POLITICAL ADDRESSES.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 3746, 22 May 1899, Page 5

POLITICAL ADDRESSES.

MR SEDDON AT PAHIATUA. A NOISY MEETING. THE MAtuNE SCANDAL AGAIN. CAPTAIN ALLMAN’S STORY. PRESS ASSOCIATION. PAniATUA, Saturday. The Premier addressed a packed meeting here to-night. The Mayor presided. Interruptions were frequent, and the chairman and the Premier were compelled to appeal for a fair hearing. Mr Seddou’s speech was mainly a repetition of his previous speeches. Dealing wrh the marine scandal, the Premier said .9 would give Captain Allman’s explanation, which had not before been made public. When the Premier first spoke to Captain Allman about Mr John Hutcheson’s charges in the House, Captain ABman said there was nothing in it. The Premier believed that statement; but su isequently certain circumstances led him to suspect that a wrong nad been done. He saw Captain Allman again, and lie (Allman), in the presence of Mr Seddin and tne Minister of Marine, said ho had allowed Captain Jones’s pleading for his wife and children to influence him so rar as to allow a bogus examination to take plaoo. Cpeaking of the breaking down or mo iopolies, tho Premier said the Government had reduced the freight on oats from 37s Cd to 32s 6d, and a reduction from ten per cent, to five per cent, primage. . The Premier also said the reduction made on wheat represented one .penny half-penny per bushel to tho producer. Tho Premier repeated tho threat that if sheep farmers were kept under the thumb of the monopolist as was to soma extent the case, the Government wou' step in and establish freezing works in the colony in the same way as the ftmn- n Australian Government had done. . That colony had also made advances to producers on sheep. He was deterrm;'! to break down monopoly at any cost. Speaking of the public debt the Qolonial Treasurer contended that the debt had onlv increased £2 4s lid per head for the last seventeen years, which calculation included one million sterling advanced to local bodies. He dealt fully with Mr, George Hutchison’s allegations concerning land settlement, and claimed that Mr Hutchison had wilfully misled the people. , Speaking on the question ot loans i-o local bodies, he claimed that they now practically got the money at three per The Premier also claimed that the Government now had an unexpended balance of £B/ f UOO from the old age pension grant. . . .. ~ With regard to future legislation, in». Premier promised to Introduce next session an Occident Insurance Bill, Workmen’s Compensatio Bill, and legislation to break down monopoly. A vote of thaiVS was proposed nivd seconded, to which '“confidence’ was subsenuentlv added, amid cries of dissent. Tho chairman, however, allowed it, and declared it carried. . Tn replying to the vote the. Brenner said the Vote was one of the greatest victories it had been his lot to witness. At the beginning of the meeting a noisy few would have made it appear that they constituted half the meeting, but whe. it came to a vote only half, a dozen showed their hands. , The meeting dispersed with cheers and counter cheers. MR BUCHANAN AT GREYTOWN. GREYTOWN. Saturdav. Mr Buchanan, M.H.R.. addressed’ his constituents here last night. Thera was a largo audience. He dealt severely with the administration of the present Government, and considered the marine scandal as showing a rotten, corrupt and disgraceful state of affairs. ;Mr Buchanan received a vote of thanks. THE PREMIER AT PATEA. PATEA, Saturday. The Premier addressed a crowded and enthusiastic meeting here last night, when he replied to the speech recenlly delivered hero by the member for the district, Mr George Hutchison. A of thanks and confidence was passed with only one or two dissentients. At the conclusion of the Premier's address a. largo number of those present joined the newly-formed branch of the Liberal Federation League of New Zealand.