LECTURE IN DUNEDIN.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 9, 16 December 1892, Page 31

LECTURE IN DUNEDIN.

{Otago Daily Times, December 10.)

Thb announcement of a lectnre by Mr Michael Houlahan with the somewhat comprehensive title of " Landlords, Land Binge, Banks, and Pawnshops," did not attract an audience of more than 80 people to the City Hall last evening. Those who were present were afforded full value for their money, and those who did not attend missed an hour's capital entertainment. There was no chairman, but the absence of a person in that position did not detract from the success of the meeting, for Mr HouUhan was equal to performing the dnties both of chairman and lecturer. Mr Houlahan commenced Misaddress with an expression of disappointment at the dimensions of his audience, and this was a note om which he frequently touched in the course of his later remarks, consoling himself, however, witbftbe reflection that with the presence of " the grand representatives of the Press," from whom he knew he would receive justice, he would gain the public ear. His subject, he claimed, was one which deserved the greatest amount of consideration at the present junctnre when there was a large number of unemployed, when tracts of the country were unexplored, and when yet there was plenty of money in the Colony—when the banks' cellars were full of gold, when their safes were bursting with notes, and when, in fact, they did not know what to do with their money. It was sad, Mr Houlahan sighed, that tbe country should be in such a plight, that there should be plenty of money in the country and that the people could not get at it. This was a sentiment which met with a hearty response from the audience. Mr Houlahan gave a harrow* iog description of the consequences of landlordism in Ireland, He had bad a holy horror of landlordism siuce he was a child, for when he was only nine years of age his father was sent adrift in the world by the sheriff and his officers. It was a singular thing, though and Mr Houlihan's face brightened as he reflected npon the swift retribution which had overtaken the landlord— that not a Bingle being had ever since gone to live in the house. Another illustration of the evils of the system was given by the lecturer, the landlord in this instance being a person who, Mr Houlahon said, •• wore a great big nose." It was said that this nose was the result of a curse tbe landlord got from a poor widow whom he turned out of her bouse. He wonld not vouch for the truth of that story, Mr Houlahon with praiseworthy caution said, but it was a fact that the man had a big nose, and how he got it he could not very well say. After effectually 11 sitting" on a person who interrupted him, Mr Hoalahan frankly informed his hearers that if ha had his way ha would send the landlords to Siberia— to the mines. Coming nearer home, Mr Houlahan confided to his audience that there was landlordism in New Zealand. •• Toe speaker," he said, "is a victim to landlordism," and he proceeded to show how he bad been victimised. His troubles began about five years ago, when he leased a property and built upon it a brewery, bottle store, and all the other things connected with a brewery. After itais it appears Mr Houlahan ran short of money and borrowed £60 from the lessor, to whom he gave a bill at four months and a mortgage over his property. He expected to get his bill renewed, but when it was not paid the lessor pressed for money. Mr Hoalahaa called a few of his creditors together, mentioning them by name (two of them being in the audience), and at that meeting the lessor agreed to take £50 worth of beer. The audience evidently doubted tbe capacity of that gentlemen and roared at this statement, On the next morning, however, Mr Honlahan was visited by two bailiffs. He was next served with a summons for £51 18a 6i, but he confessed judgment and paid the money. That was five years ago. Since then the landlord had had •' hie knife in him," and kept the bailiffs so persistently running after him that they utterly ruined him. Mr Houlahan went on to describe how, in his absence, two bailifla took possession of bis property and put their humble servant clean on the broad of his back— and a few in the audience unfeelingly laughed as if Mr Houlahan'a back was broad enough to sustain the burden that was thrown upon it. Landlordism, he insisted, was "eating and drinking and sapping the heart's blood of the people." That was the curse of the country, and until we got a State bank that would give money at 4 per cent, or pc rhaps 3£ per cent— Mr Houlahan subsequently suggested 2J per cent— and that would take the unemployed off the streets of the cities, there would be nothing but widespread misery and pauperism all through New Zealand. Land-rings he ( the lecturer) dismissed in a few words, for ,he assumed that the audience were pretty well conversant with these things, fls tben informed the audience that he had asked seven men people to take tha chair, but he could not get one to do so. One whom he let slip and addressed as " your worship," informed him on j

learning his subject that he was going out of town. He had also send a friend to a member of Parliament who pretended to support the present Government, " But God help the Government which had such inpporten." This gave Mr Honlaban an opportunity to eulogise tbe present Government, singling out out for special praise the Minister for Lands as " one of the noblest men in the whole of New Zealand." Before concluding, Mr Honlaban promisod that the last had not bt»en seen of him on the platform, and then, in compliance with a loudly expressed request, gave a few versee of a song whioh, though not one that is usually found on concert programmes, wai conceived by the audience to ba of the oomic order, for they received it with great laughter as well as with uproarious applause and demands for an " encore," which, however, were not acceded to.

Before the meeting separated Mr J. M'lndoe proposed a vote of thanks to Mr Houlahan for bis " luminous lecture," and this was asaenttd to.