AWARUA INVADED.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1302, 4 December 1911, Page 6

AWARUA INVADED.

MR, JAMES ALLEN AT INVERCAR. GILL. A TLLLING SPKL'CH. (By Tclcßrapli—i'rosa Association.! Invercargill, December 3; Mr. James Allen addressed a crowded meeting at (he JSluu' on Saturday night, the.Drill Hall being packed. Tho speaker had u jjood hearing, though there was a ruiiniiii,' (ire of interruptions. The .Mayor (Mr. Niehol) presided. Mr, Allen mid .Sir Joseph Ward had (loivmd lour speeches in his (Mr. Allen ») electorate on Frjd.iv, and ho was in Awarua by way of reluming tho compliment. ]J„ |, u d inquired at to the ellecl ol Sir Joseph Want's meetings, and he was more than ever convinced thai. Ihe late membtr for Jiruce would go back in Parliament. Before dealing with actual politics he said he had-seen the new ballot-papers, and he assured the •■lectors that the ballot would bo secret, lie denied tho accusation that he had damaged flic country's credit, mentioning Hint if returns he has quoted were damaging then the Year Hook, and not lie, should have been Warned. Just a Few Millions Out, Mr. Allen went on to deal with errors in thn Financial Statement, and stated aba that among the many tables prepared that showing the reproductive indebtedness of IS9I and the present time was false, and that wat it brave statement to make to a Bluff audience. (Laughter.) Thesi> tables slated that jCl,fi7.'i,2;il had been allotted to roads and bridges. He at onco bcnauio suspicious and found that tho amount should have been ,L'i ,385,00(1. Tho table had been prepared to show that tho nou-reproductivo debt was not fo large, Thus tho Prim© Minister had been only two millions out in the' national debt (as shown by him several limes), and tbreo millions out in tho tabic showing tho reproductive indebtedness. Ho had mentioned these discrepancies when speaking at Milton, yet tho Prime Minister at one of his meetings had not made, any effort to deny Mr. Allen's assertions. Could people have faith in a Minister guilty of such blunders in an important document like the Financial Statement? When tho Prime Minister came round again they should ask him how those inaccuracies occurred. (Hear, hear, and applause.) llr. Allen again denied assertions in regard to the Opposition opposing progressive measures, Mr. Allen quoted Mr, Hogg a.s saying, when he resigned from ihe Cabinet, that lie did not know the policy of the Minis! ry when ho joined, ami he did not know if when he left. It was a dangerous thing lor the country that members of the Ministry should not have its policy. ■ Mr. Allen continued that his party was the true Liberals and that tho so-called Liberals were humbugs. Ho would never take office with a Ministry at the expense of his integrity and independence. A voice: Clutha, Tom. (Laughter.) Chuckinu Masterpieces About. Mr, Allen quoted Mr. Xgata's statement that Mr, Seddon had a way of bringing off masterpieces on tho 'stage while' Kir Joseph Ward chucked them about like a boy in the street. It was dangerous for a Prime Minister to chuck masterpieces about. He should have them under control. Sometimes his masterpieces meant millions, and they did not want them chucked about. Mr. Allen went' on to criticise the methods of the administration of justice, alleging that magistrates were ioo much suliject to political control. He alleged also that wrongful appointments were mat'o to tho Civil Service. Mr. Allen also dealt further with the borrowing poV.tr in support of charges of extravagance. He traversed Sir Joseph Ward's s'iitements in this regard at Milton on Friday night, and said the Prime Mhistor seemed now to have turned his ba.'k on borrowing. He would like to know where he was going to cut borrowing down. Mr. Alleu averted that Sir Joseph Ward had been forced i;ito this new poiilion by Hie proximity of the elections,' inid said it was verv dangerous for a party in power not to'stick to its principles, and just lvforc elxlions to recant. He n-ked what (he Prime Minister meaut by it. (Applau^cl At the conclusion of Mr. Allen's speech' Mr. Hamilton (candidate for Awarua) spoke lor a quarter of an hour and was well received. He explained the item of .4150 expended on his brother's proprrtv. It was part of a b:'g scheme of choline ling 15 miles long. Part of the channel went through his brother's property and the amount expended on this part was only, a small item. At the conclusion Mr. Whoallcr proptsed a vote of thanks to .Mr. Allen, ami of renewed confidence in tho Ministry. An amendment tendered a vote of 1 hanks to Jr. Allen and expressed no confident* in the Ministry. The Mayor called for a show of hands, trad said that as about 30 hold up their lianas for each, therefore ho declared neither carried.