THE ELECTIONS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 3218, 4 September 1879, Page 2

THE ELECTIONS.

MR. KELLY'S SPEECH AT THE NOMINATION.

At the nomination of candidates for the Electoral District of New Plymouth, Mr. Kelly took tho opportunity of referring to a few points that he had overlooked in his formor address, and to explain some of his actions which had been misrepresented by Mr. Fookes. LAND LAWS. Mr. Kelly said : I will first state that lam in favour of a liberal land law — one that will enable men who desire to own land to acquire it on deferred payment, subject to tho making of improvements on the land, with or without residence. Iv 1874 I was asked by Major Atkinson, then Provincial Secrotary, and Mr. Stundish, Secretary for Lands, to prepare a Land Bill for the Provincial Council then in session. I nndertook the duty, and made provision for the deferred ' payment system, the conditions being cultivation only. This bill was passed by the Provincial Council and subsequently the House of ltepresentativos,' and becamo law ; and under its provisions tho first land was sold on deferred payment in this Province. In 1877 this part of tho Act was repealed by a general Aot, and residence as well as improvement imposed, but subject, in the case of forest land, to the Board giving leave of absence for four years. Under the provincial Act land was taken up, and doublo the value of tho improvements required by law were made { and according to Mr. Robinson's (the Crown Ranger) report, tho scheme has been a perfect success. 1 will try to get this provision restored to the Act, as it enables parents and guardians to ,mnkc, future provision for their children out of their savings, and thus encourage thrift, and benefit the country generally.

| FRANCHISE. Some persons havo objected to what they term my feeling in favour of universal | suffrage, on the ground that it will affe6t the* security of property. This is a mistake*, ni 1 under the bill before tho House 'last session' property is represented as well as men. Undqr the rating qualification a property-holder 'can vote ill any electoral district where he!' holds property, as he can do now under a freehold or leasing qualification; and under thc.residcutial qualification the elector must be at least trrclvc months in the Colony and six months in the electoral district, and pay a fee of two shillings to have himself registered as an elector. When it is considered that at the present time a man is qualified to be placed on the electoral roll who only pays one shilling a year ratCß, there ia no reason to fear that any , political revolution will follow the passing of such a bill into law, and it will settle for ever i the perpetual cry raisod in tho country, of the downtrodden serfs who are deprived of their rights. , A FRIEND OF THE WORDING MANt / A rumour has. been industriously spread, not oply , during Jhi? election, but previous ones, that I am not the f riqiid of the working man because it is alleged that I, in years past, wished to reduce wages to the absurd sum of 38. 6d»' a day. '• Such an accusation is utterly untrue. I never advocated such a system* I was always, and am now, in favor of contract work,iso that hien could 'fix thdir own Irate of pay. Cheap wages mean many cases dear work, and a reference ( to,Mr,. Brassoy's work and experience will prove that. Dicing my whole political career I have been the moans, by promoting the construction of roads, bridges, railway and harbour works, to find , abundance of work and fair wages, and I submit that the man who docs }his is of more benefit t;> the working man than he who merely talks of his good intentions towards •them, ' , i , \ DIBOHARCU3D SOLDIERS. • ' A report is also current that I said the other' night at my meeting that discharged soldiors did not make good settlors. This is owing to a misconception, by the reporter of> what I said during my address. What I did say was that in reference to the occupation of the i Plains I was not in favour of the military I settler system, as wo had proved by experi. onco thnt settlers could not bo soldiers and settlers at the same time, the two occupations^ being in fact incompatible, and. I advocated the settlers being proteotcd by an armed force, ao that they could pursue their business in safety. I know that discharged soldiers have proved good aottlers and good farm&rs. LOCAL OPTION BILL. Daring Mr. Fookes' mooting, Mr. Hughes stated that ho was for some time in donbt whether he vrouldvotc for me or for Mr. Fookeß. That hitherto he had supported me, but owing to Mr. Fookes giving his adhesion to the principals of the Local Option Bill, and I having nppoaed that Bill, he would support Mr. Fookes. As I have beon in constant communication with Mr. Hughes during tho passing of tho Harbour Bill in 1877, and had in that and other matters received the thanks of Mr. Hughes for my action in tho House, and as Mr. Hughes had given me no reason to think he was subsequently dissatisfied with my political action, and had not spoken to me about the Local Option Bill that Mr. Fookes would support, I think ho did not act fairly towards me. I always voted for the second reading of Local Option Bills as affirming the principlo, but did not agree with the details of tho3o Bills when they practically proposed to confiscate hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of property without compensation. But tho Bill which Mr. Fookes states he is in favour of is a Bill of an entirely different character. It proposes no confiscation whatever ; docs not, in fact, pretend to touch existing hotels, but only deals with proposals to establish fature ones by giving to the residents in nny district tho power to prevent additional hotels being established. It, in fact, grants a monopoly of trade to existing establishments, and it is a Bill that most of tho Licensed Victuallers could vote for. If such a Bill had been proposed by Mr. Fox, it woufd probably have passed tho Legislature years ago. It is scarcely necessary to say that I would vote for such ft Bill, and I do not sec that Mr. Fookes is entitled to any special credit for promising to support such a measure. FOOKES V. KELLY. What is tho difference between Mr. Fookos and myself ? In the first place, I have had some fourteen years experience in political life. I have, therefore, a political history — the electors can see where I have succeeded, and where I hare failed. They have had ample opportunities of judging of my public character. Mr. Fookes has no political history in that respect ; his life is a perfect blank, and the only assurance tho electors can have in him is from his own promises of , lite futuio intentions, With regard to To

Whiti, Mr. Fookos appears anxious td rush down to Parihaka, and arrest him. If I thought that would bo the best way to settle tho difficulty, I would not hesitato to do no. But I have grave doubts on this matter, and surely my judgment is equal to his. I would make conquest certain by marching on a gravellod rood to Parihakif rom Normanby on one side,and Stony llivcr on the other. I would impress on To Whiti— by a strong hand, if necessary — the I fact that the. Queen's writ must, and will, run throughout tho West Coast, and that all who violate tho law; must suffer by the law, and I believe firmness and justice, backed by an ample armed force, will effect this without war. RATEPAYERS NOT PUT ON THK ROLL. Mr. Fookes appears very indignant that more of the ratepayers were not put on the roll. I would ask whoso fault is it that in this Borough o£ New Plymouth every ratepayer was not put on! I say it was primarily the, fault of the Mayor. If he had done hia duty, every ratepayer who paid his rates would have been put on the electoral roll. It, therefore, ill becomos him to find fault when ho has so seriously neglected his duty. If he has failed in this,. is it likely that he will bo more trustworthy in other matters if elected. RKPLY TO FOOKES' FAULT-FINDING, I will now reply to fault found with me by Mr. Fookes at his lato meeting. First he stated that I had neglected in getting the title for the Borough to its reserves. It is very evident that Mr. Fookes did not know what ho was. talking about when he made this statement. All the reserves at at present belonging to the Borough, including the Racecourse, Fort Niger, the 2000 acres at Stratford, and tho Institute, I assisted in obtaining, as the late Mayor (Mr. Standish) can testify. A delay has, no doubt, arisen iv the handing over, of tho reserve used as a lock-up, in Devon-street, and the Institute, but that delay is tho. fault of. the Government, and their neglect in handing them over is one of tho :tu*ns for which. I recorded my vote of Want of Confidence in them. But Mr. Fookes had to go out of the New Plymouth District, and go to tho Egmont and Grey, and there find fault as to my action. i OPUNAKE RAILWAY.

He stated that I had injured the Patea County by robbing the County oE part 'of their 20 per cent, land fund to construct a branch railway from Normanby to Opunake. This .is one, of the roads necessary to settle the nativo difficulty on tho West Coast, and is therefore of great importance. It is also, with the exception of ,2£ miles, all within the Patea County. It is also within the block of land where a portion of the proceeds of the sale of it is to bo devotod to the cost of construction. I therefore fail to sec, with these facts before me, that it is robbing the County in applying a portion of the land fund to the opening up of the land sold. 'The principlo of applying a considerable portion, of the land fund to open up the land from whence it is derived is «, sound and generally admitted principle. If it had been proposed to take a portion of the 20 per cent, derived from other parts of the County, and spend it on this railway, it would havb been unfair, but such is not the case. When I relate tho history of this line you will perceive that I am not entitled to blame, but to i credit. I found, previous to the Public Works statement being made in 1878, that 'the Government intended to apply the whole proceeds of the sale of the Plains less the Harbour fund, to the main lino of railway. As the main line of railway was properly a charge on loan I objected to this, and proposed jf the Government appropriated any of thp land fund derived from the Plains to railways it should be a branch railway from •Normauby to Opunake. I understood tho Gov6rnment assented to this proposal, but to my astonishment, when the statement was made, the Minister of Public Works announced that the f Uiids wore to go in aid of tho con- , struction of the main line. On remonstrating with the Minister, he said that the laud had cos*"* tho Colony large sums of money, and that it was only right that the Colony should be reimbursed to some extent. I ultimately succeeded in inducing the Government to apply. tho proceeds to tho branch line instead of the main line. It has now been recognised by the 1 Hbiise as one of the lines of the Colony, and I have no donbt that it will now be bo constructed on Colonial grounds, but even if the 15 per cent, is used it is tho very best work to which it could be appliod. WAITARA RAILWAY 3HKD. The Waitnra railway shed has also' been referred tons showing my inability to induce the Government to remove it. This would more properly be a question for tho member for Giey and Bell, but if necessary, I will take the responsibility in the matter. The Government, through my exertion, and that of Mr. Carrington is pledged to remove it, and the only difficulty is the finding of £2,000 by tho Waitara Harbour Board to extend the wharf so that the lino and building can* be arranged in harmony with the best mode of working. If I am returned I will aid the member for Grey and Bell to settle the matter. LAND TAX BILL. There is now only left tho accusation that I voted in favour of doing away wich tho £500 exemption in the Land Tax Bill. This is true, as I was opposed to the principle of the bill altogether. I considered that all property of a realised character should be taxed us well as land, land and buildings, moneys invested on mortgage in banks, gas works, insurance and other companies, so that the burden of taxation should fall fairly on those who had realised property and derived an income from it. Under the present Land Tax Bill a struggling settler, who is only nominal owner by being heavily mortgaged, pays tho whole tax ; and tho mortgagee, who receives his 10 per cent., pays nothing. Such a tax is a very unjust one, and should be repealed. Tho tax is but comparatively light now, but year by year it will be easy to add halfpenny after halfpenny until it will be seriously oppressive in its character. I CONCLUSION. 11l conclusion, I would say that I have always exerted myself in the interests of my constituents as a whole. I have endeavoured to get a fair share of expenditure on public works, feeling persuaded that in this district it would bo reproductive. I havo never neglected the individual interest of people who had grievances against the Government, until I had obtained redress, if redress were possible. And in this course of action I will con tin uo if I havo tho honour to bo again elected.

CAPTAIN SKEET AT WAITARA. Captain Skeet addressed the electors at Waitara last evening, when there was a very fair attendance. Mr. Tutty was in the chair. Our correspondent has sent us a very full summary of the speech delivered, but we are unable to find room for it. At tho conclusion of the address, on the motion of Mr. J. Elliot, seconded by Mr. B. C. Lawrence, a vote of thanks to the candidate for his trouble in coming to Waitara to address the electors was carried, •

MR. SHERWOOD AT HAWERA.

September B.— Mr. Sherwood addressed a public meeting last night, and was questioned re statement about harbour when at New Plymouth, Mr. Middlcmas stating that Mr. Sherwood opposed in the Patea Council the New Plymouth Harbour Board taking this County's revenue. A vote of confidence was passed.