PARNELL ELECTORATE.-MR. MONK AT THE PARNELL-HALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6251, 29 November 1881, Page 6

PARNELL ELECTORATE.-MR. MONK AT THE PARNELL-HALL.

Mr. Richard Monk, one of the candidates for the ParneU electorate, addressed a public meeting at the Parnell-hall las! night. There was a large attendance. Mr. Caleb Wood was called to the chair, and introduced the candidate. Mr. Mosk, who was received with expressions ot applause, said he had heard expressions of surprise that he should stand against Mr. Moss, but a number of gentlemen who entertained views different to those of the present member thought he should contest thy electorate. He did not come forward as the most fitting man to represent the policy. He had been a man of action, not of speech. The firei; question they would naturally aak him as & candidate was to what piirty did he belong? It was no use going to the House as a unit. He was not a mere partiz-in, but he was a thorough democrat and a working man in the truest sense of the word. They had known him for a iiumber of years. He rnnde no professions which he did not mertn to carry out. He was a democrat J in the truest sense of the word. He never saw J a man so rich that he would bow his head to because of his wealth, nor was there a ni*n so poor that he would ignore because of his poverty. That was his personal apology for appearing before them aa a candidate. He did not consider he was the best man, but if a better man had stepped forward holding the same principles that he did, he would have be?n most happy to retire in his favour. He u'.'} not belong to the so-called Liberal party, but »o the Constitutional party : not to the talkers, jut r,he hard workers ; and if returned, he would try "o belong to the working party. There was a loader of a party, the Opposition party, that reminded him of Fagani-i. a sL-illed violinist, who pUyed upon oae f T *.ig, f ->in which he eliminated wonderful nm:..ie. Tue leader of the Opposition was Paganini. His music tickled the auricu'ar senses, but his measures were ans.-tir. The present member for Parnell w , inly an imitatioD, and they could tell where he had ! rr. ae-A hi 3 gamut from, aad where he had rehearsing. (Cheers.) He felt sympathy with tie Present Licensing Bill, which gave to a rrell-or iered community all it required, and simplified the process of dealing with licenses. He was i'i favour of the property tax, as against the la.nd tax, as the best means of rescuing the rich and contributing to the interests of the State. He pointed out the inequalities which would arise, and said that a railway did not of itself increase tho value of land, except so far as it increased thi facilities of traffic. He quoted statistics of the taxation paid by the Bank of Ne« Zealand —£16,000, or £50 a-day before breakfast. Re then alluded to the Piako owamp—a property which but for the combination of capital would now be a desert waste, and said they should recognise capital as their servant. Then there was the Sash and Door Company. (Oh!) He w-n r-ot ashamed of being connected with that It contributed largely to the taxation ot the country, and gave bread to 2000 mouths. Mr. Monk then referred to 'he Premier's speech at Leeston, and the quoted by him aa to the land exempt from ta.iUtiJ-j. The present member claimed their sympathy for his services in the past, but there waa a okar bill of indictment against him. There wa.< the matter of the natire endowments, ■■•kich proposed to provide for the ed ■■ c*t;on of ten young Maoriee. He thwarted that measure and stood againnt the University Bill. The next bill of indictment was in regan; t<; •jiniixrments for the Museum, which %ver-! lost through the twandle of the obstructionists. He (Mr. Monk) thought it aa ur.L.i;ipy failing in politics for a man iiot-.-. knew how to hold his tongue. (Cheers.)

In answer to questions fvom Mr. McCoIJ, Mr. Monk srdd he had not t<:<\ ij'-ed i\.. we-es U the emplojc: of the sash ." jJ doer employes ; he was only the ina-chirrs. He s.'.w no rea.!-ou why there should be a-<y rhilerenci; between th ; pay of railway employed iu the y-.ijth and tl:; North. He was not.- '.'minee o; the T!%nk - f New Zealand or ot Mr. U'Licakor. lie would b-: the last person to be se'i- ::-;.! tor :he curryiui out of a shaky job. Ho ;.■•..1 ncv read the G.m; ing and Lotteries Bill, h : he sbouv.;.it it nec:-s----lary thit the spirit of giiiio!j;,g should be prevented from taki.ig hold of tL? p-jople. Mr. STEFH£X3O>-aske'J, " In your affectior.:-.'. , zeal in the ciuse of tempcr'.Leo, have you no: often tlcpriTcci uQshiQCQ anil otli&rs. of Mi&ir TUit

earnings by making them travel long j .uriKys to Auckland with unnegotiable ordeis, iii*uv of which have been lost. You repudiated the payment, thus making them paupers. What became of the money 5" Mr. Monk said h? had mm , ..- no one t'irc-1 tu Aucklar.d with orders which were repudiated. In no instance had they been rep;:di ated. There waj a time when, to render Hie sife, they had to make the orders pay.'hie only in Auckland, but there was no repudiation. Mr. Stephessos asked : Had not Mr. Mouk stated that 3s a-day was sufficient wages for i working man iomaintain his wife and family? Mr. MONK J f.:d not to his ••nowledje. Nothing had given hi:u ruoro pain than the reduction of wapes. (Cheers.) In reply to Mr. McColl, Mr. Monk said he w,i3 in favour of the present system of education. He was opposed io the unobstructed immigration of Chinese. In reply to Mr. Fkaser as to his opinion ou local self-government, he said it would hardly bo his place, as .\ novice, to express an opinian. Even the chief Paganini could not give a" opinion ou that subject. He bowed before- his great mental powers, but in this the Paganini seemed to be in a fog. They wanted to simplify the local government of the country, and to reduce expenditure. Iα reply to Mr. McC'OLL, the cindidate said lit was in favour oE triennial Parliaments, or even annual Parliaments if the country couid afford it. If the question of doing away with the honorarium waa brought forward, ha would vote on that side. He was in favour of the present native policy of the Government, and the making of the natives amenable to the Iw. As to the purchase of native lands, his opinion Wit that the Government should stand in tho position of an auctioneer, but some natives no faith in the auctioneer. He was in favour i £ a borrowing policy for constructive works, but would like a certainty as to the expenditure of the nionoy. The gre.it tiunk lines with proper management to have been competed out of previous loans, and any future borrowing should be an actual amount for a specific purpose. Several other questions were asked. Mr. Savage proposed n vote of confidence in Mr. Monk, which was seconded by Mr. McCOLL. Mr. Hall moved as an amendment, " That the meeting is satisfied with the present member, Mr. Moss." Mr. Kirk wood seconded the amendment, which was put to the meeting, but only a few hands were held up in its favour. The original motion was carried v ith cheers. Mr. Moxk returned thanks, aud moved a vote of thanks tc the chairman, which was carried, ;md the meeting terminated.