POLITICAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1230, 7 April 1914, Page 3

POLITICAL.

MR, ROBERTSON AT FOXTON. Mr John Robertson, M.P. for Otaki, delivered an address iu the Coronation Hall last night belore an audience of about 300. Mr Heunessy, Chairman of the Harbour Board, presided, and the speaker was accorded a splendid bearing throughout. In opening, Mr Robertson said that interest in politics at the present lime was very keen in consequence of the general election at the end of the year, and any speeches delivered now would be considered more in the light of campaigning for the coming fight than post sessional addresses. Mr Robertson went on to deal with the legislation and administration ol the Massey Party since it had been in power, aud said that during this time in almost every division be had found himself in the lobby voting against the Government. He had done this because he honestly believed that the administration by the Government of the laws already on the Statute Book was not in the best interests of the people as a whole, and that their legislative efforts were worthy of condemnation. Dealing with Mr Fisher’s recent address, the speaker said there was nothing new in it, and was mostly personal expressions of opinion by the Minister, aud not the opinions of the party to which he belonged. Mr Fisher seemed to take an immense amount of credit because the Government had not abolished old age pensions, manhood suffrage, cheap money schemes, State Fite Insurance, etc., as he said had been predicted by Mr Russell and others, thus claiming credit for things the Government had not done rather than for what they had done. Mr Fisher had said that the Old Age Pension scheme should be further developed—aud the speaker agreed with him —aud in doing so defended the men who had opposed the Act when first passed as it was on a wrong basis, and penalised the thritty. Mr Fisher did not mention, however, that the Amendment he brought In last session was also on the same basis, yet these same men who previously opposed it supported it last session. A certain amount of credit was taken by the Minister for the establishment of the Military Pensions, but this pension was only £lO per year. An applicant had to first qualify for the Old Age Pension and the additional j£io was added tor his services during the Maori war. It Mr Fisher considered this was an adequate pension for the services rendered the speaker did not think he would find many ot the old veterans iu agreement with him. The Massey Party had promised to reform the fiscal system by reducing the customs tariff iu order to lessen the cost of living, but, as a matter of fact, during the time they had been in office the cost of living had increased. So far as being able to reduce the cost of living they were an arrant failure, and their sincerity in this matter was disproved by the fact that they had not given the House an opportunity of discussing the report of the Cost of Diving Commission. Mr Fisher said there was far too much money expended in training men in the art ot war, and too little iu training them for the battle of life. But what had his Government done ? The expenditure under the first head bad been increased by over and that for Education by only £22,000. Mr Robertson next dealt with Mr Fisher’s attitude on the land question. He was in the uncomfortable position of having to back up the Squatters’ Government, and when confronted with the question side stepped it by asking, “what about the beer monopoly?” The speaker said the patty he belonged to would assist Mr Fisher, or anyone else, to break up the beer monopoly, and also the land monopoly. The speaker dealt with civil service control, stating that the present system of control by Commissioners was much inferior to that previously in existence. Speaking on the industrial situation, Mr Robertson said that last election the Massey Party promised legislation to induce industrial peace, but wbat had happened ? Mr Fisher bad said that he did not deny the right of a workman to strike, but he did say that no man bad a right to prevent another from doing the work which he himself would not do. Mr Robertson said that those were his sentiments also, and be believed that all disputes were best settled by arbitration, and they were mostly settled in that way. It was essential, however, in order to have effective arbitration, that workmen should have confidence in it, and be prepared to go to it rather than go on strike. Mr Robertson charged the Government with wrongly administering the industrial legislation at present on the Statute Book, and said that as far as arbitration was concerned they had done more in two years to destroy the system than any workers opposed to it could do in filty years. He strongly condemned the Government’s attitude io allowing the registration of a union where another already existed, and in allowing unions to register rules that make them a close corporation in so far that the executive have power to say who shall or shall not be permitted to become a member and be afforded an opportijnity of gaining a livelihood in the particular industry concerned, and yet Mr Fisher sard he was opposed to anything that would deny the right to anyone to work if h£ wanted to. The speaker dealt with Mr Massey’s

attitude in connection with the recent strike, contending that bad he shown any appreciation of the responsibility devolving on him as Prime Minister, the strike would have been settled in the first tea days. He referred to the repeal of the Second Ballot Act without a substitute being put in its place, and said that in doing this the Government had shown that they recognised their only hope of being returned to power was on a minority vote of the electors, Mr Robertson concluded by stating that during the time he had represented the constituency in Parliament he had never recognised political colour in connection with any local requirements, and had always worked with those connected in assisting the development of the district. As far as the position of the Boston wharf was concerned, this district certainly had a grievance against the Government. The value ot the wharf had been created by the people in the district, and it should belong to those people —it was their birthright and heritage. He paid a tribute to the hard work Mr Heunessy, the Chairman of the Harbour Board, was doing in connection with this matter. On resuming his seat, Mr Robertson was loudly applauded. There was only one question asked, and Mr Meder moved, and Mr McKegney seconded, that Mr Robertson be accorded a vote of thanks and confidence in him as representative of this district. This was carried with only one or two dissentient voices.

The chairman was accorded a vote of thanks for presiding, and the meeting terminated with three cheers for Mr Robertson.