POLITICAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1327, 21 November 1914, Page 3

POLITICAL.

MR FIELD AT FOXTON.

Mr W. H. Field, Reform candidate- for the Otaki seat at the forthcoming general election, delivered an address in the Coronation Hall on Thursday evening. The Mayor (Mr G. H. Stiles) presided and there was an attendance of about 350,

Mr Field, in opening said there had been adverse comment relative to the elections being held at present, on account of the European crisis. Personally he did not see ( why they should be postponed. To 1 postpone them for three or six months would be no use as probably the war would be raging fiercer than ever then, and it they were, postponed until the end of the war there would perhaps not be an election for three years. Taking all the circumstances into account it was better that they should be held at the usual time. Referring to the present contest Mr Field said there were originally four candidates, but Mr Brown had since withdrawn and on account of illness it was very probable that Mr Gardener would be unable to continue the contest. He very much regretted the reason of Mr Gardener’s probable withdrawal and knew that all would join in wishing him a speedy recovery. It had been said that he (Mr Field) and his friends had put Mr Gardener up in order to split Votes with Mr Robertson but he assured them this was not so, as he had neither the money or the inclination to do this. On the other hand it had been said that Mr Robertson had put Mr Gardener up to split votes with him (Mr Field), but he was equally sure that this statement also was untrue. Mr Field said he was in rather a peculiar position as three years ago he contested the seat as a supporter of the Liberal Government, and he was now taking another course. He first entered Parliament in 1899 as a supporter of the late Mr Seddon, but at that time he made a strong stipulation that he should have absolute freedom on the land question. On this question he had voted against the Government and in 1910 had voted against them on a no-confidence motion relating to land tenure. When he entered Parliament the party led by the late Sir William Russell was comprised mostly of Conservatives, but there had been a great change since then. On the late Mr Seddon’s side there were all shades of Liberals ; moderate Liberals, which section the speaker said he belonged to, Radicals and later moderate Labourites, but until now they bad never had any Social Democrats. It was the policy of the latter that he and other moderate Liberals could not agree with. Mr Field said he and other members of the party—comprising what was know as the Country Liberal Party—had in the past protested against certain parts of the Liberal policy and succeeded in getting it altered. In 1906 Mr McNab had brought down his Land Bill, a leasehold one, which did not commend itself to his party, and so it was withdrawn. Likewise with the Tariff Bill dealing with dairy and mining machinery. Referring to the present situation as far as the Otaki seat was concerned, the speaker said that about the middle of 1913 he (Mr Field) had received a letter from the Liberal Party, and Mr Russell, member for Avon, had waited on him and asked him to leave the Otaki seat alone, and thus give Mr Robertson, who bad been useful to the Liberal Party, a free run.

It was suggested that he stand for the Wellington East or Suburbs seat. He refused and said that the only seat he would contest was Otaki, stating that he wished to defeat Mr Robertson, who had wrested the seat from him in 1911. He pointed out to Mr Russell that bis mind was made up on the point and that the party could do as it wished. He intimated his intention of taking an independent stand. When he was in Parliament there were no Social Democrats, and he considered it the duty of every moderate to endeavour to prevent men of such persuasion being returned. Some time ago, in an interview with Mr Massey, the Premier told him that the Government was sorry they took the action they did against him in the second ballot. He replied that it did not matter, as it was all over, and therefore the end of it Mr Massey said he felt sure he <the speaker) was best fitted for the seat, and asked him if he would stand as a Government candidate if promised its support. He said he was willing to stand as an Independent.' and Mr Massey said if so, the Government would support him, so he bad become the Reform candidate without joining the party. Some time later he saw Sir Joseph Ward, and told him what had transpired, ahd there was no ill-feeling occasioned. As the election approached he saw that Mr Massey was anxious to adopt him as a candidate, and, after conferring with several of his old supporters, they agreed that he should stand for one side or the other. He acquiesced. He had never asked tor Mr Massey’s support, but had agreed to support him on a no-confidence motion. Heater, Reform meetings were held in the Otaki electorate, in which the electors themselves, took a hand. After reading newspaper reports, he had intimated his willingness to stand down from the seat if anyone else was preferred. The delegates agreed upon him, but subsequently Mr Brown expressed dissatisfaction and it was resolved that the matter should be left to Cabinet to decide pnd Cabinet had selected him (Mr

Field). Mr FidJ then read an extract from the Post of March last which was a declaration ot his independence, and in which he stated he intended to stand for Otaki. His policy was Mr Massey’s, the latter having absorbed all the planks in his platform. For the seat they had Mr Robertson, a Social Democrat, whose politics he could not agree with, and no more could any moderate. Touching on the matter as to wherein the Government had fulfilled its pledges, ne said he would take back nothing of what he said three years ago. He had admitted that Sir Joseph Ward was the most cruelly maligned man in New Zealand, and he said so now. He was still an upholder of Sir Joseph in many respects. He was a supporter of limitation of lands, and he was glad to see the Natives put on the same footing as Europeans. As for Public Service Reform, he was against it to a certain extent, but some ,£47,000 a year had been saved, and the Government deserved credit. The Government bad attended to town-planning, and had improved the pension scheme. The age for women to receive the pension was reduced. A wise provision had been passed relative to industrial peace, and every attempt had been made to settle it in an amicable way. The Government had done much re rural workers’ homes, which Mr Massey had always advocated. Mr Field contended the Reform Party had come into power at a bad time, which was topped of! by the war. Mr Field said that the Massey Party on coming into power had adopted the whole of the Liberal policy and bad built upon it and had in addition granted the freehold to Crown tenants. It had also been shown that the Massey Government was quite in earnest in the steps they had taken. Dealing with the Licensing question, the candidate said that he was opposed to local option and would do all he could to have this issue deleted. If this were done he would support a 55 per cent, majority on the national issue, but if the two issues were retained he would still adhere to the threefifths majority. He was opposed to a referendum on the Bible-in-Schools question. In conclusion Mr Field asked that no attempt should be made to pass a vote of confidence. He would be pleased to receive a vote of thanks, but asked that the confidence be shown at the ballot box. In the past he had always done his best to further the interests of the district and if elected would continue to do so.

A number of questions were answered aud ou the motion of Mr C. F. Johnston, seconded by Mr B. G. Gower, the speaker was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for his able and instructive address.

The meeting terminated with cheers for Sir Joseph Ward and counter cheers for Mr Massey.