MR ARTHUR’S ADDRESS.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 383, 28 November 1889, Page 2

MR ARTHUR’S ADDRESS.

Mb A. C. Arthur delivered his first address to the electors, in McFarlane’s Hall last evening, the hall being full, and the gallery containing a large number of ladies. There were over 100 country people present. His Worship tha Mayor (Capt Tucker) presided. He said Mr Arthur bad been in the district for seventeen years ; therefore he must be known to everyone. When Mr Arthur rose there was long and continued applause, He said he was much surprised to find himself in the position he was in. Two months ago he would never have expected it, and ha felt proud, very proud, to think that be, among all the good men in the district, had been honored by being selected to stand for the East Coast electorate. JJs then referred to the ex-member, Mr Graham, of whose services in the House of Representatives he spoke in high terms. He was going to ask them for eyery possible indulgence because it was the ■first' time he had made a political speech. It was hard tn say what your opinions were in New Zealand. There was no Buch thing as Liberal or Conservative ; it was simply which was the best leader, Sir IJarry Atkinson’s policy of re-

trenchment was the best, and he was therefore the best man to follow. Tkb speaker then alluded to Sir Julius Vogal and the borrowing mania, and the wav In which the credit of tbe colony had suffered, It was Sir Harry Atkinson who came forward with a proposal of retrenchment, and to tax our already overtaxed floyntry, and he had earried out all he l?ad said he weulfi do (laughter). It was much more difficult for a Government than

for an individual to retrench'. He considered we owed Sir Harry Atkinsqn a dbljt of gratitude for the way he had acted in regard to the Te Kooti affair (applause). He believed there would soon be a vast improvement in the country’s prospects. It was a very good thing to reduce the number ot members ; the old inottq of jn the multitude of councillors there is wisdom did pot apply to modern Parliaments. The spquterg would spout, though some of the best men in the Dqose had only spoken a lew times during the session. The result of the reduction of

members would probably not effect this district, though he thought Whakatane would be included in the East Coast electorate. The country woffid have a little advantage over the towns, though it vyas qqly fair, seeing that the towns had a much better Press, and could organise much more easily in reference to apy subjeoh The taxation at present was about as njugh as we could bear, but he believed the time would soon come when there would be a reduo'iou of taxation. He behaved in a Property Tax in preference to a Land apd Income Tax, as he considered the latter w >uld he only an experiment. It was a groat mistake to tox the land, because from It everything was produced, and if it was taxed too much the struggling f -rmer would be overburdened. He had read Mr Ballance's speech and he was very sorry to see ha said he would burst up the big estates and would double tax the absentee landowners, Why the Who’e paoplg pf the world wojjld be laughing at Us. There were very few of thqse absentees, and those were the best advertisement to the colony, and in any ti'.u® 0 * difficulty they would be the best men to sustain the otodit of the country. Ife did not think Mr Balia if he ever got into power, would be so foolish. speaker went on to approve of our present gysteiu pf Government. Every man and woman in this life should have a fair start, and in education they could do this. Our education system was no doubt a grand one, well carried out under many difficulties, there being no less than 1128 Government schools in New Zealand. If New Zealand was to go ahead we must go ahead with education. (Applause). U there was to be a high univers*)

suffrage education was necessary. Tha people of our district he considered well odaoated, because he believed they would aeleot with discretion. (Applause from supporters of both candidates). But he did not consider the large sum of money now spent on education was all spent in the right way, beoause the high schools, though costing more to support, only taught the same thing under a different system, and those parents who sent their children to the high schools ought to pay for them. The Gisborne High School was, however, an exception, and was also self-supporting. The money wasted in useless high schools could be devoted to primary education. In Auckland district eleven schools hod to be shut up because they had been built where there were no scholars to attend them. Mr HUI had told him that if the Inspectors could form into a committee they could make a great reduction

without impairing efficiency, and he thought that a good idea. He strongly supported living encouragement to clever scholars. He believed nur country, by its freetrade policy, would become as great as England, He did not believe io coddling any industry, because such were always protected by the tew at tbe cost of the many. He denied that the present Government was in favor of Protection—they had to put on duties to get sufficient revenue. Coming to native matters, he would advise

anyone that bad an enemy to try and induce him to get a block of native land, and one could sit down and see that he was getting the worst of it, because you knew he was strugg ling after what was unattaiuable—a good title. Why should every difficulty thus be put in the way of pioneer settlers ? No lawyer could read the present native laws, and the decisions were very diversified. They were in the hands of the law and the lawyers, like a lion struggling in a net—they could not get out. Most of these difficulties had arisen through the action of the “ friends ” of the

Maoris, by whom tha latter were actually injured It was more difficult to get a title than for the Scriptural camel to get through tbe Scriptural eve ot a needle. The whole thing wanted reforming, and thia district was particularly concerned in the matter. He gave a humorous incident of Sydney Taiwhanga and the Native Land lets, but Sydney wse not the only one who could not understand them, because no one could. Hie (Mr Arthur’s) remedy was absolute freetrade in native lauds. He would put certiin restrictions in the way of the natives being cheated, but they would be very small ones. (Laughter). Every deed of transfer of native land should be interpreted and passed by a Trust Commissioner. He would have the transactions made as from one white man to another. He pointed out how unfair the present system was to

the natives and how it kept back a district like our own. The Act would be a very difficult one to pas» on account of the opposition of the "friends" of the Maoris. It could only be done by a Government with a strong majority, and he hoped that next election would see Sir Harry Atkinson with a strong majority, and that they would get such a Bill passed. (Applause) He must say for Mr Ballance that he assisted in getting the last Bill through Parliament, while Sir George Grey opposed it. (Applause.) About the time of election there was always heard the cry of the working man. In New Zealand he considered there were only two classes, the working man and the loafer. He did not think the honest workers would be oaught, because they had been caught too often before. [Applause from Mr Rees’ supSorters, and Hear, hear, from Mr ickson. | Tbe working man's cry was simply got up by tha professional politician, who made promises without oaring whether he could keep them. They could easily distinguish him by those nice catchy phrases. Who would thsy sooner have to represent them, the intelligent squatter or the professional politician, who was quite capable of going in for wild cat schemes ? (Applause.) The speaker went on to nay that ha believed the present land system was a very good

one—they could either purchase land or get it on deferred payment. He quoted figures showing the large amount of land that had been taken up during the year—not by emigrants, but by young New Zealanders, who were the proper sort to take it up. We have arrived at the time when it is perfectly unneessary to bring in emigrants to take up our lands, It oould be taken up by our own people directly the roads were made to it. It was the people who had borne the burden and heat of the day who should have the advantage ot this land, and not emigrants. He would do his best to get roads for the district to open up the back country. The speaker then referred to the expenditure of money there bad been in connection with the recent Russian war scare. The question of Federation he did not consider to come under the range of practical politics now, hut he believed it would be a good thing for New Zeeland if there could be Federation under a freetrade system, which would open up markets for us. He approved of the pre-

sent system of managing the railways. Fostering village settlement systems he believed would cost large sums of money, and generally result in disaster. Referring to our harbor, be had opposed the first loan, though he had supported tbe £40.000, and he believed they would yet have a good harbor (applause). He had opposed the original loan because he did not think the burden justified the object. Mr Arthur concluded by speaking highly in favor of Sir Harry Atkinson and bis Government. though he would not follow him blindly.

Mr Keating asked if Mr Arthur did not attend before the Native Affaire Committee last session to oppose a petition, averse to his interests, about the Tokomaru block? A reply in the affirmative was given. He had to oppose a rehearing applied for, and which the natives did not deserve.

In reply to Mr J, G. Henderson the candidate at first said he did pot think he had, but then admitted having written to the Chief Judge of the Native Land, to come here to settle his title to Tokomaru, but he certainly never made the request for “pecuniary reasons.” He had been trying for Sixteen years to get the title fixed up. Mr Ijiokson wished to know whether the candidate wanted to enter Parliament tn facilitate the fixing up of bis titles, and it not why hadn't he come out before during his seventeen years' residence in the district ? (Laughter.) The candidate replied in the negative to the first question, It would rather be a loss to him to enter Parliament, Mr Parker also put a string of questions, to which satisfactory answers were given. Mr File proposed a vote of confidence in Mr Arthur, and congratulated him on his “ maiden " effort, a very good speech indeed (Applause.) He did not think they n»ed say they had to discount him a lot. (Applause.) It had been said Mr Arthur had lain dormant for seventeen years, but he was a modest and unassuming gentleman who attended to his own business. We were not the pivot round which the universe revolves : we preferred to go oh in the old way, and not attain be led away by vague generalities. They wanted some of the plums now, and none of those insolvent questions. [At this stage the meeting began to get merry, and impatient at the speech.] He would sooner support a squatter than a lawyer—it was at the latter's instance the native land laws had got into such a state. [Voice—Look out, Kenny’s behind you—laughter.) The Labor Societies at Home would not have Mr Rees as a delegate. The laboring men did not want an agitator to lead them- Labor could now combine together, as had been shown by the recent dock strikes.

The au-iiance began to tire of the second address they were getting, and humorous personal remarks were indulged in. Mr Johnson, who was on the platform, asserted that the Chairman was not securing fait play. The Chairman said that he thought the meeting was a very well conducted one. Nfr Arthur had got a very patient hearing and so had Mr File up to a certain point, ana so long as there were no offensive remarks he oould not take action, nor could he prevent the audience being wearied. The audience applauded the Chairman and Mr File sat down. Mr Townley then rose (amid cheers) and jpeondefi fi.c ipotion, at the same time endorsing ths faifnsss of the Chairman. He scouted the si » n endowment forjthe harbor an •1 Mi I other promises,jand commended Mr II a settler of considerable standing and ex- : perience, to whom he advised then) to give their support. (Ippltueo.)

The motion wse then put. there being about 40 hands held up for and 10 against, the remainder of those present abstaining from voting.