MR. FIELD'S CANDIDATURE. THE PREMIER AT MANUKAU.

Evening Post, Volume LIX, Issue 4, 5 January 1900, Page 2

MR. FIELD'S CANDIDATURE. THE PREMIER AT MANUKAU.

MANUKAU, 4th January. The Premier has thrown himself into the Otaki contest with his accustomed energy. Determined to clinch matters in favour of the Liberal candidate, if Ministerial influence will carry any weight in hardening up wavering voters, he addressed a meeting at Pahautanui on Wednesday, posted back to town the same night in a carriage and pair, arriying in the small hours of the morning ; spent half a day at Government business j aped up the line the same afternoon as far as Manukau ; filled in an hour or so gossiping with electors whose votes are worth haying if they can be got ; and talked politics in the Manukau Hall for upwards of three hours at night. Not a 'bad twenty-four hours' work! Manukau is an Opposition stronghold, as was proved by the votes at the general election in December. Hence the present onslaught. Mr. John Carroll was voted to the chair, and the hall was filled. Mr. Seddon took for his initial text the progress of the colony in the last ten years, as a topic which would naturally appeal to a country audience. He quoted figures, showing the increases in gold •and coal production, population, live stock, manufactures, dairy produce, frozen meat, tallow, and wool, bank deposits, and the capital value of land ; and claimed that the colony's prosperity was widespread, and had reached almost every section of the population in the colony. Next hje had a word to say in reply to his critics as to defence, and as to criticism of the finances of a previous Liberal Government. But they i had not decried the finances of the coun- ' try this time. He had £218,000 to the good this year, and he had paid the old age pension, and the colony's finances were i never in a better position,. More than

that, they were assured for the next ten years to come. Statements thai the Government had the welfare of the nati' ' at heart and were safeguarding their interests ugainst improper dealings were received with laughter ; but Mr.' Seddon said this was no laughing matter. They must not have the native landless and a Uurden on the State. ("Hear, hear.") Reference to Mr. Morison met with cries of "Lot Morison alone, and give us (something else," so Mr. Seddon became a comedian for a spell and gave a little monologue of his own composing, illustrating the change in the dpmeanour of the money-lender to a client sinjee the coming into operation of the cheap money scheme. He stated that the Government had not lost a fivepound note by the scheme, but held security worth £2 for every pound lent, and now the struggling settler was benefiting instead of the money-lender. As to the expenditure on publio works, he invited the closest scrutiny, and maintained that the policy would be the completion of the productive works, an advocaoy of the removal of the rostrictions and anomalies discovered to be operative on Crown tenants. A defence of his expenditure on roads, bridges, and railways met with applause. At some length he defended the increased departmental expenditure on postal and railway services, land and surveys, and the encouragejnent °f the dairy industry, and said that most of these would be an increasing rather than the reverse vote in the interests of the people of the colony. Indicating the direction of the policy of the future, the Premier said the factory laws required further amendment by shortening hours for women und chuuren, local government legislation was urgently required, improvements were wanting in the Government valuation of land, and in the methods of recovering debts in the Magistrate's Courts. Other needs were Land and Income Tax Amendment, the Slaughtering and Inspection Bill, the Testator's Family Protection Bill, Usury Prevention Bill, Amendment of the Teohnical Education System on fair lines, greater opportunity for higher education, the Workmen's Compensation for Accident Bill, Proteotion of Young Persons, and the extension of the Old Age Pension. In conclusion, he submitted the Government had done nothing to lose the confidence of the people oil Otaki, and expressed himself hopeful of the result of Saturday's poll. A vote of thanks and confidence, proposed by Mr. T. Bevan, sen., was deolared by the Chairman to have been carried, though the voting appeared about equal, and considerable uproar followed. Someone in the audience got up and announced that Mr. Pirani, who had been sitting in a front seat all me evening taking notes, would speok in the same hall the next night, and the intimation was received with cheers. The meeting terminated at a quarter past 11 o'clock, in some uproar, cheers for Morison being heard above the din,