THE OROUA CAMPAIGN

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 47, 19 November 1919, Page 8

THE OROUA CAMPAIGN

HON. D. H. GUTHRIE OPENS THE BALL By Telecra/Dh— Preei Association. Jeildinn, November 18. Tho Hon. D. H. Guthrie, Minister of Lands, opened his campaign .or the Oroua electorate here last night. He gave u resume of the work of tho National Government during tho war. E«ferring to the break up of the National Government, ho said the Keforni Party had hold three separate caucuses, and had unanimously decided by resolution that, in view'of the great reconstruction questions arising and the heavy financial burden placed on the country, the pruper course was for the parties to stand together until the country was brought back to something approaching normal conditions. However, Sir Joseph Ward and his party had decided otherwise, and seceded National Government on' the eve of last session. Mr. Gulhrie believed a very grave mistako had thus been made. Mr. Massey, however, had accepted Iho position and successfully carried through -one of the _ most important sessions. Dealing with soldier settlement, lie said 4000 soldiers had now been placed on 1,300,000 acres, and 3000 had received advances to purchase town pioperties. Of the area settled (500,000 acres was Crown land. The land policy uf the Government was to further the closer settlement policy by the soldier settlement scheme. The total cost of settling tho 4000 soldiers was about .£•7,250,060. Of this fivo millions was for advances. The E-epatriation Department had advanced a total of .£501,214 to soldiers as business loans, and for furniture, tools, training, etc. As to closer settlement, ho eaid that during the past seven years 5805 holdings had been subdivided into 13,119 areas. With Crown and native lauds subdivided, 19,000 subdivisions had been provided, involving 3,85i,&16 acres. Referring -to aggregation, ho said ineffectual attempts had ken made in 1913, and again in 1918, but last session drastic proposals were passed, which, he hoped, would entirely etop aggregation. Dealing with the cost of living, he claimed that the Government had done something. Through tho'Board of Trade it lad succeeded in keeping down the prices of necessary commodities. He quoted tho following increases in tho cost of living: Great Britain, 110 per cent.; Canada, 75; United States, 63.7; Australia, 16.G; New Zealand, 43.8. Mr. Guthrie received « quiet hearing. He was given a vote of thanks , and confidence Mr. E. ,T. Tunnicliffe, a dairy farmer here, and chairman of the local Labour Party, is announced as tho official Labour candidate for Oroua.