CANVASTOWN LITERARY AND DEBATING SOCIETY.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 18, Issue 41, 21 May 1907, Page 5

CANVASTOWN LITERARY AND DEBATING SOCIETY.

A SUCCESSFUL OPENING. The inaugural meeting of the abovementioned Society was held in the schoolroom on Saturday, 18th May, when tho room was comfortably filled with an expectant audience. The hour of starting was later than that advertised, owing to an unavoidable special meeting of the School Committee being held in the building where the debate had been arranged. The Committee do not anticipate any trouble like this in the future, and will endeavour to get things moving punctually at 7.30, so that waiting will be a-oided. Owing to the unavoidable absence of the President, Eev. Mr Richards, of Havelock (who had shown the keen interest he feels in the movement by journeying from Havelock on a old night), was asked to take the chair, which he did with much credit to himself and intense pleasure to the,audience, Indeed, the Committee feel they were singularly fortunate in securing the services of that gentleman, for while he showed I lie was well acquainted with the I rules of debate and the duties of a Chairman he kept the audience brimming with laughter by his pleasant sallies. The meeting took the form of an election to select a fit and proper person to represent the district of Canvastown in Parliament. Five candidates, who had been nominated, were seated on the platform, and each was allowed twenty minutes in which to wpo the electors before him, and the electors, in their turn, were given five minutes in which they could ask the candidate questions concerning the political subjects of the day. To the credit of the candidates and of the audience, the addresses and questions all bore upon current political problems, which made the meeting most instructive and interesting. Mr Alex. McKenzie was the first to address the electors. He declared himself in the main a supporter of the present Government. He lucidly ex--plained the difficult problems which the land question involved, and although he did not express decided opinions gave his firm conviction that equity to all should be the guiding principles on which all public questions should be settled. He declared himself a Freetrader in a general way, but would tax luxuries; he was opposed to licensing houses to sell intoxicating liquor, on the ground that it prevented rivalry and created a monopoly. Mr Frank Ball next gave his ideas, and declared himself an out-and-out Socialist. He advocated the purchasing of all land by the State, and that ' the State should purchase and control ' all the leading industries and busi- ■ nessos. He called attention to the success that had attended the estab- "

lishmenb of State railways, coal-mines, and fire-insurance, and expressed his conviction that State stores and publichouses would be equally beneficial. The next speaker was Mr Frank Flower, who at the outset declared himself a Labour candidate. He dealt very exhaustively with the production of wealth, which, he maintained, was the fruits of labour, and in so doing showed that he had grappled with abstruse problems in political economy. He deprecated the worship of such millionaires as Carnegie and Rockfeller, and expressed the opinion that their wealth had been accumulated at the expense of labour. He also declared that the unearned increment in the value of land belonged to the people, and that any system of settling people on the land should provide for the return of such increment to the people. Mr Hollis Hill then addressed the meeting. He doalt with the finances of the colony, and declared himself a supporter of strong finance. He referred to the splendid results of Sir John MoKenzie's Land Bill, and declared that the cry about unearned

increment was greatly exaggerated. He emphasised that the first settlers experience hardships and privations which those following often forget, and he would be no party to any Land Bill which sought to take away the just profits of the early settlers. He declared that the country districts were neglected, and promised to assist in getting for the country settlers their fair share of the money spent on education, and motor services between the teminii of the Trunk Railways now in course of construction. Mr Howard Spear declared himself an opponent of the present Government. He dealt exhaustively with defence matters, aud showed that the Government were sadly neglecting to provide adequate defence lor the colony. He would increase the colony's contribution to the British Navy, and place Rifle Clubs on the same footing as Volunteers in respect to the supply of ammunition. He expressed himself as strongly in favour of prohibition and would do his best to secure the abolition of the drink traffic. The questions asked were answered in a manner which showed that the candidates had a good grasp of the public doings of the colony. The Chairman then distributed ballot papers, and called on Mr Glastonbury and Mr A. Reade to act as scrutineers; and so well did they perform their duties that in ten minutes the results were written on the blackboard. This showed that Mr Spear was elected by a substantial majority, and that gentleman had to respond to

a hearty call for a speech. A vote of thanks to tho scrutineers and the Chairman terminated a pleasant and instructive meeting. The next meeting of the Society will be held on Saturday, Ist June, when a debate will be held. The subject was fixed to be, " That the polltax on the Chinese should be abolished," but owing to Mr Hill, who undertook to move the motion, having to be absent on that night that subject will probably be postponed and another, of which due notice will bo given, will be substituted. It is hoped that the forthcoming meeting will be even more successful than the first, and the Committee urge upon every well-wisher of the district to make an effort to be present. It is only by the sympathetic help of the whole community that the effort can succeed, and the cause being a good one it behoves everyone to give the chariot a roll.

An Insult to Ireland. London, May 18, The National Executive of the National Council have resolved that the Irish Council Bill is an insult to the Irish nation, They call on the Irish Members to withdraw from Parliament and return to Dublin to form an assembly which will claim representation at The Hague and press for settlement by the International; Court of Arbitration of the dispute between Ireland and England.

An Australian Navy. Sydney, May 18. Mr Camithers, interviewed on the Federal proposal for a separate Navy, said that he was not at all in favour of it. He considered that "the protection of Australia consists in the fact that we are a dependency of the Empire with the greatest naval force in the world, and know that whatever is done here is part of the general scheme of Imperial naval defence ; but .we propose to set that all aside and start 'on our own,' contrary to the advice of those who have forgotten more than we ever learnt. The whole thing is a sop to a section of the community that, if not openly, is covertly disloyal to England."

Rise in Wheat. New York, May 18. Another sensational advance took place yesterday in the price of wheat at Chicago, partly due to reports of crop losses in Russia. July wheat jumped from 92J cents to cents. September wheat reached 100 J cents, The volume of business done was immense, a few leading firms alone taking seven million bushels. The market closed unsettled, prices " off." Top wheat jumped 4 cents. At New York yesterday trading was active, and the market closed unsettled, Part of the advance was lost.