THE GENERAL ELECTION. SATURDAY NIGHT'S SPEECHES,

Evening Post, Volume LII, Issue 162, 30 November 1896, Page 5

THE GENERAL ELECTION. SATURDAY NIGHT'S SPEECHES,

About 200 electors assembled to hear Mr. | A. R. "Atkinson's open-air address, at the corner of Dixon and Cuba streets, on Saturday night, Mr. G. Petherick presiding., Mr. Atkinson stated that he had met that morning a working man who said : " I Have j read your programme, and think it the best before the electors, and I should like to see you get in, but I shan't vote for you because you're on the wrong side." He hoped not to have too many of that class of admirers, or he might be at the bottom of the poll ; but the remark encouraged him, nevertheless, because it showed that he had impressed the working classes as a genuine Liberal, notwithstanding his opposition to the present Government. He characterised as mean and dastardly the attempt made by certain Liberal candidates to arouse religious prejudices against hini, but proposed to reserve a full treatment of the subject till his meeting on Mondaj 7 . He denounced the subjection of Liberalism to liquordom in this city as shown by the fact that two-thirds of the Liberal ticket— viz., Messrs. Fisher and Wilson, had been chosen I as the result of the intrigues of the liquor party. Such a subjection was in marked contrast to tho attitude of the Liberals in the Old Country and to the natural order of j things. The speaker then discussed the subject of Labour legislation, and said that the fact of four of the best measures having been borrowed from the previous Government was a sufficient answer to those who supposed that Liberalism in New Zealand had been born with the present Ministry, and would die with them. He urged that a fuller measure of Democracy, which would enable the people to control Parliament and Parliament the Cabinet, would make our Government purer apd truly representative; but suck a reform was too Democratic for the spurious Liberalism now.in power. 'As to the charge of being on the wrong side of the House, he said that he placed honesty first in public as in private life, and he failed to see how those who would not lie or steal for private ends could consistently give support, in their public capacity as voters, to the champions of dishonesty and corruption. On the motion of Mr. Joseph 'Holmes, Mr. Atkinson was given a vote of thanks and confidence. The proceedings terminated with three cheers for the candidate. Mr. J. J. K. Powell addressed an openair meeting at Mercer-street on Saturday evening. He was introduced by Mr. C. Colquhoun. The candidate denied that he was being brought forward in order to split votes, or to go a certain distance and then retire. He stood as a free and independent Liberal against all comers. There was pulling of wires to prevent him going to the poll, but he expressed his determination to ask for the suffrages, of Wellington voters. Ho was opposed to the corrupt administration of the present Government, and it was time that this colony was administered on business and not Party principles. Mr. Powell then dealt with the subjects of temperance, the land policy, co-operative works, the flax ] industry, public works, »education,«and the | fiscal policy. At the conclusion of his address a number of questioas were put by an elector, all revolving round the rate of wages paid by the candidate to his carters. Messrs, Wilson and Wither addressed another open-air meeting in Boulcott-street on Saturday night, Mr. A. Collins presiding. Mr. Wilson denied any intention of attacking the religious beliefs of Sir Robert Stout and Mr, Atkinson. What he had objected to was canvassers going about for votes for 1 Sir Robert Stout and Mr. Atkinson because they were such good Christians, Personally ! he did not care whether Sir Robert Stout I was a Mahommedan or a Confucian— he only criticised him as an opponent of the present Government, but Sir Robert should be the very last person to object to personalities, as his speeohes in the House during the last three years simply reeked with personalities. Mr. Wilson credited both Sir Robert Stout and Mr. A. R. Atkinson with honest intentions regarding the education question. Regarding Mr. Duthie's nomination at the eleventh hour, he said ! it was an insult to the other Conservative candidates, and Mr. Duthie and his supporters had no right to assume that they had a Wellington seat in their pocket, to be drawn out and used just when they liked. Amongst other matters, Mr. Wilson advocated the adoption of a minimum wage of, I say, Bs. per day, iind said he would support j the payment of common jurors on the basis of the wages which they earned. Mr. Fisher made only a short address, mainly in the nature of an appeal to the workers to support the whole "ticket" and not split their votes. He attacked Sir Robert Stout, who, he said, instructed women to circulate slanders, and who a few years back was expelled by the Freemasons of England, and in consequence dared not to-day show his face in any part of the British dominions. The statement was received by the majority of the crowd with expressions of disfavour and hisses. A vote, of thanks and confidence was proposed and carried. An open-air meeting of electors at the top of Tinakori-road was addressed by Mr. J. Hutcheson on Saturday evening. Mr. J. T. Mercier presided. Mr. Le Grove also addressed the meeting in support of Mr. Hutcheson's candidature. A vote of thanks and confidence in the Labour candidate was unanimously carried, and cheers were also given for Messrs. Hutcheson and Le Grove. The electors of Ohariu were addressed on Saturday night by Mr. Hislop. Mr. Bryant, sen., was in the chair. On the motion of Mr. F. Majendie, seconded by Mr. J. Bryant, a vote of thanks and confidence was unanimously passed.