POLITICAL ADDRESS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1152, 13 June 1911, Page 6

POLITICAL ADDRESS.

MR. J, P. LUKE AT KILBIRNIE, TAB IFF REFORM. Mr. J. I'. Luke, M.P for Wellington Suburbs, addrc;-,s?d a small gathering of electors in (J'J)oiiiifll's Hall, Kilbirnio, Inst evening. Mr. T. Fathers presided, and briefly introduced tlie speaker.Commencing iiis address Mr. Luke said lie was inclined to agree villi his chairman that the small attendance thai evening was attributable to a belief on the part of Jviibirnio electors that they were likely to be disassociated from the Suburbs electorate when the readjustment of electorates tool; place. Turning to political questions of the day, Mr. Luke briefly reviewed a number of Acts passed last session, presenting most of them iu a favourable light. Reviewing Progress. Speaking of the progress of the Dominion during the past twenty years, Mr. Luko remarked tliat the country had not advanced as many people considered that it should have done. Primary industries hud prospered, but there was no such satisfactory tale to tell, of secondary industries. In twenty years the population of the Dominion had increased from 025,508 to 1,052,-110. Its trade, in the sanio period, had increased from .£10,000,000 to .£39,000,000. The total wealth of New Zealand had grown in twenty years from .t'100,000,000 to .£351,000,000. l-'or every pound borrowed by the State during that term the wealth of the country had increased bj seven. Ten years ago there were SGSG people paying income tax. Today the number was 11,175. Ten years ago bankruptcies numbered 95 per 100,000 of the population; to-day tliev had decreased to 4S per 100,000. The output of .New Zealand industries had increased during the last ten years from .£29,000,000 to .£'15,000,000. In IS9I then.* were 2i 17 young persons in high and secondarv school's; today, there were S2O:S. University graduates had increased in the same period from 230 to 1327. These figures, said Mr. Luke, spoke volumes for the energy and capacity of the people of the Dominion. Nevertheless, .there had been a depressing decline in secondary industries. The figures of the last census were not available, but, taking the latest obtainable figures, it would be seen that between 1001 and 1900 the number of persons employed in the clothing and boot and shoo trades had declined by 1202. ]n the same period the number of employees in ivoollon mills had declined by 114. At tanning and fellmongery 151 fewer persons were employed in 190G than in 1901. In ironworking the number of employees dropped in the five years by 182. and the number employed in the saddlery and harness trade was reduced by 10S.

Languishing Manufactures. That there should have boon so great a falling away in some sections of industry argued something wrong. No department of trade had suffered more than ironworking. Every year the Dominion imported machinery and iron goods that could easily ho manufactured locally, valued at three-quarters of n million. The actual amount was probably at least one million, but the speaker had made his estimate low, in order that it might be unassailable. The New Zealand manufacturer, continued Mr. Luke, could not possibly compete with those of outside countries, where wages were lower, hours longer, and the means of getting raw products cheaper. In the coming contest the speaker would stand for tariff reform, even though it led to his. being kicked out. Raising the tariff, Mr. Luke contended, would not incren-o prices much to (lie consumers. The actual effect would be a flow of work, a continuity that would keep the workshops fairly busy, and mako it possible for them to turn out cheaper products. Finance. Of the five million loan, Mr. Luke remarked that in his opinion it had been necessary, although there had been a good deal of talk, about it. Whatever disability ttier'e had been in connection with the ilotation of the loan. New Zealand stocks stood now as high as tlie.v had ever done. Tho speaker was not an apologist for the Government, with its wild borrowing policy, but he believed that so far as this loan was concerned the Government went to the market at tho proper time. Something, however, went wrong in the Old Country. A continual firo of criticism that lowered credit was not justified nor was it right to let everybody know, outside, about certain weaknesses that might be only apparent and not real. Defence. Speaking of defence Mr. Luke affirmed his belief in the British Navy as a first lino of defence. At tho same time, in his opinion, the Dreadnought agitation had been politically engineered, I'nder tho' circumstances ,the speaker, with others, had endorsed the payment involved. Mr. Luke declared himself a supporter of the universal military training of youths up to the age of 21. Ho had opposed the raising of t'he age . to 25 in pursuance of Lord Kitchener's recommendations. This country, in tho speaker's opinion, would not stand the strain of this militarism .up.to 25 years of age. In considering military requirements, Lord Kitchener had ignored social factors. ■ The Liquor Question. Defining his attitude on tho licensing question Mr. Luke said he would support the 55 per cent majority proposal, but would not go further. He stood as a temperance man and had always done so, but" he believed that to make a bare majority operative on the licensing issue would lead to a continual oscillation from license to No-License and back again. Better and more permanent results would have been achieved by the No-License people if they had accepted tho position under tho old Act and refrained from going for the bare majority. Concluding Mr. Luke declared himself a supporter of the present secular system of education. To introduce sectarianism, he said, would producc the same heart-burning in this country as it had in other countries. The State had no right to violate the conscience cither of tho scholar or of the teacher. At the close of his address Mr. Luke answered several Questions. Afterwards, he was unanimously accorded a voto of thanks and confidence.