THE MATAURA ELECTION.

Southland Times, Issue 3295, 11 January 1879, Page 2

THE MATAURA ELECTION.

■■ ■■ ■'•'■ •"•" ■ ; ' ."•• — ■ — -* — •■'. ■■ ■-„' '■ - : :■:■: ■' - MR SHANKS AT GLADSTONE. Last night Mr Shrinks addressed a meeting of the;elector^ of Gladstone in Glif ton's Hotel. Mr McLean was called to the chair, "and there- was a fair attendance. '■ v v- jThe Chairman said they were met that night to hear Mr Shanks' political opinions, and he believed it was less the function of a meeting like that to afford an impartial hearing to a candidate than to express an opinion as to his suitability as a representative. ; •Mr Shanks, in the : course of his remarks, recapitulated to a great : extent the views he had previously-expressed on the leading political topics of they.day. Mr Wood had telegraphed :to him that: he would have been glad if '.-.it had been in Ms power to come down and voted for him. ' That, he .thought, was , rather ; a feather in ■.• his cap. He said, candidly that he did not quite agree in every v thing with Mr Wood, but -he had. exerted himself to the utmost to secure his return, and Mr Wood had proved, a very excellent member, so far as Mataura was concerned. Mr Shanks was then. subjected to- pretty long questioning, and" in his replies stated that he thought the duty • devolved ,on the " State of providing for elementary education, what "a London alderman had happily termed the three R's, but beyond that, they were not called to go. It would; be a thousand pities if the Bible was introduced into schools,- 'for parents should teach-.it at hdmei ; v There.was a disposition to introduce the denominational question into'the election, and- it was greatly to be regretted. If the lawr. was inequitable, no man would strive more- ;than himself, to amend it, and to give, as : far as possible, .equal ' :v ~' justice to all. With; respect; to- representation of Mataura, Mi* Kinross had; displayed, sbmie little want of knowledge of the district when he said he would be glad; to see the Mataura River joined to the municipalities of Tnvercargill. He advocated that the ,, suburban municipalities and the country district should, have separate members. A \farmier ..was not so 1 - well up in municipal' matters, as one of themselves. With regard ;to the relative utility of county counpils and 1 road boards, his own impression was that Mwould. not like to see the powers of : the ; county councils increased, for the simple reason that they might injure the road boards. "; TTefwas a great believer in road boards, because the men upon them were local, and knew the local wants better than a central authority in a large district. The county councils jwere the connecting link between ihe country : districts and Wellington, ; and if; they' were abolished a much to be deprecated system of centralisation wouldfollow. He was in favor of the Permissive Bill, but thought the fairplay and justice that is in the mind of everyone would demand that a man whose license was taken away should be compensated in some manner. If ; the people were opposrd to a new house being licensed he' did not; thiak any compensation was called for, nor yet was it necessary, under, the three years -system, where a license was taken away, for under the law a man would have calculated the-risk. He saw no reason why- the Deceased Wife's Sister's Bill should not pass.-; ,: r Mr T. Perkins said .'Mr Shanks had /been perfectly straightforward, ahdthere cpuld be no misunderstanding him. In -his explanations he had given them a fairly , defined political : creed. He-had received the complete support of Mr Wood, andjahould therefore receive the support of-^s friends. tiiHe moved a motion;to the effect that Mr Shanks was a fit and proper:perspnitorrepresent them in Parliament. • ;: : " ' Mr T. McNatty seconded the motion. . Mr Fairmaid moved as an amendiaciit'that : they should thank'Mr Shanks for his address on the occasion. . - / •■ . Mr McEwen, in seconding the motion, said * he considered that anyone s who \y;eiit tip Vto support Sir George Grey's Government was not the person that they -should support. He was perfectly persuaded that if it had not been that it was amongst tHe last days of that sessiohj a man would have stood for Mataura '.> that would have had the thorough, confidence of the electors, and-would have been elected. He regretted.to say now that the nomination was passed, thatit was simply a question.between two men, but he did not see why they should say that^either .Mr Shaoks or Mr Kinross were competent to represent Mataura. Those of them who thought that neither of them were proper persons should say so, A Avote was then taken, when i"4^declared for the amendment, and 7 for the; motion. The motion was therefore declared carried, ;and a vote of thanks fo the Ohairnian concluded the proceedings. •';"''' '"■>;'• ' - : . ;■