RAGLAN ELECTION

Hokitika Guardian, 22 September 1927, Page 3

RAGLAN ELECTION

LIBERAL ( Rl'l 1C 1.-i.d. Speaking at Raglan in the present bye-election contest, the Liberal candidate, Air Parker, denotiiued the Government for permitting the control of Nauru Island to fall into the hands of a monopoly. This great asset, a thing that could have been controlled effectively hv (he Government, and made an everlasting henelit to the primary producers, was turned over to monopolist.. Was it any wonder that men were walking oil' their farms:*' They would continue to do so if something "ere not done. Spe: ilie instances of harsh ireatnieii! being accorded returned soldier settlers were piloted by Hie iandid.it". who said there wore eases where men lone been allowed to abandon ;i:eir proper! ies, a bile the Govcrnmen! turned round and sold Hie land for L'2 or Cl an a< re less. !;!'RDk:N OE THE EAR.MEIL

Touching mi tln> heavy burden of the farmim eoiitmuniiy. lm explained that, while only I'oily per cent of the population of New Zealand was selthd on the laud, they were called upon to produce C‘l pi i- cent of the iotai' export, value ol to ■ e: nut .V. 11l V iew 111 ( his fact he aitv e-e.'i'• J improved conditions tor

i iuuiry |.".>ple. and deer!' d ihe silggestion of ihe Mini-,ter of Health, that tlio I'arinei should lock up Ids ear for two vc-ars.

Mr Par 1 , r eonteeded the Government: had missed a golden opportunity of assisting the funner in ennneetion with its dairy eomrnl policy. The only solution of tlio I'.: niters’ dillieultie.s was to ohe'ipi'o pir-Ju tbii. The trouble today. bowvve;', wa-; that the big squatter was living on The small struggling farmer, .as al-o vver-* llm big trusts. In supjiort of his contentions, Air Parker quoted figures v. liiili he considered required no amplification. The total area of the Dominion, lie said, was ()(i,.'i!. l t).2ii2 aeles, of which l.'UiOb.;!29 were occupied, while the mean popui'ation in ll)2ii was ldi2!L97.'L Ol the occupied area of land, only 1 K.. V-2,!)!:!) acres had been improved. 20.!)2;).8.‘i! acres remaining in an unimproved state. In !!!27, it!.1)77 owners held UP per cent ol the total occupied area in blocks of 929 acres or under, while 20,07(1 held lo per cent in blocks of over 5!)0U acres. Within seventy

years the exivrl value of the occupied land had risen to C'JUr.oll.'t,2l•'!, icpreseiping only an annua.l increase ol U1.0117.L59. On the other hand from 191.2 Lo J92o—thirteen years only—the capital value had risen Lo Uo-rji 19.070. an annual increase of !.'20,955.20K. The

private mortgage debt of tbe country wide!} was ontv about 21*0,1.100,(1*10 in 1912, in tlio spate of fourteen years had increased to the enoimous approximate toiai of C'JSLUtHU’O'T. The interest had likewise jumped from A.) pea cent to per cent., and in 192(i, approximately Jo per tent ot the total value of New Zealand's exports was required to pay the interest on tin* private mortgage debt. "llovv long can we go on like that:' ” asked Alt’ Barker. “There lias to be an end somewhere, and the sooner the hatter.”

Tn 1925 approximately 95 per cent, of the exports of the Dominion was produced by the farmer, and yet be is not allowed to have even a "tin Lizzie” —lie must ride the old grey mare. HUGE PUBLIC DEBT.

The candidate proceeded to point out that the net. public debt was £82.193.310 in 11112. and in 1925 it had increased to no loss than £235,u*81,210. of which the amount; due to the war was only C75.333.fi 18. Li the same period tin- debt per head of the population had increased Inun £.O Os 2d lo Clio Ss 2d Since 1021 (he net debt hail increased by £30.01 ILOIM. Drawing at-

tention to taxation increases from £5.29<>,5t)0 in 1012. lo £17.23!. OS'S in 1020. Mr Parker said that the way the Government counter-lialaneed its tariff revisions was to increase taxation. So far as land fax was concerned this had also increased in fourteen vears from £lB 7s each to £23. “INFLATED. FICTITIOUS L-ANO-VA LUES.” “By allowing 23.000,000 odd acres of land to be occupied but unimproved, the Government lias rnroiiragod the speculator and abetted the obnoxious barter and exchange system. ’’ proceeded Mr Parker in further criticising the Reform party’s land policy. “The inII a ted and fictitious value of land permits wealthy speculators to traffic in land to their own profit. This inflated value prevents young farmers from acquiring land, and likewise affects tlm small trader and working man in the towns, ft has also produced a huge mortgage debt and the consequent enormous interest burden has caused the larming community to fie reduced In- over 5000 in one year—l92s-20.” Excluding the debt duo to war the “squntncraey” had. in thirteen years, increased the public debt at the average 1 rate of more than £0.000.000 while seventy years’ administration by all other parties only increased it at the rate of -C1,000.000 a year, and the eonntry was then prosperous. Air Parker rounded off his address by dealing with land aggregation, advocating easier finance and better roads for farmers, the revaluation of Kami at more frequent intervals, and the proiier enforcement of a graduated land tax. He also considered that all boards dealing with primary products should ho elected on the direct vote of the producers, and, in conclusion expressed the wish that no vote of confidence be passed in Kim or the party he represented. “I stand here for wlmt I am.” be said, “and if you think I will tie able to carry out your wishes in Parliament, then I ask you to give me your vote. The best vote of confidence you can pass in me i.s to support me at the ballot.”