WESTLAND ELECTION

Hokitika Guardian, 9 November 1928, Page 2

WESTLAND ELECTION

MR JAMES O’BRIEN

Mr Janies O'Brien (Labour candidate for Westland) .addressed a large assemblage at the • (Princess Theatre lust evening, . tylifch was- well filled throughout. The candidate received an excellent hearing there being ! an absence -of any . interruptions and at the conclusion was asked a number'of friendly - quest ions* which were promptly answered. ’ Thh Mayor (Mr G. A. -I’erry) presided, and in opening the meeting said he had pleasure in introducing Mr James O’Brien who had been undergoing a strenuous campaign. He asked for a fair and impartial hearing, for the speaker, and would ask him to address them. ' , Mr James. O’Brien who was received with applause said it was once again election time and once’ again he was there to place his views before them. He first wished to refer to the result of the last election. He was

defeated in the first place on the cast-

ing vote of the Returning Officer. As 'a matter of fact the Returning Offi'cer. was . a judge or referee. He comjnerfted on the suggestion made that ■’before the election the Returning Officer should mark his vote and' seal ityand not have it opened until after the' 1 election if it were.needed, as not

being of any practical, use.. He called

that proposal one of simple rot, as the -••Officer would he prejudiced from the t-outseti The Returning Officer ■. was ; there to carry out the election fairly ,and equitably as between one candidate an!d another. If this election is ■ fought that closely that it came to

a tie, and the;casting vote was- given

-..•in his favour, then he would refuse to g<- -accept it, as the sitting Member was entitled to that, anxl lie would not . accept -election on those terms. ' »

t As far as the' Election Court was ‘concerned, he knew a great deal more •.(.'than lie did at last election for ho ,?v learned something. "Why did two w votes cast for his opponent remain,

and two cast for the speaker he

. thrown out when they were the same ' T '•‘particular set of circumstances. • He u - could mention cases of 'this kind by »>'the score. After throwing out nearly all the claims that his side had brought forward, and the accepting of claims brought forward by his opponent, he (O’Brien) has lost by 12 votes, and any how as to who won the election that was a matter that it would he difficult for anyone to truthfully say. The lawyer who .had- noted for -his opthe case fop -the speaker had he 'been employed by him. He had heard it was stated by Mr Murdoch to this

effect on several occasions. Referring to the Election Courts, he said they generally go hy precedent also. He referred to the : Oamaru election, when Hon. E. P. Lee won from .Mr McPherson hy some 20 votes.

He asked whether it was clear that a majority of 1 the electors'voted for any one.candidate and the fairest way would have heen to have declared the election void, and a fresh election to have heen held. Tt was public opinion that if another election had heen held, hte. (Mr O’Brien) would have been elected by 500 votes. If lie were elected, then the next session he would move..on the floor of the House for an alteration to the Electoral law, to prevent the will of the people being given effect to. What he wanted them to do on the 14th of this month was to put the result in his favour out of all possible reach of interference by the Returning Officer or the Election- Court. - - • i. ; . : Referring to the previous election campaign, .Mr Q’.Brien .asjked thejn. to take their minds'to’ the manifesto of the PrimedMirii&ter 1 tfefoire • the' lftst He asked them to remember the promises, and the phge advertisements that appeared .in. all, the, newspapers of the l)orhini6h. They would, remember the requests that had heen made ,for the., support of Coates and his party. He had gone back with a record mAjority at his command, but tho' result had been disastrous to the country. What had been the result of that placing of the Reform Party in power?

A vpice:—Nine bob a day.

Mr O’Brion:—Was it not true that had caused the people of New Zealand to lose that nrogress and content they were entitled to. Three years of Coates , had resulted in unemployment' throughout the land, farmers had to leave their farms and the progress of the Dominion had been stopped." Now once more the same sort of manifesto had been sent out in an endeavour to secure • slipport for the Coates party again at the present election. He believed this country was pile of the finest on the face of the earth, yet-your country and m" country was mortgaged'up to the hilt.; That wo had a debt of 620 million •- and we bad to pay an interest lull of 01 millions ner year and it was ’the wording people that bad to pay it. An authority had - stated there ’"as only one source of wealth and that was lahpur applied to onr raw material.’ Everyman who was applying his labour to the natural resou Votes,., had to pay £2OO a year in payment of interest on the national debt—that was what the statistics showed hy (averaging the payment over the working population. Those who toij not, neither do tliov, spin, do not help you to. pay a share of taxation'." To* "carry on’ in New’ Zcn-

ADDRESS AT PRINCESS THEATRE

land wo had about 17 millions raised by taxation. One form was income tax levied on incomes. and iln* other was customs taxation levied on rich and poor. . The. income tax payable! in New Zealand was the lightest paid ein Australasia. The man .who wrote for the “Guardian” knows he wrote an untruth when he stated that the figures (pioted by the speaker were not correct that the higher incomes pay as much in New Zeulnd as they pay in England. Tin* figures he referred to were drawn up by the (government Statistician and in spite of what the ‘’Guardian" said, the figures. were right. Figures were (pioted of income tax paid, and he pointed out that these were based on the re-, turns of the Government Statistician. Where does the statement of the ‘‘Guardian” come from. Knowing them, he knew they did not make, wild.statements unless they made them for a purpose. In the year 1921 income tax paid was £8,248,000, and yet in .1927. it was reduced to £3.422.000. In six years it had dropped by .nearly five Million. The customs taxes in 1918 were £3,001,000 and in 1927 £9.016,000. While the wealthy classes had had a reduction of income tax of five millions in ten years, the poor people payments in customs revenue had been increased hv nearly five millions. The Prime Minister and his Government had taken the burdens off the rich and had placed them on the working classes. A greater disgrace was carried out in 1923 when he was a .Member, when a Bill was passed exempting farmers who paid land tax from the payment of income tax. that is income derived from production of the land. Reference was made to the men who had boiiefitted, namely the wealthiest sheep farmers of. the Dominion, and their names and incomes were quoted, including the Ridelifords, Sir George Hunter, the 'Williams, and others, with Incomes ranging from £3:1,000 to CIoO.OOO a year. Not one 'of these have paid any income tax on their incomes. Surely they could see in whose interests this legislation was passed. The Government had the use of the press to bolster up their side of the question. Out of 7o papers in New Zealand. 73 or 74 of these were telling the if; ■-story. It- was no wonder Sir Geo. Clifford had palatial racing stables, and could attend all the race Meetings' when' lie never paid a penny in- income tax-.

. The speaker said lie was one who had*! taken part in four' elections, and there had heen many untrue statements circulated in regard to his candidature. There was one that had been circulated at last election too late to he scotched. A similar lie was he understood to- be coming in the last days of this campaign. He was not unprepared this time and was expecting it. When it came lie asked them.to treat it as it deserved and not to be led astray.

They had in New Zealand some state institutions, which were simply run on lines of State Socialism. Three 'years’ ago they had the Welfare League. This year the business people called a conference, and the outcome was the 1928 Committee. The Public Trust Office interfered with banking and this Committee wants its operations restricted. Bel ore April of this year the Post Office would accept deposits up to £5.000. After April of. this year, they would only accept deposits of £2OOO. As a re..suit..three millions had been withdrawn from the Post Office and had gone into, the hands of the private banks. ■ There was enough, money in this sum •to 'have started a State hank. The State . Bank, in Australia was started orTlcss. The interest on loans from the Statte Advances Office had ' gone .hy li per cent, and the interest on bank overdrafts had at once gone up,to 7 per cent. The State Advances Department had been stifled.

... The State Insurance Department was also interfering with the business of the other insurance offices. They had brought down premiums by 30 per cent, and the other offices had brought down their charges to the same amount, without interfering with their dividends. But. he expected that this Department would not he allowed to continue without being interfered with.

His .opponent had stated that only sufficient immigrants were brought out to remedy the wastage of the war. That was a ridiculous statement to make. From 1926 to. 1928 over 22.700 immigrants. ,hnd heen brought out to New Zealand. They had heen brought out by lying misrepresentation hy the Government. The Government brought thousands, of people to Now Zealand to flood the labor market. It was a disgrace to the Government and those responsible for it. Quotations from a Government hand-book for information of immigrants was read.

Although bis opponent bad stated that immigration bad not affected in one iota the labour market, lie did not think he'could substantiate that statement.

He wished to refer to the timber industry. For years it had been discouraged and impeded. The royalties had heen doubled and trebled. The small miller-bad small chance of making good. -In 1912 we exported 19 million and imported 27 million feet. In 1927 we ’exported 31 millions and im-

ported 07 mill ions. The Forestry Department told them that at present there were 62.000,000.000 feet of millable timber in the country, and the forestry Department said they could grow enough timber to supply New Zealand, hut it was iiot those miserable trees at Rimu. He had been watching those trees for the last six years, hut they would have to use other methods if they were to he successful. If all the coal that was used in New Zealand was mined in New Zealand, then another miners could he employed That was a subject that affected those in the northern part of the clecc rate more acutely. Deferring to the land question he said the number of persons employed on ilie dairy farms in New Zealand was 001-1 less in 1927 1 han in 1922-23. In five years the number of persons employed an agricultural holdings were 13.807 less now 'ilian live years ago. There were -V) nersotix holding over -K),(!•);) acres each. They had a farming Government i t power. Was it possible for a Labour G-'vermuoiil to drive more people o.T me land than the present Government ■ ere doing to-day !

The papers had made a lass because lie had dared to sneak at an unemployed meeting at Greynr>ut!i. He had been unemployed himself once, and had had a hard time. If there was an unemployed man or. woman about he would do his utmost to get them a (oh. The Labour Party’s objective was to draft every man into industry, and if that were not possible to put them •11 road and railway work till they were absorbed, and stop immigration until there was work and homes for the immigrants to come to. Ho knew of a case where one man was working on relief work who had a wife and three children who was only getting Os per day. Other instances of a somewhat similar nature could bo supplied. The Labor Party would prevent such a thing happening if they were in power. Another plank was Stale Accident Insurance, and the preventing of any (ompaii.v from making any profit from accident insurance. He quoted three cases of compensation where compensation was not given through a legal flaw. Almost every day in New Zealand they had widows fighting the insurance companies. Whatever Party .I fought accident insurance in. the Labour Party would support it. Another plank as the Abolition of tin I,'pper House. He was rather diffident on this, :i» he was of opinion that if lib opponent was defeated in this election i.e would he nominated for tin* Council. His Party had taken a tally o‘ tin' hours the Council had sat in August. and they found it was ;):{ hours at a cost of upwards of £2(100. Another plank was the Kxtension ul the Willows’ Pension to give it to every widow, and invalidity insurance lot every worker. Another was Motherhood Endowment. The Arbitration Court allowed a minimum for a man. wife and two children and if there were more children then same of them had to go without.

The Labour Party will increase the old ago pension but it bad been said that the money could not be raised. This would cost less than five millions a year, which was lost by reduction in income tax. They could find it from the wealth of people who had dodged the payment of income tax.

Coining to his work as their member. Mr O’Brien continued that when be was their represntative for three years, he had done as much good as anyone who had represented the district, and proceeded to refer to what he had performed. He had made a promise that if elected he would arrange for an Old People’s Home in Greymouth. He had got a donation of £2600 each for the Grey and Hokitika Homes. He had gone through the Hokitika Mental Hospital and what he had seen there had been a disgrace and he had said that the conditions must be altered. He had managed to get grants for £-12.000 passed through, hut a great deal of the credit was due to Dr Buchanan who had done a large amount of good work. As far as public works votes were concerned in 1923 the total amount ol the Grey Main Roads vote was £72.000. In' 1924 it was £86.000; in 1925 £90,000; in 1926. £IOO.OOO. Then lie was defeated by bis present opponent and what were the figures during bis term. In 1927, £71,000; in 1928. 002,000 and this year £76.000. But they would find that Mr Holland has got £17.000 for the Grey-Westport Road out of this, that it all was not to the present member's credit. The figures for Westland County showed a similar drop as compared with those secured while he (Mr O’Brien) was their member. When he was down South he was given to two circulars that had boon distributed very freely. He would like them all to have a copy. A voice : Who printed it. Mr O’Brien: It was printed at the ‘•'Guardian” Office, and was a reprint of articles from the “Guardian,” and a small portion was reference to remarks made by Mr Seddon. When he had read the contents of the circular he had wondered who was the candidate, whether he was Mr T. E. Y. Seddon or Mr D. J. Evans. Tlier was also another circular to the electors of South Westland which had reference to Waikukupa bridge, which stated the bridge was washed away a few weeks ago. As n matter of fact it had been destroyed 6 or 7 months ago. When lie had been in South Westland fie bad been told by some fellows that temporary repairs could have been effected in a few days sufficient to allow drays and horses to cross over. i In a report of his opponents’ speech he had noticed some letters of thanks. He read some letters of appreciation from the Westland County Council when he was tlie member for Westland. He bad other letters of thanks from the Westland Chamber of Commerce and Westland Hospital Board, which he pro-

(•ceded to refer to. He had to shake up their County Council to ask then to apply for their grants during his las. year of office. 'Of course, lie knew tin t was done for a purpose, to belittle h. - 1 ILirts on their behalf.

Referring to ‘'Guardian'’ he quote i a reference made in regard to li actions at a meeting at Greynioiith i : connection with the unemployed. Nov they were asked to judge as to hi; I ivalty or disloyalty. These were tit ■ same old tactics of his opponents the they had used before against anotlu candidate. He remembered some 2 years ago. soon alter he came to M est ■ land, the despicable tactics to defea one whom lie considerd at that time.

anyhow, was a respectable op|>oiient He had at that time felt strungl • against these tactics. He had a lei <ll sympathy with the man who wn; attacked at (hat lime; and no donbi many of them had vivid recollections ( what had then taken place. H ■. wondered if some could remember when Mr .Murdoch contemplated standing ns a Reform candid"'e against his pre - oit opponent. Did they reui'-mber tit ' leading article that the "Guardian" had published. He had not a copy <: that, hut he had been told of it. The’’ again, when hi- friend Paddy Web » defeated Mr Michel, was he not invite 1 along to the homestead ol Mrs Seddo' l ti have a cun ol cocost? Was that not I - ee'ebrnte his victory. He rememhe'- ->.| when Mr Mi-liel was supposed to get a rough time at Rinianga. and ill * ■1 lion that lmd been taken. He would

not repeat all the stories that wer told against him. but would leave i at that.

In moving the motion of confident' to his opponent, Air Murdoch had referred to the tinih" | r royalties. Tim' had been a hike that he. (Mr O’Brien h"d enjoyed heartily, because dnriin his onpoiient’s term cf offi o the lin her royalties pavahle to the Gr.*v County Council had dropped to a remark u' h‘ extent.

He want'd now to (ha! with tli

masquerading Liberals. Did they have one of the Liberals of Grey. Ballane' and Seddon. when limy were called ‘'The Seven Devils of jviciaPsni.’’ IP w ndered whether his opponents would stand no 10-day for tlios" smit intent, that those men had upheld in those ays. He (pioted the last speech of Hon R. 4. Scddon two days before his death as hearing out the claims of the Labor Party. He asked was the Hokitika ‘‘Guardian” and the supporters of his opponent game to stand up to the principles of C-rev. Ballance and Scddon. 1i was deeply regrettable that a son of Wiese great men had said that lie would nnl support one of his father's lieutenants if i( would bring Labour into power. Thai was a tragedy. He was rather sorry it luid been done, ii was not a credit to anyone and was a matter for deep regret. In conclusion he wished to say he hud always put up a clean fight, hut ho regretted that such had not been the case l»v those who were opposed to him. He found the same whispering lie had gone around that a vote for him was a vote for prohibition. He always fought from the platform man to man. policy to policy and platform to platform. They were the jury and they had their vote which they could exercise on election dav.

lie asked them to go to the poll and do their best to get as many of their friends to vote with them, on election day. (Applause). QUESTIONS. Mr M. Keenan: Did he favour the nationalisation of all schools? Mr O’Brion: He was in favour of free, compulsory and secular education. \s far as private schools were concerned..as long as they keep their children properlv taught and at no cost to the State, then, no objection could be raised to (bom. Mr M. Keenan: Was lie in favour of nroli ifiil ion ?

Mr O’Brion: No. lie was not in favour, but the Labour Party did not take sides on the question. If the Labour Party were placed on the Treasury Benches then the trade could get a referendum on a 9 or 10 year's tenure. Mi' A Muir: Would be deal with the relief work at Lake Kaniori where sonic were only making 0s per day?

Mr O’Brion: He would, if elected, immediately set out to improve the conditions.

Written question : Are you in favor of arbitration for fixing the salaries of the Post and Telegraph Department and the principle if a minimum wage for employees when 21 venrs of age. Mr O’Bric'n : Yes (o both questions.'

THANKS AND CONFIDE NO l<

Mr E. IV. Heonan moved a hearty vote of thanks to Mr O’Brien for his very able address.—Seconded by Mr F. Selby. Mr H. A. Baucke moved that a vote of confidence lie added. This was seconded by Mr Earle Breeze This was seconded by Mr and tlie amended motion was carried without opiHisition. amidst applause.

Mr O’Brien returned thanks and slated that if lie was returned lie would take up the work where lie bad laid it down three years ago.

He moved a hearty vote of thanks to the Mayor for presiding. This was carried by acclamation and the meeting ‘dosed.