MR. TUSTIN AT THE VICTORIA HALL.

Evening Post, Volume LXIV, Issue 117, 13 November 1902, Page 2

MR. TUSTIN AT THE VICTORIA HALL.

Mr. W., G. Tus'tin addressed a well attended meeting of the electors at the Victoria Hall, Adtelaide-road, last evening. In the unavoidable absence of Lis. Stuart Menteath, Mr. J. P. Luke was voted to the chair, and asked for the candidate a fair hearing, but stated that those present would cot expect him to be converted to the candidate's views. .Mr. Tustin. referred to the good spirit implied by the presence in the chair of a brother of one of his political rivals. He dwelt on the need of a good Opposition to secure good government. He quoted comparative figures of the Railway Servants' -Superannuation Scheme aud of the propose"d teachers' supcrannuatioD. . JTo, provide for superannuation teachers were to be called on to pay 50 per cent, more than railway servants, and they were to receive back in benefits considerably less. ; There was no reason for this' differentiation, and it was unfair to teachers.- It .was proper that advancement hi the Civil Service should depend to a g*eat extent on length of service ; but not wholly so. If length of Eervicc counted everything and ability nothing, brainy young Men would be — and were* being—pushed out of the colony's service to more lucrative appointments, because they were, in New Zealand's service, too young to rise above a certain salary. Such a salary was no inducement to first-class work in , actuarial ur.d: similar departments. He wished to show them, without touching matters personal, that he would be a batter representative in Parliament than the other candidates. New Zealand birth and twelve years in the City Council were the extent cf Mr. Barber's claims. The whole city had groaned over the City Council, and a man that could not convert it from, the error of its ways in twelve years would not be able to do much good in Parliament. He objected to Mr. Barber, being as a City Councillor an employer, bringing pressure on the tramway employees to attend a Sunday meeting. Dr. Chappie had declared himself a 'Prohibitionist and a v»trong opponent of the deadly influence of liquor,- yet a, supporter of the threefifths majority. If liquor was as bad as Dr. Chappie said, he should be anxious to strike it out by the barest of bare majorities. (Cry of -No.) Dr r Chapplo had veered round from being a supporter of a possible Government led by Sir Joseph Ward to declaring himself an Oppositionist, hoping to slip in between- Hislop and Tustin. Mr. Luke could not be consistently a Government supporter, being an employer of labour who had growled more than TuStin against the Conciliation and Arbitration Act. Mr. Luke was swallowing everything he was told by those who promised him the leg up to the Government support. After three successive defeats Mr. Hislop was; very foolish to stand and split the Opposition votes. He admitted Mr. Hislop was a far more able Parliamentarian than he. But in Parliamentary life one had to be a beginner, and what was wanted in the House was young New Zealanders with energy. The place for Mr. Hislop was in the Upper House, to see that the energetic young men did not pass too hasty legislation. If returned, he would do his best to put/ j\Sr. Hislop there. Mr. Tustin went on to say it would bo admitted he Mas a business man. He was on the Council of the Chamber of Commerce and tho .Employers' Federation. He had had experience in School Committee work, in Friendly Societies, and as a Justice of the Peace,' in which capacity his decisions bad never been appealed against. Mr. Benbow, J.P., and he had exposed the fact that .prisoners awaiting trial received only half the fare of sentenced prisoner?, and poor fare at that. He righted this in a couple of months, though a, firm of solicitors had tried unsuccessfully for seven years. It was the man who could make himself felt that they needed, .to represent them. The candidate was -subjected to a fire of comment, but the proceedings were good' humoured! After answering , questions, s a vote of thanks, moved by Mr. R. M'Kcnzie, and seconded by Mr. R. Robinson, was carried without dissent. ("For continual ion of News xee Jiarje 7 t )