THE SUPERINTENDENCY ELECTION. MR REID'S MEETING.

North Otago Times, Volume XV, Issue 597, 7 February 1871, Page 2

THE SUPERINTENDENCY ELECTION. MR REID'S MEETING.

Mr Donald Reid addressed a crowded tneoting in the Volunteer Hull, on Thursday evening. There were about 400 persons present. His Worship the Major, in introducing the candidate, said, he had been asked in his capacity as head of the Municipality, to preside, and although lie personally preferred staying at home during times of political excitement, yet there were certain duties which he must not shrink from. He felt it was almost unnecessary to ask for Mr Reid, what, he was sure would bo accorded, a fair hearing. As a candidate for the Superintendency of tho Province, there were matters of local importance as weli as more general topics upon which the candidate would have to express his views, such, for instance, as the Waitaki Bridge, the Oamaru Dock, etc., and, a3 the_ office to which Mr Reid aspired carried with it certain privileges, he hoped that, having first heard all Mr Reid had to say, thoy would put him through hi3 facings, and that he would come out of the ordeal well (Applause). Mr Reid, who, on rising, was received with cheers, said, as his political opponents had done him tho honor of expounding his political views for him, he was glad of tho opportunity to meet the electors of Oamaru, and expound them for himself, and he hoped that they would dismiss all foregone conclusions, and hear him out, as no set of individuals were so capable of explaining the views of another candidate as the candidate himself. The most important of the questions novr engaging the attention of the public was the large scheme of immigration and public works of the Fox-Vogel Government. If they lind done hun tho honor to read his speech in Duncdm, they would be aware that attempts had been made to refute the views then expressed by him, but though there vrere many ready enough to sneer, there were none able to put forth a successful refutation. Although the Colonial Treasurer was himself in Dunedin a few days ago, he had not refuted his (Mr Reid's) views, nor did he attempt it, although they might be 6iire he would not have left Dunedin without so doing, had it been possible for him to do so. He (Mr Reid) adhered to the statements he had made. If the public works scheme were canned out according to the schedules to the Act, there would be L3 expended in the North Island, as against Xil in the Middle Island ; while the tax-bearing power was in inverse ratio as L2 to LI. The Provincial Council was entitled to some credit for the action it took ■with regard to that measure. Had the Council accepted that scheme, and ordered certain, surveys to be made under it, it would have done an injustice to the people ; and it took a right stand in saving " Let the matter be referred to the constituencies, so that ample justice may be done to all." If the constituencies of Otago were willing to accept a mere " handfid of chaff," which was all they would secure as the scheme stood, then it would be their own blame. They were offered a railway from Tokomairiro to Tuapcka, and some provision for water supply upon the goldfields, but that was about all. Now it was for them to decide whether the scheme should be adopted as passed, or cai-ried out with necessary modifications. He was not opposed to the Colony entering the money market for the means to carry out reproductive works, and provide facilities for the transport of its produce to the seaboard. (Hear, hear), but he was not for his part disposed to bind the country to a scheme which provided for the construction of hundreds of miles of railway in country described as a barren wilderness — as Mr Reader Wood put it — railways " from the desert of clay hills in the interior to the desert of Wellington." (Laughter and applause.) At the present moment there was no white population there to take advantage of those works when constructed. The speaker then adverted to the constant native disturbances in the North Island, arguing that it was folly, as well as an act of injustice, that in face of such circumstances by far the larger portion of the loan should be expended in the North. While not indisposed to assist our fellow-settlers in the North in maintaining the security of their lives and properties, he thought it ■was too much to ask that the revenues of the South should be wholly expended for this purpose, thus denying shipping facilities and necessary public ■works where there was already a large settled population. (Applause.) He believed in the policy of constructing such works out of loan, but it was necebsary that the fair expenditure of tho loan should be secured — that no injustice should be done to ono part of the Colony to benefit another ; and it would be only justice that that part of the Colony in which they were more intimately interested, tlie Province of Otago should, while contributing one-third of the revenue, receive one third of the expenditure. (Applause.) It was not his intention to refer seriatim to the various works which might be advantageously constructed out of loan in this Province, as if he did so it would probably be said that it was with the motive of influencing the election ; and if the electors were not satisfied that he would, if returned, observe strict impartiality as between the different districts, then let them reject him. (Cheers.) k He was not there to hold out all sorts of promises to this district and the other district, but he was there to say that if elected he should do his utmost to secure a fair distribution of advantages. (Hear, hear.) In addition to the large sums set down for railways in the Government loan scheme, there was an item of L400.000 set down for the construction of roads in the North Island. Now, there were many works of equal importance to the construction of railways, and he could not understand -why districts in the Middle Island were precluded from getting their roads, &e. Another feature was the proposal to expend L300,000 for the development of the goldfields ofNew Zealand. That was the weak point of the scheme, as the sum proposed to be set apart was manifestly insufficient. (Hear, hear.) At the time the Provincial Councd resolved to ask the sanction of the General Assembly for a loan of L650,000 for Otngo — which would have been an accomplished fact, had it not been for a nar-

row-ininded and short-sighted opposition — onr e the main objects in view was the developm<^|^k the mineral resources of the country, and uoi^ffat tho General Government proposed the expenditure of 8 to 12 millions the Province would gain nothing more than it would have gained under the L65O,OOO loan scheme. The expenditure of a large sum of money on the goldfields would not only bo reproductive but would secure immediate and direct benefits, not only by adding to the income of the country by the larger goldfields revenue ; the miners were large consumers of dutiable articles, and with an increased mining population a larger market would be opened to the producer. If the miners were to leave the country — and many of them would leave it unless means were provided for the extension of their operations — how would it fare with those who wei'e left ? They would at once feel the pressure of an increased taxation, although the Colony was even now the most heavily taxed country in the world, and no class or interest could prosper. (Hear, hear.) Instead of L300,000 he (Mr Reid) would like to see a million expended on the goldfields for water supply, etc. (Applause.) Then there was a million put down for immigration ; if they spent that siun to introduce population, they must spend moro millions to find work for that population. (Hear, hear.) Unless employment were provided labor must leave our Bhores for others where employment at a fair wage could bo obtained, and wo should be left with a dwindling population to bear increased fiscal burdens. To his mind a sound scheme of immigration must not only provide employment for the immigrant, but immigration must be steadily introduced as it could bo absorbed into tho labor markets, and facilities given for the acquisition of land with a view to the permanent settlement of the waste lands of the country. (Cheers.) If they could enable persons who came here to lake up the land on reasonable terms, they woidd not only place prosperity within the reach of those persons, but they themselves and the country at large would prosper. That could not be a sound scheme which did not mate provision for the settlement of their waste lands. There had been a great deal said about the Government Scheme as a " progressive" policy. Now, though he was in favor of sound steady progress, if it was understood by a " progressive policy " that the Colony was to rush into debt to introduce population without providing employment for that population, and opening up the lands for settlemeat, ho repeated, if that was what was understood by " progression " then he was not a progressionist. (Cheers.) But if, on the other hand, what was meant by the term was the steady introduction of population under such conditions as would ensure the means of the obtaining by that population of a reasonable measure of prosperity, then he claimed to be progressive He believed that thousands would come here of their own accord, provided there were liberal provision made for their settlement on the Waste Lands of the Colony. Having ensured to the incoming population the means of making homos for themselves, they would at tho same time have ensured the progress of manufactures in the Colony, and by-and-bye they ought to be able to produce not only enough for home consumption, but for export to surrounding countries. By so-doing they would exclude from tho market many articles of British or foreign manufacture, the Bums annually paid for which wero a great drain upon the resources of the country. (Hear, hear.) But suuh results were not to bo secured by visionary schemes which would only produce a temporary and transient prosperity, but by a broad and careful measure which, while providing for^ the introduction of population, would also provide employment for that population, and place the acquisition of land within easy reach. So long as the Hundreds Regulation Act remained on the Statute books of the Colony the last-mentioned condition could not be secured. When the Provincial Executive heard that that measure was to bo proposed in the Assembly they sent xrp a solemn protest against it, yet, in face of that protest, it passed into law ; thereby, lie maintained, a great injustice being done to the future settlers of Olago. That Act should be repealed, and although it might take time to do so would be if the constituencies took a decided united, and determined stand, (Cheers.) He did not come there to try to catch votes by any such cries as " Down with the Squatters," nor any such promises as that he would " drive them into the Pacific Ocean." (Laughter, and hear, hear.) Tho squatters had done much for the country, and they had vested interests, but those interests must not be allowed to overshadow all other interests in the Province. They had been told that the Act to which he had referred provided a key to unlock the lands, but instead of that it threw obstacles in the way of settlement, and he should vote for its repeal. (Applause.) The conditions under which the runholders first took up their lands hadbeen subsequently altered, and a further tenure awarded them, but it was never intended that the new terms should act as a bar to the settlement of the Province, but the action of the General Assembly had made them so in spite of the protest of the Provincial authorities. It had been said that the Reid Executive was composed of very obstructiv eindividuals but their action with regard to the Southern Truck Railway had proved that the charge had no foundation in fact. During two years of administration Mr "Vogel's Ministry had achieved nothing beyond sending Mr Young on a trip to England, and Mr Vogel on a trip to Auckland, nnd all that had been done towards the furtherance of the work he claimed for the Reid Administration. The speaker here read extracts from the addross of His Honor the Superintendent Jive days before the Reid Executive took office, and added that on their coining into office they found that the term of threo years' guarantee had expired, and nothing been done although during thoso three years several offers had been received for the construction of the railway. One — and an exceedingly favorable one — was received from Mr Audley Cooto, to construct tho line on a guaranteo of 5£ pei cent, for 35 years. Mr Vogel, however, did not advise the Governor to leave tho Ordinance to its operation, and so the acceptance of the offer was precluded. It therefore ill became those who had been tliomeolves obstructionists to try to cast the odium of being obstructive upon the Heid Executive. After quoting further from Mr Macandrew'e address before referred to, Mr Reid reiterated that the blame of any delay with rcard to this important work rested not with the Reid Executive, but with their opponents. (Applause.) He would not trouble them much with regard to the goldfields question, but would leave it to them to ."ay whether they wore as well satisfied with the goldfields' administration during tho past thirteen months as during that of tho previous two And a half years. The reason ho was now not on tho same " platform " with Mr Macandrew was that Mr Mncandrow hnrl forsaken the platform upon which he was elected. Mr Macandrew had expressed hiB regret that provision had not been made for the settlement of the country, and hud at the same time inconsistently declined to recommend certain Huudieds. Mr Macandrew, who claimed to be a friend of settlement, had acted with gross inconsistency. On the occasion of the bringing in of the " Hundreds Regulation Act," an Act calculated to impede that which he professed to advocate, how did they find the " friend of settlement" voting? He would read the division list. (Mr Reid then read tho list, pointing out Mr Macandrew's name amonjr those of the supporters of the measure.) Here, then, was the man who promised to oppose any alteration in the Lund Laws unless such alteration were submitted to and approved by tho Provincial Council, voting for a measure which made most radical changes, and which stipulated that " no Hundred should be proclaimed unless half njricultural land," and that 'it should be left to commissioners to determine whether the land was fit to occupy Ho (Mr Rsid) nmintuiued that the people were the best judges as to what land to take up. (Applause.) Then, with regard to the land proposed to be thrown open at Anderson's Bay and Halfway Bush, that land was not occupied to this day. Again, with regard to the maximum compensation for the runholder — when that was to be fixed, how did the " friend of settlement " vote ? Why, for 3s. 6d. as against 2s. 6d. ; and when Mr Wood proposed that it should be 2s 6d. as against Is. 6d., the •' friend of settlement " again voted for the larger suin. Instead of bein^ a " friend of settlement," he charged Mr Maranrlrew with having been a barrier to it (A hiss ) Whoever mi. lit hiss, he reiterate d the statement, and he would defy anyone to disprove it. (Cheers.) The Reid Executive had been charged with sticking to oQiue for tho emoluments of office. No statement could be more unfounded, as they wero

y quite prepared to resign their trust at any time, pror Tilled only that an appeal were made to the people. What Mr Macandrevr eaid was in effect, " Mr lloid and his party have not souls above sixpences. * Sleet me and a more progressive Provincial Council ; — the present Council is not progressive, and the present Executive is obstructive," but he (Mr Reid) was quite content to leave the verdict to the country, feeling an inward consciousness that he had done his duty and that the truth would carry its own weight. As an instance of the alleged obstructiveness of his Executive, Mr Macandrew often urged that an excellent offer had been received for the construction of the Southern Trunk Railway ; but that "excellent offer" was made by gentlemen who would have made the contract a very pretty private speculation, and he maintained that the Executive did right in rofusing it. (Hear, hear.) As an instance of what Mr Macandrew's ideas of progression were, there was his splendid proposal to establish a G-overnment goldfield — to form the Province into one large gold-mining company — to employ men at wages, and to pour the enormous profits of the speculation into the Treasury — (laughter) — and his brilliant idea of bringing thousands of families from Norway, Cornwall, Wales, and elsewhero, with a view to producing a pood breed of colonists — a number of the families so to be introduced to be settled in Stewart's Island with 20 acres each. Now, ho could not conceive a greater refinement of cruelty than to bring an unsuspecting immigrant here, and present him with twenty acres of land in Stewart's Island. (Loud laughter.) Here was the proposal in its entirety, as submitted to the Executive : — 200 families frorn the Orkney, Shetland, and Western Islands ; 50 families from the coal mining districts in the United Kingdom ; 50 families of miners from Cornwall ; the above to be located at Preservation and Chalky Inlets ; 20 acres of land to be granted free to each family, with ten acres additional to each child ; 500 families from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, to be located on Stewart's Island ; and, say, 200 families fron North America, to bo located between Catlin's River and Waikava, on the same terms ; also, 20 families of flannel-makers from Wales, and 20 families of stock-ing-makers ; also, 1000 single women, and, as he believed a mixture of blood was a very good thing, Mr Macandrew proposed that they should bo selected from the agricultural districts of Germany ; also, 2000 female servants from the United Kingdom ; 1000 ploughmen and agricultural laborers ; 200 dairywomen ; 500 Cornish miners ; and 5000 men, women, and children who have friends already in the Province — in all, 16,000 souls. (Loud laughter.) Now such a wild scheme as that was Mr Macandrew's idea of progress. But he (Mr Reid) would not detain them longer. If they were in favor of Government gold fields, and Mr Macandrew's novel immigration scheme — if they thought the Hundreds Regulation Act calculated to advance the settlement of the Province — if they were prepared to go in for hundreds of miles of railway in the North Island, at the expense of the Middle Island, then they would vote against him ; but on the other hand, if they agreed, with his views on these matters, then he would ask their support. If they were for a transient, fleeting, imishroorn prosperity, then they were not at one with him ; but if they were for a steady progress — a policy wMcli saw the end from the beginning — then they were agreed. (Loud cheers.) The following questions were then put to and answered by the candidate : — Mr Shrimsii : Have you, as a member of the Executive, ever done anything to retard the construction of the Oamaru Dock ? Mr Reid : The work is one to which the Province was committed before I went into office. Mr France : How is it that the sum guaranteed for each year is only L6000, when the Provincial Council granted LlO.OOO ? Mr Reid : Mr Franco knows as well as I do that L6000 is the minimum sum. which the Government I binds itself to expend. If the revenue allows it, the full sum of L10.000 will be spent. Mr France : In any financial year, or any twelve months ? Mr Reid : I am not very sure, but I think in each full year. Mr France ; What are your views about the Waitaki Bridge ? Mr Reid ; I believe it to bo a most necessary work, and have alw ays suppoi'tcd it. Mr R. Young : Are you in favor of continuing the subsidy to Municipalities ? Mr Reid : Yes, so long a3 there are funds forthcoming. Mr Young : Would you support a bill to continue the subsidy ? Mr Reid : I cannot say until it is seen exactly what funds there are to deal with ; but the Municipalities deserve every consideration. Mr Headland asked a question which we could not catch, with reference to a recent decision of Judge Ward in Dimedin. Mr Young then proposed, and Mr SLrimski seconded, " That this meeting having heard the exposition of his views, considers Mr Donald Reid a fit and "proper person for the Supei'intendency of the Province of Otago." The motion was carried unanimously, with loud cheers, and after a vote of thanks to the chair, the assemblage dispersed.