MR MACKENZIE'S ADDRESSES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 11 March 1908, Page 52

MR MACKENZIE'S ADDRESSES.

AT SAWYERS' BAY. Mr Mackenzie spoke at Sawyers' Bay on Friday evening, the 6th. Mr Laley occupied the chair, and when introducing Mr Mackenzie said that in his opinion they had » SQUnd, cafe, »r»-d oa.pat.le> member^ After Mr Mackenzie's speech, w£ich lasted about an hour and a-quarter, Captain Wnr. Thomson moved that Mr Thomas Mackenzie was a fit and proper person to represent the electorate. He said he had listened with great interest to his speech. He (Captain Thomson) illustrated his remarks by a nautical comparison. Mr Mackenzie knew all. the ropes thoroughly. At the present time many steel ships had their compasses affected, and might be apt to take a wrong course. If such a thing were to occur to our Government ship, and if we had men aboard like Mr Mackenzie, he could correct their errors.— (Applause.) He was the very man they wanted to represent their constituencies in Parliament.— (Applause.) The motion was seconded by Mr Souquet and carried with applause. WArpATI At the Hall on Saturday night * good gathering assembled to hear what their member had to say on the political situation. Mr Alex. Kilpatrick presided, and said that it gave him the greatest Pf 681 ™* pleasure to take the chair that night. MrMackenzie had his entire sympathy and hearty approval in the course he had adopted. H© demonstrated clearly that Mr Mackenzie had not departed from a single political principle that he professed. He did not «nk his individualism whilst supporting such proposals of the Government as he thought were in the best interest* of the who was well received, thanked Mr Kilpatrick for his more than kindly introduction. . He (the chairman) had stated the siW.on cl .early and well. The student of affairs could hardly fail to Tearing S^^^.^J^ FrS elements were rapidly entering into our system and new ~™ bl " a *J ii o~o ~ ; would be required to represent the «J»gJAfter dealing with many of the subjects already reported, Mr j Mackenzie enlarged lon the necessity of defence. He Ported out that 100 years ago the array, of Great Britain was stronger tJimn dowj m 1W « numbered 715,000 men; in 1905, only I 666.000. The Navy. 120,000 men ; now, 129,000. The population of the^Empire then waß 25,000,000: now, 402,000,000. Its trade and commerce was £79,000,000; now £1468,000,000 A hundred years ago tuey grew 90 per oent. of their wheat; now, only Ifo per cent. The opinions of such men « Lords Roberts and Wollesley and Milner ncr cent Sir lan Hamilton, ma letter m a. Wav nothing else could have .O"" 8 Sat the oondK of our army ooiartrtutes a terrible danger to the existence of our Fmr!Ere I havV learned here that nothing bu7t£ vlr7besfc will do. and we have So often the worst." Continuing, Mr Mackenzie said that we had on our Statute Book an act for acquiring estates for closer iSement. If ther. was a !««£«*•£ with only a manager and a few shepherds on it, we could take t&M> estate. Suppose Asia with its 800 000,000 P~p[« "* r ? *? decide to take the Wan* Continent of Australia and also New Zealand as eslat* insufficiently occupied, we would sc^cel* appreciate th? extended application of our own progressive l»w. Mr Mackenzie vu listened to with, attention, and at th© close, on die motion ot Mr P. MacGregorj seconded by Mr Yates* those present carried a vote of thaijkg and entire confidence in Mr Mackenzie as their member.