MR. ROBERTS' MEETING.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1288, 24 May 1880, Page 2

MR. ROBERTS' MEETING.

Mr. Roberts met the electors at K;akanui on Saturday evening last. Mr. A. Thomson was voted to the chair. The chairman introduced tfre candidate as being first in the field, and asked a patient hearing. Mr. Roberts said he had been acqused of being a strariger in the but did not jnteiid to be discouraged oq that account. ' He had been a member of the" Qamaru Corporation for ten months. He intended to visit the whole of the district. He was a Liberal, and intended to tje orie,

When Mr. Hislop resigned, he introduced him as his successor. : He (Mr. Roberts) was asked to stand, but he did not caro about it at the time ; but now ho regrfctted Mr. Jones' coming into the field, aB it split the votes. He explained the objects of Liberalism. He thought much could be done by increasing the powers of local bodies. He was in favor of dispensing with County Councils. The land fund demanded the greatest attention of the Government. He was in favor of deferred payments as settling tho people upon tho land, but he would prefer the ballot to auction system. The Property Assessment Act he greatly condemned. Under it all personal property was appraised. He expounded tho Act. According to the Land Tax Act, the assessment stood good for three years, but now has to be gone over again. Ho gave examples under the new Act. In fact, all but agricultural machinery, &c., came under the Act. In his opinion tho Land Tax Act was a great improven'.e it upon the Property Assessment Act. The land tax attacked absentees. He said that the Government, finding that railways did not pay, cast the onus of finding causes, &c., upon a Royal Commission. Owing to Mr. Reid's action, lie was exempt from taxation in regard to branch railways. He (Mr. Roberts) was _of opinion that branch railways were a kind of political sop. The native question was merely one of time. He thought natives had been too kindly treated. He was of opinion that retrenchment ought to commence with the Governor's salary. He thought the action of the Government unfair with regard to subsidies. The Government subsidies wero returned to ratepayers in a lessened form. He thought that after 1882 local bodies were entitled to their own rates without subsidies, with a view to retrenchment. With regard to redistribution of seats, he thought that tho present system was unfair. The county and town of Waitaki were at variance in choice of a member. Ho thought that Waitaki was entitled to three members. He said that the Triennial Parliaments Bill without the Bribery Bill was a dead letter. He thought Road Boards oughb to adopt the provisions of the Forest : Tree Planting Act. Under the new . Rating Act, ratepayers could lease their l properties instead of having them sold over their heads in default.

The Chairman asked the meeting to question the candidate. In reply to Mr. M'Lymont, The candidate said he was in favor of compulsory education 5 but he thought the Government was bound to give the rising population a primary education. He had had some experience of the Education Board and thought that body over-rode school committees. He was of opinion that high-class eduoation should be paid far by parents if they desired it, but would support compulsory primary education. Mr. M'Lymont was of opinion that Mr. Roberts was a Liberal, and proposed a vote of confidence in Mr. Roberts as the best candidate of the three in the field, i The motion was oarried.

Mr. Roberts returned thanks. He said he was a Liberal, and always would be. He thanked the audience for the patient hearing.