MR. T. M. WILFORD, M.P., CAMPAIGNING.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1972, 31 January 1914, Page 6

MR. T. M. WILFORD, M.P., CAMPAIGNING.

';••.- OPENS AT PETONE. HE PROMISES DEVELOPMENTS. . Mr. T. M. \Yilford spoko for about two hours and 20 minutes to about 400 IK'opk, who attended his meeting at I'clone liihl Gvoisiiig. 'I'ho greuter portion of the speech concerned tho Opposition politics. Mr. ■). W. M'Kwan, Mayor of I'etono, presided.

Mr. Wilford Miid lie would mako it clear thai his one aim and object politically was to liclpj by fair moans, to wipo nut of vxistenco tho so-called Iteionn liarty.

The Minister of Finance (tho Hon. Jas. Allen) had been to England, and after is.nvir.ig worn a top-hat i'or a w'nks and rubbed shoulders with the big guns of the Admiralty, ho had been sokl a pup. in tho shape of a toy navy. Now <io was the admiral of that toy navy. Air. AlkiA was ho ruoro than u political Pi'fsiim'.'it, iviio saw ho nood in aiiy-tliin-j, who ronii«<led one of a wet morning. Ho contended that much, of t-ho legislation passed by tho Government had been introduced by the present Opposition. Tho Govonmieufc had found the Liberals bathing and stolen their clothes, which, however, were a palpable misfit.

Although patriotic s ho wished as strongly as ho could' to condemn the local navy proposal for such a young and-small country as thin. It was far too kg a scheme for us,' It was truo that tho.Government had net taken authority to huy ships, but had taken authority, for tho tin-pot proposal of training men for the jfavy. ITiofaet was ihnt the Minister of pefonco had had his head turned when ho was in England, and when lie was feted in Can. adii, and his boasted cool judgment had failed him. Now tho. Colonel Allen of the land forces was admiral of the Toy Nnvec. '

Gliosis. The Reform Press stated that- the Government had mado good, and that if it was not supported woo would como upon this great laud. That was no more than «. pumnkin lantern ghost. It might frighten "political babies, but not aduH.s. This Government was nourishing in.Now Zealand an array of the unemployed rich, whfclr was "the curso of tho Old Land. The vulgar Haunting of wealth by suoh as thrso caused tho growth of ciasg onmity. Ho declared that'there was growing up in this country a vigorous anti-Tory party. Tho Tory Press never let up. There was a papor j n Wellington, •I in-: Dominion, which novel- let go onco having got its tooth in. Ho maintained that tho paper nnd the. party were, controlled by tho Duthies, the Buchanans, the Riddifords, and the Ormomls. Tho Reformers were not fair dealers or square dealers. L'iko the boy' who whistled in the dark, they were afraid, qikl shouted to comfort themselves. Mr. Massoy before he got into power . had promised to promote industrial had promised, to redtieo taxation,, had promised fflany roforms, but every promise so made ho. had broken tn tho Grst session ho had asked for time, and tho Opposition .stopped criticism " and awaited bis.second Budget. But -what had it been? The Budget of a man who sot out to pull down tho house in order , ' to improve the ventilation. They hadset out to damage State institutions, ihey had injured iho State Fire Office, unable* to.leAj.:o.:h.. good- concern alone. They got their support from tho money" , <M class, people in. a very large- way, svho, were money-leaders. These kid •shares in insurance companies, and the Government said, "These arc our , supporters; lot's feeijl 'cm." The Government had refused to insist urton a borrower from the State giving the risk on nis house on whioh ho had borrowed at a mieape-r rate because tho State was in business as a lender, to the State Fire : Office.. Now tho State was not lending so much, and tho rate of interest was going up, and it would go up and up whenever a Tory Government was in power. Ho believed that tho Shylock's day would come again in Now Zealand.' Likewise the Government hated tho Public Trust Offico mid the State Coal Depots, which latter Mr. i Hordaian hnd described as a bolstered up, bankrupt concern,"

T&at "Coy Labour."

He went on to speak of-the scheme for the immigration of farm boys from England. "Hey labour for the farmers," Mr, Wilford called it. One of the boys so imported was a young Irishman, aged 21, tall and well built, who could take charge of a team of horses nnrt knew about fnrm work generally. Another was 19; another who'had eaid to tho High Commissioner that lie'was 19 admitted being 22. All of them had knowledge of farming. These "boys" had been secured for a. year at 7s. 6d. a week, and they had V pay so per cent, of that back to tho Government for their passage out. These able-bodied men would got no more than 2(1. a day from tho ''poor struggling fanner." . ■ • No-Ucense, ■ "I am tired to death of tho natchwork of-local No-License," said Mr Wiford. "1 don't believe, it checks tl a tit 'i • I ,!avs itoays voted three-fifths, but I -say this to-night for tho first time: If Mr. Mftsscy ' will throw away the local No-Licence business, which m my opinion shonld be ended, and. make one Dominion vote so ihat every man who casts n votes casts it for or .against liquor, I will vote 5o per eeiii. . , .', otherwiso I will continue to rote as I'liavo voted before."

Tiio Upper House. Ho believed t-he . Upper riouse w.rs absolutely useless, but it would be made uioro so if Mr. Kassav'had his way and Lad it made elect-ire under Jim scheme, Jf tho electorate? were, to bo bia tho Upper House could be reacned only by tho rich man, Constitutionally it was absurd to havo two elective Houses. Ho would rather seo the-Upper House abolished altogether, and the Lower House niado to pass legislation more slowly, and to do it? work better, Ho believed in proportional representation, but ho did not behove in Mr. Massey's■ scheme, and ho behoved tbat if there was to bo proportional representation it should bo madeto apply to the Lower House. Tho Prune. Minister'had declared that the nominative system in tho Upper Hotiso was a disgrace to New Zealand, but now Mr. Massey was "stuffing it full." Mr. Wilford at 10.20 began his peroration of four minutes' duration. He had, he said, been offered a portfolio in the Mackenzie Ministry while lie was in England, and ho had refused it. if ho tooli a portfolio it would be a portfolio among progressive and earnest men, and not reactionaries. The treatment dealt out by this Government to the rank and file of tlio people led him to understand that all would not be well if they remained in poH-es-. In the new few wcekF thero would bo political developments in this country that would bo surprising. Krobahly heforo tfie end of the next week they would hear of sotiwtliiug that would bo of interest. He find boon invited to speak in To Arohct that night with tho two otlior speakers there, but ho had to refuse becauso he had arranged to begin Ins campaign at Petone. Ho asked Urn people to send him forth on his cainpaig'i, if they believed in him, with some s'hov'of appreciation. A vote of thanks and confidence was carried, with only on" dissentient, lust wilh no great "shew of appreciation."