THE GENERAL ELECTION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXX, Issue 278, 24 November 1896, Page 2

THE GENERAL ELECTION.

THE NELSON ELECTORATE. AN OPPOSITION DEMONSTRATION. MB PIPER AT THE THEATRE. ADDRESSING OVER 1000 PEOPLE. AN ENTHUSIASTIC AND EAGER AUDIENCE. VOTE OF CONFIDENCE CARRIED.

Seldom if ever has the Theatre been so expectant and enthusiastic audience as greeted Mr Jesse Piper, the Opposition candidate, last evening. Long before eight o'clock every Boat and every available space in the Theatre was occupied, besides which the passage outside and the main entrance under the gallery were thronged. The number of women present upstairs, downstairs and on the stage was remarkable, and very significant of the great interest taken in the contest. The appearance of influential citizens as they arrived one by one and took their place on the stage was greeted with hearty rounds of applause. As an innovation those on the platform (except the Mayor) were all avowed supporters of the Opposition cause. Just about 8 o'clock the Mayor (Mr F. Trask) and Mr Piper arrived, and the candidate received an ovation. The Mayor, who presided, said he had heaid that there was likely to be some noise that night. He asked those present to kindly keep quiet and give the speaker a fair hearing. (Hear, hear, i The meeting he had presided over on Monday last was most orderly, and Mr Trask hoped that that night those present would be as well behaved. He was pleased to take the chair, as he was a friend of Mr Piper, who was also his colleague in the City Council. Mr Piper had worked well the last seven years for the ratepayers. In whatever he had taken in hand Mr Piper had worked well and energetically. What ho might do afterwards if elected they would have to wait and see. The editor of the Evening Mail had been kind enough, said Mr Trask, to remind them that ho (Mr TrasU) was a supporter of the present Government, but he hoped they would not take that into consideration— (hear hear)— for he presided as Mayor. In formally introducing Mr Piper, the Mayor said lie was well up in local politics and if elected would no doubt do his best. Mr Piper had never usurped his position, " but for that matter," added Mr Traak, "as long as I am Mayor I wil not allow anyone to do that." (Hear hear.) I'HELIMIN AMISS. On [lie candidate rising there was loud and prolonged applause, and when the demonstration had subsided Mr Viper flxpressid his keen appreciatiun of so lieurly a greeting, aud thauked the Mayor for his kindly introduction. Hb was also pleased because he noticed a letter in the "Colonist" a short time ago in which some individual asserted that be had been talking at llavelouk in a way that he dared not ao at Nelson. Mr Piper said this was a deliberate untiuth, told with Uie intention of severing the friendship between himself and the Mayor. He stoutly denied haviug said one word about Council matters. (Applause). Mr Piper asked \he Mayor if a Councillor had ever proposed a reduction in the woiking meu's wages. (A voice: You did). The Mayor, in answer to Ihe question, said a Councillor did suggest an arrangement of wajies for labouring ineu under which those who could not earn 7s a day should get 5s and bo on, but, added he, "it was not Mr l'iper." (Applause). Proceeding, MrPipersaiuhu was pleased to see such a great audience. He declared himself an Oppositionist-,— (applause)— strongly opposed to the present Government. (Keuewed applause). He was strongly opposed to their financial and social policy, und regatded (heir policy and administration as unsound and destructive to the well-being ot the colony of New Zealand. (Applause). AH Governments disclaim responsibility for depression, but they religiously claimed credit for prosperity caused by a boom in prices or incidental circumstances. (Hear, hear.) He did nottuink they bad any right to ciaitn such credit as ttiat.

GOOD V. BAD GOVERNMENT. A good Government was one which would tax-ua.as equitably as possible and did not hinder progress, and bad Government did just the exactly opposite, (Hear, hear). Ie was an old saying that, Conservative or Liberal, the Government which blesses was the one which protected the people and lessened taxation. (Applause). All Governments nnut be judged by the fruits they bure. If this standard were applied to the present Government then they wouid stand condemned. (Voices : No and Yes). Mr Piper, emphatically: "I say yes.' They went into oirice on the top ot a boom in prices and gave great promises of no borrowing, cheap money, plenty of employment, and in fact they did not know what they hud not promised. Their promises had not been fulfilled, but have been broken all through. They have accomplished nothing except to separate | man from man, produced dearth of employment, and piled upon the people inequitable and unrighteous taxation. (Applause;. That was all the Government had done for the country, (lienewed applauso). LWEKALISJI, Mr Kp6r thought he was a Liberal. Ho always iluimed for man in the generate senso equal riphts, privileges, aud equal opportunities. His creed was that all had equal rights at the ballot box, of education, before the scat of justioo, of everything that they created by bauds or brains ! In no sense of tho word, he nssserted, was this Governmont a Liberal Government ! (Applauso.) It was rather a mongrel ! (Laughter and applause.) Not the personnel, but its policy which was a orossbreed. (A Voioo : A sort of lurebnr.) It was a cross-breed of Socialism, old Toryism, and Liberalism. The Government's land policy was Liberalism badly administered : their financial policy old Toryism, suoh as made England rotten with pauperism aftet the battle of Waterloo. (Applause.) Their Sooialistio policy is destructive, whilst England has made the AngloSaxon race the greatest and most progressive on the face of the globe. (Applause.) THE FINANCIAL QUESTION, Tho financial question was one of the most important, for upon sound finance was based the soundness of the nation. (Applause.) The State was but a collection of individuals, united for the protection of individual rights, and what was true of the State was exactly true of the individual, and vice versa. A financial policy bused upon unlimited borrowing was just as fatal to one as to the other. (Applause.) The present Governmont started under Mr Balance's relf-reliant policy. In 1891, Mr Ballanco said, "We have marohed for 20 years at n furious pace, too furioua to last ; we have piled up obligations." That was a very important statement by Mr Ballanco, because t his Government claimed to be the descendant and the true exponent of this polioy. But wbat bad they done? Acoording to Mr Seddon, the debt had increased since 1891 from £ 37.343,308 to £42,721,889, or by £4,028,581. But in reality that was only a Email portion of their borrowing, and since then they had been piling on the debt. There was £735,000 for looal bodies, the new million loan, £250,000 fojt native lands, £250,000 for land for settlement, £2,000,000 for the Bank of New Zealand guarantee, £500,000 for preferential shares of the Bank, and £2,781,000 for the realisation of

assets. This non-borrowing Government, ':■ going in upon the policy of the lato Hon. '•» John Ballance, which every one in New Zealand hailed with delight, pied up the •v . the colony's obligations in four years to £12,394,581! A voice; Sbamaful). That " . was something marvellous and disgraceful '■ to any statesmen starting upon a non- ; borrowing polioy. (Applause, and a voice: The Government made it four millions). Hemadeitover twelve. The colony's rbligationß are something like £49,000,000, or £71 for every man, womin, aud child in the country- double the taxes in France, the most heavily-burdened country in the world. (A voice : " They have no assets,") Mr Piper said be would talk about assets. If the borrower was servant to the lender, then we were servants to the British capitalists (A voice: "A good master.) We had borrowed on native lands, (o buy lands for settlement, to advance money to settlers, for loans to local bodies, to raise sinking funds to pay off that loan, and then we took it into the revenue again I We had borrowed for conversions and consols, to support a rotten bank ! That is the style we havg been going it. We had made ourselves the agent of the British capitalist. Then we complained of hard times 1 Why, how could they expect anything but hard times, when they had to strive aud strugg'e ? With exports of little more more than 8} millions, and imports less than 6* millions, we had to pay £2,163,783 for interest on money borrowed, and the English people carry our produce home in their ships, That was the state of the case, and it was what we must face in the near future.

CONVERSION AND SINKING FCTNDS. Burrowing by conversion aud seizinp; Sinkiug Funds that is what might be termed sly borrowing. Sir Julius Yogel, the brat financial plunger that ever New Zealand had, was the man who invented tbis Conversion and Sinking Fund bor. rowing. If the people of Dunedin had tied his legs and exported him it would have been betterfor the country (laughter, and a voice suggested " to Hong Kong.") This system of borrowing whs a matter they did not know anything about until the annual balance sheet came out. He would tell them something of what the Government had done. In 1893 the Government converted £803 207 worth of debentures at a cost of £139 904 or 15 per tent. That was one of their conversions bnt there was as part of ihit one of the moat peculiar transactions that ever occurred iv a>y country in the world. In 1863 there was raißed in England £500,000 when the troops were withdrawn from New Zealand, and the Government of England guaranteed that loan, and it was i raised at 4 per cent. In 1893 the credit was sufficient to pay the whole of the debt in 1915. But that Sinking Fond was too big a temptation for the present Government of New Zealand, and bo they appealed to the Bank of England, who held the debt, and asked them what they would take for that £500,000 to convert it. The Bank saM 17 per cent. It was agreed to convert it at that price and the Government borrowed 616,000 at 4* per ceut discount ami they added to the deb* of this country £616,000 by way of conversions. Mr Piperadmitted that this might be clever financing but to some people it appeared disgraceful. (He,r, hear). It was a policy that the country should repudiate at the coming elections (Applause and a voice "We are not having any, Piper." ) "All right," responded lit >'iper, and continuing his remarks aneht ainkinglunds!, said the principle introduced was to borrow from a Sinking Fund, bring it into revenue, pay it over to the bmkiug Fund, and then bring io back und transfer it to the Public Works. The. taßmg of the Local Bodies' Sinking Funds he condemned as a breach of faith with the public of New Zealand. (Here there was some interruption, which caused the .Mayor to remark that those who were creating the disturbance could not be sup. ponera of Mr Piper and that ie would bs more to their credit to behave themselves, lhe Mayor's rebuke met with general approval.) BOBIiOWINQ TJY CJNSOLS. They had evidence that the borrowing by consols was to help the Colonial Bank and the Colonial Treasurer. Two millions were raised as a guarantee to the Bank of N.Z, one of which was to remain liquid, but the Coloninl Treasurer took £150,000 borrowed at 4 pel- cent, and it was invested in Government consols at 3J per cent. Then he took it from the consols and invested it in th. wolonial Bank at 4 per cent, and in the House of Representatives boasted of hisclev-r finance! Mr Piper said there u-6s anoliur word for this transaction 1 What had become of the £ 150,000 ? Thfa question had been asked iv the House. Where was it ? The question had never been answered I One might ask, Was it lent to the J. G. Ward Association, or was it in tho C or B lists of the Colonial Bank » Instead oi sound finance this was nothing hut jugglery, which everyone should endeavour to repudiate. (Urar, hear! and applause).

ADVANCES TO SETTLERS The Advances to Setters measured, on utter departure from the functions of the Government, waa turning New Zealand into a bnge pawn thop ! It was only the grossest and darkest ignorance for any one to tliink that any action of the Government could ever cheapen money ! It was an absolute fact, proved by "the history of nations and of New Zealand, tbat no Government could ever cheapen money. Twenty years ago in New Zealand money was Bto 10 per cent. Before the Government came into the market the rate had got down to 0 per cent, simply because the supply was in excess of the demand, tnd capitalists could not get more than 6 per cent. If the Government liad kept out of it, all experts say unhesitatingly, money would be cheaper in New Zealand than it is now. They had Mr Watson's evidence before tho Banking Inquiry when he said, " We are not doing so well in New Zealand because money is I per cent cheaper in Australia.' liow was it, Mr Piper asked, that though there were no Advances to Settbis in Australia money was 1 per cent cheaper! Mr Bell, M.HE. (Wellington), said, "I am handling a great deal of money and I tell you money is not coming to New Zealand as it is to Australia, because of the insecurity—because they are waiting really to soe what was coining round." But here was further proof ; In the 10 years ending 1880, money in banks not bearing interest increased by .£600,000. In the like period .ending' 1890 it increased by .£2,000,000, ,£1,000,000 of which has accumulated since the beginning of the year. And why ? Because capitalists have lost confidence in the Government of New Zealand. They are asking themselves what is coming noxtr 1 \\ hut new legislation ? What now regulations ? And they prefer to await events ; ami with capital idle, labour is idle, and charitable aid is increasing through the meddle and muddle policy of the present Government of New Zealand. (A voice: You are wrong, Piper >. "I am light, and I have proved it" replied Mr I'iper, nn-1 coulinning he asked, "Is 142,000,000 borrowed and £15,000,000 spent on railways yielding 3$ per cent reproductive ? Everyone knows it is not ! Is £387,916 at 4 per cent interest— XH.572) nnnnally eppnton Umls for settleraentyieltling £7.815 17s5<! rental reproductive V Mr John McKenzie went in to the Lending Board and gave them a stir up, telling them they were to co ahead. They had been trying to lend on "proper security, but when the Minister thus forced them, money was lent upon properties overvalued, and we shall have plenty of estates for sale presently! (Applause. Mr Piper iad gone into the "Gazette" and had earned something about the Cheviot Estate, and he asked, " Is the Cheviot Estate —bought for £250,000, upon which £71,000 had been spent, and £71,000 received— of which £27,700 are cash land sales—reproductive ';' There was a clear loss here of £27,000 ! Then look at the new million loan — half of it was mortgaged. It was a disgrace to any Government to do that. (Applause). They spent the money and absolutely forced the Upper House to consent to" it because it could not do otherwise ! Would the £1,000,000, which included thermal springs £50,000, sold fields £200,000, roads £250,000, and native lands £250,000, be reproductive? (A voice : In time). Yes, said Mr Piper, "In time,' ' especially if such large amounts wore wasted over water races and to subsidise big Anglo-German Syndicates. (Applause.) We say, "But look at our assets \" That was exactly wbat tho Bank. of New Zealand -said, and now the assets were a burden which could n.ot be got rid of. It appeared' to Mr Piper that this soit of thing Was destructive borrowing, and he was strongly opposed to this li non-borrowing, selfreliant Government's policy." (Applause,)

THAT BUBPLUS. Mi 1 Piper next analysed the surplus of £215,558 olaimea by the Government. It was wonderful how these financiers got their surplus ! Would they believe it, a . sum of ,£U6,500 proceeds of debentures issued for Sinking Fund was -brought , into account as receipts to aid revenue') ; '~ : .£73,621 for land sold was credited as revenue. Now deduct these two amounts " '• ' (4219,021) from the revenue, and they\.'.got a deficiency of .£3,473, But there was :;. \ " also extra taxation in Customs -dut£es«\~' • • : The extra revenue from- Customs '-,wat; ; 'j'' about .£BO,OOO, and suppose ifc was ■reek-^ Vi oned at *40,000, the. deficiency ■ \thb-.. £'?&'*= • ■ ■ ' ''■■ ■'.■■""-'.-' '•' '"^-v ---'..vßvis^

£43,473 instead of the surplus claimed! (Applause).; ' TAXATION. In certain ways you could tax the last rag from a man's back, the last bite from his mouth. (Here there was an interruption by some one under the gallery, and the Mayor, who said he recognised the voice very effectively, restored order by threatening to have the man ojected by the police). Resuming, Mr Piper ga.ve an illustration of tho old Tory taxation when England was rotten with pauperism. Tha Poor Law Commission report .of 1833, of the Parish of Lenham in Kent, said:— "A farm of 420 acres of good land, tithe free, well situated. The poor rate on this farm was nearly .£3OO per annum. The tenant has just thrown it up." That is a sample of the effect of taxing everything you put in your mouth, on your back, or to enclose your foet. England's debt was about J631 per head, interest .£1 Is per head, while ours is £63, an'l interest .£2 6s per head. Now how did England get out of her disgraceful condition? By an entire change in the incidence of taxation, a cessation of borrowing, and an increasing freedom of her institutions. These three things have made England a great and potent nation, with a debt of but .£l6, and an annual charge for interest of only 9s per head. HARD TIMES. ' Hard times were complained of and no wonder, seeing how inequitably we were taxed, having to pay on an averase 15s pet head for local governmeet and £3 11s for general, bar, we didn't grumble at the latter because we did not see it, yet it was none the le s mischievous. 'Applause). Suppose I'uat £3 11s were applied directly, there would be a revolution in the land. They got something in return for the 15s— they got roads ; but for their £3 11s they cot legislation at excessive cost. Comparing our taxation with that .of England, Mr Piper said in England they paid £1 14s agaist our £3 lls per head. In England they paid 9s lor direct taxation and here 10s 4d had to he paid. For voluntary taxation on spirits, etc., 20a was paid in England and 18* 9d in the colony. On the ikceawries of life they only paid 2s in England whilst we had to pay £l 9s, and it was here where the burden touobed us mosi. (Hear, hear, and applause . The remedy for us was to gradually change the inoidenoe of taxation, leave specions borrowing, develope iudußtry and commeroa by greater freedom, go iv for strict economy of . legislation, and let New Zealand -grow out) of her difficulties. (Hear, hear . They could dod do anything violently — he was not a violent man himself. (Applause). Le'. them rest and allow New Zealand to grow out of her difficulties. RBTBENCHMENT. Betrenchment loomed in the, distance. They knew the pr<cess,— first inflate the revenue by borrowing and taxation, to produce a surplus, I hen put your impeounious friends into billets, and later on cry out. "Betrenchment in tbe Civil Service"! Next cut down small salaries, turn out the old men grown grey in the country's service, and place more friends in their stead. 'Applause.) He had not tbe slightest sympathy with this kind of retrenchment. (Prolonged applause). Unquestionably retrenchment would come. Then, as the first thing they should do, lei them cut down the honorarium— as the wages of members of the House of Representatives was called. (Applause :. It had been said that the present Government did not raise the honorarium. Ho knew better, for it was £200 per annum some years ago, then it was reduoed by Major Atkinson to £150, and the present Government increased it \o £240. No one could deny that ! (Applanse,) MINISTERIAL EXPENSES. Mr Piper said he had a few items of Ministerial expenses. (A voice : Trot them out) 1 He had totted up the salaries drawn by the Hon. Richard Seddon, who received »8 Premier .£IOOO a year, with £200 for house, £440 for travelling expenses, £250 from tbe Estates Company, £750 from the Anglo-German Syndicate, making in all £2640. The pruuing knife required to be put into mushroom departments to relieve the country from tho multiplicity of Inspectors going about teaching their grandparents to buck eggs (laughter)— and who are sent to regulate our houses, fields, factories, and even our orohards. (App.) If they still lacked relief, then put the pruning knife into the salaries of the higher paid officials of the civil service. (Applause.) CIVIL SERVICE REFORM. Reform of ihe Civil Service was a perennial dish, sometimes ■ associated with classification and at others with regulation. Ihe Railway Classification hnd reduced all men below 25 years of age. So long as the Civil Service was under political control they would never have an efficient and economical service. (Aplause). LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The nomination by Government every seven years of members for the Upper House required alteration. The Legislative Council, though it had done good work, was too much of a recording Chamber instead of a Chamber for the careful revision of hasty and ill-considered Legislation. Better abolish it, than have it as a mere recording chamber (applause). He would favour a modified Hare Systcai of election to the Upper House. (Applause). DECENTRALISATION, Mr Piper explained his views upon decentralisation, (which have already been fully reported in the Mail). He said the tendency in Britain is to decentralise, by creating county, district, and parish Councils. The tendency in New Zealand is to centralise ; to create a big department in Wellington to govern the whole colony. Hence we havo tho most expensivo Government and heavily taxed people in the colonies, and perhaps in the world. Governments in theory recognise decentralisation in their local government bills. The present Government has one of which no municipal authorities approve. His motto was chiefly "unity and concentration." (Applause.) THE STAGNATION. In spite of the labour bureau and other methods of finding employment there was stagnation in the labour market. It was stated in the. House some time ago that 160 nameß had been placed on the list of the labour bureau at Christchurch, 130 of whom were married men. The Premier said he never knew a country go back as New Zealand had done, and that they were breeding paupers. This was what Mr Seddon's remedy had achieved, and the Premier's remedy was to put nominees into the Charitable Aid Board to spend other people's money. The cause of tho depression, however, was the Premier's policy itself. We needed legislate rest, freedom of commerce, and a decrease in taxation. (Applause). Tho Government must cease muddling and meddling, and cease borrowing. Aa to freedom of trade, why should we not open, commerce with Australia by international exchange ? Why should we not have trade with the rest of the world 1 The destiny of New Zealand was to becoino the Britain of the South, and it was only mal-administratiou which provented its fulfilment, (Applause). l/AND SKTTLEHBNT. Mr Hogg, a strong Government supporter, had said of the land for settlement policy of tho Government that it waa rascally administration, and he was not far wrong. As to land settlement, ho (Mr Piper) agreed with tho policy that would settle people along the arterial railway routes of the colony, — in village 3-acre lots, and in suburban lots of from 10 to 8 acres. We were indebted to our pastoral lands for our prosperitymutton and wool were kings — hut when population increased sheep would havo to give way to population. Land was not property in the sense that moveablo things were property. In regard to the land policy of the Government, if Mr John McKenzio was an honest man, he had been completely fooled. The Pomahaka estate waa a sample of some of the bargains the Government had lnadej in regard to the purchase of land for settlement. That estate was hawked about for JSBOOOV and the money could not be obtainedj but eventually the estate was botfgat by the Government for .£18,850, the .total cost being .£21,109. The only proper- land for settlement policy -was .to place the people on land along the main railway, routes, but the whole question would"' bSar further inquiry! In regard to land tenure there was no security in New: Zealand, for it was all supject to the whim of the majority by means of confiscation. He held that it was immoral to deprive a man of his freehold rights, If a man built a palatial residence, aud his land increased in value, no Government had a right to' come along and say that that enterprise should be taxed. I ssemed as if the Government had a special down on lawyers, for soon there would.be no title left for land. The re- 1 sUlt was that people were avoiding New Zealand because there was no security of tenure. THE BAHKINO LEGISLATION. ~ln regard to the ' Banking legislation, the Government had taken the responsibility of the B.N.Z.- guarantee, and forced ifr oh- the country, ft was very apparent, liowever, that 'the shareholders of the ; ||ajjk were not at all thankful for-tb.«

guarantee.. It was not at all likely that the Government did not know of Mr Ward's position at the time the guarantee was given. (Applause). Ministers knew that if the Colonial Bank went Mr Ward would have to go with it. (Applause). For this reason the colony had been saddled with the Bank guarantee. (Applause). The Banking inquiry had been a complete farce (Gveit Applauso and a few cries of No) . M i Jnstico Willams' judgment in the Colonial Bank liquidation pointed to the connection of Mr Ward with the Colonial Bank affairs, and the country wanted to know what that connection was. (Applause, and a Voice: Who had the written off ?) But at the Banking inquiry every question affecting Mr Ward was met by " Not in the order of reference." (Applause and cries of No). The Government was judge and jury and defendant,— and brought in a verdict for the defendant. (Applause). Tho doings of dead and gone men wero brought up, but the doings of living men in 1894 wore hidden and shielded by the Premier, and his chairman. (Applause and Uproar).

{Concluded on the f t th Page.)

Persons who sympathize with tho afflicted will rejoice with D. E. Carr, Harrison street, Kansas City. Ho is an old suflerer from inflammatory rheumatism, but has not heretofore beon troubled in this climate. Last winter he went up into Wisconsin, and in conseqiience has had another attack. "It came upon mo again very acute and severe," he said, "My ioints swelled and becanio inflamed ; soro to touch or almost to look at. Upon the urgent request of my mother-in-law, I tried Chamberlain's Pain Balm to reduce the swelling and ease the pain, and to my agreeable surprise, ib did both. I have used bottles, and believe it to he the finest thing for rheumatism, pains sind swellings extant. For sale by James Boon.

{Concluded from Srd.page.) BOCIAIi LEGISLATION. if the Government had read or known ihe history of the past, it never would have attempted to introduoe legislation affecting and restraining individual enterprise. Mr Piper quoted authorities to prove his', oontention, including Henry George, Lord Salisbury, and tbe lut>3 Judge Richmond. The last, he being dead, had spoken. In acknowledging the receipt of a pamplr let, he said : "We are threatened with an amount of State interference wtih indußtry, which would be oertainly hurtful if carried to the lengths many people seem to desire. It seems to be thought that Acts of Parliament can supersede the laws of human nature, and do away with the enormous natural inequality which exists ajnong men. 'ibere is plenty to do in the way of refuting sooialistio fallaoies for anyone wbo it able and wililing to undertake the task." These words, every man, woman, and ohild should listen to as a warning whioh applied especially to isew Zealand. CAPITAL AND LABOtB. The present Government thought that the blatant demagogues of a few trade unions in the colony expressed the voice of the country, and tbat to satisfy them would please all. It would be just as futile to expect a man with chained legs to win a race. Capital was not antagonistic to labour— it was as closely allied to it as a man to his wife. (Applause and laughter.) What was capital ? A man's labour and its results— his hands, his maohinery, his mews of saving labour. Telegraphy railways, telephones, machinery, all were aidß to labour and the embodiment of oapitaL (Applause), Any one w ho __ interfered with capital interfered with labour. As soon as a panic occurred the working ,-men • were injured beoause capital beoame timid. (Applause,. It was foolish. and wicued to say that capital was opposed to labour, and the, Government had forfeited confidence and deserved reprobation for setting the onie against the other. (Applause). . TJBUBY BILL. In regard to the limitation of interest, he, urged that in all the ages it had. been impossible to legislate. againßt.it, and that the effect of legislation had invariably been to inorease the interest. Even here'; where attempts had been made, the ra;e of interest was higher than' in Australia, yet the Government had been fooling with a Usury bill. With money at its natural level of 5 and 6 per cent Government attempted to pass a Bill that, you must not go beyond 8 on freehold security, or 10 per oent on risks or no seourity, Any man of sense could see that the first regulation was useless, and the second regulation mischievous, bepanse it would be constantly evaded on very risky security by consent of the borrower. THB'CONDITION OP LABOUR. All his. (Mr Piper's) life he had been trying to elevate labour, beoiuse, unless the people at tbe bottom were happy and contented those at the top couH not be prosperous. (Applause). This was the doctrine of righteousness, and ie was a doctrine by fact. (Applause), tie would support auy scheme to raise tbe condition of the .working man. , (Applause). But the Government Labour Bureau and co-operative gangs had not benefited tbe workers. The sohemes sent men .to the police for work, and compelled men who could, earn fair wages to share with men ■who .\ were incapable. Tbe co. j operative contracts were a farce, a loss to the State, and a crnelty to the men.

An Auckland surveyor reported, '• When the Parliamentary votes are small the cost of tents, tools, etc, and the pay of the inspeotor absorb too large a per centage. Men elected by ballot do not work amicably together. When the men from town their job they return ito town, and place their name on tho Labour Buieau list, thus practically never reducing the unemployed." He (Mr Piper) understood that the co-operatives signed contraots, were limited in hours to work, and money earned, and if they lost time through wet one,week they were not to make it up another. That was regulated and inspected co-operation— better the old contract system than that. He would place men on the land as he had already stated, to create their own ..wages, He believed in co-operation as the golden bridge to join capital and labour, but it must be voluntary co-operation. Bat the Government scheme of co-operation was a ridiculous farce. A man who could earn 10s had to share it with a man who could earn only ss. He never heard of people in the Government service at £800 or bo a year offering to share their salary with the man who received only £200. (Appplause.) As to the eight hours system the working . man of New Zealand owed a debt of gratitude to the pioneers who had established it by custom, for all britiah law was the on tcome. of immemorial cußtom. Bat the Government had introduced a compulsory Eight Hours Jbill— or rather a 45 hours Bill— which forced men in woik to share with others who had no work, Whatitdid was to restrict wages, and compel men to work leas thaa they deßired to do. Now eight horn s work a day was quite enough for anyone, and it wonld an wide of men to work more, or for employers to demand more. Custom was strong etiough to enforce this, without the binding of Jaw.

Mr Piper also condemned the Domestic servants' Half Holiday Bill, aad was quoting from authorities on British liberty, when so-ne people at the back persistently interrupted, on which the Chairman said:

" Will you boys keep order ? It cannot be men, surely ?" Mr Piper continued, and said tbe Domestic ' Servants' Half Holiday Bill, if passed into law, would make us ridiculous in the sight of the world. . »

in regard to the Shipping and Seamen's B.il he had been a sailor himself for nine years — (Applause) And he felt sympathy with a seamail's hardship. But harassing and restrioive legislation would harm rather than help. teamen's and' fehipping Bills were of perennial growth, owing to the activity of Mr Millar, M.U.K., head Jaungler of the great strike, and we wore trying to ruin the shipping txade by forcing shipowners to register in another colony, and to make cheap freights from another country impoßßible. Other nations provided hoßpiiala for siok Bailors : we muloted the shipowner if he left a sailor

ashore sick ; but we gave him (he alternative of taking the perhaps dying man to sea ie die in deep water Other na'ions welcomed with pitying sympathy the consumptive we would punish the captains who brought i hem even if they did not know it. This was the ridiculous way we were trying to ruin the shipping trade. Nine years before the mas. brought him feelingly in o touch with the sufferings of sailors from shortage of provisions through skin-flint shipowners ; but harassing the shipowners by vexatious restrictions did not help tho sailor. What sailors wanted was what mankind generally wanted — an easy method of righting wrongs. (Applause.) On the Old Age Pensions Bill he was strongly in favour of some proper Bohemo, but he certainly did not approve of the Government measnre, which was both costly and unworkable. SUMMARi. To summarise, the first duty of the people was to get rid of a Government whioh had proved its incapacity to govern in the people's interest ; then to reverse its fisoal policy If we borrow at all, we should borrow in New Zealand by issuing popular loans by £25 debentures. We should go in for rigid economy of administration by getting rid of the evermultiplying inspectors, who, like mites in a cheese were tumbling over each other and doing inoulable mischief, trying to teaoh their grandmothers to suok eggs. (Laughter and applause.) We should out down the wages of the members of Parliament from £210 to £150 ; reduce travelling expenses ; gradually change the inoidenoe of taxation ; enoourage oommeroial exchange with the nations of the semioirole ; cease interference with private enterprise; and allow the country to grow out of her present stagnant condition, by the natural unrestrained development of her splendid material resources. (Applause.) LOCAL MATTERS. In local matters, it eleoted he would try to have the Waimea mudfiab reclaimed with private , money (a statement which seemed to give great amusement to some ot the Qrah&mites in the audience). He could assnre the working men that he was not their enemy but their friend, and in the Gounoil he bad always taken their aide, Here, as the "barracking" continued, the chairman asked : Is there a constable there f If so, pleasa put those boys out, for it oan't be men. (Applaase,) If you are Liberals, give a man fair play. (Cheers). When Mr Piper concluded with a few more remarks there was loud cheering aud - applanse and some uproar from the barrackerß, with orieß of " Give ub Prohibition." A Mr Pellew stepped,, on the platform and asked : What in jour opinion is a fair wage for a working man to receive P Mr Piper: The average in New Zealand is 7s, and that is lair enough. (Applause), Mr Pellew : Did yon not say last election that it should be 4s a day P Mr Piper : I said nothing of th kind. (Applause). Mr Haggitt asked Mr Piper's views on Prohibition, but Mr Piper eaid ho tad already explicitly stated them by maaus of. his letter to the local Prohibition Oodnoil and the Press. (Applause and noise). Mr Haggitt : Are you in favour of a two-thirds majority P Mr Piper : Yes. X have already said so. (Applause). On the motion of Mr E. Cook, seconded by Mr Bankin, a working man, a vote of thanks to and confidence in Mr Piper was deolared carried amidst applause, the voting being 3 to 1 in spite of some noise and barraoking. Mr Cock's remarks are reported on the 3rd page. A vote of thanks to the ohairman for presiding so fairly brought the meeting to a termination.