THE GENERAL ELECTION.

Otago Witness, Issue 1913, 9 October 1890, Page 22

THE GENERAL ELECTION.

The Government have definitely fixed the date of the general election for Friday, December 5. Owing to the number of carnivals held in the colony during November and the necessity for the revision and purging of the rolls, it was found inconvenient to fix an earlier date. As the result of the meeting o£ miners and settlers held at Shag Point on the night of the 29bh ult, Mr W. Hutchison has been communicated with to ascertain whether he would accept a requisition to contest the Waitaki seat in the labour interest against Mr John M'Kenzie. He has replied to the effect that he could not see his way to accept a requisition to stand for that electorate. Mr W. H. Thompson, member|;for Marsden, addressed the electors at Wbangarei on the Ist jnst. He said the present Government had made some effort to stem the tide of extravagance, and though he did not defend them in everything, they deserved more credit than the Opposition. Mr Thompson received a unanimous vote of confidence. Mr W. P. Reeves addressed* crowded meeting at Knightsbown, St. Albans, on Tuesday. He expressed himself in favour of a laud and inj come tax, the graduation of direct taxation, reform of the Upper House, and the reintroduction of the labour bills. A vote of thanks and confidence was carried without dissent amid enthusiasm. I Parliament was dissolved on the 3rd. The | date of the polling day for the general elections was reconsidered, but finally fixed for Friday, December 5. We are authorised to state that Mr B.Twopeny has decided to withdraw from his candidature for the City of Dunedin. The report about his standing for Timaru is without foundation — the gentleman referred to being Mr B. Toomey, of Temuka. Mr Shacklock informs us that he has no intention of contesting the Peninsula seat. A deputation representing electors in the Taieri district waited upon Mr William Barron on Thursday afternoon with a requisition asking him to become a candidate for the Taieri seat. Mr Barron thanked the deputation, and through them the requisifcionists, and said he would have pleasure in giving eff ect to their request. Mr W. Hutchison intimates his intention of becoming a candidate for the representation of the Dunedin City electorate. At a public meeting held in the Athenteum, Main Gully, Waitahnna, on the 28th ult., under the auspices of the Southern Retrenchment League, between 50 and 60 electors were present. Resolutions to the following effect were carried with applause :— (1) That there should be no more borrowing for five years, or until the population of the colony numbers one million souls ; (2) that the number of Legislative Councillors should be permanently reduced to 30 ; (3) that the present volunteer force should be supported in preference to creating a standing army ; (4) that the Public Works department be completely abolished ; (5) that no new offices should be created nor official salaries increased; (6) that a graduated land tax should be substituted for the property tax ; (7) that to avoid having more than one session yearly the honorarium of a member should be £200 per annum ; (8) that members' free passes on railways should only be used while Parliament is in session. A vote of thanks was passed to Sir George Grey, Messrs Barron, Fish, and Goldie, and champions of retrenchment. At the meeting of the Auckland Orange Institution resolutions were passed pledging members not to vote for any candidate at the forthcoming elections who will not promise to carry on a vigorous system of retrenchment, and persistently oppose further borrowing, or for any candidate who will not promise to uphold the present system of education. A committee was appointed to draw up a list of questions to be submitted to candidates. Mr Scobie Mackenzie, who is at present making a tour of the Mount Ida district, is said to have declined overtures to contest the Foxton seat. Mr J. P. Joyce, one of the candidates for the Wallace seat, has just paid a visit to the Coal Island diggings where he was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence at a meeting of about 60 miners. Doubts were expressed as to whether any adequate provision had been made to give facilities for voting. At a meeting of Mr H. D. Bell's supporters, held in Wellington the other evening (says the Evening Press), one elector, from Newton way, who declared he was a working man, and had voted for " working men's candidates " in past years, stated that he had generally found candidates who get in on the working man ticket more or less humbugs, and he considered the workiog man would be much better and more safely represented by a man of sound position and stake in the country, whom they could trust to do the right thing. In order to give time for purging the rolls the writs for the general election will not be issued until about the sth November, or about a month before the election. Mr Hallemtein, while in Queenstown, was spoken to by some electors with the view of inducing him to contest the Wakatipu seat, but (according to the Mail) he positively declined, and advised his friends to let well alone, as though, not agreeing with all Mr Fergus' opinions, he believed it would be difficult to find so good a member. Mr Seddon, speaking to his oonstituents, said he had been offered a labour seat in Wellington, I bat he could not see his way clear to become a, simple delegate for any body of men. He had I always sympathised with the movement, and had opposed the Railway Commissioners in the House when they made a determined attempt to disband the Railway Union. He had had requests to stand from three other districts on the West Coast, but after consulting his friends had resolved to cast in his lot with Westland. The North Otago Times has discovered that most of the seamen on strike, and also those who took their places, will be deprived of the privilege of voting at the forthcoming election. Section 17 of the Amending Act of last session Ba y S :—««: — «« Seaman means and includes every person who has been engaged at sea for not less than two years, and who for the most part of the six months immediately preceding the date of making his claim for au elector's right has been employed or engaged in any capacity on j board any vessel or vessels, of any tonnage, used in navigation, not propelled by oars, registered in or owned in Nsw Zealand." It is evident that under this section those seamen now in the Union Company's boats will not be able to claim & vote. The Beamen who have struck, unless they hold a property qualification, will also be debarred from voting, inasmuch as they have not resided in the colony for 12 months, or in the district they claim for during the six months immediately preceding the date of any claim they could make to be put on a roll. Mr J. M. Lennox, one of the candidates for Parnell, Auckland, addressed the electors of at Newmarket on Monday night. He saidhU platform was rigid economy, reduced taxation, the abolition of the property tax, the settlement of the waste lands, and the imposition of s land tax. He also suggested the establishment of boards of arbitration to decide labour disputes. He received a vote of thanks and confidence. A movement is going on privately in Wellington to briDg out Sir H. Atkinson, if possible,

I for that city. The proposal is that he should be ] returned without any trouble or expense to him- | self, and the promoters of the movement are j sanguine that if he would consent to stand theycould do this, while the step would prevent the wasting of third votes on undesirable candidates by electors who vote for Messrs Bell and Duthie. It is said, that there is no probability of the Premier's consent. On the other hand, Mr Jellicoe, having declared boldly for denominational education, will have the Roman Catholic vote, and probably the Anglican vote also. A movement la on foot in both the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches at Wellington to take advantage of the coming elections in the cause of denominationalism. The committee of the former body have reported to the synod in favour of taking steps to urge all church members to vote tor the candidates who will support a bill similar to Mr Pyke's Private Schools Bill. The Roman Catholics have decided to ask trades unions to alter their published programmes so as to advocate payment by results of Catholic schools, and are also forming committees to further their purpose. The Hon. B. Richardson informed his supporters on Tuesday that his health will not permit him to enter on a severe contest for the Kaiapoi seat, and his retirement is considered probable. 1 Mr W. W. Tanner, the labour candidate for Heathcote, addressed a large meeting at Woolston on Tuesday, and received a unanimons vote of confidence. His speech was moderate in tone. He did not refer to the present labour troubles. He advocated a land tax and increased facilities for settlement. Mr William Snow announces his acquiescence with a requisition asking him to become a candidate for the representation of the Taieri electorate. According to the Oamaru Mail, Mr George Bruce, on the staff of the Palmerston Times, is likely to be nominated by the unionists to contest the Wailaki seat against Mr J. M'Kenzie.