In the Political Arena.

Southland Times, Issue 12767, 28 November 1893, Page 2

In the Political Arena.

(By Telegraph.) Auckland, Nov. 27. Mr Mitchelson addressed, the Eden electors at Devonport. His speech was a lengthy reply to Mr Ward’s Winton speech. Wellington, Nov. 27. The Premier was to have addressed a meeting here to-night, at which it was currently reported he would name the Government candidates for Wellington, but in consequence of his exertions at his Christchurcn meeting his throat is inflamed, and his doctor has advised him not to risk any further strain on it. The open air temperance meeting on Saturday night was the scene of some rowdyism. Stones and eggs were thrown, and the speakers were several times thrown from the platform. In consequence of this a sort of vigilance committee has been organised by the Trades Council and Liberal Convention for their open air meeting to-night, and the service of the police has also been invoked. Mr T. Kennedy MacDonald addressed a crowded meeting to-night, and dealt with the charges against the Government of trying to bribe candidates to withdraw,and claimed that when investigated these utterly broke down. The Premier, despite extreme hoarseness, spoke for an hour, and called on the Liberals to vote straight and do their utmost to keep Conservatives out. He declined to nominate a Government ticket. Sir P. Buckley followed with a very brief address, merely saying that he had taken up the female franchise against his conviction and passed it through unaltered. The Ministers met with a very cordial reception, and the candidate got a vote of thanks and confidence. At a mass meeting on the reclaimed land to-night, the following letter, addressed to the chairman of the Liberal and Labour Convention and President of the Trades and Labour Council was read :— •* Gentlemen.— Seeing the communication from the Electoral Convention intimating the selection of candidates was only received by the Government on Friday last' it is now too late, I think, to ask the Government to take any action thereon. Under the circumstances I think it should be left to the Liberals of

Wellington to say at the ballot box which three candidates she.ll be selected in the interests of the cause of the Government. Above all things harmony should be preserved and plumping avoided.” [The telegram does not state who was the author of the letter, but it was probably from Mr Seddon.J - Napier, Nov. 2/. The Hon. J. G. Ward addressed one of the largest public meetings ever held here to-night. He spoke for nearly three hours, his speech being in the main the same as that delivered at Winton, but he devoted considerable time to replying to criticisms of the Government’s finance by the Hawkes Bay Herald and Mr P. 8. McLean at a recent meeting held under the auspices the Women’s League. Mr Ward was well received. Be concluded by advocating support for the Ministerial candidates in Hawkes Bay. At the conclusion a vote thanking Mr Ward, expressing confidence in the Government, and pledging the meeting to support Mr Carnell as the Ministerial candidate was carriel unanimously. Mr Sutton has retired from the contest for Napier. Dunedin, Nov. 27. Election excitement runs very high. Ths prevalent opinion is that the labour and Ministerial ticket will win, though many think that either Mr Gourlay or Mr Fish will split it.

Mr Fish is suffering from catarrh of the throat and is confined to his bed, so he will be unable to address the open air meeting to-night as intended. His declaration in favour of State aid to Catholics will militate against his prospect of re-election.. There was only one final meeting in the city in connection with the election and, save for the introduction of some wattle seeds, it passed off quietly. The meeting was addressed by Messrs Pinkerton, Hutchison and Earnshaw who received a vote of confidence. Great interest is taken in the election and though there is not much excitement the polling is expected to be heavy. It is anticipated that fully 13,000 will poll. Nelson, Nov. 27. A most exciting meeting took place tonight when Mr John Graham received a vote of thanks and confidence, but hie opponents were present in strong numbers. Mr Kerr was to have spoken at the Port Hall, but some one took the key and admission could not.begained. . -v.

.■ There are 67 seats in Parliament to be filled to-day; Messrs Seddon, Ward and Allen having been returned unopposed and the elections for the four Maori seats not taking place till next month. The Oppositionists are modest: they only ask for 48 seats, the nondescripts about 30 and the would-be supporters of the present Ministry want over 100 seats.

Mr Christie addressed a good turn out of electors at Woodlands on Friday night. Mr C. Wyeth in the chair. His speech differed very little from the one given at Wyndham, and was listened to patiently and with attention. At the conclusion several questions were asked and answered concisely. On the motion of Mr T. Phillips seconded by Mr J. G. Gohl, a vote of thanks was accorded ; the candidate having previously expressed himself as adverse to a vote of confidence. At Mataura, Mr Christie had a large audience, and at first met with some hostility on the part of Mr McNab’s supporters, but soon gained the goodwill and attention of his hearers. He again referred to the unscrupulous use that was being made of the false statement that he had wished to be adopted as the Government candidate, and denounced Mr McNab and his committee for persisting in such assertion after he had given it point blank denial and challenged proof. He made a good impression, and was heartily cheered at the close of his speech. At Edendale he had also a full house and more than cordial reception, receiving a vote of confidence at the close, although he deprecated such being put. On Saturday night he appeared in the Town Hall, Gore, before a crowded house. Before closing he took up ths Premier’s explanation of Mr McNab’s statement about his (Mr Christie) wanting to be Government nominee and reiterated his strong condemnation of the conduct of Mi McNab and his supporters in the matter. He gave his audience great amusement by his characterisation of the condition of alarm the McNab party had been in on learning of the headway he (Mr Christie) was making, when in despair they telegraphed for Mr Seddon to come and help them. He quoted from the Prohibitionist to show the inconsistency of the temperance section supporting a candidate who was the nominee of a publican Premier. He satisfied his hearers of his own bona fides as a tried liberal, answered some questions satisfactorily and, at the close of a two and a half hours’ address, received a" vote of thanks and confidence.

Mr John Douglas, of Mount Royal, has practically admitted that the famous “ aspect ” petition of 300 Clutha settlers to have his Pomahaka estate purchased by the Crown was framed and partially signed at Mount Royal, 100 miles from the land. It appears also that Mr “ Clutha ” Mackenzie did not present the petition to the House immediately on receipt of it and that the Hon. John, the Minister of Lands, accompanied by Mr Ritchie, head of the Agricultural Department, and formerly also of Mount Royal, came to Clutha Tom and asked for it, th’us showing that they were well aware that it was under way. Writing to the Otago Daily Times, a correspondent says : “ We are requested by the Women’s Franchise League, and by the Workers’ Political League, to support Mr J. A. Millar as a candidate in the Chalmers electorate. We are asked to support a man, who, not very long ago, was the means of bringing more misery and wretchedness to the homes of the working class than any other man in our midst—who has done more mischief than he can ever undo if he lived to be a hundred years old.” Another says: “ I am a working man’s wife and the mother of six children, and many is the day since that Millar camo that we have had no bread to eat, and he alone is answerable for it, as before that we had a good comfortable home with plenty of things to do with ; but where are they now? I should like Millar to answer. I also pray that the Union Company will offer him a free passage to that new country just discovered called New Australia, and I am sure they will receive the blessings of all us poor creatures. Another word to my sister voters : pray do not vote for him who has caused us so much suffering and misery.” , This is worse than defeat. Referring to the Premier’s speech at Gore, “Argus,” in the Mataura Ensign, says that whatever abilities the Premier may possess, he is clearly a babe in finance and figures. He told his hearers that the Government of which the Hon. G. F. Richardson was a member converted L 2,000,000 of 5 per cent, loans into inscribed stock at 4 per cent., which had 25 years to run. I believe this conversion was to the great advantage of the colony. Assuming that a saving of 1 per cent, was effected on L 2,000,000, this meant L 20.000 per annum for 25 years, which, if discounted at 4 per cent., would be a present value of L 253.888 nearly. Against this would have to be placed the premium paid, or the difference between the 5 per cent, loans and the 4 per cent, stock. The point to which I want to draw attention is as the Premier put it. “ Mr Richardson,” he said, “ condemned them for converting a L 500,000 loan in 1893 which fell due in 1915, and the ascertained value of which was L 124 at time of conversion, but the Government arranged to convert at LI 17, and they have saved in interest L3OOO a year.” Now this is the most erratic and ludicrous statement that 1 have ever heard, cornin'* as it does from a man who fills the position of Premier. What would a farmer or any business man think of doing business in this way ? Say a man had a LlOO bill owing by him bearing 4 per cent, interest, and the bill had nearly 23 years to run before payment had to be made. His banker tells him th it the bill is first-class security, as it has been endorsed on payment guaranteed . by the Imperial Government. Therefore his banker does not wish to part with it. But the man says, “ There is a sinking fund which I wish to get at.” The man offers Ll 7 premium for the bill, or Lll7 and he sells his new bill for L 95, the new bill bearing 3J per cent, interest, thereby losing L 22 on the transaction. The man there gives his bill for L 122 at 3} per cent, and the interest he now pays is L 4 5s 4Jd, whereas before the conversion he only paid L 4, besides increasing his liability L 22. This is what the Premier said effected a saving of L3OOO a year. I assume that the hon. gentleman has a primary knowledge of figures, but to any one who reads his speech and investigates his figures it would appear conclusively that .he has not, or he presumes on the credulity of the Gora people and the Mataura electors. I a,k any farmer, business man, or any parson, what they would think of their agent or manager if he had done or was doing what the Government has done, viz., declared to his principal that he was making two ends meet and not borrowing or increasing the liability. The principal at length finds out that the agent has been drawing moneys out of a reserve fund that he had provided to meet his mortgage when it bee uno du”. W hat would tee end of the agent be? Mr G. F. Richard-on is no intimate friend of mine, but 1 recognise in him a valuable man for the colony, and an accurate calculator, and generally speaking a sound politician—one of whom the country cannot afford ’o lose the services at the present juncture. I have nothing to say against Mr McNab, but I regret that he has given himself over into the hands of Philistines. Another Matiura man writes to our contemporary :—Now the battle thickens, the reserves are callee* out, the last charge is to be made, and the yoemen will put to rout the followers of Richard. The eyes of the country are on Mataura, and the Premier

has actually had to be sent for to halloo on the laggards, support the shaky knees, and iut Dutch courage into the water drinkers. He caine, and after putting his motley tail through some movements, showing how to irotect the position by sand-bags of sophistry, ■ re went, leaving them as they were. He introduced a hundred subjects and had not a clear trumpet call on any single one. G.F. speaks by the Auditor’s figures, the Premier swears by those of the immaculate Mr Blow [who put LlOO,OOO more on the Public Works expenditure than had been spent]. Farmers, before you vote, just ask yourselves— Who gave only one vote to a farmer, though ho pays rates and taxes on two farms ? Who declare that land should pay all taxes, and that houses in boroughs should pay none ? Who, within the last three years, valued improvements separately, and make you pay county and road rates on these improvements, and yet brag about your exemption ? Who tried to take laud from any man they chose, at their own valuation, under the Land for Settlement Bill ? Who proposed to give you a Noxious Weeds Act? Who give the unemployed work at high co operative rates and take t)ie cheapest farmer’s tender for the carting ? Who went in on the non-borrowing ticket? Who proclaimed that they were doing public works out of revenue, and all the time were borrowing on the sly ? Who have added to the colonial debt! Who are anxious to kick out the Railway Commissioners in order to secure more patronage and more votes ? Who want to legislate for the town and against the country ? Farmers, you will answer these questions by your vote on Tuesday.