MR T. MACKENZIE AT KAKANUI.

Otago Witness, Issue 2695, 8 November 1905, Page 32

MR T. MACKENZIE AT KAKANUI.

Ma- Thomas Mackenzie addressed a large meeting at Kakanui on Monday, 30th ult. Mr Jaine-s Falconer presided. The member and candidate received a most cordial reception. He dealt with many subjects not often alluded to in political addresses, dealing exhaustively with land tenures, population, margins between imports and exports (tracing their influence on the future of New Zealand's welfare or the reverse), our indebtedness (public and private!, the wrong direction of population tendency, the markets (British and foreign), and" the policy necessary to pursue, and tlie neoe,s?ai-jr inTnerative reforms

in parliamentary and administrative government. He disposed, apparently to the entire satisfaction of the meeting, of the misrepresentation of his actions that had been made. On the subject of education, he showed the uesire and effect of the Government's action in changing into wards the- education districts would bo to enormously increase the town influence against the country. The towns even now had an enormous power, and yet the Government deliberately gave them more. Another retrograde step was tho attempt made by the Government to take away power from ' committees in the " appointment of teachers Mr Mackenzie fully explained the Government's action, and how he and others had in a measure been able to greatly modify the Government proposals. Yet, he said, one read of candidates professing to desire ',o give more power to committees while supporting a Government that did these things. Regarding the lind policy, the Government at the moment, he said, had none, except what the Premier said — that he would not take land from one lot of men "to -sell it to another lot, and that he would not give the freehold to la-nd-for-settlement tenants. Regarding -party, Mr Mackenzie said that he would toll them exactly where he was on every leading question, and no matter whether the Government -or the Opposition introduced a, good measure, it would have his support. In this : respect he had an enormous pull over a Government tied candidate, who could not vote against his party. At the close of the meeting, after a. number of questions had been answered, Mr Holmes proposed, and ,Mr M'Leod seconded— " That "Mr Mackenzie be thanked for his past valuable services', and that a vote of confidence" be given." This was carried with ' acclamation, and a vote of thanks to the chairman closed a most pleasant gathering