MR. HEMES VISITS TAURANGA

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2175, 13 June 1914, Page 9

MR. HEMES VISITS TAURANGA

REFORM & ITS PLEDGES

RAILWAY PROM

(l)y AfcWctMfoO.)

.... ... . V..u.-ftnijii, ,nu:,.' r:. im> Minister of KaU»-;ivs». tl»»« J ton. U. 11. Hemes, a foi;. :r ;, ,<i enthusiastic 11fJr Im l 111 {iic. House kwiylu, Tin' iVlnv w ; oi tiio borough, If. C. .lUihlniis, pivsuU'ii. _ Air. ilwrtcs wel with a wmiiiii t (.'ccptioii. 110 Mikl Uial.it x' : .iv)j| deal of uio criticism lcvWK'4 against t-tro Government was nufoEuifkri. Tiie Opposition said that Jtr. JUassey held ins position without ti:o suppon' oi the Bi-a-jority of tlic electors, but Air. iiwrics contended that the Aiatssey (.iovefM.inf.ut ! m " , i 0 conlidoitei; i lio gfi.-iit majority of the people. At tile last election fought by iilr. the t.toi Oiipohitjon won only IS seals. At :»;• H «ct olcclton they increased {heir number t<> 20, and now they had 38 weroWrs.: Ifecent by-elections had tvsiuiod lit the (Meat of tiio M-c-.ci candidates. 1 K tim House Mr. MitSsoy Inid achieved ;s re* cord in that for two s, s ke h;.d not been beaten mi a division cvon oh a trivial matter.

llie Opposition said the Gov-oriiftieiit had not carried out its pledges, font at the cud ol the nest session all the pledges made by the Reform Party would bo fulfilled. Tito (.overimmei Had reformed 1 tiio financial system of tiio Uominipu, and h-atl a';elismcd tiie sysielH' of raising loans on snori-duted debentures. During the current financial year the Treasure* imtl to raise .£9.000,000 to repay loans that Imd Fu <mi mined uy Sir Joseph Ward and Jtr. Myofs. ■ Mr. Merries quotal a return, showing. the cost of raising .Joans by Sir Josefm 1 n r<l, Jl y® rs i and iiie Hon. J. Allen, /l'ho ligtt«s were;— Sir J, G.. M ard's last loan, £ E Us. Cd- per cent.; in:. Myers's loan, £y is. id. par cent.; lion. J. Allen's first loan, i',l Bs. 6d. per cent. oil the portion jnicoi'ivertof.l, and £-1 ;is. 3d. Oil t-ho t'OHvefsiaii. Mr. Allen's third loa« was estimated to cost £4 4s. 5Jd. per cent. (Applatise,) i'iie Government had never, said it >«!•$■ against borrowing, lie. heliaived thoy ought to borrow money, bwt, tlisjy should seo that when harrowed tiso iKiuiey was not wasted.

Mr. Horries said that ov«Ij one of tto pledges mado by Mr. SU&ssov regarding land matters had. few ß Mfiiled j» ike two Laud Acts.passed by ment. .They wanted tho small free* liolder to liavo enoiiglj land to live on In comfort. Tlie tiov-emme-nt fiad increased the graduated. land tax. and moro b.ig estates Lad been purchased under Mr, Masscv's reginio tiian for throe or four ymia bsfore he came into'office. The-' Gown* ment had not befell able carry oiit tlio reform of the legislative C<nr.ioii but next session it would bo an a-ecom-" plished fact, that t.iioy would have an elective Upper'Hoiise.* The Opvenmient had carried out to the letter its pledge regarding the reform of the Civil Service.. They had' tnrrcli'jiso'd nearly the whole of the Arafcei bioek .ne-ar Auckland, and would see. wltttt could be dono in town planning for iv fcemlcl slibwr'b, Mr. Herries (JefciKtal, tlto action ol the Government in going mrtskte tbo country' for a manager for tlie Railways and said this had heeii advoeatai !>v tho Mackenzie Ministry. Jlr. Ililev was instituting reforms't]wt ttotsld bo ol immense yaln& to (Jib ewintsy. Mr. Horries qiiPtod iigiirss to stew that during his term of office, tilie Railways had earned mere interest than | when Sir Joseph Ward u'as Minister. 1% 1913 the Railways earned: £4 Os'i Od. par cent., _ tho second, highest oil record, while it was expoo'fed ffcta year t).m «ar&» ings; would be £3 V2t>, 3d., an 'spite of tho smallpox epideimti and tlio- strike. Mr. Horries referred the new legislation passod in 'regard to Native lami matters. A vigorous poliey waulcl ho pursued whoro Xatives were wMlhsh to sell and tho Oroivn £oiild'i»w jnirnlmso the beneiiciary interest. «f any Kiitive in any trust land. The fWcriimont; ivas willing to stand or fail by its ac» . tion during the strike- (ApphuwO Be througlit the CiovcninuMr.'s way the iies't way in this coirfiectiffl, awl 'ifvoy had done moro to secure industrial peace than any G'overnmeni. M;r- Hcfries contended that tho Govwjinrcwfc wa4 Liberal- in tho trr.o si>uw.> of tlio word. At tho conclusion of the atiteW a motion was carried tmanimoasly thanking Mr. Herries far his address and pressing confident k the Xfassoy Ministry.