CAMPAIGN POINTS.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2306, 13 November 1914, Page 6

CAMPAIGN POINTS.

NEWS NOTES AND ADDRESSES

AND PRESS COMMENTS.

"They had improved the Civil Service and the eon or daughter of any man had to-day an equal chance of obtaining work froni the Government. There was no political influence at work and such was not possible."—Mr. G. J. Anderson on the Reform Government's record.

"The first thing the Liberals would do if they got back to power would bo to resume control of the Civil Service." —Sir James Carroll at Manutuke.

In the course of his opening address in the Reform interests for the Hutt seat last night, Mn. A. M. _ Samuel stressed the point that the majority of the people in Now Zealand recognised that tho appointment of the Public Service Commissioners had heen a beneficial measure. There was some dissent voiced in the hall, and Mr. Samiiel scored effectively by a little story he told. ■ It was of an American President and tho Court meteorologist. Tho President was intent on going to a picnic, and asked tho meteorologist whether the day would be fine. He was assured it would be, and set out for the woods. On the way he passed an old farmer, who advised him to turn back, as he thought it was going to rain. "Oh; no*" said the President, "the Court meteorologist eays that it is going to be fine, and it must be fine." It turned out otherwise, and the President was annoyed, fie went to the farmer and said .that ho would make him the Court meteorologist, as ho had predicted that it would rain. "But it wasn't I that predicted it," replied tho farmer, "it was my donkc.v. When it is going to raiu he sticks his'feet in the ground and refuees to go." "Then we will'ma'ce the donkey the Court moteorologist," said the President. "And that is tho reason," explained the candidate, "why. every donkey in the States has been trying to get a Government job." (Laughter.) Mr. Samuel pointed out that tha only people who objected to the Public Service Commissioners were those who were annoyed because-political patronage had been done away with by the Massey Government. (Applause.) '

"For as long as many of our prominent politicians can remember wo have been promised a Teforni of the local government system. But no Government prior to the present one has promised the vital reform which is-embod-ied in Mr, Massey's Bill, the complete abolition of political and party patronage in the distribution of local grants." —"New- Zealand Horald."

What has proved to be a curiously inapt illustration' of the ineffectiveness of Mr. Allen's naval policj was givou by Mr. Anstey, the Opposition candidate for Waitaki, in an address on Monday evening. Tho German cruiser Emdou bombarded Madras, and referring to the possibility of a similar assault being made- in these waters, Air. Anstoy asked: "What earthly use would Mr. Allen's Bristol cruiser be? She would. be blown to pieces in the first attack." •Tfrenty-fbur hours later news came that a Bristol cruiser, tho Sydney, belonging to a "tinpot" colonial. navy, had put on end to the Emden's career.

; Comment of the Opposition journal in Dunedin, tho "Evening Star": — "Stripped of political sugar, the policy of the Reform Party, as outlined in tho Prime Minister's manifesto, is vory sound,,reasonably progressive, and tolerably satisfactory. . . . It is a better policy as a whole than the illconsidered' programme submitted' by the Opposition; and that fact must have a proportionate effect upon the minds of the. electors."

measures of proved value and success." —From the "Colonist," the Nelson Op[losition organ.

The Social-Democratic candidates, though willing to make use of the Opposition as a catspaw to oust the .Reform Government do not hesitate to express their opinion- of it in free and vigorous language. Mr, James Thorn, the Socialist candidate for Palmerston North, for inst&nceAp referring to the position of the LibWal candidate, Mr. Crabb, spoke of the share list of a Liberal paper owned by big merchants and brewers, which was the party to which Mr. Crabb had chosen to attach himself. "What an irony of fate!" "Birds of a feather flock together," added tho speaker. Fancy Mr. Crabb Kitting side, by side with Mr. Vigor Brown fighting for a reduction in barley. (Loud laughter and applauso.) The Liberal Press ivas the property of merchants, brewers, and Tory newspaper proprietors.

"The Ward Party have, judging by events, purposed entering into an electoral alliance with the party of disorder. We should be sorry to believe that such an alliance could result in the putting of such a mixed party into power."—"Waikato Argus."

"The average politician is not very strong on figures, and the average man is perhaps better pleased that it should bo so. Figures are not interesting hearing, and are difficult to follow unless in black and white. This perhaps accounts for the wild inaccuracies to which Liberal leaders—and Sir Joseph •Ward is no exception—are wont to have recourse. No one can check such statements at the moment, and the inipassion •is ■ left of • something vaguely discreditable to the Government. A ■reference to the official records would in most cases show that the figures completely inaccurate and misleading. But no one has time to make these investigations, and the impression remains.— "Hawke's Bay Herald."

■ The various Progressive candidates throughout New Zealand have been so unanimous in uttering a plaintive note about the election_ taking place in war time that it is difficult to escape the conclusion (says the "Hawke's. Bay Tribune") that they' aro speaking under general instructions from headquarters. Our contemporary points out that Mr. Massey went out of ;his way. to discuss the matter with Sir Joseph Ward, but the Opposition Leader declinedto make any suggestion, and tho determination was left entirely to the Prime Minister's uriguided judgment. , Sir Joseph Ward's reticence., it adds, wae quite understandable. He saw that, •vhatevcr courso tho Government might adopt, there would bo afforded some ground of platform attack. If it was resolved to hold the election the Government was making the interests of the Empire subservient to thoso of party. . If the Government proposed to delay the elections then < it was merely prolonging its own life in order to avert an election whose result it had reason to fear.

''Wβ are among those who . believe that the old Liberal Party in general, and Sir Joseph; Ward's mana as a political guide in particular, are spent for ever. Mr. Anstoy, wo think, would have a much better chance of capturing the Waitaki seat if he had presented himselfg as an Inedpendeiit Liberal, pledged to give fair play to the Massey Government until a virtually new Liberal Party shall have had time to consolidate itself on a fresh basis."— "Waimate Advertiser." ;

Mr. Vcitch, Labour M.P. for Wanganui, in tho course of his speech on Tuesday evening, predicted that the Massey Government would be returned to power at the coming election.—Wanganui "Chronicle."

"In the Back-blocks districts many votes turn upon the measuro of practical sympathy in tho shape of roads or railways shown to settlers by the Government. The present Government, though promising less than its predecessors, has done more, and therefore may hope te be n'ell supported."— "Taranaki Herald."

|p "The Ward Party was playing a sort of political cut-throat euchre. The Social Democrats were using the Liberals nil an endeavour + o 'nist the Massey Party from 'office, while, the, Liberals were using the Social Democrats in the same way. It remained to be seen , which party would 'get left. , "—Mr. Richardson, candidate for Auckland Central.

"It is a new criticism of Mr. Massey's action in regard to wheat supplies to say that he should have taken action in June last to see how much wheat was in the country and to import' it two months before the war-began."— Tiniarii • "Herald," on an address at Waimate by Mr. Anstey (Ward candidate). ( .

"The Government is not-a party of promises, for which previous - Administrations were so conspicuous, but of achievement along sound.administrative lines."—Pahiatua- "Herald."

Sir James Carroll has been bitterly complaining of the size of tho loans raised by the Reform Government. The Gisbome ' 'Times'' observes: —' 'Perhaps the most amusing feature of the whole business is,that Sir James Carroll does not seem to have voted against a single loan proposal that has been brought down by the present Government I"

"The favourite Opposition charge against tho Government is that it has not, fulfilled its pledges. Mr. Massey was ablo to show that with two exceptions all the items, of the policy he laid down before the country three years ago.have been carried into law. The local government system has not been reformed and insurance against sickness has not been provided for."—"New Zealand Herald.'*

"The present Government had broken up the large estates, for they had not been afraid to increase the graduated land tax. During the term of the previous Governments the Ministors of Lands had brought down two Land Bills. When one of these, Bills was beforp tlic land committee lie had challenged Sir Joseph Ward, to put on a graduated tax. He had. said that he wculd not' do so because it would injure their credit. But Sir Joseph Ward had since given his supnort to the uraduated tax."—Mr. G. J. Anderson, Reform member, nt Waimumu.

"The weakest spot in the Ward Administration was the ' land question, and it could not be otherwise, for they are nearly us many land policies anions! the Opposition us there are members." —"Grey River Argus." '

, A meeting o? Dr. Newman's friends and supporters was held at his com- 1 niittee room, Anderson's Store, Kent Terrace, last night, over 50 being present. The greatest enthusiasm prevailed, and strong working committees were-formed, pledged to spare no effort to secure Dr. Newman's return for.Wellington East. Further meetings will \>e held in about a week's time.

A southern Reform newspaper seeks to account for the amazing .flexibility of Sir Joseph Ward's opinions on certain questions.. "A little reflection will show why Sir Joseph Ward can blow hot and cold on nearly every question," says this journal. "There is a story of'a man, who explained to his friend how he improved his mind. 'I read such and such a subject from 9 te 12, and study So-and-So's works in the afternoon. After dinner I read steadily at 'So-and-So's.' 'And . when,'. said his friend, 'do you get.time to think?' The Leader of the Opposition can hardly be accused of ony fondness for reading or study, so that he ought to have much leisure for thought. But he spends this leisure time in talking. He talks so much, and has talked so much for years that he has had no time to think. Like so many, men of that kind he makes the mistake of imagining thai thought is unnecessary. Hence it is that on any question requiring caroful thought he usually goes astray. Tho classio example is. his famous scheme for, an Imperial Parliament—or <ui Imperial something, ho was. not sure what —which he thought of on the way to England in 1911, and which was kindly, but firmly, demolished by the feebler souls—Mr. Asquith, Mr. Andrew Fisher, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, and the others—who think first and speak afterwards." .

The reservation which some of the Opposition candidates in Canterbury, hitherto a stronghold of "Liberalism," are . compelled to make are being mirthfully remarked upon by the Christchurch "Press." Here is one such reference to an Opposition candidate:—"Mr.-Tal-bot, the Opposition candidate for Temuka —who is finding rather difficult the task of persuading people so near Timaru that the Opposition's alliance with the Rod Feds, is very good for farmers and for trade ot the ports—is much troubled about the 'Liberal' policy. 'Mr. Talbot,' the Opposition paper in Timaru reports, 'concluded by giving his ideas as to the future policy of the Liberal Party, stating that he had not been asked by the Liberal Leader to subscribe to any set policy. , Wβ would give much for the unreported, but' probably priceless, 'ideas' of Mr. Talbot 'as to the Liberal policy.' Iu the meantime wp think Mr. Talbot's assurance concerning 'the Liberal Leader, is delightful. Sir Joseph wants of his supporters nothing so useless as ideas about his policy, nothing so sentimental as support of that policy. They can think as they like on any subject; he does'not mind. All he wants is an assurance that they will help the Red Fed?, 'to put him in office. Being a 'Liberal' candidate appears to be tho only career that one can pursue without requiring ideas or convictions on any subject." .

"No insignificant portion of the Reform policy, inmijjurMcd- and in pi'os>mW ou'fista of extensions af Liberal

A considerable body of Labour in the Buller district, which strongly disapproves of the alliances alleged to exist between certain leaders of Labour and tho

Sir James Carroll, unused for long years to the dust , of political conflict, has this year been forced into the election arena, but he is still using the effete weapons of other years. He is taken to task in the following terms by the Gisborne "Times" for his statement that "Liberals" alone can be relied upon to make a fair adjustment of taxation:—•'With all the facts before them, most of the electors, it is clear, Hill prefer to como to quite a different conclusion. They will recall, for instance, that it was ldft for the Reform Liberals to effect, after far too long a lapse, a further screw in connection with, what is known as the graduated land tax. It has been' left also to Mr.Massey and his colleagues to propose extra taxation with reference to motor vehicles and other things which are not necessaries of life. And so on. The fact is, no doabt, that the local Opposition member feels that if he is to stand a possible chance of re-election, he must not only make a bold bid for the workers' votes, but he must actually succeed in getting practically the Vs° "U°J illem - Hence his remarks: The Reform Party would do their best to see that wealth was not taxed; but the Liberals would do their best to see that the wealthy, bore their full share of taxation!' If the 'Liberal' Party were a brand now party, the workers might tumble into the political trap. As it so happens, the .electors—and especially the workers—can hardly have foigotten how little 'Liberalism, , when it reached the stage of 'Wardisin, , was prepared to do in regard to the matter that is under consideration. ■Unquestionably the day 'has passed in this R Cn ™ IOU , when any party which, like the Ward Party, always seemed to be counting heads,' could or should bo tolerated." '

The repeated condemnations of the Massey Government for excessive borrowing are well answered by the following figures, printed in the Gisborne '"Times ,, :— ■ .

Massey Government (period 2 years 3 months, ended Septembor 13, 1914).— Total borrowings, £14,636,880; average yearly borrowings, £6,505,280. Ward-Mackenzie Governments (period 2 years 3 months, ended July 11, 1912).—'Total borrowings, £16,496,770; average yearly borrowings, £7,331,900. ■ Now if one takes the yearly average as regards only current expenditure, public works, advances, etc., the position is as follows:—

Massey Government—Yearly average, £3,026,226. ■ Ward-Mackenzie Governments—Yearly average, £3,343,983.

Mr. Atraore, of Nelson, one of the most active campaigners for the "Liberal" Party, has been receiving some unwelcome attontion from a newspaper in his town, the Nelson "Mail." 'Ke-ren-ing to a speech by the candidate the paper said: "We tako it that, boiled down-, his criticism amounted. to the oentention that the Reform Party exists for the purpose of assisting tho monopolist and the squatter. If this were true,- then only the' monopolist and the squatter would vote' for the iwrtyj arid every candidate would lose his deposit;, for if (here is ono thing more tnan' another the average person in New Zealand is determined about, it is tfiat'the monopolist, and large landowner must cease to exist as such. These evils have grown up, and existed through twenty-one years of Liberal rule, and for any. man to turn round and blame the Reform Party for their existence is the most transparent humbug it is possible to imagine. We do not contend that the Government has vet tackled this question as it should bo tackled. It has not done so yet: but it has done more in three years than tho Liberals did in twenty."