A UCKLAND CITY ELECTION. TO THE ELECTORS OF THE CITY OF AUCKLAND.

Observer, Volume XVIII, Issue 1092, 2 December 1899, Page 17

A UCKLAND CITY ELECTION. TO THE ELECTORS OF THE CITY OF AUCKLAND.

Ladies and Gentlemen,— Having been requested by a large and influential section of the Electors to stand for Parliament, I have now much pleasure in acceeding to their request, aud beg to announce that I am a Candidate for your suffrages at the coming Elections, and would earnestly solicit the favour of your esteemed support. Should you honour me with your confidence, I may at once say that I would accord a firm and consistent support to the existing Government, but would reserve to myself the liberty to vote for any measure (not being a party question) calculated to produce the greatest good for the greatest number. At the same time I fully recognise the fact that an M.H.R. is in every sense of the word a public servant, and would accordingly be guided to a great extent by the voice of the people, and would therefore be inclined to support measures adopted by them even at the expense of my own political opinions. Briefly, I am in favour of the following Measures and Schemes :— Pushing on the NORTH TRUNK and NORTH AUOKDAND RAIL WAYS as quickly as possible, so as to open up the King Country, the Far North, and oher districts for early occupation. BURSTING UP ALL LARGE ESTATES suitable for close settlement, and also a reasonable scheme for WORKING MEN'S BLOCKS in close proximity to towns and cities, but would insist on seeing families Bettled in really first ola3S country, fully believing that one acre of good land would prove far more valuable to them, than twenty of bad or indifferent. I approve of the OLD AGE PENSIONS ACT, but somewhat modified ; and in order to make the income required to maintain same more secure, I would favour the imposition of a graduated income tax. I would strongly advocate more liberal law 3 in connection with our MINING INDUSTRIES, and would favour- the erection of PUBLIC BATTERIES in every mining centre at the expense of the State, the same to be managed and controlled by the various local bodies, where miners and prospectors would be allowed to crush their own rock and so obtain for themselves the actual and total value of their labour without any deductions in any way whatever, and by this mean 1 1 maintain hundreds would be induced to prosecute a more diligent tearch for the noble metal, and thus relieve congested occupations and trades, and also tend largely to solve the unomployed difficulty, m my opinion, the tit ehas arrived when we must cease to look for outside aid or assistance, and so become self reliant, depending absolutely on our own bone and muscle, pluck and energy, for the development of our mining industries, and in this connection I would favour a .Bill to make HOOLEYISM— o herwise the acceptance of secret commissions by directors and officers— an ineictable offence, on line 3 similar to recent English legis'ation, so that all such would be ostracised irom the society of honourable men, aud thereby prevented from injuring the country and people they love so well, because it is an open secret that this pernicious sjstem obtained to a very large extent during the halcyon days of the late lamenned boom, and, further, that many a fair proposition was spoiled, and poor men nearly ruined, through the rapacity aud cupidity of the HALF-ctUIME vPlu-S too often working in conjunction with incompetent, unreliable, and sometimes unprincipled experts. I would strongly urge the necessity of securing an expert in FORESTRY, whose business aud duty would be the re-planting of country now being denuded of its virgin foresc wkh suitable trees, and would advocate the adoption of a system which presently ob ains in the Australian coloi-ies, and which has proved highly satisfactory. In passing, I would seriously call the attention of the press to this matter, wnich is oE vital importance to the colony generally and Auckland in particular. lam in lavou : of IMPERI aL PENNY POSTAGE and FEDERATION with the AUSTBALI AN COLONIES, believing firmly as I do in the principle of reciprocity, which I coosider would prove of incalcuJbie value to us as a community. I would lavour the introduction of a Bill to bring under control what are under existing laws UNCONTROLLABLE MONOPOLIE>, which presently threaten to sap aud drain the energy and vitality of our colony In iss very youth, and to this end would favour any measure which .would enable all workers .o CO-OPERATtt for their mutual benefit and protection. I would urge upon the GOVERNMENT the necessity of introducing a LAW REFORM BILL, so as to cheapen and simplify the transfer of property and legal work generally, and so reduce and minimise as far as possible, the present absurd and ruinous charges I would favour an alteration in our GAM ING LAWS, and would lay the line, and measure out even'justice equally to all, without respect for colour or quality. I am not in favouc of PROHIBITION, but still believe firmly in complying with the laws of the country, and would support all measures calculated to raise the tone of every Hotel, and that of the proprietors and owners as well. lam thoroughly convinced that the masßea will never be made sober, moral or virtuous by legislation, and any attempt to make them so, would simply be stuffing their ears with wax, and tieing them to the mast— the moral principle would remain unchanged. A higher and better force must be used, and therefore this bring 3me to the question of EDUCATION. I am in favour of any and every DENOMINATION who will educate T5 scholars under one roof receiving half the present CAPITATION MONEY, and would have such schools examined by the GOVERNMENT INSPECTORS, so that those attendIne would participate in the same advantages as those educated in our PUBLIC SCHOOLS, because I am full/ perauaded that no education, however high, however polished, can be truly beneficial and enduring throughout the battle of life which is not firmly grounded on the first principles of CHRISTIAN Ethics. I would very strongly urge the necessity of establishing GOVERNMENT TECHNICAL . SCHOOLS, which should be done at all costs if we are to become a successful manufacturing country.

I would advocate sweeping amendments in our LICENSING LAWS, and would bring all CLUBS under their influence and control, for reasons which must be obvious. Finally, and speaking generally, I am strongly in favour of the LABOUR LAWS as introduced and passed by the present Governmett, and would support any and every measure calculated to raise the character and status of the worker, in order to assist employer, and employee to pull together in unison and harmony ; but I would at the same time set my face like a flint against all intemperate agitators, who, by their methods, set labour against capital, man against man, class against class. As I do not pretend for a single moment to be an orator, but simply a thinker and worker, I have laid my opinions thus plainly and fearlessly before you. Those who believe in my views will, I trust, acoord me their support ; those who do not are welcome to plump tor a man with better. In closing, I beg to remind you that I am a native of New Zealand, with a large and varied experience, and am intimately acquainted with the wants and requirements of all classes, both in town and country, and so, being a native of this democratic colony, where it is the duty and privilege of every man — jo matter what his position in life may be— to qualify himself for ant aspire, to the highest position in the State, I therefore make no apology for requesting your cordial and generous support at the coming poll. Should you thus favour me with your confidence, I can assure you that I will do my utmost in your best interests, so that I shall be enabled at the close of mv term to render you a true, faithful, and satisfactory account of my stewardship. I am, Your obedient servant, P. QUINLAN. Symonds-streßt, Auckland, September 29, 1899.