The Opunake Times. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1896. MR C. E. MAJOR.

Opunake Times, Volume V, Issue 229, 13 November 1896, Page 2

The Opunake Times. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1896. MR C. E. MAJOR.

Mr Major gave his initial address at Hawera on Wednesday evening and declared himself a supporter of the present Government. Ho gave an explanation of his having come forward on the present occasion and stated that Mr McGuire had promised, in consideration of his supporting him on previous occasions, that should a new electorate be formed in Taranaki that he would support his (Mr Major’s) candidature for it, whereas now they found themselves opposing one another. He omits pointing out that although the name of Egmout has been retained that the great bulk of the old Egruont electorate has been divided between Hawera and Taranaki, as all the Waimate Plains have been included in Hawera and from Taungatara to Btoney River in Taranaki. It will therefore be seen that the circumstances are altered as well as the friendship between the two erstwhile friends and compatriots. Three years ago Mr Major backed Mr McGuire, although at that time he knew full well that Mr McGuire had severed his alligauco from the. Government, so that his excuse for coming forward out of patriotic motives is just a shade too thin, and the electors must look a little deeper to find the true reason. If Mr Major Believes thit the present Government is possessed of all the virtues he credits them with, why did he not come forward at the last election, or, at any rate, support the Government candidate, Mr E. G. Allsworth, who was in the field on that occasion ? If Mr Major will only think back on the very plausible reasons put forward by himself why Mr McGuire should receive the support of the electors, although lie had cut his dingey adrift from the Ministerial ship, he will find them hard to reconcile with his present fulsome adulation of the Ministry and all their doings. But then three years is a long time back, as he says himself, aud should he, if returned, in another three years find himself again completely turned round from his present political professions, wo suppose he will have to credit the ravages of time with his conversion. That such a change is not absent from his mind is evident from the statement that he will not enter the li-ts as a promising member, contenting himself with promising that he will do his utmost to justify the confidence placed in him. He claimed that Liberalism had done a great deal for the prosperity of the colony and for the intellectual advancement of the masses. This was, in his opinion, attributable to cducafion. We were under the impression that it was the so-call.d Conservatives who had given us our Slate system of education, but for the purpose of enabling Mr Major to laud the party be is supporting, for the present they must forego any credit attached to having passed the Education Act. So far most of the Government candidates are rather divided on the general measures passed by the Government, but there is a fairly unanimous ring amongst them in praise of the land policy. On this Mr Major pronounces condemnation. He is eminently fitted to give an opinion on this part of the Government policy, because be has for a number of years been a successful and energetic land agent, and has thus had the best information on which to form an opinion. We therefore think that his utterances on this question are worthy of attention. He said “ he was a staunch believer in the freehold tenure, behoving as he did that every thrifty member of the community had an earnest desire to possess a freehold tenure, which*was preferable to leasehold, even though the latter was a lease in perpuity. He approved of the deferred payment system, and the perpetual lease had much to recommend it, as it gave the advantage of taking Crown land at one-fifth less than other land from the Crown could be obtained, viz., by paying 4 per cent on the upset value instead of 5 as in the deferred payment and perpetual lease systems. The chief drawback to the latter system is that it is

difficult to obtain advances on it. .

. . He was opposed .to land nationalisation, which, he contended, was premature.” If returned shall expect some fun between him and the Minister of Lands, as any one who does not swear by “ death to freehold ” is a very “ pair body '* in the eyes of the man of the claymore. The ravages of time may, however, produce a change, and bring his views in consonance with those of the Minister of Lands. He favored persuasion rather than coercion to produce a cessation of drinking, and consequently did not favor prohibition. He gave a half-and-half support to the co-operative system. His sentiment is in favor of the system, bat his common sense apparently tells him it is not what it is cracked up to be. He is in favor of Party Government, and did not favor an Elective Executive.