GENERAL ELECTION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XIV, Issue 4900, 28 June 1887, Page 2

GENERAL ELECTION

SPEECH BY THE PREMIER. VARIOUS ITEMS OF NEWS. BALLANCE'S CONTRARIES. Dunedin, to-day. The Premier, Sir Robert Stout, addressed a large meeting of his constituents, tho electors of Dunedin East, last night. The speech did not contain as much mattor of interest a3 was expected. The Premier recapitulated the work and incidents of last session, and claimed that the Government, notwithstanding the increase of population, had saved £'92,2b"5 during tho year. He strongly defended the education vote, and said he believed a further saving of £100,000 could be made without impairing tho efficiency of the public Bervice. He received a vote of thanks and confidence. He did not make any very definite statement of any proposed policy of the Government. Auckland, to-day. James Mackay, native interpreter, late of Gisborne, is a candidate for tho Auckland North seat. Bulls, to-day. Bruce, Arkwright, and Renuington are out for Ranguikei. Stevens is a probable candidate. Mr Bruce is the present member, and Mr Stevens the former member. Mr Arkwright has been a member of the House of Commons. Wellington, to-day. Dr Cole has withdrawn from contesting tha fourth seat in Wellington. Major Atkinson will probably addreas a public meeting here this week. Mr Ballanco, who is now an ultra-Pro tectionist, cannot plume himself on consistency. As we stated a few days ago, his present arguments can be easily refuted by those ho used a year or two ago. Here is an instance, the first of the following extracts bein^ from a recent speech and the other from one formerly delivered : — MR KALLANCE ON FROTKCTION. " It has been said that extreme protection was not wanted. His answer was that we should not quibble about name 3 : what we dill want was not this kind of protection of 5 per cent, or 20 per cent, or 35 per cent, or oO per ceut. Ho said that we should have sufficient protection— whatever that might be (he limited himself to none) to adequately protect our industries. With reference to the tariff introduced by the Government the other day, he said it was an indication of the direction in which Ministers ought to go, and although that tariff might not have afforded the amount of protection required by the industrial classes, they should not forget this important fact, that it was a first great step towards protection of our indus tries. . . They were prepared to teat the feeling of the country, and they boldly launched their tariff. If the people wanteu a better tariff, let them say so ; it was for them now to make the response, and he felt sure that whatever Government was in power a tariff would be introduced and they would have protection — protection in earnest, and as he had said, a sufficient protection." . MR BA.LLACE ON VRKETRADE. "They should encourage, as far as they possibly could, a spirit of freetrade aud of commerce, believing that New Zealand was more adapted to be a great commercial country situated as it is with its splendid seaboard, its splendid ports, and unrivalled position, than any other country perhaps in the Southern Hemisphere." Further ou he remarked : — " I believe our true policy is to cultivate trade with other colonies and to remove our tariff restrictions until we are as free in our commerce as England herself is . . The spirit of protection never dies, and you will find in New Zealand certain industries struggling for existence which, without looking ahead or considering the whole facts of the case, evince a selfish desire to have themselves protected, and to tax the whole community for the benefit of particular trades." •« puff" on grey and stout. Discretion the better part of valour ! Stout's decided not to stand for Napier ! Rather ! If he had stood for Napier, Ormond would have licked his head off, and it would have cost him his seat for Dunedin East as well ! Ah, I »cc he'a going to devote himself entirely to Dunedin Bast ! Hod better, — and then it'll take him all his time to get in ! If he'a the leader of the Liberal party, as he says he is, why does'n't he go up to Auckland and contest a seat with Sir George Grey ? They can't both bo leaders of the Liberal party ! Bless you, dear boy, Sir George Grey would mop the floor with him ! The old man's got the heart of the people properly up there now ! I wonder how is that He'd pretty well lost all his influence in Auckland some years ago 1 Ah, but then he's been lying low as a party politician and doing the heavy father business all round ! Giving away libraries and art galleries and things, and taking the lead in education and charities ! He's boss at that sort of work and always will be ! He spoke pretty straight in his speech last night ! Not much claptrap there ! No, he's got over that ! He can afford to say what he pleases now ! Besides, I think he's found out that ho made a lot of mistakes before ! Ah, now you're coming to it ! If Sir George had taken the line in politics ten years ago that he's taking now, he might be Premier to this day ! Not if he'd surrounded himself with such a set of scallywags as he had about him then ! I see he's given a new life boat to tho Napier Harbor Board ! That's very kind of him ! But it's a delicate little piece of satire all the same ! — Putf.