MR THOMAS MACKENZIE AT WAIKOUAITI.

Otago Witness, Issue 2676, 28 June 1905, Page 14

MR THOMAS MACKENZIE AT WAIKOUAITI.

The member for the clistricf- mot with a most cordial reception on Wednesday oven-

ing' al Waikouaiti.

Tlia Mayor (Mr T.

Smith) presided, aud in a neat speech nitrcduced the speaker. He stated that Mr

Mackenzie was a gentleman tho district had every reason to be proud "of, and in iio pa> t of the electorate would he meet with .x more kindly welcome than at YVaikouaiti. — (Applaiue.) Mr Mackenzie during his spopch. which

lasted for an hour and a-ha.lf, dealt with nearly all ihe- loading questions which arc now attracting public attention, and enlarged more fully on some of the subjects with which he dcait vi Pahncrston. Ho explained in dear and concise terms the distinction between the system of repre=entatno government and that by the referendum, bating ihaL the latter was the democratic foim which marked the Government in Athens, where the questions originated from and weie confirmed by tha citizens. But citizens in Atl ens did not include the whole adult population j'S wa* the ca=e in New Zealand. H^ felt persuaded that the tiesiro for ihc referendum here 'was urgnd from a desire on tlic rarfc of many politicians to enable them to shirk the rcspon- ] siLrility of saying where they were on tic'klibh (|UF.stions. They desired to enjoy the privileges of membership without the disadvantage of saying where they veie en difficult questions. He. could not understand members saying that they would gi\c tha people facilities for passing into law measures which they themselves said they felt sure would he unjust if carried out. If a member felt that a law would be an mi justice if passed he -should use every means in his power to prevent any class having an opvortunity of doing an injustice — (Loud applause.) What was not at all unlikely .to happen just now was to find a Government candidate being permitted — for (he purposes of wi'inmg an elect'on — to be m favour of granting the freehold, and ihe- same candidate be.ng a'-so in favour of the referendum. Now, were that referendum mea»u»a Jaw, tho question of tim: r o could 're referred to the people, and a« ? majority of the doctors were in the cities and boroughs these electors could dec cV that the leasehold tenure only should obtain in New Zealand. Oandicb.tcV promise? on the eve of elections were well enough in their way, but what i.he country people lequircd was such confidence in the ability, experience, and perception in their repicsentative as would enable them to ie!y implicitly on their member's actions in every emergency that might arue m which their intercuts were concerned. Quoting from the newspaper Clarion, ho showed that out of a meeting of EOQO Socialists 60C0 voted for the referendum with initiative. This system, said the member, was as old as tho" hills; 500 years ago it was iv fo-xe in Switzerland, and all sorts of disputes arose in connection with it v even to the extent of division? between Roman Catholic and Protestant intoi<\sts. Alluding io the question of land, Mr Mackenzie chstcted attention to Mr Hall-Jones's latest idea regarding land valuations for taxation purposes. Mr Hall-Jones said that "he thought the best system would be to allow each man to ma-kc his own valuation, permitting others to take it at an increase of 10 per cent." That was a pretty proposal. In effect, if a man had a sentimental valuo in his home or for his farm, 211 order to save it from i.he first pas-or-by he would require to place a high valuation and pay higher taxes to ?a\o his place. Such a proposal he would strongly oppose. yj - Lauronson deplored the fact that 100. COO landowners e=caped land taxes no-v, vl-ereas the bulk of the=e owneis had land e"f a less unimproved value than £200. .Still this gentleman would permit -each individual income of £300 to escape while grudging lo permit a total value of £290 in laud io pa^. Of course, these men were R-etu-y George's followers, and that authority believed in only permitting the freeholder to letain — a& he expressed hiaispT— (he husk whiKl they taxed ths kernel from him. An Asiatic maxim was, ''T\ho c o the i sweat, his the soil," but Henry George said. '"A man may drain a Sv>amp, clear a iorest. fill in a morass, yet that s'jou'd give him no claim to the land." Some gentiemen of tho Honry George school of thought i""ce.istly stated in Wellington that a man who had ju*t landed for tho first time in Weil'tigton had as much right to what thojoa'led the unearned increment as had the hardy early pioneers of the John Duncan type, l.hen setting on the platform. At ihe close of the speech. Mv John Duncan. Corner Bush, said they had listened with great pleasure to the stirring, interesting, and edifying speech just delivered. It was worthy the most careful attention and support, and was calculated to do great good With such a man as Mr Mackenzie to represent ,them tho people- of Waikouaiti could well give him tho freoest scope. Only their good would follow such a course. He exprtssed his own dcci) appreciation of the masterly way in which tho great questions of colonial importance were treated. — (Loud applause.) He would movi' the continued confidence of tre Waikouaii i electorates in Mr Mackenzie, and that he was the most fit and proper person to rep-re-ent them in Parliament. — (Loud applause.)

Mr H. Buckland had great pleasure in seconding tho vote so ably and cloquonilv proposed by Mr Duncan, and in tlcing so iofc»rr<vl to the poor. =pinolo=s croarures who were* aspiring and boing returned io Parliament— -men who, after the election. «(.»■> not pcvrnirrrrJ in many instances to ha\-e minds of their own at all. but wpv^ ordered into this or infco that lobby, as tho caso might demand.— (Anplau=o.) " What avis moie contemptible than to s^e the?e =anie men she'tcrino themselvos behind the referendum? They ' had in Mr Mackenzie » member who fearlessly fold them whore h<^ was on A, e , v snbieot. and that ws all they desired.— (Applause.) He (Mr Buckland) vvfls r-aiticuiarly struck with that word of wiirnina which IVIr Mackenzie had given req-ardins tho relianep to bo placed on niembors in the fuKr-3. Tho -present, was worthy of thought. Hit, what tbev did require to watch rlic futii'-e What they woie. d^mg r.o'.v would tell for all time on the eolon\'s funu'e lv-tnrv, and after a wrong oi a hlu'i.-'ev was done nothing could ever recall it. Mr Mnck^nzi" ha.l'nuored c ome lines from Ui^ Tertian i^cei Omm- Khayyam. Kn too would quote fncra the same ruHhcr : — Hie iiioviiig fingpr writes. Ard. havinsr viit, move- on; Nor all voiu- pui) and wil And '.me it 1-st 1: or ounce! lia'f a Tins. ■>Tr,r all your t. ais wash c\H a v> o'd of it. — (Applsiise )

Tv? "\Tiiiio.;a Diack *>xi.z_:zz~ig. cho ho%g

that the me-'Lino- would form itself into a powerful committee in ord -i (o secure the return of Mr Mackenzie.— (App!au«e.) The motion was carried, and a \ote of thanks to the chair broa^lit the proc-cei-ings to ?. clo--e.