Mr. Stevens at Oroua Bridge.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 439, 27 October 1908, Page 3

Mr. Stevens at Oroua Bridge.

(Special Reporter.)

By Telegraph —Special to Herald

Mr. Stevens addressed a latge meeting at Oroua Bridge Hall, last night. Mr. W. Mardon presided. In introducing Mr. Stevens he said that the time had come to choose their representative for Parliament. There were several to choose from, and they had to be careful to choose the right one. There were three untried men, and Mr. Stevens, who had done a great deal while representing the district.

Mr. Stevens dealt fully with the land question and refuted statements which had been made that he was against granting the freehold. The Opposition said that the Government imposed heavy taxation* on the farmer, pastoralist and agriculturalist. Such was not the case. They had instead remitted by abolishing the sheep tax, and about half a millon had been recently remitted in taxation through the customs. He referred to the Foxton Harbour Board Act and pointed out that the Government had been wrongfully collecting wharfage dues and paying them into the railways account instead of devo'ing them to improving the harbour. Foxton was the port of the whole district, including Turakina, Marton, Palmerston North, Feilding, Bulls, Shannon, Levin and Pahiatua and he thought it would be to advantage if a representative gathering from these districts waited on the Minister for Finance in two or three months time with the object of urging the just claim for having the Foxton Harbour Board adequately fin-

anced. In answer to questions he said that if a measure to compensate any individual person wrongfully imprisoned were brought forward he would support it. In such cases legislation was passed dealing with individual cases only. He was in favour of the Government taking over the Manawatu Tramway and converting it into the Main Trunk Tine, in connection with theLevin-Greatford proposed lines. He was in favour of a reasonable expenditure on roads in tbe back blocks and encouraging people with a little capital to come to New Zealand but he was not *in favour of importing a pauper population. In connection with the Asiatic question lie favoured a white New Zealand for New Zealanders,

Mr Kendall moved a vote of thanks and confidence in Mr Stevens as member for Manawatu, which was seconded by Mr Hopkins, and carried unanimously. A vote of thanks to the chair concluded the meeting.

Mr. E. Newman, Opposition c; ndidate, will addre s the electors at Oroua Bridge, on Thursday next 29th hist, at 8 p.m.