ELECTORAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6595, 20 September 1899, Page 1

ELECTORAL.

MR. G. W. RUSSELL AT HAREWOOD v ■••"■ -; • - road' • Mr G. W. Tkissell addressed a large meeting of Ricca-rton electors at the HarewoodRoad school hist evening, on the lines of his speech delivered at Riccarton. He said the question of Federation was too large to be left in the hands of the politicians for settlement, and must be considered from the point of view of the small farmers, for whom Australia was the market. He suggested either that a Commission, representing both sides of politics and the farming, exporting, manufacturing and labour interests, as well as the trained intellects of the country outside of politics, should be set up to consider the matter and advise the people on the question, or that a Convention should be specially elected for the purpose by the people of New Zealand on the Hare system, as was done in Australia, and that to this body should be relegated the duty of obtaining the information upon which a referendum could be taken of the country as to whether New Zealand slioulii or should not join the Commonwealth. He stated that the issues to be decided" at the polls were whether the Old Age Pension Act was to be permanently added to the Statute Book, and whether the party which had opposed the Land for Settlement Act, the cheap money scheme, the old age pensions and labour legislation were to ba entrusted with administering measures which they had heartily condemned, but professed themselves now willing to accept. Sir John Hall in 1881 went into office on the policy of repealing the land tax of Sir George Grey. In 1887 Sir Harry Atkinson went into power on a retrenchment policy, and in 1890 Mr Ballance was returned on a policy of repealing the property tax and opening lands for settlement. Captain Russell should have a definite statement' of policy. In reply to a question, he said that in 1896 a requisition was signed*by 1000 electors in Riccarton, pledging themselves to vote for the Conservative candidate, and this had been done during his absence ; also that as the member for Riccarton had recently addressed a political, meeting at Hawera, there was no reason why he should not similarly address his constituents at Riccarton. A hearty vote of thanks to Mr Russell was carried unanimously, and a vote of thanks to the Chairman closed the proceedings..