HOME MINISTER AT OTAUTAU

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2314, 23 November 1914, Page 6

HOME MINISTER AT OTAUTAU

A SPLENDID RECEPTION MR. MASSEY REPLIES TO MISREPRESENTATION A GREAT OVATION (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) , lnueroargill, November 22. Tho Prime. Minister (Mr. Massey) addressed ah'exceedingly large audience at Otautau on Saturday night, the hall, whioh seats 600, being quite inadequate for the accommodation of the thousands who turned up. The gathering was very representative of the whole district. After being introduced by the chairman, of; the Town Board, Mr. Massey said that ho took the size of _ the audience not only as an indication of interest in public affairs, but also as a'compliment to himself. (Applause.) _He said that as the district was agricultural he would deal with tho land question first. The Government had earned out its policy in which they had pledged to convert the leasehold land policy of the country to tho freehold if they were given the chance —(applause)—but they' had not done Uw|a>y with the leasehold ■ altogether. They had given the option of the freehold wherever it was possible. He was strongly of opinion that this class of settlement was better for the country and for the farmer. A great change had come over Parliament respecting this question in recent years and they were certain - that whatever else' might be gone back on, the people-would not go back on the freehold polioy. \

Helping the Small Man. He.believed that New. Zealand would get through the war without dismissing a single Public Servant, or decreasing men on the pub!io works." In New South Wales thousands of men on publie works had been reduced .to Jaalf time. Last year the Government spenV three millions on public works, and. he hoped to spend even more this year. In regard to laud settlement, since tho Government came into office they hail placed on the land 4837 settlers on 1,147;894 acres, which was an extremely good record, but as to the purchase of lands for settlement the figures showed overwhelmingly that the Government had' done very much better than its predecessors. ,In 1910 there were purchased 42,805 acres; in. 1911, 14,399 acres; in 1912, 44,447 acres; in 1913, 52,098 acres; in 1914, 141,082 acres. The last two years of the Massey Government's administration showed how : eagerly they had increased the opportunity of-getting on the land. In addition to that the total lands settled under other Acts amounted to 1,943,763 acres. • Touohing on a grievance • against the Valuation, Department, , that extreme valuations were being put on, and that improvements were, not 'sufficiently exempted, Mr.-Massey said that ho had had the matter carefully looked into} and had come to the conclusion that the Valuation Act was defective, arid the Assessment Court was not doing what was, expected of it. He had appointed a Commission, and as the result of their investigations he .hoped to amend the Valuation Act so as to get over-the trouble. . It was no part of the' Government's policy to inflate land.values for. taxation purposes. (Applause.) Continuing, Mr. Massey said he had initiated legislation to stop the drift from the country .to; the town, by providing small settlements —really a system of rural workers' homes—upon tho payment of a small deposit. -A house was erected, and with the land handed over to the-applicant on being paid off on a rental basis, these homes were particularly useful for such as shearers and small contractors, who ■ earned good wages part of the year. He had four of these'settlements in : operation, and if he could find the money "• he could start another dozen-quite as successfu|y. (Applause.) : ,

Mr. Massey referred to the difficulty that had arisen through cargo ships being taken oyer by the Admiralty. He had been successful in', arranging for Bbips to carry the whole of our products up to January 81. The ships conveying our troops were well on their • way Home, and he had arranged that as soon as the men had disembarked, the ships could be sent back, even empty, if the necessary arrangements could bo made. He had authorised the sending of the ships: back in ballast rather than that they, should wait any ; time for cargo, because our exports .were the life blood of the country, and itwas absolutely essential they should be-got away (Applause.) ■'■'■' Mr. Massey 'a explanation of the Government's" endeavours to cope with the shortage of wheat was loudly applauded, but he warned his hearers that if New Zealand did not grow sufficient wheat for its own purposes, flour was going to" be dearer than it had been for thirty years;. The.price, would, be regulated by the cost of importations -from Canada. He strongly opposed the imposition of a war-tax, which would fall on the people at theiworst possible time. They had the money for' the war'in the Treasury, and when the war was over they could .take what steps were: necessary to raise more money. In answer to an interjection, Mr. Massey said he repealed the Second Ballot Act because it threw the country into a turmoil, cost the country .thousands of pounds, and achieved no good purpose. • Why Lad he not substituted something else? .He could not find any- 1 thing else'better than the present system, though it was not perfect.. (Applause.) In Queensland they had a preferential system, but had found it unsatisfactory.. . '■ ''

' Finance Reviewed. Dealing with finance,, Mr. Massey said that the position, of affairs when the Government came into power showed that tho Government had found tho position unsatisfactory. There waß not enough money for advances to Bottlers, and loans to public bodies, and public works would have had to. be cut down, oijiless they raised the money.- Mr. Allen went to London and raised a loan on excellent terms-. In addition to four millions for ordinary purposes, they had to raise eight millions to meet short-dated debentures. The war had made the position verv Vliffinilt. and thoja'e who held; the £1',200,000 shortdated debentures, diie on December 1, had demanded cash.' Their object was to force the Government on to the open market, but .'they had overcome that difficulty. He could not say where he had got the money, but on December 1 the money would be paid over in notes or gold. Since the war the position had eased somewhat, and they had been able to relax the restrictions in regard to loans to local bodies and settlers'. (Applause.) ■ Since the war they had advanced £798,308..The buoyant condition of the country was shown by the Post Office Savings Bank figures. This year the excess of deposits over withdrawals would be a record. (Applause.) Mr. Massey quoted figures showing that the Government, had' made, better profits in the State Fire and Public Trust Departments than their predecessors. As to workers' homes, in six and a quarter years the Ward Government had erected 209 homes, at a cost of -£146,000, while in two and three-quarter years the Massey Government had erected, or had in course of erection, 345 homes, at a cost of £102,000.. ' Who Opposed Compulsory Training? As to initiation of \M<\ present de-

New Zealand to propose in tho House a system of universal training in substitution for voluntary service Mr. Massey quoted Hansard in proof of this claim. The motion was > not carried, the adjournment of the debate being carried. Next year the Government brought down the present Defence Act, though the previous year Sir Joseph Ward had expressed the opinion in the House very strongly that tlioy had to guard against compulsory universal service. (Applause.) Reference to tho . as-, sistanco. lent by the Australian Navy • was loyally applauded, as was.the speaker's contention in favour of the Government's naval policy. Coming to the Government's policy manifesto, Mr. Massey stressed the proposed alteration in the graduated land tax, and other means to be adopted, to increase settlement and assist the small holder; the proposed preferential tariffs within tho Empire met with a good reception. Mr. -Massey also touched on the assistance to bo given to the oil, iron, fishing, and fruit industries. In regard to the latter, he had completed arrangements with well-known Nelson fruitgrowers to proceed to South Amer-, ica and' study the markets for. the benefit of the fruitgrowers. He predicted that in a few years we would be exporting one million pounds' worth of. apples per annum.

_ Reviewing the legislation of laßt session, Mr. Massey showed improvements effected in educational matters, and in the salaries of teachers, which' would induce tho brightest of our young men to take up one of the most honourable and useful professions. The increases in railway and police pay had 'been warranted. .The Public Service should be well and adequately' paid, if it was to be effective. The Strike and Huntly. The reference to the late strike was the cause of an enthusiastic outburst when, in reply to an interjector, Mr.' Massey said:_ "Yes. and wo.would do the same again." The attempt to make capital and shoot at the Government from behind the men who died in the Huntly disaster was the meanest thing that had happened in New Zealand politics. (Applause' and counter-inter-jections from, a hody of miners from Nightcaps.) Mr. Massey explained the delay in tho passing of thj Coal Mines Act. Though it would have made no difference, and .would not have prevented the accident, they had the evidence of the Hon. R. M'Kenzie, a practical man on that point, that under the old Act the inspectors had the' very widest powers, which were not increased at all by the new Act! An interjector asked why the Department did not prosecute. Mr. Massev said that tho inspector had asked the Minister to allow him to take legal advice in. regard to a prosecution. The Minister approved, and the advice was that there was no ground for prosecution. Those, who used the Huntly disaster against the Government were not fit to associate with decent men.

Mr. Massey received an ovation on concluding ._ and a vote of thanks and confidence in him and his colleagues was carried, the mover stating that the Government was the cleanest and most honourable the country had' ever had. 51ie vote was carried with cheers, and a much smaller body of counter-cheers. .

THE HON. W. H. HERRIES AT TAURANGA

REFORM'S GOOD RECORD.. (By TelsEraph.—Press Association.) Tauranga, November 20. A political address was delivered by the Hon. W. H._ Herries in the' Theatre Royal this evening. There was a'largo attendance of electors, and tho Ministor received a very attentive hearing. Mr.- C. E. Macmillan (Deputy Mayor), in the absence of the Mayor, presided. Touching on the raising of loans, the Minister condemned the practice of raising money by short-dated debentures. This year the-. Government',.'had- met £9,000,000 of short-dated debentures, more than half of which had been paid. There was still £3,200,000 to pay, and arrangements were being made to pay this sum. He advocated borrowing by long-dated loans; and quoted the favourable opinion of the president of the Bank of New Zealand regarding the loans that had been raised by the Massey Government; He referred to the decreased cost of raising loans by the present Government: compared with those,borrowed by former Governments. Formerly all money received from the sale of Crown lands was paid into the Consolidated Fund,' but it was now paid into the Land for Settlement Fund, and was used for the purchase of estates. Mr. Herries admitted that the Government had not carried 1 out its promised reform of tho fiscal system of the Dominion. It had been intended to do so-last session, but on account of the oivtbreak of war the.question had been deferred. .

Mr. Herries quoted figures' showing the increased wages granted by the present. Government to railwaymen, school teachers, and policemen. The freehold policy of the Government had been carried out to the letter. The Government was ; against the communal ■ system of holding land by Natives, and was giving every facility for the partition of. Native land. Greater powers were now conferred on the Minister for the purchase of lands which the, Natives were willing to sell. The Government waa against syndicates purchasing the lands and then selling such lands again, and in order to check syndicates proclamations had been placed on certain blocks. The Government was buying into.large Native blocks, on the route of the East, Coast railway, and was purchasing land in the Urewera Country. ■ After the Minister had answered .several questions, he was accorded a vote of thanks, coupled: with confidence ia the Government.

WAKATIPU CAMPAIGN

HON.; W. FRASER AT CLYDE. (By' Teiegrapli.-Press Association.) Clyde, November 20. The Hon. W. Fraser addressed ■ "a large meeting of constituents at Clyde ■to-night. He said when he accepted the office of Minister of Public Work's he had found that there was a certain amount in hand, but he knew that if they were going to carry out a scheme for making roads and bridges that they would have to borrow money very soon.' They found facing-them this fact that the money market in England was.anything but favourable for borrowing. Members of the Opposition were always trying to make the public believe that when the present Government .assumed office it was in a splendid financial position. It was asserted that four or five millions had been left by the previous Government, but that was an authority to borrow; _ Could anyone pay debts with an authority to borrow ?. The past government had left commitments amounting to £711,000 and only £19,000 or £20,000 to meet them. ; It was true that the £711,000 did not require to be paid all at once, but still the amount to bo found was out of all proportion to the amount left in hand. Fortunately, Mr. Allen went Home and got what was uecessary,- but at the very first he (Mr. Fraser) was careful _ and cautious, because he was not going to run the Dominion into the same trouble it had been placed in formerly. It had been cast up to him that he had not spent within March" 31 tho amount that appeared upon the Estimates.. Sir Joseph Ward, in his criticism, had forgotten to. state the fact that the amount upon the Estimates was intended not to carry the period to March 31, but to the present month of November. The Government had bceu condemned for increasing expenditure: on public buildings'. What did tho present Government do? During the two years ho had been in ofiieo ho had spent £46;000 less nn post offices than was spent in two.'years _oi the" Ward Goy 4 cm«.

mont. The Parliamentary Buildings when . completed would cost about £150,000, or £100,000. Then there was the item of mental hospitals, an item that no propor thinking person could cavil at. The Government had 6pent £51,000 nioro than the previous Government on mental hospitals. The Government had also spent £61,000 more on workmen's homo' during their two years of ofiice than their predecessors. In respect to the lending' Departments it had bec-u said the Government were not advancing as mudh in 6omo directions as their predecessors. At any rate during the Government's two yearß of offico they had not lent such sums as £60,000 or £110,000 to rich municipalities that might have gone on the open market and got tho money for' themselves, and that wail what' the last Administration did. After reference to Customs and other taxation, he pointed out the .alterations made by the Government for the :benefit of prisoners. Regarding the Public Service Commissioners, he said the present Government had long objected''to "the fact of the solo power being left in the hands of any executive to make appointments and give promotion. It was a great temptation to any executive to have this power and the present Government had stripped itself of it. There'.was no patronage now in the hands of the Government. After Mr. Fraser had dealt with a number of local and other matters, a vote of thanks and confidence was carried with one or two dissentients.

A TIRELESS VETERAN

SIR WALTER BUCHANAN'S TOUR. ' (By Telegraph.—Special Oorrcsponflent.) . Masterton, November 22. Sir Walter Bucha,nan has been hold-, ing large' and enthusiastic meetings throughout tho Wairarapa '' electorate. As a rulo. he addresses three or four meetings a day. On Saturday he addressed three meetings/with large audiences, in the- Tinui Public Hall, in the evening he vigorously defended the Government's financial and defence policies, and showed that the contention that the Massey Government was legislating , for wealthy ola'sses ivaß entirely a myth i' He was loudly applauded when he intimated that the Government proposed acquiring .the Annedale Estate of 16,000 acres in the Tinui district for the purposes of closer settlement. Sir Walter Buchanan showed that since, the present Government took office land settlement had progressed at a greater Tate than under the Ward Administration. .' . .'.■; ■ The candidate ivas accorded a unanimous vote of thanks. Mr. G. R. Sykes, Reform candidate for "Masterton, has been holding very successful . meetings at Alfredton, Rongomai, and other outlying parts or the district. In every case he .was accorded a hearty of thanks.

A LIVELY MEETING

ME. D. H..GUTHRIE AT FEILDING. ■ ■ -~ ■■ ." •!. (By Telegraph—l'wm. AeioclaUon.) Felldlng, November ,22. Mr. D. H. Guthrie, Reform candidate for Oroua, addressed! bis first bjg meeting here on Saturday night. ' He defended the Government saying that it had made an honest attempt to carry out its policy, as enunciated before coming into office. Land aggregation had taken place under the Liberal Governments, not under the Reform Government. Natho lands were being acquired and settled by Europeans. : Mr. Guthrie' supported the Government's naval policy. On Prohibition, he favoured a 55 per cent, on the national vote, and 60 on local option. .■ ; ■■ Tho meeting was the'liveliest held in. Feilding for many years, and the audience was about evenly divided on an amendment motion against the Government on account of the Huntly disaster declared lost. ■ ■ A motion of coniidohce'Mn the candidate and the Reform Party was declared carried.. .'■-'•'

MR C. K. WILSON'S CAMPAIGN

Mr. C. K. Wilson held a meeting at Uriti on Friday night—ia, record attendance for the district. On the whole the speaker was received with enthusiasm, but a small section, mostly introduced from the outside, caused a' little noise. .The meeting passed a unanimous vote of thanks, with cheers for Mr. Massey.: ■'" BULLER CANDIDATES (By Telegraph —Press Association.) Westport, November 22. Mr. G. M. Powell, the Government candidate, and Mr. J. Colvin, Opposition candidate, are engaged in the countrydistricts on their electioneering campaigns. . .

MR. SIDEY'S ADDRESS.. (By Telegraph —Press Association> □uneriin, November 20. Mr. T. K. Sidey, Liberal candidate for Dunedih South, addressed a large and enthusiaatio meeting of electors this evening. The candidate severely criticised the action of the Government inregard to borrowing as compared with the borrowing transactions of the Liberal Party. The land legislation of the Government received particular 'attention from the candidate, and also the matter of the control of:the Public Service, and he asked "Why, if it were consistent, the same control was not given to the Railway; Service?" Delays in prosecuting the Otago railways were touched on, and the Liberal policy outlined. The'meeting closed with cheera for the candidate'and a :unanimous vote of thanks and confidence. MR. MICHEL'S CAMPAIGN OPENED IBj Telegraph—Fiosj Association,) Creymouth, November. 20. . Mr. H. L. Michel, the selected. Reform candidate for the Grey electorate, opened his campaign in the: Town 'Hall this evening. One of the largest audiences ever accommodated in-' the hall was. present. In the course of a lengthy, address the candidate reviewed tho good work done by tho Massev Government, and dealt fully with the important questions which are facing tho Dominion. Ho was accorded a splendid' hearing, and at the close of his speech a hearty vote of thanks was passed unanimously.

CITY AfJD SUBURBS

MR. R. A.- WRIGHT AT PLIMMERTON. : . r On Friday night Mr. R. A. Wright met the electors of the Suburbs at Plim■nerton iu the. schoolroom, which' was well filled. Mr. Gardiner was appoint-' ed chairman. The speaker .defended .fife Government against the. reckless charges which were circulated by the Opposition. • The Government were responsible, according to their opponents, for, every disaster which had occurred during their term-of office, with the exception of tho European War. So far, they had not been blamed for this. Perhaps that would come later oa.. Replying to questions, he said it was unfair, that railway men. should work over seventy hours per w ; eek. He favoured a substantial reduction of these hours. He denied that the Government' had broken its pledges. It had carried out'its programme remarkably we'll, 'considering the difficulties it had encountered. Ho challenged anyone to prove, that taxation had been increased. Instead of reiterating the groundless chargo that taxation had been increased, the Opposition should namo the particular tax which had been increased. It was untrue that the Civil Service was reeking with disaffection. The general election would prove the accuracy of tliis assertion. '■~'.

A motion was moved that the sneaker be. thuuKeu tor his address. To uu^

an amctidment was proposed, adding that he possessed the confidence of tho electors. On a division tho amendment was carried amidst loud applause. WELLINGTON. NORTH. . Last Saturday night a large opon-air meeting was held at Hawkestone Street in support of the candidature of Mr. H. E. Holland, who referred to tho Hon. A.. L: Herdman's speech of Friday evoiiing. The ' speaker declared that Mr. Herdman had-attempted to strangle the I'ubTio Trust Office on'behalf of his own trade union—tho Now Zealand Law Society; also that Mr. Herdman had foiled to justify the Government's aciiou over the Aniokura scandal, the Huntly disaster, and tho vacillating policy re the price of foodstuffs.' . TO-NIGHT'S MEETINGS. Mr. W. H. Turnbull, at Sydney Street Schoolroom, at 8 p.m. Mr. R. A. Wright, at Masonic Hall, Berhampore, at 8 p.m. ' Mr. F. T. Moore, at Kiosk, Seatoun, at 8 p.m. Mr. A. M. Samuel, at Lyceum Theatre, Petone, at 8 p.m. Mr. Aislabie, at Town Hall, Miramar, 8 p.m. . Mr. W. H. Field, at Shannon, at 8 p.m. Mr. J. P. Luke's committee, at Brooklyn, 8 p.m. MEETINGS TO-MORROW. Mr. A. Aislabie, at Ngahauranga, at 8 p.m. Mr. A. M. Samuel, at Mungaroa, at 8 p.m. Mr. R. A. Wright, at Sutherland Road, Melrose, at 8 p.m. ■ Mr. R. 0. Fullbrook, at Sydney Street Schoolroom, at 8 p.m. , Mr. J.' P. Luke.. at Masonio Hall, Barhanvpore, at 8 p.m. . ' '• Tlie lady supporters of Dr.- Newman at New Century Hall, Kent Terrace,, at 3.30 p.m. .-■■■-