TAUMARUNUI ELECTORATE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 401, 4 October 1911, Page 6

TAUMARUNUI ELECTORATE.

MR FORBES AT WAITARA. Mr W. Forbes, Opposition candidate for the Taumarunui electorate, gave a political address at Waitara on Friday. There was a good attendance, and Mr Forbe3 spoka at considerable length and was favourably received. Mr W. F. Jenkins, Mayor of Waitara, presided, and briefly introduced the speaker. At the commencement Mr Forbes explained his intentions, and stated that he was standing as an out and out opponent of the present Government. At the same time he had no illfeeling towards their present member, Mr Jennings. He eulogised highly the splendid work done by Mr Jennings, and made it clear that it was not as an opponent of Mr Jennings that he sought their support, but as a supporter of the Opposition Party. In the administration of the affairs of the country the speaker contended that a great change was necessary. Economy was urgently needed. The country, he continued, was beginning to realise this was a necessity, the figures of last election showed it. At the last election the Government lost 17 seats, but this was only a forerunner of what would happen this year. As the father of the House pointed out the other day, a great fall was certain to come to the present Ward Ministry. They had outlived their sphere of usefulness. Twenty years was too long for one party to be in power.

The Civil Service reform was a question to which the speaker had given a considerable amount of time, and one that needed urgent attention. The speaker outlined the systems in vogue in Victoria and other Australian States, and advocated its adoption in this country. It was a good system. Instead of members of the Civil Service being governed by the party in power, as it was in New Zealand, a board of control should be established. This board should have complete command of the service and should not in any way be influenced by Parliament. Following the lines of the Massey Party, the speaker was a strong advocate of freehold. Every man should have the right to purchase his land. The best system of a!! was the one the party at present in power would nut accept—the deferred payment system. He favoured this system as being the best and most liberal.

The liquor question was one whinh the views of politicians would always be sought, and was one on which he held strong views. Personally he had no time for the trade. It was bad for the country, and should be abolished. He favoured the absolute majority. This was a democratic country, and as such the majority should rule.

The Public Works Department had grown to a great extent, but reform was badly needed. He condemned the present sysetm of co-operative working, and greatly favoured the contract system. The co-operative works, he said, were nothing short of daylight robbery, of no good to the country or the workers, and were a bar to progress. Continuing, Mr Forbes spoke at some length on the Legislative Council question. He favoured the continuation of the Upper House, but the members should be elected.

Dealing with the present day taxation he considered that a reduction was absolutely necessary. He quoted figures in which it was shown that taxation was increasing at an alarming extent. It cost here £lO a head of the total population, while in England it cost only £4. This clearly showed how much reduction was required* Although opposed to the present Government, he was not opposed to Liberal principles. He favoured the Advances to Settlers Act, and also advocated the Advances to Workers Act. The Land for Settlement Act was one that wa3 doing good work, but should be conducted under a better system. He was opposed to the compulsory military training as it stood at present, and favoured the volunteer sys tem. Rifle clubs should also be encouraged. These latter should be given rifles just as the volunteers were, and ammunition should be provided on the same basis. In conclusion Mr Forbes said that what was really required was a change of Government, if only to get a true and correct statement of the financial position of the country—and this could not be got at the present day—a change would do a vast amount of good. The Opposition Party could not get the correct view, and he doubted whether any but a very few of the Government's own supporters knew the true position. The people of the country were asking for it, and if the electors of Taumarunui wanted to be with the flowing tide they would be required to elect a new representative. The speaker concluded by expressing his ambition to serve the constituents, and asked for their support.

Mr Bert Chappell, Dr Ramage, and Messrs J. Mitchell and W. F. Newberry all asked for the speaker's true position re compulsory military training.—Mr Forbes replied that he still held that the present method was of no use, and that he strongly favoured the volunteer system. He believed that ultimately the volunteer principle would be restored. On the motion of Mr Chappell, seconded by Mr H. Taylor, a hearty vote of thanks to Mr Forbes for his address was carried. Mr Forbes briefly replied, thanking those present for their patient hearing, and on his suggestion, a vote of thanks to the chairman was passed.