HON. A. L. HERDMAN AT SYDNEY ST.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2317, 26 November 1914, Page 6

HON. A. L. HERDMAN AT SYDNEY ST.

\ v THE CASE FOR REFORM CONFIDENCE IN THE GOVERNMENT. The Hoii. A. L. 'Herdman had a noisy but successful meeting in the Sydney street Schoolroom-last evening.- The biulduig was uncomfortably crowded. Not only were all tho seats filled, but people were crowded in a,'solid mass at the back of the hall and along the tides and occupied every available .inch of space on .and about tho platform. Many of them eat on tho floor. • The audience included a minority of the Jled Fed. persuasion, who. distinguished theinselveD by friendly references ;to Joey Ward," and eaid many angry things about Waihi, Huntly, batons, specials, and so forth. Most of them were stationed -at the back of the hall, but a few were scattered about in other places, amongst them a talkative lady with an Irish accent, who had a. great deal to 6ay as the evening, wore on. Ihe Minister made his speech to the accompaniment of a running fire of interjections, but had lie- difficulty in making his points, and on the whole had n, fairly good hearing. When the friendly section of the audience cheered and applauded the disorderly minority might us well have been silent for all that was heard from them. ' Mr. Herdman was loualy cheered when he entered the hall at 8 o'clock. The chairman (Mr. A. Newton) made a speech of record brevity. He simply eaid: "Mr. Herdman," and sat down again with a satisfied air. . Opening his speech/. Mr. Herdman i J l9 was conhdent the Government would be returned with an increased majority. • (Cheers:) A man at the back eaid something about a baton. , Mr. Herdman: You had the wrong end of the stick. (Laughter.) A voice: Yes, the • specials had the right end. .Though frequently interrupted, Mr. Herdman went placidly, on with his speech. He claimed that the Government was entitled to a renewal of support on three main grounds. .Its members were capable of conducting affairs on business principles, and of dealing fairly and justly by all sections, of tho community, and had the courage arid enterprise that would enable them tolaunch out in future activities.- (Applause and some dissent.) ' - Pledges Redeemed. The Minister reviewed in detail the eleven main planks -upon which the Government took office. He showed that eight of these pledges had been faithfully- redeemed. . In two and a half years the Government had borrowed £1,500,000 less.than theif,predecessors had done in a similar term. The finances of the Dominion had been restored to a 6ound and stable footiug. When the Government took office commitments totalled £1,538,000, and available funds £684,000. ,On March 31, 1913, the commitments were £872,000, and the available funds £1,209,000. On March 31, 1914, the position had been still further improved, for commitments then totalled £679,000 and funds at disposal £1,634,000. 'As time went on it would be seen that the good management of the Government would to a creat extent minimise the -effects' which the war would otherwise have had upon the commerce and industry of the Dominion. The Government had redeemed its pledges in regard to land reform ; and the settlement tof Native lands. It had reformed the iVolio Service and the Legislative Council, provided pensions for women at the age of sixty years,..and carried out its promise to promote- industrial peace. (Ap. plause and uproar.) The remaining pledges. relating to Customs remissions, local government .reform, ond insurance against sickness and unemployment had been postponed only on account of the difficulties which jiad arisen from the strike of last year, and latterly from,the war. , :' :■ . ..[ " ■

Some of the.people at }he back here began to "count out" the Minister. "My word," said' Mr.'. Herdman, laughing, "on December 10 you will all be saying 'In!'—(loud applause and a hoot or two)—and.every interruption that has , taken place to-night will mean a voteVlost by the people who are making the noise." (Applause.), ■ rtuntly and Politics. ' All through the evening there had been cries of "Huntjy" from the disorderly, section of the audience, and towards the end of his speech Mr.Herdnuin dealt with this subject. Hβ said that at .the-instigation, apparently, of members of the Opposition, it had been suggested that responsibility for ihe death of the men who perished in the disaster lay at the door of Mr. Fra6er (Minister'of Mines) and the Govern-. ment. ■'."... -' ;'.... ■ A voice: Quite right, tool Mr. Herdman eaid that.it was as absurd, ridiculous, and . unfair to make suoh a'charge as it 'would be to acousethe Opposition of theft. "It is a nice thing,": he continued, "to lay such a foul charge as that against.any man." (Applause and counting out.) After pointing out that the' Minister of Mines acted promptly upon the recommendation; of his Departmental officers, iniegard to amending, legislation and-the.proposal to institute proceedings against the mine proprietary, Mr. Herdman said that the charges which were being made all over New Zealand just now were being made for political purposes only,;iiot out of sym-pathy-for the men. who had lost their fives. - The people responsible were endeavouring to make political capital out of this unfortunate affair and no more contemptible, no more dastardly and no_ more foul attempt had ever been made in the political history of the Dominion. (Cheers and applause;)

Mr. Herdman concluded his speech with a declaration , of his confident,belief that the -Masse? Government would be again- returned to power and-would do oven better wort : than in the term just ended. He then answered a number of-questions, the proceedings at this stnie being fairly, -noisy. . . . The following .motion was .proposed In , Mr. S. Wright and seconded by Mr, K, K Sinclair:— ' ■. ' '

"That this meeting expresses its continued confidence in Mr. Herdman as representative of Wellington North and in the Government of which he is a member.". , .

_ On being put to the meeting the motion was carried by acclamation, tho cheers and applause drowning a counter 'demonstration. . The disorderly section indulged iii some further outbursts but these were actain overshadowed by a hearty round of chews for Mr. Mnssey,. given at Mr. Herdman's coll. The usual vote of thanks to the chairman brought the meeting to an end. Mr. T. A. H. Field, Reform candidate for Nelson, was at tho French Pass and Waikawa Bay on Saturday.' He interviewed the different fishermen and pointed :out that one of the pla-iiks of the Reform Government's platform ie tho development' of tho food fisheries on the lines recommended by Professor Prince.- The Government has under consideration a schomo' by which advances may be made .to reliable, deserving men for the purchase , of boats, with a system' of insurance, at moderate rates. It also proposes to remove Customs duties off.nets and other gear, and to cndeavoiii" to. arrange with tho Commonwealth, for tho removal of • tho import duties on . Neu , Zealand fish. Those engaged in the fishing industry would bs -assisted as workers and .setJ,1 -irj! had b«en assisted.