POLITICAL REFORM

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2177, 16 June 1914, Page 6

POLITICAL REFORM

ADDRESS BY DR. A; K; NEWMAN

CITY & COUNTRY

BIGWORKS IN PROSPECT

RE?ORM OUTLOOK

'About a hundred people assembled In > the New Century Hall, Kent Terrace, last evening, to hear a pro-sessional address by Dr. A. K. Newman, M.P. Mr. >A. Leigh Hunt prosided. The greater fcart, of Dr. Newman's speech was list- . enecl to in unbroken quiet, save for occasional 1 applause, but for a few minutes before he sat down he had some pxchangos with a few people at' the ■back of the hall. With this trifling exception, the ,tono of the audience was "unmistakably friendly. ■ Received with applause when he rose fto speak,' Dr. Newman said that bejcauso ho had not taken an earlier opjjKirtunity of addressing his constituents (some rumour had got around that he fwas afraid to face tho music. Ho had jr.ot got to the point of being afraid to pace a Wellington audience. Wellington audiences had always -treited him Iwoll —with the exception of a few people at the back. (Applause.) He gave a flat contradiction to the story that he intended to leave Wellington East for tho Suburbs electorate. It was true that kind' friends in the Suburbs had 'suggested this'course, but ho had replied to them that he' had 'received many promises of support from the .people of Wellington JSast, and did not , ; sco why he should shift. (Applause.) "There are people who have said: 'Wo , .will push Newman/through tho winyowl'"he added, "but I am here, and, . Jvith your kind help, I mean to stay /•here." (Applause.) I ' The Claims of tho Province.

■'■{ It was his intention that evening to weal;.mainly with things that immediately concerned the province- of Wellington. Plenty of opportunities would , arise during.the. Parliamentary session .' ■wf dealing with general political ques- '■■/ tibiis.' Ho maintained that a Wclling- -..- ton member who wished to do his duty. •' hy Wellington must attend to things , outside tho city. An acorn planted in ; ja garden grew' bettor than one' ; in a pot, because' there was room for its roots <tospread, That was how a city grew. ,1W way to make a oity, prosperous was jtp open -up the baok country and develop it. This meant more trade for [the city and resultant prosperity. Ho jihad affirmed at last ejection that one ■'-' kreason making a change of Government .. 'necessary was' that almost nothing wa.s ' ' rbeing done-to open.up the fertile lands •'■■■" .Wellington Province. During the ■ -two"years..for which the Government - Shad- been, iin,power he hod; taken an > active .part in promoting the claims of •..'.• Ithe'/butlyipg • districts/ and -with ■ others 4iad-advocated the- proposed railway -by irneans of which it was hoped to open tip ]th<»" Eastern Waifar'apa. His own,view ' -iva's, that much could bo accomplished by Imaking better roads in tlio country dis'"tricts and: running motor omnibuses •npdn them;'but if-he could not. get his way he would do his best to havo -fho proposed.railway pushed, ahead. In other parts of tiho province also there was a very large of fine land which should''be opened' rip. The first fip'dof 'tlio R'aotilii branch railway had • , been turned amid great rejoicings just before the. last election, but after >the .■Reform Government' tobjt office ho found that the first "sod had beeu'-Curned with- , out the line being surveyed. Since then tho. sur.vey had been carried out, and several miles of the earthwork had been completed; three contracts had been let; and the line would be proceeded .'■ 'with: l "The construction of a motor road from Waimarino to'Tokaanu would be a great advantage' to the 'citizens of Wel- ..'. ljngton, stneo. it would bring the Taupo thermal region within twelve hours-of , Wellington.' Also'tho road'which .was aiow.nnder construction would divert, a certain amount of tourist traffic .from ~'Auckland, to Wellington:- (Applause.) ;. The New Central Station. .' .'An up-to-date Central Railway Station in Wellington was very badly need,cd. The Government had determined that this, and other railway works must bo done, arid would bring in a Loan Bill this session. Amongst tho main works to bo carried out under this Bill would ha the now Central Railway Station for .Wellington. (Applause.) It / was preposterous that people,should be landed from trains, as they were at present, in a far corner of the City instead of in a conveniently central terminus. They Would have a vote next year and the mew Central Railway Station would be begun. Tho plans. were- almost ready now. He had no doubt that a goods shed at To Aro would bo begun later on in tho year, and this would bo a great convenience to people at that end of the town. (Applause.) Ho had also urged the Government to open up tho province, whore railways would not pay, by making bettar roads which would be fit to carry motor traffic. When the . Government had made these roads both ' tho country areas and the city would be more prosperous than af present; Railway Routes. .Something would have to bo done to improve tho Jlanawatu Railway line between Wellington and Pae'kakariki. Within a few weeks a surveyor would bo put on to survey a flat lino from Wellington to Tawa Flat. The route -. , would be along tho Hutt.line to Koro- . Koro, up tho gorge and then through a tunnel a mile long to Tawa Flat. Ho considered this proposal quite feasible. The Johnsonville and Khandallah people could be given a bettor service than at present by means of motor trains. From \ Tawa Flat the line would continue by way of Porirua and Plimmerton to Paekakariki, and there would then bo a t •' flat railway to Fcilding. Traffic was so heavy on tin's lino that it would scon have to bo duplicated, and it would be much bettor to duplicato.it on a new and bettor jouto than on tho present lineJ ■_ A report on the' subject would bo laid before Parliament. The Walrarapa Deviation. Tho railway between Wellington and tho Wairarapa. was in an exceedingly ■unsatisfactory condition.' 'The question <)f surveying a new route for this line had been in the air for a considerable tune. Much had boon said about how easy it, would be to get from hero to the Wairarapa on a new line, but when tho actual country was looked at it mußt be recognised that the problem was one of great difficulty. The existtng Summit route,was ii very bad one, and his information was tbat it was all'the Railways Department could.do to bring the traffic over ft howi' ■ When' the proposed Eastern Wairarapa line was in operation it, would be impossible to hiindlo the traffic: ; In his opinion, the best route was that through the Tauhorinikau Valley, which was to be surveyed. He believed that a railway would be carried over that route before very ; long, coming out at Woodsido, three or -four miles beyond Feather-' ston. The route would be eight or nine miles shorter than tho present one, and 3ii much better grades. The Wairarapa deviation would cost about. half ft million of money. A good start had now been made upon tlio task of opening up the back-country, Dr. Newman sent' on to remark, and if the Reform i'arty"remained in power they would !>e enabled to do a great deal. more. (Applause.) Transforming Caol Sites. After expressing approval of the new 'olicr of transferring prisons to tho

country districts, Dr. Newman wont on to commend the proposal to utilise the land upon which the Terrace Gaol now stands as a site for a school. It was a very boautiful spot, and would make a charming, site for a school to replace the'Willis Street School. Also, it would have an ample playground. As to the Mount Cook site, Dr. Newman said that for the last fifteen or twenty years the people of Wellington had been ™ wlu >g about this area, which comprised fifteen acres of land, fit to serve as a. site for a king's palace, only happily they no longer spent money on king's palaces. He Warmly commended the proposals of the Government to establish the new Dominion Museum, Art Gallery, and Historical Librarv upon the Mount Cook site, and also the proposal to make a portion of the reserve available as an addition to the Mount •fu S , l,no ° l playground. In connection with these matters, Dr. Newman expressed a hope that the Government would this year introduce a Town-p anmug Bill. - Rosy Prospects. Some people said that thinos in Wellington were very dull, and were going to bo very dull, but from this pessimistic view ho dissented. The City was full of people, and there was a keen demand for houses. Works under way or projected were the Parliamentary Buildings, the now railway station (which would cost £250,000), a goo'ds sued at Te Aro, a new police station. and a large and costly wharf (projected by the Harbour Board), while the City Council was proposinc: a loan of considerable amount. The National Museum and Art Gallery and various other works wctc also going to be done. In all, nearly a • million pounds' worth of work was going to be carried out during the next three or four years, and it was idle- to tell him that Wellington would not be a greatly improved city when that was done. (Applause.) When, in addition to this, it was' realised that the country .districts were being opened up, it must be realised that Wolhngton had every prospect for the next three-or four years: (Applause.) Most of the works he had mentioned would be begun-before Christmas. (Applause.) Naval Defence. Having touched upon some general political questions, Dr. Newman declared 'his belief that the day of big ironclads was done,' and that a few submarines and' other- small craft would suffice for the defence of New Zealand. At: this' a'man near'the front of tlio hall interjected angrily that "it was Admiral Scott against the world, 1 and who was he?" Dr. Newman replied, as the interjector made for the- door, that Admiral Scott was one •'of the world's greatest naval authorities. Oh the subject of licensing law,,he said that the Bill providing for of the effective majority from-,60 to 55 per cent, would no doubt be this year. There was no reason why the Government should not do a great deal of useful work this ■ jyar if' the Opposition did not obstruct them. His own opinion was that Reform was on a very good' wicket, and wAuld win at next election. The Liberal lions/were roaring about the country, but though the- walls of Jericho fell before th&'shouting of Joshua's people arid the/blaring of trumpets, the walls of Reform wero not going to fall.

The Government's Prospects, After a few. exchanges with interjectors on the ,?übjeot of meetings, Dr. Newman declared that the Reform Ministers were playing to bigger houses than thoir opponents, and that Mr. Massoy had addressed a bigger meeting in Christchurch than Sir Joseph Ward. A voice: He didn't get a hearing. Dr. Newman: Oh, yes he had. There is no place in New Zealand ; where Mr. Massby"x)aA't".iget a ; \~,\< .. A.voice:. Why doosn't he speak in Wellington. Dr. Newman: After all, it is perfectly easy to make a noise and count a man out. % few people at the back of a hall can'always.make a noise.

When an interjector said something about ''minority.rule," Dr. Newman retorted that there had been three, bj'elections during the term of the present Parliament, and the Liberal Party had been at the bottom'of the poll every time. (Applause.) He predicted that Reform candidates would win a couple of seats on the West Coast; where their party had not had a candidate for thirty'years. (Laughter drowned in applause.) Dr. Newman went on to state that all the forces opposed to the Deform Party were going to bo united to fight it,-and the supporters of the party should work enthusiastically to keep tho flag of .Reform flying. Unlike the Opposition, ,the Reform Party had a policy, of which it was proud, and it was going to carry it through. "This party under which New Zealand is prospering, which is doing good work, and getting humanitarian legislation passed, ho concluded, "will get the confidence of the people. It may have little faults and little errors—there are spots'on the sun —but it is earnest and determined to manage this,country better than it has been managed, and to carry out a policy of courage and of honesty—ono for the welfare of the people of this country." , (Applause.) Dr. Newman answered a number of questions, and afterwards, on tho motion of Mr. J. Chapman, a vote of thanks and of confidence in Dr. Newman as member for Wellington East, was carried unanimously.