POLITICAL.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 June 1925, Page 4

POLITICAL.

Mil O’BRIEN AT THE OPERA HOUSE. Mr J. O’Brien, M.l’.. delivered a pro-sessional address at the Opera ITo use, Hokitika last evening. The Mayor, Mr Cl. A. Perry presided, and in opening the meeting said there was no need for him to introduce Mr O’Brien "ho was well known to the audience. He asked that Mr O'Brien he given an impartial hearing. Mr O’Brien in rising to speak was received with applause. lie said that the political situation at the present time was keenly interesting and lie would have something to sav about it at a later stage. However the situation was sn<h that every Member of Parliament should be delivering the e I’re-sessionnl addresses and making his position dear to the electors. Before explaining his view of the political situation he would give the audience

a brief revi w of the past two sessions of Parliament. When elected he expeeled to meet eighty men who would wnleh every move of the political machine. hut lie found that important legislation was dealt with in the small hour.' of the morning when most o| the mem hers were asleep. He had seen important hills discussed, when, outside of the Labour members there were not live people awake in the House. There was a large number of Rills brought down each year, hut there "a. generally one men me > mil mailend, and which the (luvernireiit were anxious to pass. The other (fills seemed to him to he padding for the one Hill that was necessary. So it was in l!)Jd that the meat important legislation the (loverniuent brought forward was the Land and Income Tax Bill which benefited the wealthy taxpayer of the ’Dominion to the extent oi two million sterling annually. This Bill was fought only by the Labour Party. The Liberal Party which was siippir-od to put up an effective operation to the Bill were hopelessly inefficient, so much so that the ‘‘New Zealand Times" a staunch Liberal newspaper, staled in a leading article that the Liberal Party had absolutely failed in their duty. Anil the real Liberal attitude was taken up by the Labour Party. Of course the Liberal Party hud ban supporting the Reform Party for revera I years; hut. they had done so in a way calculated to fool the public, from time to time a number of them crossed over to vote with the Ciovernment to save them from defeat. If the division lists were examined they would

show that at some time or oilier every member of the present Liberal thirty heal sill ported the Ifidorm Pal ly on some occasion or other. And it was with the assistant e of Ibe Liberals that the income lax reductions "ere made in HEib The two million reduction to the Very wealthiest, people in (he Dominion i mild not, he | ill through without some offset in the way of legislation. And there responsible for the reductions knew this. Therefore they bad to offer the people something. To keep the electors rpiiet the State Advances Amendment Bill was brought down. This Bill was support'd to assist workers to build their own homes it 1 hoy could find five per cent of the cost of laud and building. There was a shortage id’ 2-1.000 houses in Xov Zealand and it was ,stated by the late Prime .Minister that the Hill war ovore one tin- short age. The larmers v. ho "ere in the hands of the money holders were also to be assisted. The Hill would enable the State Advances I tej art infill, to lake ever existing mortgages and -ue the farmers from bankrnpley. The Rill was passed by the House: but when applications were made to the Slate Advances Department it was found there was no money lo meet the applications. Consequently the people who wanted homes, and l hose w ho w anted relief from the money lenders were sadly tlisappoinlcd. In a little over twelve months applications v.-ere received by the State Advances Department- totalling over twenty one millions, and all the loans granted were just over two millions. So • i ante about that while the wealthy faxpavers made sure that lie v v.o re roll.wed to the extent of two milieus annually by the reductions the ol'people who wanted relief goj little or none, lit flic REM cession the wealthy cheep farmers and iiuome tax payers were not satisfied hut came to H House again for another cut. They were given another million. This l. an inerea-e in | ensiine; was the bail held out to keep the ordinary people (piiet and again the wealthy made sure, bat the pensioners did not fare as well as was expected. The old age pensioners were supposed to be given an extra 2s Oil per week, but the eiar.se in the Bill that gave it to them, was v.irde.l Ihai hardly an old age ] en--ioner in the Dominion would have received the increase. The clause read that, only an old age pensioner who had neither nrr.perfy or income could receive the pension. And no matter how poor a man was lie generally had a little money or property, Therefore almost everyone was di.s.pialilied. Seeing the position Cabinet iutrodueed a regulation which allowed the increase

to In' {liven tii old pensioners who 1 1 :i<I not iiimv ilnm £2o in property, mill !i;i(l an income of not more tlmn £0 |:t»r mir.um. Then the llcpartmcnl probed into the financial affairs of t!io old |it'll]il p to see if tin' in'louse could no with-held. lie knew of some half-a-dozen old pioneers who had lieen refused tile pension because they v.cic living ill linns th.it did not I dong to them. The I)e; arimciit liehl that they were living “rent free'' and iliiu was Of|iial to mi ineoine of £lB per annum. Consequently the increases were rein - ed. The Widows pension was ineren ed he its Oil for each child under the nee of 11. and for the first time in Xetv Zealand history the | rineiple < f pensions tor the hlind was cstaidished. The l.almur i’artv were prevented from amending the Pensions Amend men i Bill by the Minister of Pensions threatenin'! lo withdraw the Bill if there was any ohslrut lion. And in ihe interests of tile widows and the l.liud pc pie they had to let ihe uiisati-- I factory Bill on through. While in t lie o j two veals the wenlthv taxravers re- i

eeivetl rehates, ii. tar-onion totalling three million annually there was very little given to the majority of the people. Tf the income taxpayers were treated worse than elsewhere in the Empire, there might be some excuse for the red net inns. But the "Year Book'' dri.ved that a taxpayer in Xew Zealand in receipt of Cl 00 a year paid £3 it?- iir annum; while in Xew South Wales the tax was £!! Os 8d : Vi t ri i £!) 10- Id: Queensland £lB IBs; S. Australia £l2 0- Ud. and Great Britain £lo 8s Id. Tf a taxpayer ivceived £IOOO n year the taxation worked out as follows: Xew Zealand Cod : X.S.W. £BB I*. lid; Yietnria £l6 18 *«!: Qireenshui ! £lO3 3- ."id; South Australia £Ol 17s Od and Great Britain £l2O I.ls 3d. These figures showed that the T)i minion taxpayer was very mu 'h het- I ter off than if he lived elsewhere in j the colonies or the .Mother Country. | The condition .i the country v. as ; 1lilii,! the -..me as it was in ISflfl v. lan : the chi time Liberals toured the conn- j try in their attempt to try and lift the people out of poverty. Tie y

wore attacked by the Capitalist Press from one end of Mew Zealand to the other anil alluded Lj as ihe ‘'.Seven Devils of Socialism." However they won at the Polls and iiisiit'-tcd reforms which made the condition of the people very much belter. In time the chi Liberals went out. and the time came when -Cabinet Ministers resigned their 'position.; because the Party had sold it; principles. The Tarty gradually went to pieces. Then came the Reform Party with its promises of "the freehold”’. The farmers a eiyted them as real friends; hut after L'P, years of olii e th 1 ’ farmers dis: overod they had a “mortgage hold’’ and were merely the serfs id Die menev lenders. '1 ho farmers v.ore tired of the two old parties, and were turning to the Labour Party Mi O'Brien also dealt with the present political situation and -aid he was -tire an agreement v alid be come to between the ’Reformers ami the Liberals, end said lie welcomed such a coalition because the sham tight would ill his! 1.0 over. H- said remit W from Franklin shove I that the Labour candidate there. Mr Montgomerie. was putting tip a great fight, with every chance of sm. :vx. Labour was advancing rapidly. The Party had doubled its representation 1 a-■ t (bo.oral Election and lie wo; sure that, they would also doohe it ei next election if they did not gain a majoritv at the Poll. When they came into otiie they "<uld .leal with the housing problem. ] en- ; ion-, end place taxation on ! he shotild- ■ ,os ~f Fl.u a best able t:> bear it. i \|'- phtuse). Mr O'Brien was asked whether ihe Labour Party favoured the Pd years loe.se. He answered that ihe land tenure of tlm Labour Buriy was a I enure of oeiotpnney and use which would ■ ■ veit! anyone holding Inn 1 for ■ C < illative purposes. Question: Was Mr O’Brien in favour of protecting the .suh-eni.it raclor ? Ail svim There should be no >nelt thing as sub-contractors. One malt had no right to take a ecntraet and then let it. to another nl a pi' 1 id. MOD. Ore.itirv moved a heart v vte of thanks to Mr O’Bri-ii which was carried cnt hu-iasiii al'v. and a vote of thanks to lib Worship for prodding brought the no'oiing io a 'hoe.