POLITICAL ADDRESS.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 November 1922, Page 4

POLITICAL ADDRESS.

RT HON TV. K. AIASSEY. GIIEAT GATHERING AT Til BATHE.

The Jit lion W. F. AI nsscy (Prime Minister) arrived in Hokitika lasi evening at 6.10 p.m., from Nelson, and addressed a public meeting at 6.35 p.m. speaking for an hour. There "'as a crowded attendance and -Mr Massey received a very cordial welcome, being loudly applauded when appearing- on the stage. Mr G. A. Perry (Mayor of Hokitika) presided and on behalf of the people of the town and district express-

ed their very great pleasure at the visit, and extended a hearty welcome to .Mr Massey. Mr Massey was well and favorably known to them all. Tie came to'them with a reputation second to none in New Zealand. Through the past difficult years he had managed the affairs of the country ably and well, and New Zealand owed him a great deal for those services. He asked them to extend a welcome by elapr ping. There was a hearty response. IU Hon W. F. Massey, who was re-

ceived with a long sustained round of j applause, thanked the Mayor lor his words of welcome, and the large audience for the compliment paid to him which he appreciated exceedingly. He was not a stranger to Westland, and had always been treated very kindly. He had very pleasant recollections ol this part of the West Coast. He had to apologise for their having to gather at this inconvenient hour, hut circumstances could not he helped, it. had fallen to his lot as Prime Minister to come before them to expound the policy of the Government, and to explain some of te criticism against them. The policy of the Government, is and has been for the last twelve months, one of economy and retrenchment, a policy ot cutting down the expenditure, with a

view to ending the slump which wo have experienced for some time past, I and it had not been an easy job. He was here about a year ago, when he went round the Coast. It was apparent then that New Zealand was not going to miss the slump, lint there was a great deal for the Government to do if they were going to bring hack prosperity. One thing they had to do was to relieve the public of the heavy burden of taxation on the people. They had reduced taxation last session by about a million by land and income tax reductions. One of the reasons for the reduced receipts’ was there were £300,000 unpaid on land tax, £600,003 on income tax, and £300.01)3 of death duties, which they cannot collect at present. He mentioned these to show how necessary it was to reduce taxation. They knew of the increase in the cost of living. Puts of people were paving tvs to Ids in the £ on their income, hut they eotdd not continue to do so. Heavy taxation like that had to he passed on, and only two sections of the community, the producers and the wage earners, ultimately paid. He Imped what was done would relieve the - position. Dealing with the price of money, Mr .Massey said the big financial institutions had increased the price oi interest to pass on the heavy income tax they hid to pay. They had a lot ol tMw in ployed last "inter. f.ovei uuteiit employed .1030 men on public works regularly, in addition they had to Pud work for an additional 3.Odd owing to the slump. AVe depended tor our prosperity on tie exports. One portion U our shoe]), ami a large part id' the exports came from wool and butter. They had lost l.bdd.dil) sheep in the last few years. This means a substantia! ins.-. There was hardly a sheep farmer who made a pn-lit during last year. These things "ere partly due and owing to the heavy taxation. He Imped next session to he _ able to make c. further reduction. There "as )>o section of the community who would benefit more from a reduction oi taxation than the wage earners. Referring again to the depression, he said when he went away in March or April there were signs of a depression. He was away d In 6 months and when he came back the slump was on us. lie was not pessimistic as a rule. When they saw tlie drop of products of (10%, ins Government realised the lull and he thought they would have to del milt. There were several wavs to deal with the situation. One course was to increase taxation, the next to dismiss one-third of the people working lor the State. A very large number ot people had been employed in connection with the war, and those services were curtailed as much as possible. They decided to cut down expenditure in all directions wherever possible. Ibe result could not he seen for a considerable time. They had to borrow huge sums of money to clean up the "' bast vear interest and sinking fund amounted to between £600.01)0 to £BOO,OOO per year. There were increases in various forms and they had to find tin extra million, and they had to find it before they could reduce the expenditure. At 31st .March the accounts did not seem so had, but month after month the revenue fell steadily but in October there was an increase, the first time for 18 months. For the 7 months to end cd Oct., the expenditure had gone down by J l , millions, while the revenue had increased bringing the improve incut to ove r 21 millions.

A voice—Sing out Kill, wo cun i hour you. Mr Massey—Uo would do Ins best. Imt bis voice was not ns good ns it Wits. (Applause). They collected the land tax m AovcnilieV anil the income tnx in Kebruniy ;sni| | !t . was• informed there would lie a billing ell ol 2 millions in inemno lux for the year. f'ustoins had also dropped it millions income tnx two miliums uml smaller amounts by one million, n total over b millions. fliey v. eie peine to be able to lure this by the outtine down of expenditure. Ihe outlook for this year was very promising

wool. butter, cheese, lamb and iimtton all showed substantial improvement. Those were the things whole they received the money Iron), lie believed they were going to have a record export tor the year. Last year it was a very substantial 11:01 re. It was up to cvervone to work as he had ue\er worked before. Speaking generally we have reason to he proud ol the industrv of the people. It was said we wore licit thrifty, but the Post Office had over K 1 million on deposit. 'I lie country had to find 15 millions per annum, additional on account, ol the cost id tin war. Kducation cost lit millions but that was one of the things where tlicr. could he no parsimony, for education must not be starved. Coming to the cost of living, Mr ' .Massey said during last month three important items have dropped in price^ "i here was a big i rou ol wheat las, ve'ir and (lour has been redueod h\ fO- Ids a ion. (sugar was another (•■ mmnditv that was down. In spite of what was said of the olonia! Sugar Coy. lliov had the cheapest sugar in the world. To-day i( is Tbl wholesale, '.list ralia’s price is 5 1 and until lately it was fid per lb. ’1 hey had been doing their best to bring hack prosperity ami he was glad lo know the prospects were very promising. There was a difficulty about money, especially for mortgages. The local laidies had been borrowing huge sums. The boom had caused a difficulty in

mortgages. They had to help those in . difficulties owing to the high prices J paid for land. They had made a com-, mencemeut with the formation of agncultural hanks. The difficulty was, that it necessitated a joint and several, , that was not in general favor. Goveminent were paying in live million . to the State Advances Department lor j this purpose. The Government had ai- ( ranged to lend up to £SOO on chattels .security. This would affect dairy fanner's and other producers, who repaired cash at a reasonable rate oi interest. They wanted to help the producers of this country in every possible wav He had the best of reasons for

believing that the price of money was growing easier. He had a definite pmmise that the rate of interest was to he reduced by one-half per cent from .January Ist. They must be proud that London still remained the centre of the world's money market. He was proud of New Zealand having the best financial position in the world, ft was good to know that they had been able to get any money they required for reasonable purposes at the lowest rate of interest, lower than Great Britain herself'which went on the market at the same time. Mr Massey then proceeded to rider to statements that required attention. He | knew lie was speaking to men who I were working men. lie was not ashamed to say that he had commenced as a wage earner. An interjection from the hack caused Mr Aiassey to retort to the efFect that the interrupter was like an ostrich in that lie had no brains, j A Voice.—That 7J millions was not | yours.

Air Alassev.—l ie we-: the trustee for the 7.1 millions and they were properly used and were perfectly safe, lie asked them to think of tiie wages paid in |m *J and what were paid to-day. There had never bee i a government more friendly to the West Coast of this Island than the present Government had been. In a very short time he hoped to lie aide to open the Otira tuiinii, which would open out a new era. for this part of the Dominion. It was going to do more lor the * V, est Coast than anything that had taken place. Referring to the railway service hi said that, married men received £131) in I DOS and £l-10 17s in 1911-12. while How with two cut;, -they got £2OB 13s 4d. A Voice.—-Give them another cut Dili. Air Aiassey: He always took good advice when ho got it (Laughter). Air Aiassey then referred to a want of confidence motion relerrcd to at a previous meeting. He said according to the custom of the House- it was for the Prime Minister to decide what action should he taken. Every motion "Rich .challenged the policy ol the government was a want ot confidence motion. This paiti 'dir motion was in vega ill to ail Imprest Hill, which came up at tin) end of every month to provide for the salaries and wages which cannot be paiil until the Hill is passed. Tills Imprest Hill canu< down and was challenged by i motion by Mr Holland. It was not necesary for him to declare it a uo-coulidoiice .motion. For one tiling if ha had it would have entitled members to sp.-ax for an hour, instead of half an hour as allowed by the rules of the ileus, . He let it go j to the vote knowing it would he defeated. If it had been agreed to. it would leave meant no ,oetiilenee in the Government, uid Fey would bate resigned. but lie knew the proposal would he rejected, as it was. He had a gaud strong majority oi intelligent men b 1 - hind him and he hoped to have it next time also.

All the country the present Government, had been charged with having prostituted the flag lor party purposes, inis he ntlei'v denied. As regards the i iberal i’arty lie had no di idit as to [licit* loyalty. Ihe matter arose from a report'at a little 'function at Foxtoii where he made a- .speech and he read the report from the “Domonion” which appeared next umrnj n ,r lie asked ins audience ll there was the slightest rellcctmn therein on the Liberal I’arty. If was not possible for nnv siti-li meaning to he taken out of his words, it had simply been done for party purposes, and "as one of the meanest tilings ever attempted in the history of tins counV Alassev then proceeded to deal with soldiers' land settlements He said one of the troubles ol the soldiers was lids. When they were put „„ the land stock was at a very lug-' price. Stock and land had boomed Tli,. men on the land had bought at high prices, expecting that prices, were coiug to hold up and even get lughei. They had bought very large areas ol land and had placed Foe so diers on it TiM.y had also built iO.OOU houses, at a cost of £l<«H) each Tncse were goovalue. hut lie expected there will hi a oss on the farms. Then- are some who are having a difficulty to carry .... and the Government must come to tlieir assistance. The Munster ° Lands hud appointed small hoards o consider the position or the sohliei settlers. which would make a roeoi.inu; - datinn with a. view to remedying thin troubles, and so em.b.e them to make good. There was in doiil the Gm cnim nt had made mistakes in the |i l - chase of land, hut they had to ace tin position, and would shoulder the loss. The soldiers appreciated "hat the Government were doing and lie ins aimed • t verv lino compliment tlmt inul neon mtid at I’dcnh Min to him when some c,j soldiers had dra" u turn in Ins motor car at the double to ids hotel. A yoiie.— Did von shout for them. 1 Mr Alassev.— No he did not as H was alter hours. 11.- "as a lawmaker

an I. not a law bn akor. 11l about a week they would be cabled upon to select a rep ft semalive foi Parliament. Me hoped they would choose wiselv and will. They had a government in ollii- ihai had carried through the country _ success!idly during very troublous times Me askii them to decide whether they were going t„ reinstate that Government or whether they were ptepired to run the risk of placing a. party o reaction m power. In this di-lvcl they had a limit whi. was well and favourably known throughout the West Coast, placing his services at their disposal. l it* asked thorn to put their cMjiinti \ first in seeing they selected the <>icn able to carry on smccsstully. ' w,as 'there that e-ening simply to speak for the part/ he represented lie asked them torect.it their tote to! .Mr Steer the official eamlidale ol the Reform party, and lie hoped he would 1,0 returned by a thumping majority. On resuming his seat Mr Massey was :ncorded a hearty ovation. THANKS AND CONKIDKNC K. Mr James Park moved that Die meeting convey a hearty vote of tlcinks and emditk m■■ in Me Ma-s '. Ids soletulid allows and exposition of the policy ot the IM'*™' Ms,, sneaking in support of Demotion amid Mime interruption. Mr o- Wn< see'ondcd the motion which was earned 1 v ai ele.illation. '.Mr Massey thanked Dam for !i- tonj , 0 long am! iiit.-l'rctiiall.v to him and moved a. heart;.- vote o! tmmks t„ the Mayor for pivssuing. 1 his was , arrird hv aeelamat imi. Ihree cheers lor Mr Massey loneludeo a very mt(essfoi meeting. Mr Massey motored to ( Teymoiiih a few minutes later, being cheered as >' left, while cheers tor the Liberal I artv were also given.

AT GREVMOUTH. GREYMOUTH, Nov 30. Hon AV. F. Aiassey addressed a crowded meeting last night' in the Opera House. Air W E. Rnrfitt (Deputy Mayor) presided. Air Aiassey was subjected to many interruptions, and spoke on lines similar to Ids address at Hokitika. A vote of thanks and confidence was moved by Air R. H. Richmond, seconded by Air J. AlcGinlcy, and carried hv acclamation.