SIR W. C. BUCHANAN AT CARTERTON

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2298, 4 November 1914, Page 7

SIR W. C. BUCHANAN AT CARTERTON

POLITICS AND THE WAR THE REFORM PARTY'S WORK Sir Walter Buchanan had an enthusiastic reception when he addressed a largely-attended political meeting in the Victoria Hall at Carterton on Monday evening. The Mayor (Mr. M. D. Hornsby) presided. • -

The member for Wairarapa, in the course of his speech, claimed that the members of tho present Government, during their two years in office, had done good work, and proved their ability. Among the first and best of their measures was the Public Service Aot, which did away with political influenca in the control of the Civil Service. For a series of years the question of freehold and leasehold had been the shuttlecock of the contending parties. The Reform Party had never varied from the freehold principle, but the Liberals vacillated between tho two—some vero for freehold and some for leasehold. The present Government had amended tho Land Act iu each year of office, and always. in- the direction of giving every settlor the opportunity of making his land his own. (Applause.) Pensions for vetprans and important improvements in the old age pensions scheme' also stood to the credit of the Government. .He had been accused of giving the cold Bhoulderto the old age pension scheme when first introduced. He was not against old age pensions, but ho thought tho principle of tho original scheme- was. wrong j it- should have been on the same principle as the superannuation schemes of teachers, railwaymen, and other public servants, and those who were to benefit from :t should have contributed _to it. ''"lib present Government had improved p.ud liberalised the scheme very considerably- They'had also greatly improved tho workers' homes scheme, and had put'up double tho number of homes in two years that the previous Government did in the samb period. .-._.-.. : Sir Walter Buchanan briefly reviewed the measures put'through by the Govr eminent to- meet the conditions crea/ted by the state of War arid the work of the Shipping-Freights and Charges Committee;, As chairman of that com-' mittee ho was. glad to be able-to report that they bad .secured ships to do-all that was required ty 'ho end of January, and in February it was expected that the . commandeered ships would bo back to take up their usual running. (Applause.) It' had been said that the present Government favoured tho large landowner and'the wealthy, classes; The answer was that tho Government! had increased the graduated tax on land, and added a graduated tax on incomes.'' He as one of tho alleged large landowners heartily supported the graduated taxes. (Apr platiso.). '" ; '.

Naval Defence,.' Touching-.upon-'defence matters:-the member for Wairarapa referred to Sir Joseph Ward's proposal at the Imperial Conference to tax the people or • the Dominions ten shillings per head for naval defence purposes. , The proposal would have meant about half a million of money per annum to this Dominion, yot when the present Government proposed to spend £400,000 upon a Bristol, cruiser from England, Sir Joseph Ward and his "flying squadron" had ridiculed it as starting a toy navy, thus hlsb ridiculing the navy -Australia had started. "What position would-wo 1 bo in. how were it not for the ■' Australian fleet? (Applause.). Ho did not.say-.thatj this' Dominion :!was strong! enough to; .create a'navy fit to fight in a great battle,. but it would be of enormous advantage .now if we', had. a Btrong cruiser or two in ; our own .waters.

•: Difficulties.Overcome. . He -claimed that the Government had done yeoman service.in the difficult position created by the war, and that it would be dangerous to place •Sir Joseph Ward in their position. In 1908 thero was'a financial slump, and Sir Joseph Ward got into, a panic. Ho disoharged 1014 Civil Servants, and was going to save expense by reducing work at the rate of half a million p,er annum. We" were now at war, but where-was, the slump?. Where, - the panic? Where the reduction of work, or reduction of.pay? There had been liberal' increases of pay to -teachers, :railway servants and others; work was going on as usual. Where were the unemployed,- and where the soup kitchens which wore prophesied to come to light when the Massey Government got - into power ? Under tho Government everything was'.'., going on as 'smoothly as if there was nothing unusual to face. (Applause.) .

The Pigeon-Holes, Sir' Walter Buchanan reviewed at length the enterprising land settlement policy carried out by tho Government, and dealt also with borrowing and general finance. The Government, he said, had been-twitted with: ."What about the pigeon-holes." The.Govern-. went found a good many things in the pigeon-holes that it was,not wise to publish.: (Cries of "Ohl Ohl" and laughter.) He would give one in-, stance only.' In 1911 finances were' so low!-that the Department responsible for advances to settlers ad-, vised that the amount of.the advances' would have to be reduced. Tho amount' was reduced to '£500, but no were made till the following January. This state of aaffirs should have been made public at once. That was' line discovery made in the "pigeon-holes.'' (Laughter.) ' Regarding Customs duty, he favoured an incerase on motor-cars and,beer, and a Teduotion on coi-oa', evaporated fruits, tinned, fish, earthonware, china ware, glassware, linolouinn, floorcloths, corrugated iron, and! certain makes of boots. '• Tobacco aho would stand a reduction; he' thoueut 3s,'. 6d. per lb. too heavy. He supported tho increase of salaries-to taachV ers. Ho was entirely in accord with the Education Committee on-the Biblo-in-schools question. He also favoured the schools being available for religious instruction, but outside of school hours. . At'the conclusion of his address; Sir Walter Buchanan answered & number of questions, and was accorded a hehrty vote of thanks.