MR. ALLEN AT HOME

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1780, 19 June 1913, Page 5

MR. ALLEN AT HOME

IN HIS CONSTITUENCY. THE OLD FINANCE & THE NEW, CLEAR STATEMENT. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Milton, June 18. Tho Hon. W. P. Massey, -Prime Ministor, and the Hon. James Allen, Minister for Education and Defence, spoko at Milton this ovening. Tho Mayor of Milton (Mr. Charles K ; ng) presided, and tlio hall was crowded. Mr. Allen, who was warmly rocoivcxL said that ho had looked forward to tlio present moment for twenty odd years. Very important portfolios had Icon placed in his hands when tho Government took office. That was too much for one man, and ho hoped that tlio Primo Minister would relieve him of one of them. Ho did not think that oven tlioso outside ma constituency would 6ay that, since ho had been a Minister, ho had been an ldloman. Ho made no personal claim for tho success which ho had nehioved in London, but ho felt that ho could say that tho constituency of Brute, and New' Zealand, hod not been unworthily represented. There had been certain misrepresentations which, however, had recoiled on those who had made them. Ho referred to a sentenco that had, twico over, occurred in tho columns of a paper, owned to a largo extent by political opponents of liimself and of the Prima Minister. Tho writer (whom Jio would not name) lia<l written tliat ho had offered • >to eond- 8000 men 'from 'Now Zealand fully equipped us an expeditionary force, bo-, cause ho was anxious to eecuro for himself 6omo titular dignity or honouir. Ho had too much respect for himself and for liis constituents to do anything of that nature. (Applause.) Financial Operations at Home, They had succeeded in raising a thrco million loan and at a'good price. Ho was not going to go into tho question of shortdated loans, but ho would say that the Government of'to-day" had ro Carry a' heavy burden bequeathed to - them by their predecessors. If they wens long enough in office they would leave tho country with a cloan slate. In 1908 the then l'rimo Minister came back and told them that he liad niado arrangements with the' Bank of England for tho alteration of tho price for tho inscription of their stock. Under tlio arrangement prior to that they paid tho bank so much for so many millions, and then reduced tho amount for an increasing number of millions, and to on till it camo to i! 200 per million. In spite of that reduction, up to 1008, tho wholo thing was fixed at that timo at a permanent rate of .£350 per' 1 annum. When that arrangement was made ho criticised it in Parliament, and said that' it was a temporary expedient to gain a little for a' time, but to lose in tho long- run. They had reapod tho benefit of that bar. gain up till now, but 60011 ihoy would start on tho downward path as a result of it. Tho inscription of stock was costing them over .£20,000 per annum—a great deal too much. He hoped that as tho result of tho negotiations which -he had opened the Bank of England would' niako a new arrangement with regard to that, but, if they did not alter ir, Now Zealand would sock for other mcanß to csoapo what was an •improper burden. Then lie was going to ask Cabinet ' and. Parliament to alter tho law to onablo thorn to issuo New Zealand Treasury bills in I/Ondon. That could not bo doiio at preseuti Reverting to tho loan which ho had secured in London, Mr. Allen told his hearers in. what an unfavourable condition tho money market was wlicn ho arrived'. Brokers of 'high, standing raid tliat Now Zealand could not get_ its loan at 98, but the broker whom ho hod chosen had stood. Vy Now , Zealand, and, within two montlis of flotation, ovcry penny wis in tho hands of legitimate investors. Owinfi to the long date of the loan, it waa cheaper than any loan floated by Now Zealand during the past seveu or eight years.

Our Young Nation and tho Pacific Problem. In regard to naval defence, they should not discontinue the practice of paying a subsidy to tho Mother Country, but thoro was more to be dono after that. They had deoided on a permanent contribution to tho British Navy because they had unreservedly placed in Britain's lianas a battleship provided by Nciv Zealand. They must understand that that .ship did not represent anything supplementary to the ordinary British -programme. Ilio Australian programme, on the other hand, represented a margin of safety, bocause not one of tho Australian chips was on tlio Admiralty list. Ho was- riot going bo suggest, however, that; thoy should do anything like Australia had: done. Australia was in a dmcrent position to New Zealand, but the time nad como when they in Now Zealand ought to be educating themselves to tho responsibilities of. a young nation Mining to manhood somb day. Tho Empire was relying not alono on British strength, but on an alliance with. Japan and tho entente cordiale with. France.. . • , •• • The'-Mother Country hiesitated about doing anything in tho Pacific whero tho interests of Franco were concerned, becaiiM sho was so desperately anxious about tho cntonto cordiale. He did not feel happy in tho knowledge, that. tho. position in tlio Pacific rested upon each; a slender, thread as that. Thoro ivcro, for instance, questions relating' to the Now Hebrides that ought to be faced, and New Zealand would not bo doing its duty .to the Empire or itself if it only paid tlio Mother Country ,to defend it. Thev must mako an effort at some time to train their oivn personnel.

the prime MINISTER. ; REFERENCE, TO, DEFENCE. The Hon. Mr. Masscy said that ho.wflS present iiv fulfilment of « promiso to join with tho people of Brueo in doing honour to Mr. Allen. Tho position,with regard to naval dcfcnco was that' for many years they woro supposed to bo under tho , pro-. tcqtion of tho 'Australasian fcquadron,- and • that s'fliiailr'on "was now practically non- . existent:"' When "the 1 battleship Now Z«i> ■ land sailed away in a few days, wuero would bo tho protection : for their coasts and their commerce!' They were perfectine thoir defences on land by the t c £ n ~ ,torial scheme, but ho was not satisfied with what was boing dono in wari to naval defence. Nothing would bo dono, however, until tho people of tho country wcro consulted throughi their Parhamen-. , tarv representatives. It \vas just possible ( that nothing would bo done until afterthe next. Imperial Conference. Ho condemned as untrue tho statement that Mr. Allen had' bocn dosirous of titulartonbttr. ' Had' Mr. Allen desired a title, it have been his duty, as Prirno Minister, to recomnicnd him for and ho believed it would havo been forthcoming, but Mr.. Allen had not desired Jt, bccausa ho , bolievcd that' tho titlo- of; !r : Allen" was good enough for .Mm, just as it was for Mr.,Asquitli, Mr. Bonar 'Law, f and Mv.'Borden. (Applause.)- ' As to tho general outlook, ho boliovoa that tho «>urtry'6-prospects were nover- ' , better.. Tho.market for wool was gOM, cv*n if tho 'American Tariff Bill wa« passed into law. Dairy produce, so lons, .. as tho quulity kept up, could find a good , market not only tn England but m other parts of tho world. Comino' Measures. Tho.coming sossion promised' to bo a , useful one, and, amongst;other..tilings, thoy were going {xvask Parliament to givo the' freehold to many thousands of settlers on terms' fair to thoni and to the .State, It was also proposed to bring down n - measure wMcli ho hoped would have the effect of restoring confidence between workers and employers, while Parliament would also have all opportunity of bringing tho law with regard to shops and offices up to date. There would also ho Bills dealing with educational and financial affairs. An Upper House Reform Bill would bo plaecd before the House of Representatives mm in an effort to provide that members of, the,. Legislative Council should be directly: elected by tho people. In all probability a Hill would bo introduced to pass into lnW an arrangement arrived at between : tho Hon. V. M. B. Fisher, Minister for Customs, wltlt» tho Federal Minister for Customs, and, further. Parliament would havo on opportunity of removing many carom alios extetinjsc In tho present tariff.