THE ELECTIONS

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 30 October 1914, Page 5

THE ELECTIONS

MR RICHARD HOE AT

HELENSVILLE

The above Opposition candidate opened out his campaign in the Star Theatre on Tuesday evening last, with Mr R. Nicholls in the chair. The attendance was large, even though . a great Masonic function was held the same evening. Criticising the present Government, Mr Hoe maintained that they were elevated to office not by the will of the majority of the people, but by the broken pledges of a few professed Liberals. The Reform Leader had maintained, prior to his advent to power, that taxation was too high —-it then stood at £4 16s lid per head of population. It has since risen to £5.752 d! Showing how little effort the Reformers have made to „ reduce it. Mr Massey had posed as "the farmers' friend," but it was well to inquire what I justification there was for this title. He had voted 32 times { against the Advances to Settlers Act, wh'c'i was essentially a small farmers' measure. From the initiation of the Act the money advanced had been available to pay off settlers' existing mortgages, but the present Prime Minister had made the astounding statement in Auckland and at Te Kuiti that this was not so, and claimed credit to his administration for this provision. He professed anxiety to help the backblock settler by roads and bridges—and condemned loudly political railways. How about the North Auckland line. The Liberals left a vote of £80,000 and Mr Massey promised to spend it and continue at the same rate next year. Yet he only spent £78,000 the first year, and reduced the expenditure last! year to £48,000 which is £30,000 I less than the Liberal Government actually spent in their last year of office. This was not done owing to shortage of money, because at the same time the Reform Government are starting a number of vote-catching side" lines, one of them in Mr Massey's own constituency, for which there is a vote of £25.000, though the settlers on the route of the . North Auckland line need railway facilities ten times as much as the people of Waiuku.

The Reformers had declaimed against the extravagant borrowing policy of the Liberals ; but the official figures proved that during the last six years of office the Ward Government had borrowed at the rate of three and a~half millions a year> while the record of the Massey Administration had been over five and ahalf millions the first year, and this did not include the renewals which Mr Allen is making so much fass about.

Continuing, Mr Hoe said the people of New Zea]and could with assured confidence return to power the Liberal Party, which introduced and established the whole of the humane and progressive legislation that distinguishes the most progressive 20 years of our history, and at the present time there is no safer man to place at the head of affairs than Sir Joseph Ward, who is familiar with all the details of finance and defence. He is a recognised Imperial statesman, and his return to power should have a good effect on foreign opinion.

Mr Hoe announced that he was in favour qf 55 per cent carrying the N,q-Ucense question.

A hearty vote of thanks and confidence in Mr Hoe an.d the Liheral Party w-as carried enthusiastically amid cheers,