INVERCARGILL SEAT

Hokitika Guardian, 2 August 1930, Page 5

INVERCARGILL SEAT

OPENING SPEECHES. ,C MR VINCENT WARD. (By Telegrap^—Pres* Association). INVERCARGILL, Aug. 1... Mr Vincent Ward opened his campaign in the. United Party’s interests in i the Invercargill .bye-election tonight, addressing two meetings on the outskirts of the electorate. Mr Ward waid- that iie did not seek for a sympathy vote. He regretted the cause of his facing the electors as much as anyone else. It had been bis late father’s wish that he should fulfil Sir Joseph Ward’s obligation for the rest of the present term. Traversing the railway, difficulties the candidate said ' that (losses sustained during .the '.past five years had exhausted “the reserves,' and last year the Government had found it necessary to advance 7 £150,000'. This year a-loss of £1,£00,000 was anticipated, and it. had' been decided to reduce the expenses by cutting services, which would save £360,000, while £90,000 would be produced by increased rates, comfnitit-ed 'itself to the "erection of four lafge railway workshops, estimated to cost 1 £1,600,000, but which would actually cost -two and a quarter millions. If' was considered by various authorities that an expenditure of £200,000 would have ’ provided all that was required. ‘As it was, there was how' sufficient'plant( and equipment for the’; whole of New : Zealiul and also for the Cdhimdnwealth of Australia as well. Mr Ward said that unemployment was a serious problem facing the Gov-, ernment, and last year one and a half Millions had been spent in providing relief works. The Government had investigated the position carefully, and at present a Bill was before the House whicli aimed 1 at placing a tdx on males ' in order , that a fund to provide a sustenance ' allowance might be established:: '' ' ,

A great deal has been done by the United Government since it came into offiep tef assist (settlers, and workers. (Refdrift ’ had practically ceased 'opera* tibne in the State Advances. Since the present Government....had come into office, 8,756 allocations for financial assistance had been dealt with, and loans ' of £8,930.000 had been ’ granted; The Government had met the require-, merits of the country with a bold land policy, providing land settlement on 'rtefms which would enable settlers to develop- „ properties into.. good . holies.. ;ln 'l9i2, (said Mr Ward, the national debt had amounted to eighty-four mill!ons;‘‘csTolday:* this had increased to £257,893,343 which, meant tbatrduring its 18vyefirs of .office, that the, (Reform Government had borrowed 100 millions for fordinary purposes, excluding the

70 ittTjlipns cost;to.the. country by. the , warlWheri Sir Joseph Word left-the T*. National Government in 1918 he had left: a surplus of 15-millions, with the idea that it should he applied to repaying- tlie War 3>eb,t; Instead of that, the Reform Government had spent £13,-500,(900 ;in the.', purchase of lands for y soldMs’ settlernent. Mr. Ward Said that he regretted that the Government had "to institute new taxation, but this had been necessary in order to rim the country. The United Government bad experienced a deficit, left bv Reform in its first year in office! Prior to this surpluses bad been experienced in every year. The United Government had been urifor* tunate in meeting the difficult times, but it was tackling its problems m a businesslike manner. Mr Ward said that United admitted it was a minority government, and it was not seeking popularity, but it was anki&us :,tp make the country’s: conditidri 'sound arid prosperous. Bad'times were being experienced! all over the world, and New Zealand was suffering from an adverse trade balance, but with safe arid sound government, the position! would be , materially improved and the country would progress on towards prosperity. The candidate said he hoped the United Government would be allowed to carry on for a ■number of years, as it was anxious to do'evetything possible for the people according to the liberal principle to do the- greatest good for ’ the greatest number;. tv' • ■ - ,; - The candidate was accorded votes of confidence at both centres,

MR JAMES HARGEST. INVERCARGILL Aug. 1. Mr James Ilargest, Refofm candidate for Invercargill, at the bve-elec-tion to be held on August 13th. addressed a well-attended meeting in the Civic Theatre this evening. Mr Hargest referred to the retard of the Reform Party. He said its eclipse in the 1928 election ns clue to its refusing to lend away the country in a wild orgy of spending and speculation. Since the United Party took over office it - had borrowed about 16 millions. The major portion of it was raised in this country. Instead of bringing cheap money in, it had gone to the Post Office, where money was lying at four per cent. It had paid 5.1 per cent for it over the counter in even’ Post Office’ in New Zealand. It had lent: this money, though not at four and four and three-quarters per cent, but a,t six and a half per cent, witli cue per cent, sinking fund added. Referring to taxation, the Speaker said that to get money to carry on the country’s affairs the Government proposed going in for an orgy of taxation. He pointed out that customs taxation was increased during the last two years by one million pounds. Mr Forbes

y admitted that this year he was going out to get somewhere about £BOO,OOO additional from"customs, and that was from a party which was to reduce and eventually abolish customs taxation. Taxation, he said, was inevitable. •The people of the country would accept it provided they left economies were being effected. After referring to the feeling throughout the country against the proposed increase in tho petrol tax, the candidate said: ‘T think- the time lias come when the country should take ovep the handling of Supplies of petrol. Nearly everything 'brought to our doors is brought by means of the consumption of petrol tax, and it is a dreadful reflection on the "business ability of this country that "we are entirely in the hands of three or four companies, 1 who charge us Wliat they will. J. have a suggestion ito‘ make that tlve Railway Department import the supplies of petrol necessary for the Dominion, and that a fair tax be imposed against-all private importers. The Railway Department could sell the bulk to distributors, who in their turn, could put it into bow-

lasers. Instead of an exorbitant profil {to overseas firms the country would I get what profit there was. Instead oj | half a dozen waggons rushing round supplying petrol of various brands, one or two lorries could do the work. It would make no difference to vendors of petrol. They get little enough out of it now. Its effect would be undoubtedly to give them greater prosperity and a greater consumption of petrol, and it would help the Railway Department in .finding work-for its , The speaker put forward two schemes for assistance of unemployed. He called one, for the want of a better name a “farm betterment scheme.” Hg suggested that a body like a Land Board, undertake the work of supervising the betterment of farms in Southland. If a man in the country wished to carry out say, draining, bush felling, or fencing, he should he able to go to a body like the .land board, and put a proposition before thorn. Say he found materials. The board could then send its ranger out to inspect the work, and if he approved of it, authorise the advance of a loan purely for labour. This, loan could be made at 5 per cent, repayable over, say, 10 years. It' would mean that the country was being developed, and that the unemployed man would find employment at standard wages on productive work; it would be essential that this wo-rk be carried out in the off season, when unemployment was rife. Another scheme he suggested was that in all provinces of New Zealand public works be undertaken with the idea of developing waste lands. -Mr Hargest said he stocl for sane government, with no special favours in any class of the community; development works of a productive nature to relieve unemployment ; current wages on those developmental works; graduated,poll tax; and integrity in government.

The candidate was afforded a vote of confidence.