THE ELECTION.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 13729, 20 October 1908, Page 6

THE ELECTION.

MB BUXTON AT TEMUKA. Air Thomas Buxton delivered his first ad*** to the electors of Gerald ne, m the -.: Voharteet Hall, Temuka, last «*«««- Seatins wiw pxoTided for about 600, thißTww* all occupied, and a good many -*,» had to etand. There were a good Btar !«*» «» the front eeats, and among • tW pMMBt wa« ilr Jeffries, another can--1 didate. ■■■ - .... , • . Mr Frew» ex-M»yor, accupied the chair. ; and briefhr introduced Mr Boxton, and bespoke an otderiy hearing, m the mterwto of the electors, themselves. A sharp aoatberfy squall blew up just before the Meeting commenced, and made a good deal of noise in the wide iron roof of the drill Mr Boxtoo, who, on rising to speak; -wjW "receiwd with for-'ibe greater attention on account ot tb*..no»M--\At*to*»..«be n«wjf» «- great that it xoust baTe been difficult to neap'nna I"»» the back of tlw ball. Mr Boston read bis address from full notes, and delivered It Tery well, and was most attentively listened to, and occastonally, but not rery frequently, applauded. He spoke for* pat two hours, and a good barst of applause greeted bin conclusion. Mr Buxton said be did* not I»*« as * professional politkaan, but simply as * nun able to deal with tue ordinary pro bits*, of life in a comtnousente manner. In 'early life be bad practical «P«< en £ of faratinß, agrcultwal and paatoraJ, ne ?J«d*i £ *?t »« could do any of the work of the farm to-day, and '. «u br such practical knowledge alone that ef and uL worke/could be gauged and correctly understood. For the last 15 years he tod been in tbe.wool, grain, and produce btteines* to Temuka, and ledge of these lines m** be o! the utmost Sue to tbe representative oi f *£™ constituency- la tbe course of, lus,,im»--SSSu i^-f.TS. ment but be wa» a ~colt" in Vf\v?\ S internee and good l-g^jj tSfc-tteb late member, Mr Hatman, hau that he was always ready and SjTdo what be.could for ) th« «j 4,31 aad tbe datrict generally, and Si. the higbest terms of hj« uonesty of to hi* constituentsBe P hoped tbe district would be* faithfully represented in tbe future Z "bad been by Mr Flatman- When Mr Iflatman determined to- itand burton, as Ute electorate m eided, Mr Buxton said be was requestea to many old friends to stand lor tbe very awkwardly arranged new ekctorote of OeraMine. He decided to have an interview wnb. the Premier, and discussed with him the poeHion be would be in it ne came oot as a Government supporter. Tbere. were difffculties in the way; the claims of his business; doubt* whether he would support all the government mea■uren; and last, but most important, it was. tbe eleetom and not the Government who bad* the right to select candida Us. •the Premier was quite of this opinion, was most fair and candid; be bad no wash to -brand" anyone with tbe Government brand, and sent to the Aetonu -To : be voted for and returned to -Wellington. He considered it only right that be should •ay this in fairaese to Sir Joseph Ward. He would hare preferred to devote himeclf a few years more to bb business; but it was urged that it was important to enter public life, if af all, before one reached l'I«*« meridian, or ones posMb.iities of wefulnew mrst be curtailed. Besides, Geraldine--Temuka its largest centre —bad a card in tbe window, "Wanted, a ' member." Considering these things, his views being generally in accord with tlie policr of tbe present Government, and being requeued to become a candidate, and receivings many promises of support. be consented to etand. though tbis was in opposition to tbe advice of many of his beat friends. Tbe people of Temnka had honoured him by repeatedly eketinc him *■» their Mayor." and this appreciation of hi* -*er»iW in tbe le->T i-phere hid been-a factor in ileterinrning hi. offer of service in a wider one.

The first question iho rlvctor* u-onld »«k wa*. -Wbew do you stand?" ami hi* t«ply iru tbat be Mood » a supporter of »h«» "prowot fSorvrnnienC. To do this Ik* bad no hatchet to burr, do conMiVn-v li» »<|OAjv. He «u convinced that the prMgrrwir*' liberal policy of the party l«-d by Sir Joseph Ward most be accepted an ■ rn boon* endearonr to cecnre tbe greatest good of tbe greatest number. Tbe OpProw and apeakers bad b.vn prophesying ruin, faring tbat tlw begin•»ing,of the mm! w*« in sight: son*- <«kl K«-ep present Government in pow. r. jr**"** them rope, and let them bang th-m----»-lr-»." But tb- lbrvat«-tvd doom *e<iiicd to he a* far off a* «-ver. Mr Ru.tt"ti quoted ittatiMic* of increase* daring th-* p-«t seventeen turn, of population, farm holding*. land in cnltirj.'Vo. lit-.- *tm-k. paring* bank deponifrt. moo-r t>r>!< r bu»i iwrwi. life- insurance, fnuen meat trn.le. —*> wool export, to i«b«w that tb- country h.i.l lv-«n trar.-llit»g nni'e in th«- "pj-T-if.- i!ir>. lion to rnin. TV' <ounlrr In,) ( v-.vt-l rht"*eh both go*"! time* and lu«I tim-v and had both good wasorat and Kul t»u mm during that time, and amid*t A\ change irteady progrw» bad b«n made. Grata export* could not bo brought int" the compwTKoo. *• then* had no . \ ■port* to *peak of eince 1901. Ther w-n----toM tbtt »b>» continuous pro* parity »Ikt had enjoyed wm due to Government borrowing. The borrowinga bad be*n large.

aa twenty-five millions had been added to the national debt, but large asset* re-

producing the inteiest was to be set against that increase. And no other Government could have avoided the same policy. Whoever might have been in office* money must have been borrowed for the purchase of land for settlement, advances to settlers, loans to local bodies, purchase of native lands, and the half million investment in Bank of New Zealand shares was approved by ail purtfcs; then railways, telegraphs, roads toid other means of opening up the country acconnted for about hall the total, and no <joveramem> could have goue slow iu this lirection. The railways were paying .uost of the interest on their coot; the <tate-made roads; were valued at full by hose who used them. The operations of ast year were on a par with those of he whole period- » tilr Buxton quoted ignns for both.) The loan money had .ot been wasted, from a business point of -Tew there was no need for alarm, a* for the increased debts there were incrt-aned assets. The net debt had increased from £SB 10s lOd in 1888 to £67 15s Id in 1908, but the private wealth had increased from £215 to £535. The position might be likened to that of a farmer' who began with £ISOO clear; at the end of the year he owed £IOOO, but had as*ets worth £3soo—he must be £IOOO better off than ' when he Marled, in spite of his debt of £IOOO, That was the wuy to look at the public debt. Some people would have them believe that the borrowed millions were squandered, go that the Government borrowed to purchase support. The only remedy was to cease borrowing. Hutwere -the electors prepared to give up the land settlement policy, advances to bettiers, advances to workers, or to give up railway construction except out of revenuesurpluses? If so, let tliein vote for Opposition candidates. What tlie Opposition policy would be could only be judged from what it had been under th-' Atkinson Government, whose period of rule was a period of stagnation. John Ballauce, initiated, and Richard Seddon and Sir Joseph Ward had continued, a policy of progress,,; and. tbe results had shown "that if was not oul/ a progressive hut a lso a safe and sound policy. The famieis of this district knew that they had done well, manufacturers and business people had done well, and the workers were better off than ever before. Opposition criticisms were of no avail against these facte. Liberal experiments in closer settlement, advances to rettlers and workers, olu age pensions, and other progressive measures were now admitted by the Oppcsition to be necessary and right, and Opposition approval war* only deferred for all the important recent proposals of the Government. The Government were doing so well that it would be a great mistake- to make a change.. A station owner, if a sensible man, would not change a succo-efiil manager for the mere sake of a change, and that should be the rule with the electors. Supposing they did make a change. who was to be their new manager—Opposition or Socialist? There was no one in politics who would be so capable a leader as Sir Joseph Ward, and he anticipated that in tlie coming electiou the people of New Zealand would say so. Turning to dwails, Mr Buxton i-poke first of land settlement- He quoted the statistics of settlement to March last--679,410 acre* under perpetual Kare. 67.107 under renewable kv«?, 229.495 in small grazing runs. The opening up of w much land for settlement mit-a have l> en of great benefit to the Dominion. He blieved in the leasehold for >)i< small man, say a worker who debited to start on his own account, and had managed to t-.itvc, say. £SOO, or even £SOO. Such a man could do nothing witli a freehold. He Could not get one big enough to make a living on. He had no objection to the freehold, and th-re m-te p'enty of fi-c holds offering for the man «ho had money enough to take th<m; but for tin in mi ol small capital they uui-t haw lciseln>!i'.availabic. Then- w not v< it much difference irr the majority of c.it. ,m >» many fanners had a mortgag.. if nut a landlord, demanding so mueli a year fiom them as a condition of occupy in;; th ii farn*.. Tin- fret holder would not pro duce one more bushel of grain or one un re fat lamb, and at the \car's .ml would n<>; K- a jot better off lb an the 1< :a. lioM. r. who pai<l rent instead of iiit«i»p.t. I". i sonally, he would prefer th- U a» hold- t'chances. They im»t ssi.-k to tin- land now belonging io the Crown. to provid leasehold*. Ther- had le en mm h grumbling about the i-ropping ri strict!..i.-.. but tlicsti miih*. In- cot till <>f by pay inoff 50 jver t-ciit. tin- value ..f tit.- land, ".md a tenant l> com. practically ;l f u . o hohlcr by j«ying off 90 \*r cent., and tb-n he would have th xt to n» i>nt to pay. Mr Buxton adv'svd Ic-ir-ebolilcrs to stick to rfic kaw hold. -•»« tlu- Icav n« [ really t>af«-r than a freehold. They could |s»-e that in the warnings thai wcr»- given that the freehold w.i« n<it s.if-, it be tiik-ii frcm tl>.in. l-'ib- r i-nure u.i». h.«w»ver. »afc with an li"ii»-t a.|iino>.lr i tion in poncr. mh Ii a» jlh- i'us.-nt <.nc. H- did not i laim that tlioy mid.- ii<> mi< tak.s. Otekaik- prefctcmv* and Culv-r d<n larg.- irc-u, would conlradirt ;:. but everv Gort-mnit-nt mad.- in:«> «k..~. Tlh-v w.. U "M not ki!l .. 1,..!..- 1. .iu- k Humbled a f,-\t- time*. Th-rv notilJ !>■• lap- ar - -f ' ••••! plao-tl on th« market- by private hold-rr. in a few year-*, and tin tj..\. Jimi.-lil li.hl pn.pONiiJ a S|k>i-i.il 1.an.1 Set ll- mini Sch'-n*.:. t.» he!p men .f small capital <>• reeur.> boldinpt on such land*, by ad vancinir tli- pnrcliis.- in»i>-y t-> a nitv of ten or rnopp e#ttlers able to take up a. bi.Kk ani<>ng th. in. the (o.vriiuo. Nt <n:.«in? tin- rcjMvmen: of lie- toon, v to the knd.-r. tU- pureha*- .iftinne t by )hc |j.nd I'ur.li.i-e Hoard. The ?f.. t ra. would r-.-p.ty principal by annual in- J

stalmente in 32i rears. This, lo him, appeared to be a safe settlement scheme, and a splendid ariatijenH-nt for the settler. Under tbits arraugviueiit land valued at £'io an acre would be'bought rinht out. by the settler paying 25s an "tre a rear for 32, years. He thought tin.- iiumbsr of settled necessary should lie reduced, iuid had written to Sir Joseph Ward iceoninicnding that it be made "two ( ,r mole." Theiv would Ive Mire to be loth offering that would Hot be divisable into ten holdings. iSir Joseph replied that he would b-* pleased to consider the point when the House deals with the matter. This scheme would have his hearty support. The advances to settlers scheme lnd

worked advantageously in every respect. j No one could question its usefulness and stability, and the Premier was jrstitied in asking for an increase of the borrowing powers fol- this department from five to sis millions. Repayments now amounted to £BOO,OOO a year, and shortly would pro bably reach a million. Since the beginning of this year the lending- department had been swamped with applications, and reductions of amounts lent had to be made, and applications refused. It was siirelj - no sign of failure when it had to refuse custom owing to over patronage. Since last April nearly a million had be n lent. out. There has been some unavoidable delays, but the department was doing its best to meet the demands its popularitr was bringing upon it. The sistance from the department more cheaply than from private lenders, find they were making full use of it. Mr Buxton next spoke of the system of advances to workers for providing cheap homes.- This department should be helped in every possible way. as a great factor in producing contentment among the workers. In one year no lei-s than 1179 workers had been helped in this wa<t. He kww a- number in that district who

had been assisted, and knew that it was

no use anyone trying to convince them that it was not a* good institution. He I approved of extending it* nsefuhrws by increasing the funds available. Regarding old age pensions Mr Buxton reteriexl to the objections that they discouraged thrift and that some obtained pensions who were not deserving of them, lbere might have been cases in which die undeserving h a d obtained pensions, but would it be ngnt u> make tue many deserving sutfer for the few undeserving. The number of pensions paid last, year was 168,/82 {an increase tor the year of 6280), and the amount paid war) ±525,220. Such a sum uiu«* have helped a large number of old people, and nobody seeuied to be" any worse for it. Some recent amendments in the direction of greater liberality by reducing the disqual" iticat ions were, he considered, commendable improvements.

Taxation, an '•objectional>' t: necessity,* 1 be would only briefly allude to. Indirect taxation was accepted unobserved a n d without a growl, while direct taxatin was noted and protested aga.in.st. A man paid 5s 6d duty on Is 6d tobacco without a murmur, but made a noh>e over l-16th of a. penny in the £ on graduated land tax. Large reductions had been made in the duties on necessaries, yet the total revtnne had increased, owing to the ptc*perity a»d increased spending power of the people. That; surely, was no faul* of the Government. The land and income taxes had also increased largely, though (■hero bad beeu no increase in the rates of those taxew. The only increase made by the Government had been in the graduated land tax on holdings over £40,000 in unimproved value. This was not likely to press hard on niany farmers in this constituency. It had beai ».«**artod that the present Government had imposed heavier taxes on the working man and »mall farmer, but this was quite untrue As a candidate for an agricultural cor stituency, Mr Buxton devoted some time to the Agricultural Department. This department, ho considered, had done good work generally, under successive Ministers, a»d the fanners were ready to acknowledge that. The coat of the Department had gone up from £55,500 fifteen years ago to £ls£,ool> lust year, and such an expenditure meant that something substantial was being dome. Critics had contrasted the revenue and expendi.ture of the State farms and talked about the low on them. But surely tiiey did not really expect experimental farms to show a net profit. The profit cam© in from the knowledge supplied to the 75,000 odd landholders in the Dominion. One Opposition speaker put the loss at 4s per head of the. landholders per annum. If the experiments did not give the farmers information worth 4s a year they were of no value at all, and the sooner they were shut up the belter. Level-headed farmery in conference had the Government, to establish "tie of these facms in Canterbury, and they would not have done that il they h.ul not lecoginsul that they were valuable, in spite of their debit balances. The famw were a kind 'of education department, and they might as well expect the primary schools to pay. They do pay, in the knowledge iuparted. Mention of education led to a few remarks about the schools. It was not necessary nowadays to say anything in defence of the grand primary school syetem ; but the status of the teacheiK had needed improvement, and improvement had been effected last session, especially in the salaries of the lower grades, and payments on average attendance had been made fairer. The new "probationer" system and the increased power of transfer were commendable, and ihc teaiheis had expressed their Kiti -faction "ith the amendments made. He fully approved of those changes, recognising the vital im|Hirtanee of education, and the necessity for attracting the very best men and women to the teaching profession. He believed the people generally appreciated the advantages of the education system. and would not stint the means for its maintenance and improvement 'I he question of railway construction «■*» an important one. Construction must go on; tliH (jucHtion was "whete next T" ucarly every electorate urging i' member to get some local extension. He believed in pushing on the main line* first, and in completing lines in hand to paying points, so that tbey might produce the interest on the capital sunk in them. Ilic net revenue wax equal to 3.53 p-r cent, on the c«*t of opened, and to 5.01 |>er cent, on open, d and un»j>cii. d line* Alr Huxton then quoted comparative lab lis of passenger and good rates in 1890 and 1908 to show that larg- reductions had lk.cn made; and -U-j a comparison 01 passenger r-.ites in New Zealand and several of the Australian Htatcf. Tlie low fates and rates made for the direct ben<'tit> of the users, and there were- few jH-uplo who did not use the railways in seme way, directly or indirectly. Jt would be easy to make the railways j>ay 5 p-_-r cent, by incicasing fares and rates, and h>r< heart!•> knew win, would pay the differences.

Coming to labour f|iH-s:i«n>, Mr Huxton »ai(l lie W ;l « ill | ho House of Hepi, -Clll.l tivc.t when Mr Millar iritrtxiuecd his Con tiluiion a iid Arbitration Act Anietidiu-nt iMI. and lif. saw th.it cveiy member workctl hard to tlw very lwst iiK-;i.sure made, of it in tlu-iutc rests of iiidtirtri.il pca.v. Patty were cast, aside, and Uic uelf.,r.- of ilir- Doimuiun .done »ai ■ ■oiisid. led. Mr M 4 s-cy said he considered -it his duty to help the. (.iovniincnt to >i«s th- Hill, and th- Uibour k-aden. Co. '•pv.-Mtvd. If the new Act did not entirely rt'iiiot: th- old ttoubks, it <.u-:it )<■ K'eatly lessen them, bv in- moif |.|.i, to ioiuil.ato.il, Ifavinj; .übiir.itioii as n U>: :a-.irt. Tli. (aim lal.omv)*.' ilisputr iia.l !,,,.„ M-v.|.«l [or th- tim- b-Miij;. and tiiotij;li m.iiv «er.- (iisati.Jiol with the d-cisiou arnve-d at. ■m

ployer and employee alike saw- the difficulty of making castiron rates regarding farm labour. Fanning could be placed under an award as other trades were, if tbo work could be don* 1 under a roof, but it could not. bowing and reaping had-to lie done when they could be donti. Fanning differed from other trades in tlw fact that at least 50 per cent, of new farmers came from the ranks of the workers. The present Government bad done more for the workers than any previous one-: farm workers especially', then, should stand by tlie Government, and instead of fighting for awards help them to put workers on holdings of their own —they did not want always to be wage-earners. Were they prepared to follow Mr Thorn all the way he would lead them, into Socialism, with its demand for land nationalisation, and State ownership and control of production and distribution? The worker would lose lik freehold, hous« and garden, as well ;u> the farmer his farm. If they could not follow Mr Thorn, all the way, then how far? Was it possible that he conld be a safe adviser about what they should do as farm workers, a work he had no practical experience of? On the No-License question li«

need not say much: it wan wholly in the electors' hands to deal with themselves. Personally he would allow the present law to stand. Bare majority would, of course, be more democratic, but in this case it would not bt- expedient. Mr Buxton 6poke with approval of the Second Ballot, as an effort, towards the majority representation, which all deemed just. Take the case of Ashburton, with, say, six candidates going to the poll. Any one of the six might get in under the old system by getting 1000 votes, and 4000 voters would not be represented. There was needed some way of getting at a truer majority representation.' He; did not approve of 'gagging" a British, public at any time, but as one interested, lie would have been quite content if the gag had b.-cn applied between the two polls. He considered that .he would have said all that he had to say before the tiist poll, and if he had failed to do so, he should riot have the temptation put in his way'to modify -his views to catch votes that' had been set at liberty by other candidaUs having to stand down. He Vxp-cted that the coming election would demonstrate the faults of the- old system, by drawing attention to them, and if tlie «cond ballot proved faulty it' must be replaced by something better. In conclusion, Mr Buxton said there were many questions that he had not been able to touch upon, but he had endeavoured to state the lines he would be likely to follow. The future depends much upon the common sense of tile worker?, ,the fanneis, the- business men. the moderate thinking people, and they should see that they had ii sound government, and should stand by the Government that had taken a firm stand, regardless of popularity, and had tried to do its duty to the best of its ability to -at) classes of the community. Ihc objects of the Liberals were to equalise burdens, to make lives "brighter, and to pie- | vent the growth of the squalor and mW.iy that obtained in the Olcl Lanus. ' Wi.i you stand by and help?" Questions were invited and they caniti in numbers, until tlueequarfens of an hour had been spent in replying to tbein, and the chairman then stopped the stream saying that, the rest could be held over. Several of the quo*ions referred to matters purely municipal, and some were put aside a* nonsensical or personal.

In reply to others 5Lr Buxton repudiated the suggestion that ho had been an opponent- of the ijeddon Government. He had always voted for the Liberal Govcru-nu-ul. llv was in favoUr oi the cheap loaf, if il could be produced lieiv, but was absolutely opposed to the abolition of the duty on flour, so long as Australia maintained its duties against New Zealand. He had opposed rating on unimproved values for Tenuika, and had heard an ex-Mayor of Wellington regret that he had voted for it. . It. would be no great loss to give up the 2s 6d fee for vaccination exemptions. Abolition of compulsion w;m' a medical quest on. and there did nut seent to be any need for its abolition, as exemptions weie easily obtaiucd; he. had signed dozeus of tlwm. Challenged as the agent for the American Harvester Company, he said that the machinery msdiers of New Zealand should stand on their own bottom, and if they could not compete wfth the imported articles they should turn their hands to something else. The farmers recognised-the valui* of tin- American competition. He would not give tli" old ;>go pension to a drunkard, but a sob r man should not be refrt-vd it hcauxr li- had once been a diunkard. He would li:ivp paid a good deal in Customs duty. - He was not in favour of bringing t>> X<w Zealand immigrants wlio were unable to look out. for or to r-<ln«<-wages. Any immigrants should l> • men of the right stamp, men with a little capital, able to start for themselveis. in reply to -Mr K. William*, .Mr Huxion said he believed in paying men good wages, and he had always Gone so. ill thought the wagts asked by the faun labourers before-ihe Commit;moii wire reasonable. He had never p.ud les> ;li:iii o a day to day men. and had olien u Uiem a chance to make moiv l>\ |wt work.

Mr J. McAuliff.: mowd, and Mi> Tilbrook t>i'c,ondcd, a vote in tli.iuk.> u> .mi Burton for his cxtviloit addict, and tin.* being carried by acclamation, lite Minlmy was closed at 10.45 p.m.

Mr AKx. JJcck informed a " Hwald " rei>ortii' yvbU-rday that <lkh i> Hill .1 probability that ho will be -i < anuidHt--lor Ihe 1 imam seal. Mr Montgomery, Kvgiotrar i>f l\li-<Unr., y«-»-lerd»y reo-ived a telegram that tin- wiits for tin- i-k'ction "ill lie i> «Ued oil November Old. >o von a* lie MiMVtt. word on thai day thai tli «ii..are i>t>ued, tin- rec« ipt of applii'atun» (or ciuoJmeiit niu-t immediately rtii.io. 'J'bov |Koplc win**.- 21t-t birthday* occur b.t«.-'ii November Is* and November 3rd. Mill have to Ik* smart to fcrui«* eiiiolnieiit. .\ ueli .mended iiKviinj; ..f Mr .Jell ri.w' Mipporteis «.» held at 1 lta.-aiit Point and Totarn district.--, and Mr Jcfflie* outlined vaiioUh plopo.vih : ll.it \><!C ciii-.-i.lti.d. A: th« I'oticlii.-ion "l lli*-1111-t-tinir. on the motion of Mr il.ilsuail, i; ua-> iiliaiiim<iu>]y rt:>olvcd :llat ;tll piv•.cut form t hem.*clv. rt into a .i.iiiiniitci- ft wi>ik in tin- infiois of the ;\nn ! ,d;,t-.

At a meeting of .Mr .leffrieV fiici'ls ;.t Temuka la>t ■eveiiinjj. pie.Miliil v\tr by Dr Hay.-;-, thiifv-iiiiie present, on tiemotion '..f Mr J!. T. Clinch, Miomlcd I'y Mr \V. S. Myth, ;i .-miliar nnti'.n to lui jmv.-iI .( l'l< a.-.int I'uiii; war. t.irviftl. liw (Jeralilinc eleetorat. eoy.i* a • xt<nt of eountiy, ami the of Klcctois (Mr Willi spiel lias mail.-ui-rits for no fewer than 47 polling place*. I'lit booths on the extremes •■'. ;I|.- «-l.« torate are at th-j Mount Peel Ko.ol Hoard office near 1'..l l'"oi,r.i ; at (il. nlantiet. about 15 niiK-h from tin- H-i milage. Mount Cook: at liakataraine.i Diuvij, ; ati.i ai iJunn's Shed, near \Vaitn.i:e. lit. te !!•■ all. inly 26/ nam..- on i i t .- .. . ~it . i Mippl.-meiit.uy lull, and the toi.il iiiiiulk'i ~' vot»-i> on tho complete, roll vt ill he about 5780. A l.<|lle.M «.e nia<le that . Iwoth >houi.i 1. .Malihvi,.,! at (lie 11.-i initape, Mount t'ook, hut. the f-jjt-tiar .leei.|..| (hit in view- of ! h.- hj, n v ■» |«i».„ ..ml the MH..11 niiinUr ..,< w.t.o. aliom. W- it «..-« no: .i.!vi...1.|.- '... ...

tahlN, a hooil, th. te. 'Jh- ... a..-t 1.0..111 «ill Ik- at Clcnt.'ilin-r. 15 ni:ie-< 11n.1v Mr \V. H. William.., a ramlnlat.- ' for 10-ral.iiiw. ...hln x-e.l a ■■! -I- . ■o!h .11 \Vine)i.T-!e; 1.11 Satlllil.iV ■•.etllll_' Mr .1. Wilkr, «:., <h 111111,11 ' M; \\ :l liatif P eoived an rUVnIU" ii-a'-ine. ami at Uli! clov> of hii a'iciriv-.' was ..n !ii motion of M-ter. .1 <>!».- aiid -f. lS<*,toti ".eri.iiTt.J .1 !.« arty tote of t banks.

Mr Williams, at Winchester, speaking of the Farriers Bill,,said that a man had to pa-isan examination both written and oral before he would be allowed to shot? a horse. He was talking to ;i man who had been 47 yeais a shoer and that, man had said that if he passed an examination in shoeing lie would not he ;< bit better able to drive a jiail. Mr Williams thought there were far too maminspectors. A woman milking two rows told him that a dairy inspector had made her concrete her shed with the bail in it although she alwajs milked the cows out in the open.

In seconding the vote of thanks to Mr Williams on Saturday night at Winchester Mr Boston said "an old horse is the best," but Mr Williams at once interjected. ""I don't want to be thought au old hoise. 1 am yet. young." His remarks were applauded vigorously by hi 6 audience.

Mr Williams said that too many degrees —B.A. and M.A. —were nowadays ,b;ing granted. The degrees lie would like to see would be as " a good stacker,' 7 "' a good ploughman," "a thst-class workman," for men with those v titks could • always get work. Per Prest> Association. OAMARU. October 19. Mr J. Mitchell, who op|xs-K the Hon. T. Y. Duncan for Oamaru. addressed a good meeting of electors this evening. He pronounced himself a supporter of the leasehold teiraie. H.> said the syllabus was being overcrowded, and children vt.ro not receiving as good education as years ago. He defended the Minister for Labour against the attacks made upon him by the unions. He favoured the policy of the .present Government .but claimed the rieht lo freely criticise their doings. A vote of thanks and confidence was accorded. • MILTON, October 19. Owing to serious indisposition overtaking: him to-day, Mr John Loudon intimated to a large public meeting to-night that he had decided to retire. from the contest for the Bruce seat DUNEDIX, October 19. Mr E. H. Clark, who contested the Waikouaiti seat tit the last election, has decided to stand for Chalmers against Mr E. G. Allen. Mr Clark will" give a general support to the policy of the present Government.