THE LIBERAL PARTY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2009, 17 March 1914, Page 6

THE LIBERAL PARTY.

MR, RUSSELL AT CORE, (By Toliisrajfc.—Proas AJsSoldttonJ fiofe, March 16. A largely attended meeting was held at tho Princess Theatre last night under the auspices of the Gore branch of the Literal Party, Mr. G. W, Russell, M.P, for Avon, replying to the Moll. A, L. Herdman's address ftt.AVyiulham on Wednesday night. Mr. D. M'Bougall, 'Mayor oi Gore, presided. Mr. Russell was cordially received. After referring to the previous history of tho Liberal Party, he went'on to say they now had a Government drawn from the reactionary forces of the country who were not- a. Government by the will of tho peoplss. At the election of 1911, 182,000 votes wore east for Mr. Mossey's party, and 200,000 for the Liberal Party. There had also been 1)7,000 rotes for tho labour and Indeptsiident Parties, and yet tho Reform Party was in power. It was said that the present party was a Reform Party, but ho would ask tho audinftco to observe tho composition of the present Ministry. Messrs. Massey, Allen. Frascr, Herries, Rhodes, 8011, and Herdman were all mmtbors of the old Tory Party which existed under Sir Win. Russell and Mr. Ro-llcstoii, The two others-we.-c Mr. Fisher, who had toured New Zealand - seven or eight years ago j'or tho purpose; of founding a Now Liberal Party, and the other was Dr. Pornaro. who was eaptnrcd by this political octopus called the Reform Party, There was no small farmer element in tho present Government. Tho career of tho party m power was ono of broken pledges, unfulfilled promises, and mismanagement. (Applause.) Tho Opposition was defeated in everything it did to block the Second Ballot Repeal Bill. It was gagged in an infamous manner. The R<;fen«.,Govcrnn)-ent had charged tho_ Ward Government with an. increase- 'in expenditure during its last years of £2,000,000. What was the position of tho Miussoy Governments Tho first, year'showed au in--crease of £741,000, over ami ahovo the Ward Government's expenditure during the previous year, and- during this year the .expenses' of a general election 'and the census ■ (£123,000) had toj be charged. During three quarters of the-cur-rent financial year tho present Government's record showed a further increase- of £638,000 over last year. ■' (Applause.) Out of £633.000 available for roads and bridges only £25*2,000 had been expended in three-quarters of a year, yet -during its last year of office tile Liberal Government * had spent £424,000 at.tho rate of £106,000 per quarter.

Mr. Russell then passed on to Treasury Mils. When ike previous Government went wit of pawer tho position ■ as regarded these was an absolutely clean sheet,' but, by the following March, Mr. Alton had raised etdr faa'lif a' million' on. Treasury bills, m order to carry on. There had been £807,000 in the Treasury as a surplus of the Lificrai Government untouched when the Reform Party went intd power, hut, at tho oftij of the Reform Party's first year, there was only £709,000, and of this they determined to devote £765,000 to public works. Mr, Massey had been in''ijffico_ for twenty Jnontlis, and had ample tinio to search ■ tho ' pigeon-holes, and not ouo charge of impropriety had been brought -against any Liberal ikiventmeflt. during Mr. Mas- . say's iirst year of Office, the taxsH tion had increased by 3s. 4d. per head Mn Masscy had. said that- tho grants given, for. roads and bridges by tile Liberal Gov- j erwucnt had merely been bribesj hut: sineo the Massey Government had heeiv : in jxMvcr 170 grants had been made -on the very system that the Government had condemned. One plank in the Ikform platform of 1911 had: been d. system of compulsory insurance against sickness and unemployment, but nothing hatl been dons in this -direction. Though Mr. Massey had talked a lot about the reform of_ the Legislative Council, he had dotie just the same as tho Liberals. Out -of five ap.pemtm.ents made., foxir were gentlemen who had previously been members of tho House of Representatives. Fourteen vacancies would occur before the House met in June, and Mar. Massey was postpQning.inakittg appointments leeauso a large., number of his supporters wanted ta he elevated to the Council,

After contrasting tie land policy of the present Government and previous Liberal Governments, the speaker went on to say thai . Mr. Allen had borrowed £200,000 on Treasury bills from tho State Guaranteed Advances depleting it to that extent. He had, actually borrowed for tho use o£ the fiwefiinieat money that was there for tlie use of settlers. (Applause.) Mr, _ HcrdniaU at Wyndhant,' had at* te&iptcci to explain tho flatter of the filched Futile Tragi, report. Tlie speaker did not know- who had gireH tliat report to the "New Zealand Tfntes." Mr. Hcrd.'man bad charged whoever ivaS responsible for tlie not as being disloyal to the State. If lie.(Mr. Bussellj had done what Mt. Herdtnaii had done in connection with this matter, lie would go homey kneel down before tlie- bed, and pray God for forgiveness, (daughter and applause.)

With regard to the strike, Mr* Herd' ni.au had chastised Sir Joseph WardWith the party to which Sir. Joseph Ward and ho 'liEioiigfid' *.ero the party that had established, the Arbitration Act in New Zealand. It had been a land •of iudu.stirkl peace under the legislation of the Liberal Party, and whatever had been done by the Massey Government to sottl'o tho treublo would have been •done l)}" the Ward Government had his party been in office, fhs following motion, put to .'the meeting, was declared hy the Mayor faj.be practically unaniinonslj' carried:—'"Tirre meeting desires'to thaii.lt tho speaker for his excellent, stft-tcsmanli'ltp address, and ho]».s ai> tho fei'thcoiniiig ciectioH that the electors will sa express themselves, and will return once.. more to l»wei' the Ward and Liberal party." ■ Cheers w<rc thea gircti for Mr. Hus-: sell, Sir Joseph Ward, and the Liberal Party. ; -