to thttnk you , most sincerely for your loyalty and. genorosity- in retiring ou behalf of Mr. Hockly.—(Signed) W. I''. Massey." ; v ; A FRIENDLY CONTEST. ■ '3.,.striking, teaturo: in connection; with the election .is the. good, feeling which, exists anions the candidates," and' this is being reflected.' amongst their respective 1 supporters. Everywhere one'; goes, whether in the. largo towhsi the smaller ones,, or the baikblocks, the chances of the.; contestants', is practically the solo topic, of, conversation. Messrs., Hockly and Meldrum, who'are in that order , the, gene-, ral favourites, are personally very great friends, and it may be taken for'granted, that.whatever, the re.sults of tho election, so. far.,as the' two, Hunterville -candidates. are concerned, the loser will be amongst tho first to congratulate the victor.\- TW heaviest- polling. • will, ■ - fcif course,, take 'place in tho "larger townships ,on the Main Trunk between. Rata .and Turangarere, but a great'number of 'votes will also be cast afc Eastbrook, Fordell.arid Mangamahu on the western side of the electorate: ■ Fri)m;what can be gathered, a majority of the > people in the -.diHrict. are; of opinion. ;that iuibWjr,;Mr. Hutchisqn'has withdrawn from the contest) Mr. Hockly must , easily head the poll for . the .first ballot. The more sanguine supporters of the Reform ''.-party- express themselves, as I .convinced that .Mr. - Hockly-will. either gain, an absolute majority or go very near to it. ' "THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF '' FINANCE." : i v During his address at Taihape: on Wednesday evening, Mr. G. "Hutchison referred in scathing terms to, Sir'Jbseph" Ward's conduct of the financial affairs'of the - Ddminion; . e.' ;

"if,"' he said, "ono might, without irrever.ence, refer 'to the originals (which, would for all time remain tho code of "conduct); 1 would commend to his serious attention what 'I would describe as "the ten commandments of finance." • ' - '. r \ - ' ' : . Mr. Hutchison then proceeded to outline the modern version 'of; "tlie . commandments," as applicable to' public affairs,'as follows:—'.' »; (l)/"Thou, shalt have no other object than : the public welfare.' ! - . , ■ ■

■12). "Thou-.shalt not sbt'up any gilded image of thyself,- and; assert it is ;IS carat, nor. devise any, gaudy likeness of .thyself nnd'pretend it is not shoddy goods, fit only for a political scare- 1 .crow. '• - ' ! \ ' ■' '■' ■■■•■

,(3) -"Thou shalt not. take'the-name of pure finance in vain by declaring thero is'a surpluswhen, in .truth, there is none. (4). "Remember to give one-seventh of the whole-public works fund to tho most deserving land settlement electorate in the colony— Rimgitikei. (6) "Honour, the memory, of'. the' financial statements of your predecessors so that you may not be guilty , of claiming a self-reliant policy when you at;e : smothering the people in debt. . G "Tliou. shalt, not kill the 1 golden goose that lays the golden eggs,;'or, in other words, do not drive capital and, settlers out of the country. |7) "Thou sliiilt .not - play tricks with, ttie Treasury .e.g.,. the ,'remoyal . of safeguards against, irregular»expenditure, especially if • you are likely to be. foiind out, ' - (8) "Thoushall not steal, (for public purposes)'by intention or otherwise. ({?) "Thou shalt not bear false witness against the Opposition, but temper yoiir wind to tho shorn lamb. ' -• \ .. H , . .(10) "Thou shalt not, for the. purpose, of. taxa-. .tion, covet, the reward of .the.hard graft of tho settler,.nor his ox, t . V JOTTINGS. ; .. Owing to - the number,«of the'candidates, on this occasion, it' is interesting to recall how the ,vote was split in-1902, when there were also .five TH6' 1 for' that content l were as under j—ltemihgton,' 1309; Birch, 1152y Reardon, 537; Hornblow, 358;, .Smith, 69; in.formal,, sG;;total votes recorded, 3571... . In" accordance with tho Act, tlie timfc up to which candidates could' retire' from 1 the contest js not less than fivo. clear days'- before '.polling day, That.Hime expired at 5 p.m. on Friday, and there was; only one. withdrawal, that of Mr. Hutchison, which reached- ■ tho' returning officer at Hunterville early in the afternoon of that, day. The candidates who will go to the poll are, therefore,' Messrs. Georgetti, Hockly; Hornblow, Meldrum, and Smith, whoso name 9 v-jll appear on the ballot paper in that order Tho instructions on the ballot 'papers, as' to mode of voting relate-to the old system-viz., that the voter.should strike out the.names of tho. four candidates . for whom. ho does not desire -to vote. Of course, the new method of voting—viz., for. the voter to pliice a cross opposite, tho namo .of this candidate whom ho favours—will bo equally valid. ADDRESS BY GOVER N M ENT; CANDID AT E. . , (By ,Telei[raDh.-PrMB AMoelailon.i• Taihape, September' 11. • Mr.'_Sniith, the; Government candidate, addressed .a . packed meeting, at the Gretnk Hall 'last night. The candidate replied to the statements made regftiding liis, having- changed his viows. Ho received a'hearty vote of thanks.