The General Elections.

Southland Times, Issue 17092, 14 November 1902, Page 2

The General Elections.

United Press Association WELLINGTON, Nov. 13. Dr Findlay, a candidate for a city seat, addressed the electors to-night, and was given a vote of thanks and confidence. He declared himself a follower of the Government. PAHIATUA, Nov. 12. Air Gould’s letter, read by Mr O’ARara at his Woodville meeting aad telegraphed round the colony, turns out to have been written in November, 1899. Mr Gould has sent a letter to a local paper pointing this out, and twitting Mi •/Ah?r-.ra for not reading the letter at Pahiatua on Wednesday night when be (M?* Gould) was present. Air Gould states that the letter was marked “ private,*’ and was cparly of a confidential nacu’e. lie cha‘.’«rg< s his opponent to produce any letter -in which he promised ♦<> support Mr O Meara in the present electi )i.

Air Raymond addressed a crowded meeting, in Alataura on Monday night, Air T. Mac Gibbon presiding. The speaker’s address was closely followed by his audience. Dealing with the land question he warned his hearers against being led away by the wily arguments of those opposed to freehold tenure. The majority U these people never owned a rood in their lives, and possibly never would. The agitation against freehold tenure came mainly from the cities—from people who knew nothing about country life' and its disabilities. He strongly deprecated the action of the Government in acquiring estates and not giving the option of a freehold tenure, and also in discouraging the acquisition under that tenure of Crown lands, by

insisting on cash payments. He advocated giving every inducement to settlers to take up land under the freehold tenure by offering low interest and extended payments. He maintained that the object of the State should be to secure a finality in their dealings with settlers. The system at present encouraged by the Government defeated this object by creating a class of temporary settlers. All tenants of the Crown would be sorely tempted at the first hint of a depression to appeal to the State for concessions in rents—appeals already made had proved irresistible. The political power weilded by these tenants would be so great that concessions would inevitably follow. This clearly meant creating chaos in land finance where none would have existed if the Crown had carried out a bi sinesslike deal with the settler. He ipit it io his audience whether it was not a fact that any visitor to a district bad but to ride through that discrict aid he would have no difficulty in picking out the leased farms from the fa? ms. One was in temporary c teuuar’on, the other was in permanent hands. He hoped those who had come from tre Oil Land for what was denied them th’re would jealously safe-guard the privileges 1 y returning to power men who were pledged to give those who intended making their home on the soil the right of optional tenure.