POLITICAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 1064, 2 November 1911, Page 3

POLITICAL.

MR. MONCKTON AT FOXTON.

Mr C. A. W. Moucktou, the official Opposition candidate, delivered his first address locally in the Atav.nr.c Hall last night. Owing to counter attractions there was only a small attendance. His Worship the Mayor (Mr G. H. Stilesd presided and briefly introduced the speaker.

Mr Moucktou, 111 opening, expressed regret that he should have struck a night on which there was such a big counter attraction. They were persistently told by the supporters of the Continuous Ministry, said the speaker, that the Reform Party could do nothing but criticise. This was one of those hail-truths that were the blackest of lies, and the statement was made either through ignorance, or a wilful attempt to deceive. The parly system of Government called for a Government party and au Opposition party. Tire function of the former was to have a clear and definite policy on matters of first-rate importance, and to stick to that policy until they had carried it or were defeated on some important planks. The function of the Opposition was to criticise that policy, point out weaknesses, check iutemperate or ill-considered legislation —and he thought the Ward Government had treated them to samples ot legislation of this description. Referring to Sir Joseph Ward’s Libel Bill, Mr Moucktou said that the right that no man should be sent to gaol except by the verdict of twelve ot his countrymen was the verdict of the rights wrested by the barons from King John ; yet that right had been taken from them by the so-called Liberal Premier, assisted by Sir John Findlay. The Libel Bill also provided that the truth of a charge brought by oue man against another was uo defence. Another thing that the Ward Government had treated this country to was secret Courts of Justice. The speaker dealt with the case of T. Kennedy Macdonald, aud contrasted the treatment meted out to him with that ot a poor mau, who, aiuiough in the last stages of consumption, had been arrested lor the embezzlement of a sum of .£4. In Macdonald’s case, where thousands ot pounds were involved, the man got off on the grounds that the doctors said if he were imprisoned it might affect the state of his health. He asked did it not appear from these facts that there was oue law for the rich aud another for the poor. From secret courts, said the speaker, they came to secret legislation, and in this connection he quoted the Mokau laud scaudal. By means of an Order-in-Couucil, huge block of land had beeu hauded over to a lot of sharks aud speculators. The Natives had beeu cajoled and bullied into parting with their land at about one-third of its value. Ot those connected with the Mokau laud deal was the firm of Findlay aud Beale —of which Sir John Findlay was a member, and also Mr R. McNab, late Minister for Lauds. Referring to the Parliamentary Committee set up to inquire into this matter, Mr Moucktou said it was composed of nine Government supporters aud iwo members of the Reform Party. The evidence adduced at the enquiry, however, showed that the native owners were beaten out of their laud at about a third its value. Contiuumg ou the matter of secret legislation the speaker said the present Government had a happy way of putting a little clause in their bills, empowering the Goveruor-in-Couucil to revoke, modify, or increase the operation of the measure, and hardly au act of any importance had been passed of late without this devilish clause being tacked ou. This really meant that the Minister m charge of the Department to which any particular Act referred to had power to deal with that Act practically as he liked. The present Governmeut had also shown them that a Minister need not be the elect ot the people—he could even be a mau who had beeu rejected by the people. He instanced the ease of Sir John Fiudlay, who had first been given a seal iu the Legislative Assembly and afterwards raised to Cabinet rank. Pouching ou the question ot finance, Mr Moucktou said the same surreptitious puucy was also followed iu regard to this matter, aud he instanced the five miliiou loau which the Premier raised in Loudou some time back. No oue knew what the loau cost, who got brokerage, commission, etc., aud when Mr Allen moved a resolution to the effect that particulars of all loans be furnished the House witam a year ot sucu loan being raised, the Premier characterised that very proper clause uj politically offensive, and it was thrown out. A more monstrous piece of political ailrontery was impossible :o couceive of. The speaker dealt with a speech made by Mr Field at Leviu recently. On that occasion Mr Field said that no Government had passed more measures lor the benefit and welfare of the masses than the present government. This statement Mr Moucktou characterised as “tommy roc.” There were a number ot things that Mr Field might have told them but didn’t. He did not tell them that they had to raise ,£330,000 to pay tor a Dreadnought and other purposes, and in order to provide lor this the Government had raised taxation to ,£’448,000. What the people wanted to kuow was what became ot the surplus ot £,118,000. Mr Field also omuted 10 state lh.it according to Mr G. W. Russeil and other Government members, laud settlement—the most import-

ant thing in a young country — was at a standstill. He also failed to tell them that, whereas taxes on laud realised ,£385,755 in 1905-06, they realised £,’642,270 in 1909-10, or au increase of over a quarter of a million sterling. The speaker pointed out that, though empowered to spend ,£500,000 a year on land settlement, in 1910 the Government only spent ,£260,793, in 1909 ,£339,630, aud in 1908 ,£565,728. He asked them to remember that 1908 was election year. Yet, during the three years they had spent .£338,849 less than should have beeu done on land settlement. What had been done with this money ? The Government members also forgot to tell them that the customs and excise taxation iu New Zealand was higher than that of any other country iu the world. This was a tax that hit all alike—the rich man aud the old age pensioner. The Customs taxation per head of the population in the different countries was; Russia, 7s id ; Germany, 15s 2d; Italy, 19s gd ; United States, 13s 4d; Great Britain, ,£1 11s 3d ; Canada, £,2 2s nd ; Australia, £2 10s ?d; New Zealand £3 gs yd. It was true Sir Joseph Ward had done something towards reducing duties on certain articles, such as motor cars, billiard tables, silks, etc., the presumption being that these articles were regarded as necessities by our newly-created aristocratic democracy. (Loud laughter.) Such articles as bicycles, barley, flour, etc., still carried heavy duties. He said that raw cotton-thread was admitted into the country free of duty. This was solely used to adulterate woolleu goods—to make shoddy—aud the speaker said that by allowing this in duty free it looked as if someone had shares in our woollen mills. The candidate said that Mr Field might have told them, but did not, that the late Mr Ballauce in two years added only ,£BOO,OOO to our public debt, and Mr Seddon in 13 years added £,’21,526,401, while Sir Joseph Ward in five years had contrived to add ,£20,166,917. At the time of Mr Seddon’s death our debt was ,£6O per head ; now it stood at ,£So. This, said Mr Moucktou, was the result of being governed by what Mr Field termed the best Government they could get. If they could not get better government than this, he would be greatly surprised. Referring to the system of taxation, he said, to his mind the only fair system was on income. The customs taxation was unfair as the man with a wife and family of five had to pay six times as much as the bachelor. Under a properly devised income tax system these two men would pay alike. Referring briefly to the laud question, Mr Moucktou said, he favoured the freehold tenure and in the face of the Hon. Mr Millar's statement iu connection with the lease in perpetuity, he did not see how anyone could favour that tenure. Mr Millar had stated that the death of a lessee would cancel the lease. Real measures were wanted to prevent the reaggregation of land. To effect this, he would classify the lands of the Dominion, aud fix the area any man should hold, aud if a person acquired more than the prescribed area, the title to the surplus laud should become null aud void, and the laud revert to the State. At the conclusion of the address the Chairman said that the candidate would be pleased to answer auy questions.

There was ouly oue question asked and in reply to this Mr Moucktou said he favoured the 3-stbs majority on the liquor question.

On the motion of Mr Gower seconded by Mr Thynue, the candidate was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for his address. A vote of thanks to the chair concluded the meeting.