THE WELLINGTON SUBURBS ELECTION.

New Zealand Times, Volume LVX, Issue 3094, 3 April 1897, Page 3

THE WELLINGTON SUBURBS ELECTION.

Mr Charles Wilson, the liberal and Government candidate for Wellington Suburbs, addressed a meeting of the electors at Newtown at the Trinity Wesleyan Schoolroom last night, Mr J. W. Henderson, who presided, said that the electors of Wellington Suburbs had just reason to complain that they should be called upon to fight this battle over again. (Hear, hear.) Mr Wilson bad fought a gallant battle in the city, and had he fought as strongly for himself as for the other two on the ticket he would have been returned. However, tho electors of Wellington Suburbs would make amends for that by putting him at the top of the poll on election day; (Cheers ) Mr Wilson, who was received with hearty cheering, said he came before them as an avowed supporter of tho Liberal Party. That party had justly earned the gratitude of the people of this colony. (Cheers.) Their Oppo* nents talked about party autocracy—what greater autocrat could they have had than Sir Robert Peel in England, or Sir George Grey in New Zealand? The old giant of New Zealand Liberalism who, lying in his sick-room in London; would this week be celebrating his 85th birthday (cheers) was one of the greatest autocrats who had ever been seen in this colony, and Sir Harry Atkinson was equally an autocrat, whose hob-nail boots bad become historical. To say that Mr Feddon wan an autocrat simply meant i that he had the determination and strength of will necessary in every, strong party leader. (Cheers.) Mr Wilson then went on to review .the progress made in New Zealand in land settlement under the rule of the present Government as contrasted with what took place under the rule of the Conservative Ministry. Within four years the Hon John McKenzie had placed 1300 people on tho lands of the colony; and this meant 1300 more producers whose welfare was inseparably locked uu with that of the people of the towns. We revered the Government because they had given people facilities for finding now brines on the lands of the colony. (Cheers ) Tho speaker pointed out the great advantages, of the cheap money' scheme, and the beneficial change wrought by the present Government in tho incidence of taxation. He was in favour of a greater reduction of tho duties on the necessaries of . life—(cheers)—but the difficulty was that they must not endanger finance. Mr Wilson defended the Labour legislation of the present Government, and declared that it was absolutely false to say that capital was being driven away from the colony by tho Government. (Cheers.) Speaking of the frozen meat industry, Mr Wilson said he thought the trouble arose in the distribution in England. Ho feared that many of the golden_ sovereigns which should comp here wei-t into the pockets of the Smithfield middlemen, and some better scheme of distribution was very desirable. f i ho Premier had decided to go Homo —(obeers) —and his visit Homo would pay tho colony. Mr Seddon was a man of tremendous energy and industry, of strong common-sense, who did not care twopence for red tape or precedent, but wont in his bluff way right to the bottom of things, and if ho made mistakes he was quick-witted and ready-witted enough to repair them—(cheers)—too quick-witted for his opponents, who would 1 ko to see him perpetuate them. (Cheers.) Mr Wilson strongly supported tho Old Ago Pensions proposal, and with reference to the local government question said there was, no doubt, too much money spent upon local government, but at the same time he hoped that Parliament would nob entirely sap the independence of tho people in their desire for local government. Ho believed in the present system of education free, secular and compulsory. (Cheers.) They ought not to grudge the amount spent upon education, but they ought to see that it was properly spent, and that there should be a larger outlay upon technical education. He was opposed to Bible-reading in schools, but he thought it would be better if there was far more of the Bible in the homes. He would be in favour of better payment of teachers, and he strongly believed that women should be paid the same rate as men, not only in teaching, hut in all other indusliies. (Cheers.! Women ought to be allowed to become members of school committees. He believed that the inspectors should b<3 changed to other districts every three years, and ho said also that there should bo uniformity in school books. Mr Wilson explained his views on the temperance question as already outlined in the report of his Petone address. JCe hoped the Opposition candidate

would receive the same patient hearing he had received that night and on tbo previous night at Petono. (Cheers.) Ho hoped he (Mr Wilson) would win the elecrion ; ho would try to win, and he believed he would win. (Cbeers.) The real question at issue was whether tbo electors would support the Liberal policy, the progressive policy, or go back to a policy of stagnation and utter selfishness. tLoud cheers ) In answer to questions, Mr Wikon said he was in favour of grants in aid of the rescue work of the Salvation Army, The Government helped tho noble work of tho Magdala Asylum in Canterbury, and the rescue work of the .Salvation Army wai no sham, but a genuine and noble work, and whether Catholics or tbo Salvation Array, or any other body which did social remedial work, there was no impropriety whatever in the State giving some a*sktonco. He wo« not in favour of the introduction into the schools of and inaccurate. The extension of tho railway to Newtown and Island Bay must come eventually, and then the land now held for speculative purposes would .bo cut up, and therefore he Raid tax the unimproved values of land. (Cheers.) Tho sons of the Minister of Lands had bought the Busby Park Estate from the Asiobs Realisation Board, a nonpolitical board* but ho suggested that the questioner should ask his question of any Minister who spoke in the district. Ho would bo in favour of tho establishment of a School of Mines in Wollingfc n. Asked his opinion of tbo banking legislation, the Colonial liank and the Ward Farriers’ Association, Mr Wilson said he thought it' would be absolutely indecent for a politician to discuss upon a pUtform the affairs of an Association now before the Courts of the colony. (Cheers.) Replying to a -paragraph in tho evening paper as to a reference iu his Petone speech to Mr Ward, he said the paragraph was unfairly worded. If the afl'aiis of tho Ward Farmers’ Association were to be dragged before the Courts, let justice bo done all round to all tho directors and politicians who had been directors of doubtful companies, (Cheers.) Let them not forget also the sins of tho Walter Guthrie Companies. Justice bad not been done in the public press in this matter—they had heard of all tho doings of the Ward L’armors’ Association through tho Proas Association, but the affidavits of the Guthrie Companies had not been telegraphed in like manner. They had not heard of the Walter Guthrie Companies in the same way, or indirectly of certain politicians whoso names they would know a little later on. (Cheers ) Until tho charges made against Mr Ward had been proved, they as Englishmen had no right to aaaiimo that he was guilty. (Cheers.)

Mr Hindmarsh asked a number of questions as to whether Mr Wilson would be in favour of excluding directors,of publio companies from seats in the Ministry and from seats in Parliament. Mr did not think any man should use his political in* fluence ia any private matters if it could bo avoided, but in a colony like this, under the existing conditions for professional occupation, to lay down tho rule that a man should be. debarred ctv suggested from entering politics would bo nufiiir, and be would not support any Bill in that direction. Sueh-ft limitation would favour the professional poll*, tician class.

Mr John Hutcheson, M.H R. for Welling* ton city, who spoke as an elector of Wellington Suburbs,. move i—That tho meeting thanks Mr Wilson for his able address, and considers him a fit and proper person to represent Wellington Subuxbs in Parliament.” (Cheers.) This was seconded by a lady and carried with only four dissentients, amidst cheering. A vote of thanks to the chairman closed the proceedings.