The General Election.

Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue XXXIV, 16 September 1887, Page 2

The General Election.

MR. GEO. FISHER AT THE LYCEUM. Mr. Geo. Fißher addressed tho electors of Wellington East at the Lyceum lost night. The hall was orawded. Mr. J. L. Bacon occupied the chair. Mr. Fisher said ill-natured remarks liad been mado about his having addressed tho oleotors of Wellington at the Opera House before haying first addressed the olectorß of the constituency for whioh he was a candidate, but he oonsidored it nn honour not only to himself, but to that oonstituoncy in having beon singled out to addross the electors of the wbolo oity on the political questions of the day. Ho referred to tho peculiar class of critioism indulged in regarding himself by a paper called Truth, whose owners he said were tho Hou. John Ballance, Mr. George KHiott Barton (referred to throughout by Mr. Fisher as " the littlo lawyer from Texas), Mr, Hildroth, aud Mr. Robertson. Tho Government wero establishing a Journalistio Bureau, in which candidates supporting the Government oould get a speech or manifesto ready-mads np, although sometimes the speech did not fit. The paper when tho elections woro ovsr would pass noiselessly away, and there would be no more Truth in the hands of the Qovornment. (Laughter.) He wished to oxplain his action on the Eight Hoars Bill. He was asked at tho Opera House why he hod not voted on tho Eight Hours Bill, and hod produced tho rocirds showing that he had dono so. "Oh," it was said, "That was in 1887. What about 1886?" In 1885 ho had pairort on the Bill, and all through ho had voted for it, and his sympathies had beon with it throughout. Ho did not voto for it in 1886, beoau-o he was ill uponthat ocoosion, and consequently oould not voto. Having- touched upon the education quostion, the candidate dealt at some length with the land question. Ho favoured a land and incomo tax, bi t was not in favour of a graduated or progressive land tax. Ho would like to see the tax based upon tho capital value of the land, and thiß would in itself be a Buffloiently graduated tax. He admitted that under tho land tax formerly imposed the mortgagee escaped, and in that senso the tax was inequitable ; but surely it would bo poßsiblo to bo frame the tax that tho tnortgogoo should in future be inoludod. With regard to the encouragement of local industries, be and the Industrial Proteotion Association were as far apart aa possible. They wero an association on their account, and ho was a small association on his own account. Ho did not want their assistance He would fee as able and willing' to assist tho industries of this country as iray man connected with the Industrial Pro ten tion Assooiation. Mr. Fisher next wont on to apeak of tho extravagances of the Government, and quoted figures to show that tho cost of administration had inoreased under the presentGovornment by JJ105.000 a year for four yoars (including the estimate for the current year). It was the most extravagant Government whioh this country ovor had, and yot was supported by the Liberal and Radical party. Mr. Fisher was alluding to the payment of Government moneys to Mr. Stevens and Mrs. Fraser, when some of the electors ondeavoured to create diversion by noisos and interruptions and exclamations " Leave the women alone," &o. Mr. Fisher appealed to the audionoe to keep an orderly meeting, and said that there was only one way to mako those gentlomen who were interrupting understand, and ho would tell them this, that if thoy upset tho meeting that night, Mr. Robertson's meeting would be mado an impossibility. This statement was received with gonoral ohcors and a fow groans. Mr. Fisher thon wont on to deal with the Midland Railway contract question, and said the company had got tbo oolqny by the wool. Tho contract was not yet signed, and tho country would ba in a pretty fine mess before tho matter was settled. The oontraots, he believed, were being carried out under guarantee from the Government, and no more oontraots wore being entered into. On the Bubjoot of dofepoe, he oxprpsaod regret that the Government would not permit Major* General Sobaw— the Deputy-Inspector Gone ral of Fortifications in England— to roport as ho wished to do upon the fortifications of Now Zealand, although the other colonies had seized with avidity the services of so eminent an authority. In conclusion, lie said he was not likely to desert the working men of this oity. (Laughter and ironical cheers). Did they Buppose ho would ovor forgot, and not be grateful to, the working men for putting him into the positions ho had occupied P No man in Wellington had more strenuously defended the working men than be had. In answer to questions, Mr. Fisher said ho thought the rate of pay to a common juror was too low. He oould hardly conceivo it to be a faot, as alloged, that Sir Jamos Prendergast had overdrawn his salary by .£2OO per annum since his appointment as Chief Justioe. Ho would make enqnjries into the matter. Ho wpnld move' in the' House that thp correspondence boween Mrs. Humphrey and George Longhnrst should b,o laid Tjpqrt the. table. He thought the second jury 'a verdiat jn the Longhur'sl case was '([. verdict whiclf should have acquittpd tho prisoner, ft was nnnepeseary fr> support a Bjll'for tye'sup: pression pf gambling in publiohouses, &c that was the hw of the land a,t tho progen't; moment, Ho would mpst dooicjedly not sup.port tho Government if he was returned. Ho wpuld hayo no difljoulty whatever jn follpwing a Goyernmont of which Major Atkinson was a member, He never could understand why Major Atkinson was unpopular. Ho considered Major Atkinson one of tho best and most valuablo settlers in tho oolpny of New Zealand. Ho would not so readily follow Sir John Hall. He would do his best to get tho olaims of old soldiers reoognised. He hod already taken active stops in tho matter. Mr. Wallis moved a vote of thanks to and confidence in Mr. Fisher. Mr. J. Laoey got on the stage to move an amendment, but was hooted down. The motion was then put and declared oarried by a large majority. | Three ringing oheors wero then given for Mr. Fisher. A vote of thanks to tho Chairman term:* nated the proceedings.