ON THE PLATFORM.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1286, 15 November 1911, Page 8

ON THE PLATFORM.

MR. FISHER'S PROPOSALS. A CAPITAL MEETING. A large audience crowded into the Alexandra Hall, Abel Smith Street, last evening to hear Mt. F. M. B. Fisher, M.P., and Reform candidate for Wellington Central. Tho candidate was his own chairman, and the meeting was thoroughly ■ friendly to him. , Mr. Fisher, having devoted his first speech of the present campaign to destructive criticism of the pTesent Government, made a constructive programme of his oyn tho principal feature of last night's address. He advocated:— 1. Borrowed money to bo so expended as to pay its own rate of interest. 2. A Local Government Bill to do away with the existing vicious system under which the New Zealand Parliament votes away millions of money without really knowing what it is doing. 3. The introduction of a system, as in Canada, under which any elector mov see details of public expenditure without the aid of an expensivo Royal Commission. I. The establishment of the steel and oil industries as State enterprises, instead of paying subsidies to syndicates to enable them to get a stronger grip on tho country. S. Acquisition of balance of Bank of New Zealand shares. 6- Insurance against sickness and unemployment. 7. Tariff reform, under which many of our languishing local industries should be stimulated and encouraged, providing employment. 8. The Arbitration Court to bo ended or mended at once. 9. Tho principle of wages boards for tho purposo of allowing those trades that wish to take advantage of them to uso them for their own benefit, everv member being an expert in the trade, and every trade having its own board. 10. A heavily-increased land tax on laTge estates. 'Against reaggrcgation. Not "a square inch of endowments of Crown lands to ba alienated. 11. Legislative Council lo be abolished or reformed. 12. The Lower House should be elected under different conditions. There should be no second ballots. Proportional representation should bo introduced, and districts enlarged. Native representation should be altered.

13. A Public Tenders Board, which ought to give nil public tenderers a fair field and no favour. ■ 11. A Public Service Board, which will do away with the existing conditions under which the- Ministry can "sfulT" or empty (ho public Departments at will. 15. Making old ago pension payable (o women at age of GO. Ifi. A universal pension. 17. A Town Planning Bill on tho Statute Book; but not an undemocratic ouo such as tho Ward Government proposed. IS. Daylight Saving Bill. 1.0. To utilise ono practical form of diffusing wealth: by increasing the pay of tho underpaid State employees before the high salaries are treated lo tho £M and .fiL'.i increases which havo appeared on this year's Estimates. 20. To seo that tho Stato is, above all things, a model employer. Land Taxation.

In tho course of his comments on this programme, Mi Fisher said the Prime Minister in tho Budget had proposed to increase the graduated tax on estates of over .£IOO,OOO unimproved value; yet the Prime Minister must have known that there were not more than a dozen of such estates in tho country. Ho (Mr. Fisher) had Vuted, and would vote again, for a proposal to put the graduated tax on estates of jC25,000 unimproved value and upwards. Tho Budget proposal was something like the Government's idea of putting the retrenched Civil Servants on tho laud nearly three years ago. lTe wondered how many of them wore on tho land now? An elector: Under it! Electoral Reform.

There were members of tho Legislative Coo- il who had never opened their mouths in it. They were old ago pensioners who did not require 0. pension. He thought 38 out of the present 42 members were put there by tho party now in power. Consequently, 'if the Opposition got into office they might have some little difficulty in getting legfs'ntion through. Proportional representation would involve larger electorates, and some said this would give the rich man an advantage. Ho did not think so. It was possible for a rich man to buy a small electorate, but not a large one. A clique could control a small district, but not a large one. This reform would do away with parochial politics, and givo minorities some representation.

Thanks and Confidence, The candidate's address was frequently and warmly applauded, and at the end he answered a large number of questions. Mr. W. Morton moved a hearty vote of thanks and implicit confidence in Mr Fisher as member for Wellington Central. This was carried by acclamation, without any noticeable dissent, and followed by ringing cheers.

WELLINGTON SUBURBS. MR. W. H. D. BELL AT HAYWARDS. f m: ™\,f L J > - Be l ] > °PP°sition candidate tor Wellington Suburbs, addressed a mooting at Mr. Egan's barn, Hnywards, last night. Mr. Buchanan took the chair, lhe candidate dealt with the land question, the increased cost of living, and tho Government s Bystem of jobbery Mr Bell showed how tho fact of so many acres of land lying 'undeveloped meant that the country was less prosperous than it should bo, and consequently the burden of taxation was more heavily felt, tho result being increase in .the cost of living lhe candidate was, on the motion of Mr Edwards, seconded by Mr. Sexton, accorded a unanimous vote of thanks and confidence.

WELLINGTON NORTH. MR. CARET AT NORTHLAND. Mr. E. J. Carey, Labour candidate for Wellington North, gave an address at Northland last night. Mr. G. Donaldson presided. The meeting was' orderly throughout, and Mr. Carev was given an attentive hearing. He detailed tho platform of the Labour party, and stated that, having read the speeches of both Government and Opposition candidates, he nad been struck by the fact that as ret no one m either party had attempted any criticism of the Labour party's policv. Wanting a policy themselves, they were yet afraid to oppose tho Labour proposals. Instead of attacking the Labour platform candidates on both tho other sides were adopting its planks piecemeal. If tho evictions were but a few weeks further off, the whole of the Labour platform would come to be more or less approved by all the candidates on the busting Dealing with currency reform, Mr. Carey said that Labour people were not supposed to know anything about commercialism and banking, but tho Labour party in Australia had. shown that even in this matter they were able to give a lead to the professedly-Liberal Government of New Zealand." A year ago Sir Joseph Ward had replied to "a deputation from the grades Councils' Conference, of whom ho (Mr. Carey) was one, that tho introduction of a paper curroncy would affect the financial stability of the country. Mr. Hogg had been practically expelled from the Ministry because of his opposition to tho banking monopoly. Now as an olection catch-vote, the Government promised the introduction of a State note issue. So it was with all the reform legislation for which Liberal candidates wcro taking credit on tho hustings. As a party the Government had for years attempted to L.tnve off the demands of Labour, and then, when it becamo a question of retention of office, loss of prestige, or loss ot seats the reforms which Labour had long agitated for were granted. But even when given legislative form they wore badly administered. This was the most important election held for many years and the electors should consider not only the personalities of candidates, but the policies they expounded. Mr. Carey was unauimously accorded a vote of thanks and confidence.

WELLINGTON EAST SEAT. DR. NEWMAN AT KILBIRNIE. Dr. A. K. Newman, Reform party candidate for the Wellington East seat, addressed a meeting of electors in the Methodist Schoolroom at North Kilbirnic last evening. Mr. J. Fear presided. In opening, Dr. Newman criticised the present arrangement of electorates, remarking that under it the country was given an unfair advantago as compared with tho towns. The electorates should be made as nearly as possible emial in voting strength. In his opinion, New Zee land was on the eve of great changes. Government candidates in all parts of the country had been howling about Opposition criticism, but the strange thing was that the Government should do so many things that were open to criticism. Themistako made by tho people of New Zealand for years had been to make the Government enormously strong and tho Opposition very weak. If the popple were wise they would do one of two things at the.coming election. They would cither send- back the Reform party with a majority or else make tho two par-ties as nearly "even as possible. The Government would then lie afraid to do many things that they did now. Tho chastening influence of a powerful Opposition made for good government, there had been an objectionable tendency in recent years to concentrate power iii the bauds of one man—the Prime Minis ter. It was only very, rmelv that anything desired by the Prime Minister was thrown out by the House. The vrholo tendency. of one-man power durin" tho last twenty years had been to interfere more and more with local bodies In dealing with Mr. Fowlds's Town Planniii" Bill during last session tho House lied for once risen to tho occasion, and tlirow.n out a measure which was designed to further injuriously interfere with local bodies. The enormously increased cost of living in this country was largely duo to excessive taxation and to unwise and extravagant expenditure by the Government. He hoped to sec u Government returned to power shortly which would retrench expenditure, and avoid needless taxation, instead of piling up by needlessly extracting revenue from the taxpayers. There were large areas of Native and Crown lajids in this province which should be opened up for settlement The province of Wellington had been grossly neglected by tho Government in many ways. He did not advocate any railway construction in the meantime, but hrrge areas in tho Wairarapa and around the North Island Main Trunk railway should be opened up by means of motor-omnibus services. Answering questions, Dr. Newman said ho did not think that he was in favour of nationalising any other industries than were nationalised at present. He was in favour of n bare majority voto on the liccming question.

Ti x. " f t - llfl ' nll « ""'1 «f confidence, in Dr. Nkwiihiii us ii. lit ami proper iierson to represent i Iho Wnllitißtmi Hiikl. declerafo wns ram'eil, only 0110 voice lining raised in dissent. Mil, ISIfODIU'S CANDIDATURE. Mr. .1. Drodic, who was to havo nildressed llio <>!fi;lni\s nl ICilbirnio lust. night, 111111 to jHwljionn the meeting until I'ridiiy next, owing lo llio gale. HUTT.

SPHECH 11V MIL WILFORD. I St. James's Hall at Lower Jlutt was packed last evening, when Mr. T. M. Wil. loid, Government candidate for tho Hntt seat delivered an election address. Mr. C. ./. .llollartl presided. 1 3 m llonl nppraroil lo bo in bottei health than when he delivered' an adilress at Pelone Inst week. As in the letoiio speech, ho outlined his personal pat form,' and explained its various planks. Dealing with other matters, ho advocated the exclusion ot Asiatic iminifm a "fi ' rom *-''" i->oi»iiiion at any cost. Uio Dreadnought gift, ho said, was paltry compared with what Australia had given to the Old Land. New Zealand did not contnbuto half enough to the Impenal Navy. .Air. Wiiford spoke at length upon the hydro-electrical proposals "'..V 10 . Government, ami onine/.l that the initiation and development of the scheme would bo of groat benefit to Lower Hutt. touching upon the subject of industrial unrest, he expressed a wish that some new Golumbiis would arise for tho advancement of Labour. There was a great n"ed for solidarity and combination on the part of its units. At nresont its forces ,rara vG-' 1 ' "P untlor 'liferent leaderships and different leaders were prenching dift crept doctrines. Some iieople raid tho Arbitration Act was no gon'd. Others said, Hang to it." Personally, he advised hanging on to tho Court, but its president should be not a Judge or a lawyer, but a man thoroughly conversant with Labour problems. Mr. Wiiford answered a number of questions, and was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence, only two hands being held un in dissent.

Mr. Reardon, Labour candidate, spolto at Eaitoko oa Monday evening. Ihero wag a fairly large audience, some 31 peoplo attending. Mr. V. Phillips occupied tlio chair. At the ond of his address the candidate was accorded a vote of thanks for his address on the motion of the chairman and seconded by Mr. Hills.

OTAKI. ME, MONCKTON'S MEETINGS. Mr. C. 'A. W. Monckton, Reform candidate, nddTcsfcd meetings at Whitanui and Miranui this week, and will speak in the Druids' Hall, Shannon, on Thursday evening next. MR. FIELD AT LEVIN.' (By Telegraph-Press Association.) ,r „ Levin > November 14. * f . p : »-, H. Field, sitting member for Uteki, addressed the electors in Levin last night. He deplored the tendency to allege political corruption, and contended that all the charges against the Government had failed. He went back to show that allegations of this nature had been made over a long period of years, and were always disproved. The first instance was that in which John Ballance was accused of having peddled interior watches at big prices amongst soldiers in the Maori war. That was cleary disproved, but there followed a long list of charges against other members of the Government and private members. Ho quoted the "Bw\ Tuck" charges, amongst others. Once the libels went so far that a notorious sheet was broadcasted containing libels not onlv on members but even on their wives. ' All these i? d .- cd ; an(l lbo latest llntl krcn so ineltectivo that to-<lay the Government and its party still stood firm and untouched, lhe candidate said that if returned to Parliament ho wanted an abfolutcly frco hand but as long as the Government extended and developed its policy he would faithfully support the Government. A. vote ot thanks and confidence was carried.., ?hroZ e, out.° giViDg Ulankß ° hly bein &

RANGITIKEI. ' MR. NEWMAN AT UTIKTJ. Mr. Newman, tho Opposition candidates, adilrcsscd about 70 electors at Utifcu on Monday, Mr. J. U. Gibbs presiding. Tho night was stormj. Mi. Kcivman received an excellent hearing, applause being frequent. Tho candidate's remarks on clean administration, the Mokau deal, Government's no land policy, tho necessity for publicity in connection with all details of public expenditure, the Hine Charges, and shelved report of the Timbpr Commission, were heartily endorsed by those present. A number of questions' w.e.re satisfactorily answered. A vote of thanks to Mr. N'owimu for his address »as proposed by Mr. A. Hulbert, but before tho motion was seconded an elector interjected with "aad confidence in tho Opposition." Tho motion was seconded by Mr. A, Bates and oarried with acclamation. OROUA. ME. HORNBLOW'S SPEECH. IBy TelcsrraDh.—Press Association.! Feilding, November H. Mr. H. E. Hc-rnblow, Government candidate for Oroua, in' the. course of a policy speech, supported tho Government on general lines. Ho showed that taxation had not gone up, as tho Opposition alleged. Tho country had, in fact, prospered very materially under tho Liberal regime. Ho eulogised co-operative works for railway construction, saying that but for that system they would not have bad such settlements ns Mangaweka, Taihape, and others. He condemned the Government for giving a Dreadnought bqforo consulting tho people, and ho favoured a .National Prohibition voto on a bare majority. Mr. Hornblow received a good hearing.

WAIRAU. • Blenheim, November li. Mr. Duncan, member for Wninui, delivered tho main address of his. campaign last njght, and was given a vote of thanks and coniidonec by a large gathering. He declaredhimself still an Independent Liberal, agreeing with the Government on some tilings but opposing it in regard to extravagance of administration, neglect of the South Island Trunk railway, closer land settlement, and in other matters. CHALMERS, Dunedin, November 14. Mr. Johnson, addressing the electors at Mosgiel, favoured a substantial increase in the graduated land lax, starting at 10 per cent, on estates of ,£20,000 unimproved value. Tho time hod arrived when largo blocks must bo cut up. Future acreage should range from 50 to 100, according to proximity to the markets. There should bo a free choice of tenures, but where leasehold or freehold was accepted the occupier should bo debarred from selling except to the Stato at tho original valuations, phis improvements. If the State could not buy out the shareholders iu the Bank of New Zealand a State bank should be established. He would support the bare majority, though personally he favoured 55 per cent. He favoured tho totalisator so long as it kept racing under fair control. BULLER. Westport, November 11. Mr. Colvin (Government) and Mr. Munro (Independent Labour, opposed to the present Government) arc vigorously conducting tho election campaign. ASHBURTON. Timaru, November 14. Mr. W. S. Maslin opened his campaign for tho Ashburton seat at Geraldine last night. He spoke warmly iu support of the present Government. ASHBURTON. Ashburton, November 13. Mr. W. Nosworthy, M.P., Opposition candidate for tho Ashburton scat, opened his campaign to-night, "lion tho Theatre Royal was comfortably filled. After setting forth the necessity for an Opposition and for party government, and giving instances of the usefulness of Mr. Masscy's followers lo the country in the pasl, he reviewed the Opposition platform, and criticised tho Government's policy, or, as ho preferred to call it, the Government's

lack of policy. Ho was always moderate in hia; condemnations, and at the close was warmly applauded and accorded tho usual vole of thanks. AUCKLAND SEATS, SOMK INTERESTING CONTESTS. lily 'Mccraph.—SDccia! Correspondent.) Auckland, November 13. I'rom all appearance, ono of the hottest fights of the coming election will contro around J'nrncl). Mr. J. S. Dickson, tho Opfmsi I ion candidate, is quietly gaining ground, and Sir .lolin Findlny is evidently losing his confidence as the days go Dy. His chk'f having decided to come to the rescue with a speech at l'arnell, it may be relied upon that Mr. Massey will do likewise for Mr. Dickson. ]n the meanlime Air. Mack, the Ealjoiir candidate, it steadily cutting in and gaining tome of the votes that would'otherwise have gone to the Government candidate. It it early to prophesy, but this much is certain, that Sir John Findlay has not as rosy a chance as eomo of his supporters imagine. At. Grey I.ynn Mr. Fowlds i.s to be given a good "go" by Mr. Murray, the Opjiosition choice, who is maJcing excellent headway. At Auckland AVe.st Mr. C. JI. Poole relies mainly on the Prohibition vote, and if the is«ue is decided on politics pure and simple, Mr. J. 11. Bradney will probably win the seat, for the Reform Tarty.

Mr. A. lii Cover's seat (Auckland Central) i.s also tottering, and it will not l»e at all a surprise if his Independent opponent, Mr. J. C. Glrcson, who has strong leanings towards the Opposition, is found occupying it when the poll closes. Mr. A. M. Myere is looked upon as certain to be le-eiocled for tho City East. AVaitemata lies between Mr. A. flams (Opposition) and Mr. AV. J. Napier (Government), and in the electorate the feeling is strong that the former will win.

MR. L. M. ISITT ON THE GOVERNMENT. WEAK, VACILLATING, AND OPPORTUNIST. YET HE SUPPORTS IT. ißy ToleEraph.-Special Correspondents Christchurch, November H. A considerable part of Mr. L. M. Isitt's speech last night was devoted to a bitter attack on tho Opposition, for whose policy ho expressed "whole-souled loathing and contempt." He had been charged, he said, with a whole-souled admiration of tho Cabiuet because he voted against Mr. Massey's motion to reduce an item on the Estimates in.order to show the desire ol the House that the Upper House should be elective. Ho was a- supporter of an elective Upper House, if they were to have an Upper House, but ho was not going to be dragged at tho heels of Mr. Massey to assist him to play a political trick. It had also been charged against him that he voted against certain details as to expenditure on entertainments being supplied to tho House. The matter being a small one, he had supported the Minister. Later on tho details were given. There was, however, one item he did not think a right one, that was the .£7O spent on a banquet fo the Hon. G. Fqwl'ds. If Ministers were to be entertained they should put their hands into their own pockets. On the question of military training, Mr. Isitt said that he was not a non-resistant, but he was bitterly against tho existing system, which he regarded as arbitrary and oppressive, and exorbitantly and unnecessarily expensive. The best thing they could havo was a volunteer system, backed up by a small paid contingent or expel ts, who would train and develop their forces. He believed the Government would climb down, and it recognised that it had bitten off moro than it could chew. His autimihtarist friends feared that when the elections were over .-the Government would come down with thp iron hand of compulsion, but he did not beliovo it. Ho had spoken to Ministers and members, and ho believed that they saw that the scheme was too extreme. Mr. Isitt announced that he, Mr. Luke, and Mr. M'Laren were tho only Independents in the House. The Government might be a faultv Government, but it had its virtues, it had given. Now-Zealand, .all it had in tho way of Liberal-legislation and Labour legislation- It had settled the people on the land. It had done all this in the' teeth of the Opposition. Its fault was that it was weak and vacillating, and composed of opportunists. Tho Government put out its feelers liko a snail, and when it touched something solid it drew them back. When'remonstrated with tho Government retorted that a living dog was bettor than a dond lion. Regarding the action of the Government in making payments to Judges, in addition to their salaries, he said ho was not prepared to blame tlio Government for following a practice which had been followed for years. Ho thought, however," that the system should cease. Referring to tlw Mokau land transaction, ho expressed his belief that the Government had dono the right thing.