The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, MAY 2, 1930. THE BYE-ELECTION.

Hokitika Guardian, 2 May 1930, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, MAY 2, 1930. THE BYE-ELECTION.

The Parnell bye-election caused by the retirement of Mr Jenkins, owing to his difference, with the United Party, is now in full swing. There" are three candidates in the field, nameiy, United, Labour and Reform, and the contest is being continued actively by all three, with apparently the first two being in the greater favour. The thought for the times to-day reproduces the views of the Auckland Star with regard to the qualities of the United candidate (Mr Donald), and on the face of it, he should poll exceedingly well. But personal qualities are not everything, as he must needs support a sound policy. That factor is also forthcoming as the United policy is more and more justifying itself. There has been a great deal of gross misrepresentation in regard to the record of the Government, but with the facts being brought out, a great deal of the false statements are being amply answered. In the support of the United' candidate, Ministers have been visiting the electorate, and in this connection the Hon G. Forbes, Deputy-Leader, visited Auckland last week, and gave a very clear exposition of .the Government policy, and was able to justify the actions of the party while in office. Mr Forbes was able to impart to the meeting he addressed, a good deal of valuable information regarding the public administration. In particular he was able to make close personal references to the Prime Minister. Mr Forbes «aid the services Sir Joseph had rendered to Now Zealand could lint he estimated in value. Since the Prime Minister had taken office lie had put the finances of the Dominion on a sound business footing, although he had been forced io accent a. “legacy” of a deficit of half a million non lids. When Sir •Kisepli was Prime Minister in 1912 he left a surplus of £729,000, and when lie loft his position as Minister of Finance in the Coalition Government in 1919 he left a surplus of .0678,000, Dur-

ing the four years he was Minister of j Finance he built lip an accumulated surplus of £15,000,000 and now he I again comes forward, and this time I shows a surplus of £150,C00. His name I alone in regard to finance still stands j ve.y high in the Old Land, and has an j important bearing on the credit of the Dominion in Great Britain.” The Minister further pointed out that when the Prime Minister took charge of the finances of New Zealand he discovered that a loan of £29,000,000 had fallen due. “Sir Joseuh knew what to do. He modestly pointed out that the whole of the £29,000,090 had been provided for, at a time when the London financial market was in a state of distress. So ably did Sir Joseph carry out this loan conversion that the London newspapers commented highly and favourably on his performance. Since he accepted office lie has effected economies in the machinery totalling £220,000. And another thing I woud like to point out,” continued Mr Forbes. “When we took office we found that large payments should have been made the Public Superannuation Fund. It was badly in arrears, and to keep the funds sound Sir Joseph Ward set up a committee to make a recommendation on the matter. This year Sir Joseph arranged for a payment of £175,000 to the Superannuation Fund from the Consolidated Fund. The salaries of the Post and Telegraph Department, which he promised to look have also been dealt with by him sin:e he took office.” Concerning the position of the State Advances Department when the Government occupied the .[Treasury Benches,. Ml’ Forbes said as much as £4,000,009 was applied for. ■ Sir Joseph "Ward, immediately charge of finances, grappled with the situation. Up to the present he had advanced to workers and settlers £9,500,000. He has kept his election promises in full,” said Mr Forbes, “and vet we hear from his Titles that he is ill and that the Government has, no leader.” After speaking of the development of pumice lands ml saying that this class of land had ;o be dealt with cautiously' until the best way of development had been discovered, Mr Forbes his audience that nearly forty years ago, when :he Cheviot Estate was cut up, much criticism had been heard. During the last sixteen months of office, the ReVrm Government purchased only two properties, for subdivision, with a total area of 478 acres, costing about £3GCO. “iMv Government, since its sixteen months of office, has purchased 32 properties, aggregating 58,000 at a total '•ost of £598,090.” The whole speech was a spirited defence and a record of the splendid work clone while in office, and it would appear the United Party has nothing to he ashamed of. 'the Government as was revealed by tlie tabloid budget issued by the Prime Minister, has maintained a sound finance, which has meant everything To the hanking, and commercial interests of the Dominion, when other countries are rocking because of past extravagances by Gvernments. The United Party, with its most capable leader, entered office at the precise moment necessary to save the credit of the country, and Parnell will be ungrateful indeed if that wonderful achievement is not recognised in a most handsome manner.