THE PREMIER AT WAIKOUATI.

Otago Witness, Issue 1866, 26 August 1887, Page 18

THE PREMIER AT WAIKOUATI.

«. Si y\ St ? u^ H ,y ered a Political address in the Mechanics' Hall, Waikouaiti, on the 18fch sfc> « « he buildin S wa s well fille-d, and Mr Donald Grant was called upon to preside There were also on the platform— Messrs J. Duncan R. Oxley, D. Brunton, G. Maxw^U, and h! Scott. Sir R. Stout, on risine. was nra^^A „:«.

warm applause^ mingled with, groans, which continued for some seconds. In his openiiig remarks he alluded to the requisition asking him to deliver an address and to the one which had appeared in the EJaily Times requesting him not to do so, which latter he f egaf ded < as & political skit and of no (significance. He pointed out that the object of the 148 electors who were represented to have signed the requisition could more easily have been accomplished, if they did not wibh to hear him, by staying away. He was inclined to think, however, that they had not done so, and that they were as anxious for information on the political situation as those at whose invitation he had appeared. ( The electors had only heard one pide of, the cjuestibti; and as there were always tftd sides fcb bVferything he propoled to give them an insight into the other shlei He did not consider their political education was so complete that no additional light could be thrown on it, and some sections of the press could not afford any enlightenment, as they knew nothing about finance or the financial position of the country. The question so far had.dssUmed the p'Us'itloji of fth incident he would 1 detail to tnem. Two men chanced to meet at a cross road where a shield was hanging. man asserted that it was gold, and the other with equal < vehemence declared it to be Bilver. Both men were right, however, as on one side it was silver and on the other it was gol.d. This heregarded as ths pbsition of people who looked upon politics from different sides. He did not say that both were right, but how else were the electors to judge unless both sides were put before them ? He then dwelt at some length on the functions of a Government, which he described; in the language of Abraham Lincoln, to be a government bf ttle people* by the people, arid fdjc ihß itebple, ahdthen went on to defend the policy of the Government, and maintained ' hat they were more economical in their administration than any of their predecessors. The functions of ademocratic Government, which he divimed his to be, were to look after the wealth •md wellbeing of the people, and to administer the laws in a wise and economical manner. He then detailed the Beveral departments in which savings had been effected, and asserted that the ( Government had done more in the way of practical reform than had ever been attempted or cirried out before, and that notwithstanding the increase of population they had reduced the expenditure by bo legs a sum than £260,000. These were fabtfl wineh 1 .no oiie c'Oula refute, and he challenged contradiction.- The aim and aoibition of the people of this colony should be to avoid the blunders and mistakes which older countries had committed, and to so' regulate their action that the evils under which they suffered wduld not be' ttansfetred here. Their object should be by framing wise and beneficent laws to found a free and glorious country, which he maintained the people were capable of 'loingby keeping in power a Government coml>osed'of men who had the wellbeing of the colony at heart. The Premier during his address traversed the ground he had gone over in the different centres where he has given speeches. Ha made a forcible and effective appeal to the good sense of the electors not to be led away from discharging their duties by the specious arguments and misrepresentation of facts which had been so industriously engaged in of late to damage the cause and reputation of himself and 'hose connected With him\btlt to use their influence in sending representatives Up to the '-louse who would assist in the great work they were engaged in in solving many of the so-called impracticable problems of the. present day and ia endeavouring to prdmote, by settlement on the land and by protecting the industries of .the nolony, the prosperity and general wellbeing of 'he land of their adoption. To provide comfortable homes for the people and to make life worth living for had been one of the great objects of his Government. At the conclusion of the address several questions were asked, which were all more or less satisfactorily answered, but were of not much general interest. Mr John Duncan proposed and Mr H. Scott seconded a vote of thanks to the Premier for his able address* whitih was carried by acclamation.