MR BUCHANAN ON THE EAST COAST.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5498, 30 November 1896, Page 3

MR BUCHANAN ON THE EAST COAST.

Mr Buchanan addressed the elec- j tors at Te Awaiti, Glendlm and! Upper Pahaoa, onThursday, and was! accorded good receptions at each place. At Flat Point, on Friday, Mr Buchanan addressed a meeting of electors in the afternoon. _ Over sixty were present, including a numberof ladies. The attendance comprised electors from most of the neighbouring stations and small holdings; a very noticeable feature being the very large number of working men present, who took a keen interest in the proceedings. ' Tho very lucid, outspoken, and straightforward utterance's of the candidate seemed to bo highly appreciated by the audience, and the meeting was most enthusiastic. Mr H. Nitz, of Kaiwhata, presided, and in a brief speech asked the meeting to pay attention to Mr Buchanan's speech, and to give him a patient hearing. ' Mr Buchan at first dealt with personal matters, and alluded to Mr •lornsby's accusations. He rethe Government candidate PLjad complained of slander. He felt sure the electors would acquit him of Baying anything personal at his political meetings', or of slandering an opponent. He did not believe in personalities, and thought an election contest should be fought so that , opponents were 'none the worse friends when the battle was over. (Loud applause). Inferring to tho nine hundred acres of land noar Greytown which he owned, and ■which Mr Hornsby had said the Government should take and place fifty or sixty families upon, What was the land when he took it in hand? A mere waste, and its principal crop swamp hens; and ' now through spending large suras of ' money in labour, he had reolaimed it. It was questionable if he would ever be recouped for his outlay. In time this land would be cut up as he, could not hold it for ever, Was it crime to improve land and employ labour upon it ? There were thousands, of acres of Unoccupied land that could notcompare with i Jiis, Bnd this had been brought about *by his judicious employment of capital and labour. He claimed that hiß attention had been given to all matters concerning the welfare of the electorate and this was proved by the very large majorities by which he had been returned at each election.,(Applause,) If.the eleotorswere tired ,of the old horse , and wished to turn him oat to grass by all meanß let them do so, and in his > place put a young colt bred in the district. Get a man who was practical and honest, one who knew their requirements and was in sympathy with them, Wbathad Mr Hornsby done to warrant him—a' rank outsider—to seek their suffrages. He considered it an insult to the electors ' for Mr Seddon to foist a candidate upon them in the manner he had, (Loud applause.) He bad never in the course of his political career been afraid to give expression to 'his political views because they were not in accord with the popular side. Tho man who would act in such a . manner wasj a hnmbug sfid a sham and not to Be trusted.

In reply to Mr H. Berry as to , whether be was in favour of placing people on the land without capital, Sir, Bnchanan said he was not in , favour of men going on to land without capital unless they were particularly ' adapted by experience to work land. He had frequently advised intending settlers to wait nntil they had more money before settling on land,' in order that they shobld not be too' heavily handicapped, ' The Land Boards had not? the power to refuse applications from persons who were deemed to have insufficient 'capital to successfully work land. ' Mr Hugo Kummer asked for an explanation relative to money granted for the Kaiwhata Valley-road, and which he linderstood was being spent in the Fernyburst-Kaiwhata-line. Mr Buchanan explained that there • was a misapprehension as to the amount. The unexpended balances \of former votes, were the amounts available, He had endeavoured to obtain a grant of £2,000 for the completion of roads in that neighbourhood. Mr F. Moore (Glenbnrn) aßked Mr Buohanan if he could explain how it was the pilling booth at Pahaoa was abolished, and that two -booths were established on adjoining stations, at Homewood and Flat Point, within a distance of six miles, labile at Pahaoa anumber of electors, /'several of whom werefemales, would be compelled to travel twelve to fifteen miles to voto. • Mr Bnchanan, in reply, was glad . 'the question had been asked. The action of the Government in its appointment of a Returning Officer, and the conduct of thit officer in V abolishing the Pahaoa booth was simply outrageous, He pointed out to the Returning Officer the inconvenienco.electors would be placed at. That geitlemah replied that at last election all the votes polled at Pahaoa had been in favour of him (Mr Buchanan),and therefore the polling place ehonld be done away with, He conld only call such conduct outrageous. The booth at Brancepeth ': at laßt election had been abolished, and a large section of voters put to great trouble, Mr Win, Sutherland proposed a hearty votes of thanks to the candidate for the very straightfoward address he had given; though not long a resident in the Wairarapahe had heard and read of Mr Buchanan, his reputation was a colonial one. He understood Mr Bnchanan did not 5 care for a vote of confidence but he ' felt snre that the confidence in «P would be shown at the ballot X. (Lond applause.) Mr F, Madden seconded the proposal.which upon being put to the meeting was carried by acclamation. Three ringing cheers were given for the candidate. Mr Buchanan thanked the electors for the manner in which they had received him. A vote of thanks to the chair terminated the proceedings. i -■ . sss