THE WANGANUI SEAT.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIX, Issue 12642, 1 November 1905, Page 5

THE WANGANUI SEAT.

MR. W. BASSETT AT ARAMOHO

The Boating Club's Hall was fiUed with electors last evening to hear Mr Bassett give his views on the political questions of the day. Mr E. E. Gilbert occupied the chair, and briefly introduced Mr Bassett, who on. rising, v/as heartily applauded. ' It was not his intention, he said, to occupy a great deal of time in dealing with the land question. That-he had fully spoken upon at the Opera House. He was opposed to land monopoly, and believed that t!he 25 years' lease with right to purchase was the,best for the people. The time would come, ho thought, when those large areas in Gamt-arbury and elsewhere, used for grazing runs, would be farmed oil scien-" tific lines and to sell them now would be a wa:ong policy. Mr Bassett referred to the Old Age Pensions, Workers' Compensation for Accident/ and Superannuation on the lines of his Opera House speech. He also dealt with Industrial Arbitration, Taxation and Education, taking a broad platform in each case, and advocating with the last name a technical schools, at which it would be compulsory for girls and b*oys to^attend. Mr Bassett spoke for 1£- hours, and was very heartily applauded at the close. In dealing with questions he asked those who questioned him to be straightforward and not submit questions which were a positive disgrace to put to any candidate. He courted the fullest enquiry into his Character, his business connections witth 'his men, and any other matter, but asked that they be put in a respectful way. In reply to questions, he said it wad a positive lie for anyone to say that he had ever advocated ss. per day as a working man's wage. He believed Mr. Massey to be a man with clean hands, and ha did not think he would place himself in the hauds of any class of people. Ho thought that with the very largo surplus the Premier was always boasting about, there was no need to increase th-a land tax, but he believed" ia a progressive land tax. The Opposition continually advocated the remission of Customs taxation.

Asked if he thought he was a propel 1 person to represent the people in Parliament after the way he had treated Mr. Webb, Mr Basset* went fully into tho case, which, he said, was very complicated and understood by very few. He doubted it: those who were manufacturing the pills knew the facts of tho case. He was working under an award which fixed the pay of a stoker at 7s. 6d. per day. Young Webb came to him from Mr. Willis's factory, an.d up to that time knew absolutely nothing about an engine. Mr. Love had full charge, and was responsible for the proper running of the engine. Mr Ailen X)rr fist raised the question, Which he admitted was_ a very debateablo one, but said> "When I get back to Wellington I will send you a letter setting forth the view I hold of the position. If it agrees with your views, then we will submit it to the President of the Court." He asked Mr. Bassett if he would wgn it. He said "Yes; but if the Court decides that Webb is a driver, then I will put him off, for I will not allow him.to have the responsibility." Twelre months passed before the question was mentioned ■again, and he (the speaker) thought it had been dropped. Mr. Collins, who had taken Mr. Orr's place, called on him. He discussed the matter, and said, "Well, the Court will be sitting hero in a week or two, arid we will submit it to the president, and let him decide. The next Mr. Bassett heard of the case was when he got the summons to attend he Court. The Court decided against him, and he paid Webb the difference between 7s. 6d. and the 95., tho driver's pay. He positively declined to keep Webb in charge of the engine, not that he had anything against him or was smarting under tho fine, but because the interest at stakd was too great to put into the bands of a man who had never seen the inside of a boiler up to the time he entered his employ. He had every sympathy for Webb., but he was the victim of the Union, who had o forced him into the position. If elected he would not vote foi* Bible reading in schools if a Bill to that effect was brought dowiij but would submit the question to the referendum. He held very strong views on the question himself, and at tho proper time was prepared to debate tho question, but would vote against it in tho House.

"Eta was not in favour of total prohibition. The people were not prepai-ed for it.

The poll tax at present on Chinamen waa pretty heavy, ancl any proposal to increase it would have to bo dealt with very carefully. He believed in keeping any bad people, Chinamen or otherwise, out of the colony. Mr. Bassett was frequently applauded for the clear arid straightforward way he answei'ed the questions. Mr. Chamberlain moved a vote oi thanks, which was seconded by Mr. Neilson.

A vote of thanks to the chair brought tho meeting t-o a close.