POLITICAL ADDRESS.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 19 June 1912, Page 3

POLITICAL ADDRESS.

HOPEFUL OF SUCCESS AT

COMING SESSION

The Hon. T. Mackenzie (Prime Minister), delivered a political address in the Foresters' Hall lasting from 8 p.m. to 9.30 p.m., which was attentively listened to by a large audience from all parts of the district, where the short notice of his visit had reached.

Mr Jas. Stewart (Chairman of the Town Board) occupied the chair, while Mr ,T. G. Uoates, M.P. for Kaipara, Mr Jas. McLeod (Member Waitemata County Council), Mr Hammond and Mr Isaac McLeod also occupied seats on tho stage.

Mr Jas. Stewart, in introducing the Prime Minister, said it was the first time for ten years that the Prime Minister of New Zealand had delivered a political address in HelensviLle. They had taken the opportunity of the Premier's visit to clear up one work (the opening of the Giounds at the Hot Springs) and starting another work (the Water and Drainage Scheme). They should not stop anyone from giving full benefit to a Minister who did his best for the Colony. Mr Mac < kenzie had had all the haid work to do with the Agricultural Department Avhen they opened experimental farms, and he deserves great praise for what they are to-day. These was only one thing that they would have to Jook after in the Colony and that was their exports.

The Prime Minister on rising was greeted with loud applause, He expressed his pleasure at so many turning out to hear a political address at this time of the year. He said the Chairman lißd touched upon one of the greatest things of importance at the present time, that of fostering exports with the Mother Country (applause). Alluding to tho agricultural farms now in the Colony, Mr Mackenzie pointed out that after all the hard work o- c getting these experimental farms to be of use to the farmers, some people still say that the Government should sell some of them ; he did not think so. Agriculture is the basis of this community, and everyone could get the benefits of the experiments on the farms free.

His stay at Helensville had been a great pleasure to him, their was only one thing that marred it, that was the unfortunate accident to Mr Becroft, one of the oldest members of the local Town Boar J and, he felt deeply foi the sufferer, and hoped that he would make a speedy recovery. Ho was gratified to see the progress the district was making, and would be only too pleased to within reason cooperate in carrying out further developments in the district. It was also gratifying to hear that Mr Myers' (Miniftfar for Railways) new railway services in this district had m«t with approval.

The Premier dealt with finance, and recapitulated the position which ho said was necessary. He contended that although much might be said regarding the public debt, the country was obtaining, directly and indirectly, more in return for its investments than it was paying on all the borrowed money. The Debt Extinction Bill will pay off all our borrowed monej'. Very considerable concessions have been made in taxation on the necessaries of life, and some items had been restored by the operation of riciprocal trade, which centred more of our imports on Great Britain's manufactured ' goods, taking as it were articles from our friends instead of buying from our opponents. Negotiations are being opened up, too, with Australia with the view of widening our system of exchange on mutually beneficial terms, and hope that in future we might be able to extend to Continental countries for some advantageous terms. £4,000,000 loax. We are censured about raising the £4,000,000 loan that is now on the English market, there is no pleasing some of our critics. He would not anticipate, as during the process of the flotation of a loan it was not wise to give away details. The Government was endeavouring to raise the loan on the best tenna, and they had advice from the Home Country. China and Canada were this year asking for an equivalent to about half the loan moneys advanced last year, but surely we are a better security than China at £99. One thing was clear—the money was required for paving off some maturing loans and in anticipation of moneys that were authorised and raised. The country, if it were to carry on its operations, must borrow, and one might ask whether it was likely that anyone else could have borrowed on more advantageous terms. Every item m connection with that loan would be j)laced upon the table of the House as soon as they were received. Of courso their critics would find fault, aud they did not take exception to that. Those who have no loans to raise can always raise loans the best. (Applause), There was a great development in the world at the present time, and more money was being sought than was available. To meet that industrial prosperity New Zealand required borrowed money to continue the many public and beneficial schemes so successfully undertaken—advances to settlers, roads, bridges, and railways, and the multitude of othor contributing^actors to the general prosperity of the country. Money if wisely spent developed a country and brought wider prosperity. (Appiause).

I.MPOKTS,

_ That becanse, last year, our exports did not come up to imports, alarmists said we were getting behind. That we wero £450,000 on the wrong side. But if the last three years were take*i they would find a balance of £604,000

in our favour, while over a period of 21 years the balance stood at no less than £61,500,000, or enough to pay our interest charges in that term. It had to be considered, also, that our internal wealth was increasing at the rate of about £10,000,000 annually. No one would deny that Canada was a distinctly progressive country; yet in the last three years she was no less than £94,000,000 on the wrong side in the balance of imports and exports. According to the alarmists our position therefore, even in that respect was excellent. lam also pleased to say, continued the Premier, that never were the prospects of our country brighter than they are at the moment.

More causes of our diminished exports last year, the Premier mentioned, were the fall in cotton and the vogue of the '• hobble" skirt, both had something to do with a decrease in the consumption of wool at Home, while the imports of meat into Great Britain also showed a decline of about £750,000. As to butter, the imports were 1631 tons less, while 5401 tons less of cheeee w rent into Great Britain than in 1910. Great Britain's trade last year was £300,000,000 more than in 1909, so that an increased demand for good supplies was inevitable. Our exports for the present year, he pointed out, in April increased by over £500,000 beyond those of April last year, while May showed a continuous increase, the surplus for the two months over the corresponding period last year being £1,090,000. (Applause) Referring to dairy produce, he said the increase during the past seven months had been phenominal, and far exceeded the total of any precede ing year's export, the increase for the period being from £2,750,000 to £3,----750,000 in value. LAND AND AGRICULTURE. On the question of land he said that the three cardinal features of the Governmdnt's policy would be closer settlement, closer settlement, and closer settlement. The Premier warned his hearers agaiust an undue inflation of land values on account of the high prices ruling, as it was hardly reasonable to expect that such an all-round improvement in prices would be consistently maintained, Speaking more particularly of agriculture, Mr Mackenzie said experi mental demonstrations had increased enormously, while he thought that they weie en the verge of success in connection with investigation. Regarding the mysterious disease affecting so large an area of bush country in the North, satisfactory progress had been made with the poor gum and pumice land, and eleven grants had been opened this year in gum lands that were considered valueless. The successful export of fruit to Great Britain and America had been established, while what could be called a discovery of world wide importance was that made at one research laboratory for the prevention of "fishiness" in butter. The Premier also referred to the phenominal returns from the Department's breed of Holsteins as an instance of what could be produced by high class dairying. One cow was found to be among the best cows of the world for her test, and another for her milk production (113.31bs of milk in 24 hours). He mentioned also, that the Department was working up Ayrshire and Shorthorns herds. The State farms had shown a profit of £4--600 for the past year. (Applause). It is siated that money is going out of the Dominion and people are leaving the country because there was no adequate return from investments and bocause of the misgovernment of the Dominion. The statement was incorrect. The returns from investments, if they looked at the reports of public companies, showed from 6 per cent to 33 per cent. Certainly people were leaving the country, but they are well to-do farmers sons who wish to secure larger arrears of land than it was the policy of tills Government to sanction, and for biggor returns, because the Government declared they should be content with a reasonable profit for their investments. 17,000 new settlers had been placed on the land, and 58 surveyors were employed cutting up land repurchased under the Alien Act. The policy the Government is going to follow is to give the people a chance to go on our land and live. During the last year one million acres had been alienated and brought into occupation. Agriculture was the main stay of- this Colony, and ' never in its history was the outlook more promising than at present, (Applause). Our meat supples have hardened, and wool was shorter here, but Australia had a good year. No matter which side goes in there would be a rise in meat. (Laughter), If he was on the Continent he would bo a Socialist, because the Socialists are fighting to get good and wholesome meat for the workers. (Hear, hear). We are instructing our settlors for nothing, and are endeavouring to da something that will bring- the exports of the Colony on the London market. .Fruit has been sent aud will command an excellent price, and there is also a market in the Argentine-.

I'fcEGKS OJ1 LOYALTY,

Eegarding the future, he could see only one course, and tnat was for those who spontauouslj pledged and covenanted at the Liberal conference help in Feburary to vote fqr the Leader selected to ca.rry out iheir pledge, Sir Joseph Ward stood down from the loade.shM. and other Ministers stated that they vere prepared to stand down also any t;;ko any position the \nvty thought Jiey should occupj, His own Avords at the conference were : "■ The party oan dispose of me as they ohoose, but, whether in or out of the Ministry, I will loyally support whoever is chpsen to lead. " It was claimed by the Opposition that they weie

going to win by seven votes, He regarded that statement as a reflection upon the pledged word of honourable men. Much was heard about the alleged breaking of pledges on the part of some of those who were returned at the last election, and the question was now asked by those opposed to the Government, *' Is the house to be dominated by four Labour men ?" When they remembered who was reponsible for bringing in those men, now held up to public odium, the observation was indeed striking, If there was a majority of seven to te recorded against the Govenment, that majority could only be secured by a departure from a solemn obligation, and he did not believe that any such departure would be made. He was abo confident that the constituents of every member of the Liberal party who met at the conference were confident that their representatives would cairy out their obligations. As a party, they desired to work for the good of the country, to have an opportunity to give effect to these factors for the good of the country. He wished to continue in office because he felt that he could be of some u&e after many years of training, both m New Zealand and abroad. He thought he might claim to know much of the conditions under which our people lived, especially our settlers. He would not wish to continue an hour in office were the people cf opinion that his servies would not be of value to them. There were many avenues in this developing country to which one's energies could be given, and there would be no moanings of regret should the people not consider that he was worthy of their support. (Applause.) The principles that the party was standing for was closer setlemeat and profitable occupation of the land, the stoppage of the aggregation of estates, and agricultural development. They had set up commissions of investigations regarding the Civil Service, the cost of iiving, and education. It was proposed to do away with the Second Ballot and try preferential voting. They had no programme promising a political paradise for a people without effect, economy and industry. They purposed working on sound, economic principles, realising that the world was moving and progressing^ and that those who wished to have a say in controlling the destinies of nations must move and revolve. Whilst extending as far as possible every assistance and concession to the people, they must keep a steady eye on the economic principles, the conditions under which we worked here, the markets that Aye had to sup ply, and the rivalry in these markets. If those conditions were carried out, the country would think less of political squabbles and more of the real interest that went to the building up of a community. Then they need not fear for the future of New Zealand.

Mr Hoe proposed: "A vote of thanks to the Premier and confidence in the Government, and trust that they will have a chance-to show their metal," which was seconded by Mr Rea and enthusiastically carried by acclamation. The Premier thanked them very much for their vote, and said the countiy, he believed, was sound at heart and the Party would have a chance to show their metal. He proposed a vote of thanks to Mr Jas. Stewart for presiding, which was endorsed by the audience.