Political Situation

Horowhenua Chronicle, 28 March 1914, Page 2

Political Situation

Si'KEClt 13r Mil IinBKItTSILV, M.P. A |)oliiic;il address was delivered ih Levin liist night, ;it the Century Jinli, by .Mr .J. Robertson, .M.l'., member for Otaki. The hall was crowded. ;i nd ihe speaker rcceivu! a good hearing. The Mayor, Mr li. \C Gardener, pit sided. ~S\r lioixTlson expressed his pleasure at sec-ing the Mayor before them again, and was glad that the public had shown in a pracheal manner their appreciation ill" the Mavor's services.

('out inuiiig. lie said the present (iov( rimieiil must be judged by thai pnriion of the-programme put ho fore the people prior to last election, they had enrried into eftWt. Last election was not an endorsement of the Massey party, but a protest against the party thai had occupied the "benches for twenty years, and which had lost its desire tor legislative reform. The Massey ( ioveruiiieni had made no attempt to reverse the policy of its predecessors. They had even promised that they would be more liberal, lint an act oi Parliament could lie administered in such a way as to bring about the opposite effect intended by its sponsors. In a speech in the "Wellington Town Hall, the Hon. Mr .Massey had promised to keep down borrowing and reduce taxation in order to reduce the cost of living. However, borrowing had continued, and tlio Massey Government, had borrowed more than its predecessors, and had borrowed in the same old way and would havo to keep mi borrowing. The Massey parfv insinuated that the Liberals had been wasieful in expenditure, bui for the twelve months to the

■Ust March, 1012, expenditure had increased by +'f!">fl.ofto, niul for the three-quarters <,f the present, fin:uici;il year it had increased by from 0") to f>9 per cent, in proportion io revenue. expenditure increased, by £-'!!9.000. defence £'07.000, and education i"22.000. He would rather see the figures for the Inst two ilcnis reversed. Expenditure could not he kopl down, and {he Massey partv must ho hhiined for using , the charge- of extravagance against the fornioi , Government. In 1911 there w;is an increase m new mortgages amounting to £'7,000,000, and last year an inerease of £9,000.000, and tlie interest had increased to fi per cent. Ff Ihe Govermneni lcc]>i down tlio rate of interest it would decrease the burden of ilie man on the land. The Advances to Settlers w.is intended

;o do this, bui in 1011-12 €2.000.000 was advanced and £750.000 la si year, mid under tlie advances fn workers £fil 2.000 and 'birins , the corresponding periods. Tlie Advances to , Departineni will not now advance money !o pay off existinrr jnorts'as'PS. So far from taxation being , reduced under the M'assoy novornnient it had inci'cased. Tn 1909 it wns £4 7s 3d ])or hend. 1910 £4 Is fid 1911 £-1 12s'1d. 1912 £4 19s, and in 1913 £5 2s 3d. He, believed il hopeless to expect any recluo* lions in Ihe customs, as it would mean pultino- \\ ()n ] ;UK ] nil( ] conic, and if the Mnssey Governinenl did that if would lose its sup|)(u-ter.s, who will never shift laxation off the people and put it oil ihemselves. So far as the reduction of taxation, borrowing and expenditure was concerned, the ' Mnssey ])arty was a hideous failure in the eyes of the countn. 1(s promised land ])olicy had been largely cni'iied out. Tl had criven the freehold of Ihe Li.p. lnnds to ihe lessees at a little more than the oriiHiuil valuation. Lands held under perpeiual lease were also parted with under a system that mean! ft'ivin.o , them away, and the Masscy Government had no ri.q'ht io part with these lands. Tlie people mit>'ht yet have to repurchase them. He had voted against the Land Bill and helped in the fig'ht against it, so that the Massey Government, luul to take .steps to safeguard the minerals' in Hauraki lauds which had been singled out special treatment. The Hon. Mr Massey had said that borrowini;- money in lilngland for land .setthvinenl was really parting with the ownership of land ; and was absentee landlordism of a bad type. The sale of leased lands ■iiiild jjruvide the money, yet iu

;!:c last Land Bill provision had i"» en made for borrowing £(.iOO,-i.-ii) instead of £500,000. The ■ i-'.'sent Government was worse ;i:au its predecessors in that re■!)"c,i. The Land for vSettlcnient i'ltrchase Bill was (he. huest thing > the Statute book for the big . -idholder. He ((he landholder) ■-•Mild back it evorviime. To : : • end of l<11:;, >j|i plates had mi ruin-liased at a cost of .t'T,- '■" ■ ',<)<!<), ;nid "t-">TO people had been . 'led on the liuid for that expenditure. This could not go on, and a lax to burst up big estates would have to lie imposed. The Masses (iovoi inneiit took Ofil |1 I'o! - settling , last vear's strike. Huf it was not settled ; it was only ended: the causes of the conflict remain. All <| nest lons of principle had a righi and a wrong, but biute force-, would never settle ii The union that caused the strike was not affiliated with the, Federation of Labour. He was noi apologising for fhe Federation and he did not belong to if. The "M::ssey fiovornnieni could liave settled the strike within the. first

ten daye, but made uo attempt to do so; instead it made an overwhelming, display of force in order to terrorise tlio strikers. The Government was in a state of funk. Had the Hon. Mr Massey used tact at the and kept it open for three ~da,#? the trouble would easily luuvi been fixed up, but the Government inado provision for bringing in armed men. He did not blame ;1 ho settlers. They wer^ between the moneylender and market, and if their produce <fic not μ-et away they would Kiiii'eiV Tho strikers had offered io put the farmers' produce into cold storage, but the Massey Government liad noi accepted the- , offer. The strike wos not illegal, and the Government should have maintained a neutral attitude in all industrial | trouble. The Massey Government tliad laid down the principle that the forces at the disposal of a Government could be used to suppress the side the Government considered wrong , . He challenged anyone to show that he had ever upheld lawlessness and disorder. The Evening Post admitted that. the Hon. Mr Herdnnm had not refuted his charges of lawlessness and disorder on the part of arbitral imvisis at Waihi. It would ho just as wrong' t 0 use the Government forces to assist the workers in an industrial struggle. Tory Governments caused unrest. In 1005 there were no strikes, but lastyear there were 23 the highest in any one year during recent times. The action of the Massey Government over last year's strike had created a situation that would k-at'. to bitterness for many years. Though promised for twosessions in succession, the Government had refused io discuss the cost of living report. . If it- really wanted io take the burden off the settlers why did it not establish a State shipping seirvice and knock out the ITnion Si earn Shipping Co.? The money voted for the local navy would be better spent if spent on a coastal shipping service. The Massey party had decried the old system by which members had to go to the Minis--1 tors for money, but now that they ! are in power they continued the same system. During last election he had found the- living conditions at the flaxmills in a disgraceful state. Typhoid had afterwards broken out, and two men had died. The drinking water used to be taken from the river, the water of which was impregnated with the typhoid germ from septic tanks at Feilding and the Palmorston J\ T oi-th hospital. This had been remedied mainl.vtlirougli his efforts, and the living conditions were so good now that -yplioid would be practcialiy wiped, out. The. Massey (jovernruont uau Io be absolutely driven to put a bill on tlie btatute book, providing decent accommodation for furw. labourers; in fact, it was • <nly by the subterluge oi himself introducing a bogus bill to Parliament that he got the matter fully discussed. The Massey Government burked discussion of the Vd\'6 strike- in Parliament; Labour members were gagged and sat upon He prophesied that Labour would make big progress this year; the workers constituted 85 per cent, of the population, and stood for the real wealth of the country. The Labour party would oppose all monopolies.

j .Replying to questions, Mr llobertson said he was against all loafers—whether they walked about pretending to look for work or went- round in motor ears and <iid no work. If the defence sysioin was wanted it should be effieient, but it was going to cost this country more than it could-afford. The strike was not for the purpose of holding up the farmers' produce. The strikers had offered to load that produce, but the offer was nut. accepted. I bey recognised the right of the farmers to save their own produce, but the >trikers had infringed no law by refusing 1 to put cargo on "board the steamers. The shipping" companies had the legal power to refuse cargo at any time. A motion of thanks to Mr Robertson for his address and confidence in him as their repreeentalive was moved and seconded. .In amendment proposing a vote of thanks only was proposed, but on being put to the vote , it was lost. The chairman deetared the motion carried on a show of hands. A hearty vote of thanks to the chairman brought the meeting to a close.