THE TUAPEKA SEAT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2849, 21 October 1908, Page 16

THE TUAPEKA SEAT.

f 3)E CHAPPLE'S SPEECH. £ -A. - * (Pbov Ocb Special Repobtebs.l NABEBY, October 14. I>r W. A. Chappie, tiie member for Tua<eka, addressed a large meeting of elec- J ,/rs at Naseby to-night. *A number of ! - vdiect were among the audience. The ' iiayor of Naseby (Mr J. R. Smith) occupied ifoe ohair, and introduced the speaker t'zi a few brief and well-chosen remarks. > ', The candidate, who was received with ' JjVpplauGe, said he would divide his address iirrbo *in analysis of academic democracy, ' practical work of the session, and tn© planks of has political platform. The ill usxriouß Lincoln had defined democracy as the government of the people " for the ' poople by the people. This, indeed, was a, ■definition at onoe accurate and comprehen- • nive, but the people whq were the people Ji*d been divided "by & recent writer into j f*wo classes — the people proper and "the j jimob. Tfoa mob, happily, coneisted of the [few, blinded by passion and prejudice, and impelled by the dictates of their lower '•nature. Such noisy, clamorous, and '©''.■en r^eistkes, led on bj^jcjemagogucs, who [-yore t« rmtcSSißeiil" of thoir own unimpulses. The peopler proper, on mo other hand, comprised a -greet • body jV» our democracy. They were guided by Jc*ssxa, and were amenable to the distates , «c»f their, higher nature. They were moving -roiwards high ideals, led by the statesmen I who embodied the aspiratioKs of"~fheir (ihopea. -The "mob had crucified Chri&t,- but the people had spread the Gospel. The mob had assassinated Camr, but the people 1 had incorporated his laws. The mob had BtabJed Cromwell's horses in the cathedrals of England, but the people of that country ! which they could still call " home," had secured the ilagna Charta from King John, • end had thus formed a democracy and our • parliamentary institutions to-day as ever in 'the history of the world. The mob had against the laws, ar.d their voice t was to be heard ait the street corners and • in the market places, and declaiming from [the housetops. It was mainly composed o£ claraarous Socialiets, who' raiie-d agadneb ! existing- institutions, and those who enrdeavoured to*do their duty. In the face •of the lesson? taught by centuries of time 'end history, these expected to be able to [rebuild in con-formity with their own ideas J ■of human architecture. They were lead by • Jarresponsißle demagogues,- who disturbed i more than they advanced our progress and 'civilisation. They looked upon the State fin the light of a. tyrant to bo resisted. ■ {"They eHvbla«>B<sd their banner wi*h tho , 'legend equality; they" confused Ihe terms t) [liberty, equality, and fraternity;* they aimed at an equality of opportunity, and ( -effort of reward, end of intellect; arid - *h<?y failed to see that equality was impossible in the presence of liberty— of the liberty to work, to burn » the midnight oil <n etudy, to. earn, and to save. The liberty of unrestricted human effort was bound to lead to unequality. Thde had always been ■-so, and must be go from the nature of _sthe oaee. Those who toiled and saved and t

! thought must always be unequal to those j wlio idled and wasted. Sloth, therefore, ! could not claim_ these two things, and if it | was liberty, then it must be liberty and inequality, or serfdom and equality. | Socialism was a force to be - meb and grappled with. It aimed at a dead level of xr*e<3>xocri+.y , wh.idi would retarxj -fcho efficiency of bhe world and work. Their idea was to redress old wrongs by creating new ones. When Socialism spoke of Labour it meant manual labour, but it ignored the fact that thoee who toiled with hand and brain contributed to the world's wealth and progress, and that the inventor, teacher, and thinker were as much labourers i.n the vineyard of human progress as those who toiled with the pick. Liberalism curtailed only so far as it interfered with the rights and liberties of others, but it pavc>d the way for undeterred effort. -It fostered steady research and activity through the medium of the State. It would attain its natural end, and so receive its ju-t reward. It protected the weak against the strong. Then there* was a spurious Liberalism that posed as a State benefactor, and which, if encouraged, would permit tho State to be "smcoged." caressed, and courted by a nauseating cupboard love that was contemptible. State grants upon no well-defined principle had a tendency to demoralise the recipients and to sap that enterprise and independence which should be the glory of the British character. The eupply of free school bcoke to schools partook of this character, and if accepted asa State precedent would fester that spurious Liberalism whioh he had condemned. The granting- of the sum of £5000 by way of compensation to a private individual injured through the false evidence of another was a precedent tending to make individuals look upon the State as a universal provider and a universal adjuster of all human wrongs. The State must be loyal to fixed poetical principle, and if it wore not it must drift into chaos. During the session the flow of legislation was unabated." and acts of the gieatest importance found their way on to the Statute Book. The second ballot introduced an innovation into oW electoral system. It, mo\ lord that a second election shook! ]y» h"!<] when none of the candidates _ received an absolute majority of the valid \oics polled, such election to be between the first two candidates. He had attempted to fo amend the bill as to avoid this second election in all those ca«cs in wnich. by the ebsolutc-majority system of voting, a <ufncient number of voters failed to record their =^cond preference and thus make it impossible for the returning o.ticcr to determine which candidate had «n absolute majority. He described the an=o!ut.» majority sv«tem and the pvst»m of proportional representation in detail, and claimed that either of these method* w^s infinitely superior to the one now adopted. The second ballot, h^ maintained, was against the intercuts of the country electorates. Few would care to come out to a second baliot a week after the first in scattered district*. It meant loss of time, which was a loss of money. and <he danercr of only extremists on either sine turning un to vote made the result more problematical and tended to disfranchise thosa who found it inconvenient to attend. It meant a great extra

cost to the country, extra cost and inconi venienoe to the electors, and a lai-ger cost ' and inconvenience to the candidates who had Ito stand again. The temptation to undue I influence or an abuse of power between ' the two ballots was en objection that j should not abe lightly ignored. The abso- ! lute majority system on tte other ivamS., j was free of these evils, and was just as effective in determining which candidate 1 had an absolute majoiily. 1 He commended the Minister of Labour for his herculean efforts to improve the , industrial arbitration law. The Minister's tact, judgment, and great knowledge of { labour matters received the respect and ' admiration of the House, and were entitled to those at the hands of labour and capital alike, for without fear or favour I to either of theso industrial forces he toiled i to adjust the difficulties that existed and J to smooth the pathway of industrial peace. ! —(Applause.) Ho had made an effort to i introduce amendments which he thought , tended to the effectiveness of the law. | One of thc=e had bopn accepted by the \ Minister by abolishing 1 the clause which located the commissioners in certain disI tricts in order that effect should be ghen I to his claim that tho comnn^ioneis should ' preside over disputes in induct) ios of which lie ha-J t-ome knowSod^rp. Another amendment lo^t in the Hou-o was inserted in tho Upper House, and subsequently became Jaw. to the effect that the com- ! missioner 6hould have a casting vote in all council proceed insr." other than the makine: of recommendations. He claimed ' that if this had not been done the pro- ! eeedinpps of the council in which three . acted on one side and three on the other, j with the commissioner without a costing vote, would have been reduced to chaos. j He had attempted to fet two experts ' elected by the workers and two by the i employers to renlace the present a^sssors ,on the Arbitration Court, such experts to j hold office for each dispute and to retire ' when an award was given. He claimed j that this would have increased the efficiency j of the Arbitration Court, and would have a\oick j d many of the incongruities in the awards given by a court in which the assps^ors were permanent and could only jbe experts in one particular calling. He , had made an effort to hav<p technical , education encouraeod by provkKner for j a ) bonus by the emnlover to every youth who j presented a certificato of study at technical classes relating 1 to the industry in which the youth was engaged. This proposal, thoujrh it received much sympathy in_ many . ouartci-R. failed to be incorporated in the j bill The measure was certainly a groat improvement on exiftinff lecris'ation. though hp felt sure it would <till require considerable amendment. He referred to his advocacy at the bye-election of State experimental plots on private farms, and cxprc^s'-d hi~ satisfaction with the anronncoment of tho Minister of Lands that thi« fiv^tom would be instituted. — (Ap- , p!au**».) He described the impetus Driven 1o land sottlement and agricultural t de\floi>ment in different parts of the world by experimental farms, and advocated rhf>ir extension for the guidance of ( f.Lriners and the encouragement of young l>for)le to i-cttle on the land. j Dr Chappie also gave -an account of his i efforts to promote the inigation of the j arid rejrion6 of Central Otago, and de- | . scjibed the success that wa6 attending

systematic irrigation in America and India. He had kept this important question before the Government and the House, and had been gratified to find that & large amount of sympathy was extended to the- eubject by members representing otner districts. They were beginning to realise that the claim for a. Sta.ie scheme of irrigation was a reasonable one, and "that land settlement along the Otago Central line was a natural and necessary corollary to ite construction. He maintained that it would eventually pay handsomely for the Government to supply water, either by pumping or storing or artesian wells, and gave illustrations of these methods of water supply. He pointed out that this wa<s as important to Dunedin, whose back country Central Otago was, as it was to Central Otago districts themselves and expressed the hope that the efforts that were being made in these Central Otago districts wouid be supplemented by more enthusiasm elsewhere. He referred to the necessity for a revivified Mining Department and a forward movement in the development of mining in the rich deposits and d-cop tracts of tho mining regions. He pointed out that it \\a~, the State's duty to develop and encourage mining by pushiag foiward expexi- j mentation into the regions that private ; enterprise and private capital could not undertake. He gave , an example of the deep level research in Victoria, which had led to the permanent employment of 2000 men, and he predicted a bright future for the mining districts in the vicinity of deep levels couJd be tested and the bottom demonstrated. — (Applause.) There was j plenty of private enterprise and private capital to do the work after the experimental 6tage was accomplished. The Australian Government had initiated, under The public estate improvement system there, boring experiments in mining districts. Boring not only gave valuable ' geolog-ical information, about the various ' ttrata, but gold could be demonstrated, al-o the depth of wash under a bottom, j the presence of coal, and, lastly, but not | least, the presence of water. i Artesian water had proved one of the ; bast sources of irrigation supply in many ' regions of the world. In Canterbury and ' the North Inland artesian water was to j be found almost everywhere, and bores were put down at a reasonable cost. On his own farm he had found an abundant I supply of the purest water at a depth of 305 ft, and Professor Park a.nd other gco- I logists had toJd them there was pLenty of ' evidence that art>e*ian water would be j found in many parts of Central Otago. i The Keystone borer being imported by the • Lands Department would poon be in the ( Dominion, and every effort should be mado : t<j get it at once into use. — (Applai^e.) 1 He advocated tho exhibition of mineral , samples for the education of boyo and j the guidance of miners, the. revival of ( a system of peripatetic mining classes, and the establishment of prospecting parties, ' who would be active practical workors under the and direction of tho Geological Department. He thought that ■ a revival of minwig in a diftrk-t like this j was a national concern.— (Applause.) It meant a larger population, more business \ activity, and therefore a larger revenue to the General Government. Old settlements should not be allowed to decay for want

J of a little State enterprise and State encouragement. He was sure that the mining j communities preferred to have the guid- | ance rather than the pecuniary help of the State, and the guidance that came from State experiment and resaarch was a legitimate function of the Government. He thought, that a forrsrard policy in minUTR and irrigation would rehabilitate Central Otago and make it one of the most prosperous and perhaps most popular districts in the Dominion. Mining and agriculture were as yet in their infancy, and a forward movement would assuredly attract population, and the State would be amply repaid. When we considered the enormous population of older lands, the small amount of their workers' earnings, and the industry and thrift they had to practise u> keep them just outside the path of poverty, and then considered, on the other hand, our waste areas of plain, hill, and valley, our need of closer^ settlement, and a more intensive cultivation of the soil, when we considered further the ready sale our products had in the Home markets, and the high price they brought, a parte-nt f a <yfc j was brought home to us that an urgent need of our country was a closer settlement, and a denser population.— (Applause.) More people meant lees rates and taxes, and even a smaller debt, for the burden of our National Debt, was beat measured by the number of people who had to bear it. If we doubled our population we halved the National Debt, and halved all the State burdens that we had! to bear. They had preached the necessity of a larger country population for many years, and he was more and more convinced that the increasing facilities which we were giving out people, the incre"asing expenditure on public works, education, public buildings, and institutions made a larger population to share these advantages, as well as the burdens which they implied, an urgent and pressing necessity.— (Applau?e.) We could afford to choose the character of these we brought to our shore*, and we ought to do i+.. Farmers and country workers only were required. The citie§ were full enough as they were. Competition was keen, and wages were quite low enough without in?roducing eitv workers to swell the wants of the unemp'ojotl. increase competition, and lessen wapre^. The city worker would have ni« conditions gneatly improved if the products cf tho country were increased. Tho city depended upon country activity and enterprise, and should help the country to foster mining and agricultural activity and to fettle the waste lands. Even without irrigation the?« higher altitudes could carry an infinitely greater • population of successful farmers if the largest runs were cut up into smaller holdiitiys, and made available for those who would" otherwise have to leave, and also for those whom the advantages of this district could' readily attract. — (Applause.) The candidate claimod that he had local knowledge and experience, which especially fitted him to represent the electorate. He had been bom and brought up in the electorate, and had lived the first 25 years of his life there, partly as a farmer and partly as a student. He had tramped th«» revh from Dunback to Ophir frequently on foot when he could not afford a more ramd means of tra W it. Bte Lad gained an

experience of farming' -which, early in his ; experience, had shown him what that, soil was capable of producing .under the -kinddy influence of abundant sunshine and when -water was supplied. He had travelled the length aaxd breadth, of this electorate as a boy, and knew- something of 'the hardships of t * country life. He claimed -that this i ejeperknoe had made him acquainted -<<9itih. : the needs of the district, while his travels in the world had made him acquainted , with other lands and other peoples, and, -<hnd made him realise what Well-directed ; effort in such a country as -ours could do ' for the progress 'and .development of our j people. ' He had retired exs£irely from prac- j *ice, atfd liad -returned -to -the -home of his < youth, anxious- and willing to render Jt ; service- And to devote- the whole of his t time to the advocacy, of local needs and : ■ requirements for itheir proper representa- j *ion of their political needs and. aspirations j in the Parliament of the country. — (Ap> j pkmse.) * He had no private end to serve, j or indeed any other aim but that he had '• mentioned. He had solved the breod-and- < butter -problem so far as he ootikl forecast • bis material prospects, and he had now ,' entered "on a public career with the tame ; energy ,\oonfid>anee, and determination with which he had entered on his university career. He wanted to play com© part, however humble, in the political unfolding of his native country. . This was no idle passing , ambition, but had its mainspring: j in c .patriotic motive to be of some eervice to hie V fellows. He had endeavoured co : far to fulfil in all earnestness his election j pledges^ Eor tie -five, months -he had been j «t -the oar » ice of his constituents he had J kept up a voluminous porreepondence with > (hem, and no appeal to him, from how- ; ever humble a source, h«od failed to re- ' ceive hie attention. He had kept in i touch with his constituents, made himself ) acquainted with tiheir requirements, and ( had done his best to press those* require- • meats upon the notice of the Government, i He could not help feeling that he had r«n- j dered some service, and he aleo felt that | this service was recognised and appreei- ! at^d. Loyal to the principle of political j etiquette, he had refrained from anything : in tihat portion of the constituency which . wes now attached to old Tuapeka, but as i soon as the House had risen and he was free he had placed himself in immediate touch with those whom he desired to .nerve. H» looked for a renewal of that confidence which bod been extended to him at -the- -bye-election. — (Applause.) No questions were asked. The Rev. Mr Hewland proposed * vote of thftntes to Dr Chappie for hifl instructiveand stimulating address. Dr Macknaght seconded the motion, which was carried without dissent.