THE -PALHERSTON SEAT

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 62, 6 December 1919, Page 12

THE -PALHERSTON SEAT

ADDRESS BY MR/NASH

REFORM LEGISLATION. By Telegraph-Special Correspondent. Palmcrston North, December i. .. Mr. J. A. iWish, the Government candidate for I'iilmeraton, delivered Ins main speech at the Upera House to-night. Tliera was a :crowdcd audience, and Mr. X'ash had a most satisfactory meeting. Mi. I'. A. M'llardy, who occupied tne cfiair, said that there was little need to introduce Jlr. Nash, whose good work in connection with tho war and the epidemic,, and also ior auythiiig that was for the.good of the district, was so well known.

Mr. X.i-sh, who was received with applause, said that after his experience ;/i Parliament he fell that the National Government should have gone on, but the Liberals had decided otherwise ■ and in spite of their defection the lioform J'arty hail introduced and- passed much useful legislation. -Tlu extension'of the Mortgage 'Act was in the interests of the .whole of New Zealand.. The Housing Hill was a good one, andthe Prime Min-ister-had been congratulated on all sides, even by the Labour J'arty. The terms under which houses could bo'secured had been-made much more liberal and the terms of . payment -much easier. His opponents would admit that he had taken ft live interest in education. It-was pleasing to know that the Government had now voted a million and a half for providing schools, while a grant had been made to increase.-teachers' salaries, which in the past had been totally inadequate. In the past the primary scheme had been neglected. The number of teachers was inadequate, and in I'almerston especially the schools were inadequate and out, of date. The grant; for the present year wa.i increased by three-quarters of a million,, but the people should fight on until the grant win three millions annually. Jlr. Nash quoted figures, to show that this' Dominion-was not behind the Commonwealth in regard to grants for whools

Regarding the soldiers' gratuity, Mr. Nash explained that it was generally understood in the Holiso tha.t the gratuity would lie a shilling per day, and on that understanding he had suggested in his speed! in the Address-in-fieply debate that it should be Is. Cd. It was gratifying to know that repatriation was going on successfully, and nt the date of the last return 11,200 men had been settled, besides which large numbers had been assisted in various ways. Speaking as a member of the Railway Committee ho said that there was not' proper co-ordina-tion between the branches of the service. Kach branch wanted different conditions, and this was detrimental to the' interests of the service. He found Mr. Mass?}', as Minister, sympathetic, and ho eventually arranged to set up a special board, which would see that the men pot: fair play. He had contended (h-'i it. was not fair to make 12s. per day the average pay for railwaymen, while labourers outside got 13s - . Gd. tier day. He quoted figures to show tlio increase in tho land and property tax.

Although the cost of living had gone up in the it was much lower fhau in Australia and other places, more especially in Queensland, with its Labour Government. In tho matter of meat, that Government had exploited the Imperial Government, andh the- cos of living became abnormally high, and even then there was a deficit of ,£ - 230,000 for flic year. They lost on their railways over three millions and. a half under their Labour Government. They were always having Queensland quoted to them by the Labour Tarty, and yet the information that came from there showed that it. was anything but. a success. None of the Sfcnt.e entorprises started and paid its way, and many had to be closed down.' New Zealand had had its sugar supply at per ton, while in Queensland it cost ,t'2i). The Board of Trade was dealing with .')" commodities, but he was not satisfied with the way it had carried out its duties. There should have been more prosecutions. The Queensland Government had fixed the price of bullet - . from !)7s. to M-; anil rubbed the people. Mr. Masspy had been able to do much better for tin- .people of this Dominion, and eventually it was arranged' that the difference in the' retail and export prices hero should be paid out ot the (.'onnolidnied Fund.

Speaking of Samoa Mr. Nash said the Government had bren ermlly misrepresented over the labour question. Endeavour? had been made to twist the word indenture into a meaning which was not the correct one.. He. explained at length Mini the indentures under which the indentured labourers would work \verc> fully equal to thoso under which many Kuropoans worked. Proof of thi« was found in the fact that when the lime of a .large number of the men expired lately, all of them expressed their willingness to sign on again. An endeavour hud be.'ii made to educate Samoans up to the work, but it was found impossible, and the climate eas unsuitable for fttu'opc'in labour. The only way to rclain Samoa was by indentured labour.

.VI r. Mas.sey deserved cfliurnilulatimis for whnfc lie had done for tha fanners in obtaining a share of the island of Nauru [ilionpliatc.s. Labour _ members strongly nbierlcd to Hie Vnilpsir'abta TinniVraiito Hill, which prevented disloyal pc:>ple lnmli!)jj in. the Dominion, ami nl-o went fiii'thor and would allow of any n?rtnn vim became disloyal lining deported. The increase in the widows' pension was n step in the rijfht direction, but A eriH further inpi'pnsp was desirable and would probably come next scfs'on'. Anions ntlier good thing* llm lleform Government Ivml done was to remove Iho fivil Service from political action, introduced' the Legislative Council Reform Act. The latter had to be lipid in abeyance durinti tlid-p(!dy:.tfn*o,.-.l)iit',. would ns,'iiln'",be btoueht before Lko UouoO when Mr-

Massev : vent back (sis lis undoubtedly would) ii.s leader of thc'lloiise. The caii- I didato gave a lengthy list, of- matters wli.oh the Kcform J'arty was responsible for. Legislation had boon passed which would effectually defer, land aggregation.. The Masscy Government stood for .--ound government and all that was lor the good of the people. The railway "cut" was due in great' measure to the "go slow" nolicv of the miners and oilier worker.-). The 'Reform Gnvernment was determined to develop hydro-electric power, but the Government, hud made a mistake in let- ■ tim! Mr. l'.vcn Fairy, one of the best* ■experts.on water power, leave the ser--Speaking: of the future,-Mr. Nash said there wm many fresh problems to grnp- ; pie with. ■ Industries .must be started ■■ and developed heie, so that raw products should he u=eil here 'and not exported i ■and reimported ill manufactured form. Money should be kept in the country. There' should he State-owned ships, more especially for the ferry «wvii:e. Th' wrker j must )>.'.given sufficient wages.'to allow | of him and his familv living in com-, fort. The safety of the country <!<• pended upoii its development; and lie had everv confid-nce that, it-would progress. U- was wiving that till per «fi; of the'coal used on the railways should be imixirted. 'it oußl.it to lie- produced in.this country. Free medical and dental treatment Should be. provided w all the , schools.. As .to military, camps lie was : opposed to fending young, fellows . to • camp for four .months, at a time. U ; wai unfair, to Hie, farmers, and other . employers. Lads must have a. certain : amount of military trainins.'as oiir.snlcty.. v.-as in .preparedness:. .He .was sat stiertHiaf. wa"!es would never'; come downr again, and he did not wish them to do =0 \e\v Zealand only -wanted *» Government to -make it what il sliouhl lie -one of the brighest spots on- Gods, earth. ' ~ - •\ .large number of questions wer n answered, amid a riinning fire of goodnatured chaffs A vote.of thanks wascarried by acclamation.