THE LIBERAL PARTY.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 May 1924, Page 1

THE LIBERAL PARTY.

MR WTLFORD’S CAMPAIGN. NAPIER, May 12. .Mr T. M. Wilford, in opening the Liberal-Labour political campaign in Wnipukurau to-night, said the party had decided to visit all tlie electorates represented by Reform members. He declared that 'his party did not stand for any class, but characterised the Reform Party as tbe docile servants of •the wealthy. The Liberals agreed with the-remark of Air Massey in 1912 that it was a good thing for the Government to feel another coining along into the pigeon holes and see if tlie administration had been all right. The time had arrived for a clearing of the stables.

Mr YYilfurd complained that when (lie Liberals, left the National Government in 1919. the expenditure from the Consolidated Fund was C 18.073.599 but three years Infer it had jumped to C28.-Ki11,835. Tbe economics the Prime Minister claimed to have effected were forced on him hv the extravagance of the Government. The speaker said the Advances to Settlors Department was (Hit on the Statute Book by the Liberals, but to-day tlio Reform Party walked it about as if it were tliefr child. From the funds of that Department the Government had collared two million pounds for investment in war loans. This money was taken from those who wanted it and should have been repaid. He charged the Prime Minister in the House with taking money from the Department, but that bad not bad any effect. He would like to know whether portion of the recent live million loan for State advances was to repay this money, or wtis fresh money. Air Alasscy’s love of the State Advances Department was due io the fact that lie saw the Liberals’ proposal for an Agricultural Bank, (lie chief point about which was a long-term mortgage and tbe repayment of principal and interest. There would lie no short-term mortgages. They (the Liberals) advocated a State Rank to work in conjunction with an Agricultural Bank. Reference was made to tbe market for produce in the Ka-t, but the Government was cold to bis proposal. Mr Wilford said the Government's soldier settlement scheme was carried out in a wasteful way, and now it was necessary to write off millions or pounds, and bring the value of the settlements down to a reasonable figure. In a reference to the Imperial Conference, the speaker said Mr Massey on previous occasions had represented the country with dignity, but on tlie last occasion he lost both bis dignity and temper. Mr Wilford,. who was given a sympathetic hearing, was accorded it vote of thanks.

AIR R. MASTERS AT STRATFORD. STRATFORD, Alav 12 Mr R. Masters, member for Stratford mill a member of the LiberalLabour Executive? addressed a good audience in the Town Hall to-night, generally criticising the -Massey Government’s administration and finance, dealing especially with tbe railways and tbe recent strike. Mr Masters said tbe Liberal Party was opposed to strike methods, and would not tolerate dirct ~ Hi" TV.e~ eto-xl by their own ie. . ... . . - - m.ty prio • •.■ rwoeodu: ployand employee A; i'-av- t»:.forenees settled in a constiiutin.iitl manner bv tlie Arbitration and Conciliation Courts. Where Mr Svddoii stand in |S9I with regard to strikers, tlie Liberal Party stood in 1921. Unlort iititildv, both the Labour Party •md tbe Reform Party bad taken ad-

vantage of thy late -trike for political purposes, and the real issue from the out-el wtis obscured, while the claims and counter-claims were elouded by political propaganda. The railway employees became merely a pawn in the game. New Zealand was not going to be dictated to by such irresponsible leader- as bad organised the strike in various parts. Mr Masters predicted that tbe time was not far distant when tbe A.S.R.S. would cut adrift from the Allianee ol Labour. Tbe melt’s representatives tit the coilfere nee had mil shown mature judgment, and bad aeted in a hasty manner without the serious thought that was line to the men they represented and the public of New Zealand. No self-respecting man could have aeied otherwise than the Alini-ter of Railwavs had done in rejecting Ihe ultima-

tum given. Discussing the points at. i-stte, the* speaker contended that every man was justly entitled to a wage which would enable him to keep hi- family in comfort and provide bis children with a good education and make him something more than a chattel lor the employer. In 1921, Air Masters pointed out. the same General Manager and the same Government granted the Second Division a 1 I-boni- week. We lIOV. find that when the net earnings n|' the railways are higher than they were when the reduction in hours was granted, the .Minister reverses his former deei-iou and demands that tbe men work -IS hours, Tbe Alini-ter made a statement that if the' men went back to ts hours be d.id not propose to dispense with the services of

any of them. It was therefore proposed to work four hours a week more and not to do any more work. They would he paid £1(18,140 per annum for having their work spread over a longer period. The speaker generally condemned the railway administration, and said the Liberal Party represented neither the extreme of public or political opinion. It stood for settling all industrial trouble in regard to wages by arbitration and conciliation, and the conduct of the railways by proper business methods without waste and

extravagance. Soldier settlement was severely criticised, it being pointed out that on.a fifteen thousand-acre settlement at Wliangamomona .not a soldier remained. A motion approving the Liberal Party’s policy of appointing a pormament Hoard in connexion with railway administration was carried unanimously, and also a vote of thanks and confidence in Mr Masters’as the district’s representative.