MR BESWICK BEFORE THE ELECTORS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5714, 6 November 1896, Page 5 (Supplement)

MR BESWICK BEFORE THE ELECTORS.

Yet another exponent of the new political creed of " Turn out the Government, but keep its measures," made .his bow to a Christchurch audience on Monday. The Opera House was not quite filled on the occasion, and as the gathering contained a very numerous element antagonistic to the speaker, it is clear that Mr 11. J. Beswick's candidature for Parliament has not aroused any extraordinary interest or enthusiasm. Those who attended were in.lined to be very indulgent to a (i young colonial " making his maiden political essay, and it is well that this was the case, or otherwise a meeting that was at times exceedingly funny would have degenerated into pure burlesque. The meeting at first proposed to take Mr Beswiek seriously, and he was duly cheered and groaned at by the. partisan element ; but as he proceeded, an approach to rapport was established between him and his audience, and after three hearty cheers had been given for the Premier things went more smoothly, the gathering settling itself down to enjoyment; until at last, when the questioning stage was reached, the spirit of. comedy asserted itself, and "joy was unconfined." With every desire to look leniently upon a maiden effort, and to encourage the legitimate aspiration of a young fellow - citizen to serve the public .in Parliament, we find it difficult to regard Mr Beswick as in earnest, so many and so grievous were his blunders, so crude were his political opinions, so nebulous and hazy his notions of party obligations and leadership. That he has courage of a kind ' was shown by his boldly attacking the question of the unemployed at the very outset of his address;, but he was by no means successful in impressing his hearers with a feeling of admiration for his attitude on that subject. His whole contention is that it is a State duty to find work or sustenance for the unemployed, and that there is no statute law and no established custom by which the duty is thrown upon local bodies. This is a poor apology for harsh and unsympathetic treatment of a delicate social problem, when hearty co-operation waa invited in making provision for those in want of work. Nor did Mr Beswick shine with great brilliance when he contended that he was befriending the workers and the workless alike by discouraging the yearly assembling in Christchurch of "people from all parts of the colony " who come here to share in the charitable doles and relief works provided.

In dealing with the question of the colony's finances, Mr Beswick was, to say the least, guiity of the suggesiio falsi. He referred to the increase in the public . debt and to the liability undertaken on behalf of the Bank of New Zealand ; and then, without discriminating or qualifying, he proceeded to declare that " every penny that we earn " has to be sent out of the colony to pay interest on money that has been squandered to a large extent in purchasing political support. This language might be appropriate if applied to the borrowing of former Governments, when "political railways " and other jobs were rife ; but it is a rank abuse of terms to employ it in describing moneys invested in land for settlement purposes or in loans on mortgage security. The candidate worked himself into a beautiful condition of self-contradic-tion on the subject of cheap money. He started by asserting that the Government had done nothing to lower the rate of interest; but his only proof of this was the fact that a year after the scheme of State advances was introduced private firms were lending money at a lower rate. That fact, of course, could with greater reason be claimed as a proof that the Government scheme had facilitated the fall in rates. But Mr Beswick went on to allege that the excess of cheap money now seeking safe investment was a sign of want of confidence ; and, as he accused the Government of producing this state of things, he unwittingly proved that, from his point of view, the Government had helped to reduce the price of money.

On the land question Mr Beswiclc was not much more lucid or consistent. Like other . Conservative candidates, he warmly commended the land settlement policy of the Hon .John M'Kenzie, of course with the proviso that it wants just a little Conservative " improvement " to make it perfect. In short, he would roh the Liberal policy of its crowning and distinctive feature by giving lessees the option of converting into freehold. His arguments in support of the freehold system were ingeniously elaborate. Firstly, the freehold system would obviate the necessity for employing " an army of inspectors" to see that lessees fulfilled their covenant conditions; secondly, the cash derived from land sales would enable the Government to buy more land ! The first of these arguments is an insult to the Crown leaseholders ; the. second is reminiscent of the- old lady who lengthened ! her blanket by cutting a piece from the top end and sewing it on to the bottom. " Sell the Crown lands and then buy the big estates of the squatters'," is » policy that would be an "improvement," with a vengeance, on that of Mr M'Kenzie. On the subject of old age pensions, Mr

Beswick expressed very correct and acceptable opinions, though he made the curious blunder of supposing that he was in agreement with the Premier on this question, when as a matter of fact he was at variance with Mr Seddon on the amendment which led to the Bill being dropped. The candidate had something to say on the Bill which proposes to give local bodies the option of rating on uuimproved values, and again betrayed a very confused conception of his subject, and a very halting manner of expressing his opinion. He argued that the effect of the proposed system of rating would be the reverse of that intended — ungenerously and gratuitounly assuming that the- object was to relieve one class at the expense of another. Kow, the proposal originates in no such low motive, but is based upon the sound principles that improvements should be exempted as far as possible from taxation, that the burden should be placed upon the land, and that the holding of vacant lots for speculative purposes should be discouraged.

Mr Beswick gravely assured his meeting that, as a certain amount of revenue lias to be raised, the result of reducing the rates payable on large buildings in the cities would be to increase the rates on properties in the suburbs! He, doubtless, meant to convey something very different, for of course he knows that. each district fixes its own rates and that the suburbs could not be affected by anything that might happen in the city. Mr Beswick cannot support the Elective Executive system, which seems to him analogous to soldiers driving their officers into battle ; but as he said almost in the same breath that he would not follow implicitly any leader, the analogy of soldiers and officers breaks down badly. Incredible a3 it may seem, the candidate managed to commit all these blunders in a speech of some fifty minutes' duration, eked out by written notes. Itwasa"comedyoferrors"from first to last, relieved by one gleam of sound sense on the subject of old age pensions ; by a strong appeal for induction in the Lyttelton railway rates, and by expressions of adherence to the education system, and in favour of an eight hours law for factory workers. It was an undoubted and undisguised Conservative deliverance on the whole ; a straight-out declaration of war against the Liberal Administration, with a pledge to support anyone who would' turn out Mr Seddon. The meeting, by at least three to one, declared by voice and show of hands, that it had no confidence in Mr Beswick ; but, in accordance with the etiquette of such occasions, Mr Beßwick's chairman (for he was not the meeting's^ declared the vote of thanks and confidence carried. A political contest will, doubtless, do Mr Beswick some good, and, three years hence, he may, with riper experience, more correct information, and more progressive ideas, make a- successful appeal for the suffrages of the electors of Christchurch.