Mr Stevens at Himatangi.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 439, 29 October 1908, Page 2

Mr Stevens at Himatangi.

(Special Reporter.) Mr Stevens addressed a very large meeting in the Schoolhouse, Himatangi, last night. Mr Whitten occupied the chair and in introducing the speaker said that after hearing Mr Stevens, they would be quite satisfied to have him represent the district for another term in Parliament.

Mr Stevens congratulated the residents of Himatangi on having received, through him, a definite promise from the PostmasterGeneral of the establishment of a post office and daily mail service. There were four candidates seeking the suffrages of the electors. His three opponents had made very complimentary remarks regarding him, for which he thanked them. If he made any reference to his opponents it would be from a political point of view only, because he had always es-

chewed personalities in public matters. First, they had the Opposition candidate, who was seeking to revise the party supported by the great orgauiastion which once existed, called “the National Association’’ and abreviated into the “national ass.’’ Now an attempt was being made to beat a politically dead donkey into life and the task was a hard one. There was another candidate and he said he was a Government supporter and would like people to believe that the Government did not care whether he or Mr Stevens were returned, but that was not so. The Government would only support one candidate in each electorate and he had in his possession the written approval of his candidature by the Prime Minister. This left no doubt as to whom the Government were supporting and any electors who wished to support the Government but recorded a vote for any socalled supporter of the Government, would be assisting to defeat the Government candidate and that was himself (Mr Stevens). He mentioned this because it was freely stated that it did not matter whether Government supporters voted for Mr Stevens or Mr Franklaud. He was the Government candidate exclusively and wished that to be understood, so that people might not be misled. The third candidate was an Independent, and that, in the eyes of those who knew anything of politics, was nothing. While there was a Party system there must be parties and while there were parties there must be part3 r men who had the courage to say to which Party they belonged. Mr Stevens then went on to deal with the Land Question, Dairy Regulations, Land Settlement, Finance, etc. The meeting unanimously endorsed all that has been done by Mr Stevens in having legislation passed for the constitution of the Foxton Harbour Board.

In answer to questions, he said he was in favour of making the poll tax on Chinamen prohibitive; was not in favour of compulsory military training ; he was not in favour of a tax on , bachelors. Under the old provincial ordinance, bachelors paid poll tax in order to assist to defray the cost for education and it would be a retrograde step if such a tax were imposed, as the Opposition might say that the Government had stolen their policy.

A vote of thanks and continued confidence in Mr Stevens as representative for Manawatu and confidence in the present Government was proposed by Mr A. W. Jones and seconded by Mr M. Boyle and carried unanimously and with acclamation.

A vote of thanks to the Chairman terminated the meeting.