THE OTAKI SEAT.

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 49, 21 November 1919, Page 8

THE OTAKI SEAT.

ADDRESS BY MR E. MACDONALD "INDEPENDENT LIBERAL-LABOUR " CANDIDATE •Vbout 50 electors gathered in the Independent Hull, Up pel' llutt, last evening to licav tlio political views of Mr. Jivelyn Macdonald, who is standing as an Independent Liberal-Labour candidate for the Otaki sent. Mr. P. llobertson presided. Mr. Macdonald said ho ivas not asking any piirty or individual i'or support. Eo had not even appointed committees, • "I am lighting this battle single-hand-ed," lie remarked; "1 liavo no party, Church, society or clique jljehind mo. I have 110 axe to grind. I am a straightout independent. I am pioneer. My old Uad was before me, and I have it in my blood. I have a love for freedom and I desire that the people of New Zealand should have freedom.' Ex- - plaining why he' had conio forward as a candidate, Mr. Macdonald made referonce toi some remarks which had been mado regarding him by Mr. AY. HField, the Reform candidate, /during his address at the Upper llutt. He was very sorry that ho had to refer to the subject, bccauso it had been his earnest desiro to go through the campaign without personal matters being introduced. A.* a member of tlio committee of the Farmers' Union ho was 'asked to take' some stops to try to invigorate the union and givti it a nioro progressive policy than it had had in tlio past. The committee nsked i him to draw up tlio farmers' political policy, and ho did so. A certain gentleman had been approached some time previously by the Labour Party to bocome a candidate'. This gentleman was a member of the Farmers' Union, a delegate who had given the speaker considerable support in some of iiis battles in the union, and who had approved of tlio policy drawn up by, him. Peeling' that if this gentleman received the support of the farmers, as evidently ho had the coniidenco of tho Labout Party, tlio speaker considered that the othor gentleman would be a good man to put into Parliament to "carry out this policy, which is a national one." Mr. Field had claimed to be tho fanners' candidate— although the speaker held that he represented the Conservative farmers onlyami, knowing this, ho felt that if the other gentleman came out thero was a possibility of the farmers' vote being split. Thinking that it would bo better it the Farmers' Union selected its candidate, he dispatched the followng telegram to Mr. Field 011 bohalf of the committee:—"Will you agree Farmers' Union select candidate Otaki constituency?" To this he i received tho following reply:— "Afraid cannot accept proposal. My candidature as sitting member-long been announced, having consistently supported fanners' interests. Spare 110 pains 1 secure complete unanimity, press now 110 vote-splitting to spoil results." It was subsequent to sending the telegram to Mr. -Field that 110 drew up tlio policy referred to. Tlio gentleman who they thought would be induced to become a candidate finally dodined to stand, so that settled the matter. '.Jtlier names were mentioned, but aa ■oiiie of tiiein he thought unsuitable he decided to step into tlio breach himself. Tho policy had not tneu been put before the committee, but 011 submitting >t subsequently lie stated that he in'ejided to bocome a candidate. lio had 'rawu it up, and they could take it or leave it. The committee had endorsed tho policy without amendment, but it 'iad yet to be considered by the Farmers' Union Conference-, therefore it was not yet official. However, he hoped that t pallid be ultimately adopted. ' lealing with land maters, the candidate said he had always opposed the larmers' Union policy of I'rcu trade in Native and endowment himl>. The Mn«sey Government—the so-called farmers!' (lovei'iinient—»ot into power on strength of the cry for the freehold. Mr. l.'Meld had to thank the same c'"v having got him into Parliament. i\t tho time when the late Mr. Jl'Aalj liau a . certain land policy, and said his colours , were "nailed to tho mast" in regard : to it, Sir. Field led a few rebels who threatened that if the colours were not town down they (the rebels) would se- 1

cedc. And tho colours were torn down. The cry for tho freehold was moro or loss fantastic, because was no such thins as a real freehold. Tho Crown never gave up its right to tax. If the Government taxed the pooplo as it liked—as it felt it ought to in the interests of tho community—could tlio people be said to be free? There were flomething like 00 million acres of land in' the Dominion, of which about GO million acres were occupied. About IS millions of that occupied land was hold unoer the freehold tenure. A smaller amount was held under Crown leases, and the other tenures did not nav the same amount of land tax ns tho freehold, so the cry of the freeholders was not entirely disinterested. They felt (hat thev.would be relieved of a cei'lnin amount'of taxation if the leaseholders would acquire tho freehold, and ll.eir crv was: "Come along chaps and help us rav the tax." ]Io recommended a secure and safe tenure, and beiifu'.v! that ninety-nino years was long eiiiu-jli. John Ballnnce was the man pre-eminently who raised the cry in New Zealand to "put the people on the land." He believed it. to be necessary to have a sturdy yeomanry who would have a stake in tho country. There was no nueftion about it that tlio farmer was the backbone of the country. . A voice: Question. Mr. Macdonalo': "Ho is not only the backbone, but lie is tlio flesh that elothos that backbone." Government by nnv one class was not going to bo acceptable in any country. Ho. did not thrik a Government composed wholly of farmers would lx> any Vood for tile country nor did he think that a Government of labour men only, or business men onlv. would be satisfactory. What was wauled was a Government combining all parties. (Applause.) Mr. Macdonald also dealt wiffi various other subjects.