THE NELSON ELECTION.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3096, 31 May 1881, Page 3

THE NELSON ELECTION.

(BY TELEGRAPH.) Nelson, May 31. Mr Levestam addressed a crowded meeting ot electors last night. He said the class to which he belonged would never be properly represented till it returned men from the masses. He claimed for their children as a right liberal and secular education, but said the administration of the education system was too extravagant. On the land question he thought it would be better to give the land away in order to make it productive. He opposed the property tax and the beer tax, advocating an income and a land tax on a sliding scale, with ad vobrem duties. He advocated slight protection rather than, bonuses. He would support capitation to volunteers. He thought if they modified the powers of councils, without the power of legislation, it would give better local government. He applauded Sir George Grey's liberal measures, but censured him for certain actions. He said the present Government were not Liberals; they did not deserve credit for economy, and he charged them with being dishonest re> garding the District Railway Bill. He was opposed to redistribution of seats on the population basis. He would support measures he believed to be good, but lacked confidence in the leaders of either side. He received a unanimous vote of thanks, with an addition expressing him a fit and proper person to represent the constituency.

Mr J. C. Richmond, in the morning papers, says he did not roundly declare himself a Socialist; but, in common with the great Liberal party, of which he was one, he sympathised with the aims of the Socialists, which are understood to be to secure to the working man a fair share of the fruits of his labor, and to mitigate as far as possible the inequalities of the lot.