POLITICAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2508, 21 November 1922, Page 2

POLITICAL.

MR. LINKLATER AT PONTON

M> J. Liiiklafer, Reform candidate for Ma.nawatu, addressed the electors ;ii Foxion last night. There wns an attendance of between 300 and 100 present, including a percentage of ladies. The Mayor (Mr ChryMall) presided. During the address Mr E. G. Martin of the labour Party, kept up a running fire of interjections, which, if they served no other purpose, had the effect of strengthening the support of the candidate. Mr W • Adams (Liberal) was in merry mood and persisted in making remark.-- of a more otic;-- irrelavent nature, which at time.-, sent the audience into fits of laughter. The candidate, however, look the interruptions in good part Olid left a good impression. In his introductory remarks the Mayor expressed his pleasure at seeing so many ladies present and referred to the part women were dc-tined to play in the government, of the country. Speaking of the candidate, the Mayor expressed his personal admiration of Mr Linklater and paid a line tribute to his high moral character. He said men of moral character were needed in Parliament, compared with which eloquence was a secondary consideration. Speaking humourously lnsaid they had not now a “Joseph’’ in Parliament. He referred to the ••-to.-cpli's” who lout taken a prominent part in the British Parliament and to Sir Joseph Ward in New Zealand polities. He regretted that the latter was not now in politics. However, they had now an opportunity of returning a “.Joseph” to Parliament whose character was above suspicion and whose colour was “true blue" (applause). He referred to the candidate’s activities in local public affairs. Mr Linklatcr who was received with applause, thanked the chairman for his llattering introduction and felt that he was not a stranger in Poston, where he had many friends. Mr Linklater briefly referred to his connection with local bodies, and then expressed regret nt the retirement of Mr Newman, which will he a great loss to tin* country. Mr Newman has always been recognised as a thoughtful speaker, well-qualified to express an opinion upon important problems, and as a member and chairman of the Lands Committee for the last ten years he has worked hard not only for his constituency but for the whole of New Zealand. The speaker explained why he had decided to go in for politics. When Mr Newman’s retirement was announced he was asked to accept nomination, i Ini! had hesitated, as he thought the I task might lie too much for him. He | had yielded to representations, feel- : ing that as year after year he had gone in for local body polities, lie might reasonably venture in a larger sphere, lie had served his apprenticeship in local politics and fell that at least he had mastered the A B C of wider politics. Ho assured his hearers that if elected he would do his best. “We are living in critical times," he said, “in days of unrest such as., have never been equalled in the history of man. Happily the war clouds have lifted and he spoke with gratitude of the fact that this Dominion had shown its readiness to assist tlie Mother country should it be necessary in the recent crisis. There was not only war from without, hut there ■is war from within. We must be on guard against. Bolshevists and revolutionaries who would, were the power and opportunity given them, break up the Empire, built up by our British forefathers. With the possibility of war overhanging us, and other dangers we must he careful to return men who will uphold our liberties and stable Government. Today the Government were faced with grave difficulties in effecting problems brought about by the aftermath of war and care should be exercised in eleetiug men best lilted to deal with these problems. There are three parties to choose from —Liberal (Mr Wilford), Labour (Mr Holland), and Reform (Mr Massey). Mr Wilford does not seem to have made great strides as a statesman or in keeping his Party together. Many had left him, realising that there is more Liberalism in Reform. The speaker thought Lhat as Mr Wilford had gone with Labour to defeat the Government on proportional representation lie should be left out of the calculations. Mr Holland has with him Mich front rankers as Messrs McCombs, Eraser, Howard, and others noted for their admiration of nonBritish methods of Government and secretly or more or less openly, in favour of the Soviet system us it obtains in Russia. As private citizens, they are worthy men, but they stand on one common platform, their object being the socialisation of Lhe means ol' production, distribution and exchange. The speaker wondered lhat the ideals they uphold can take root in a country u hick has the freest form of representative Government and a heritage of promise second to none. He hoped we would never have the same conditions in this country as prevail in Russia. The speaker read a letter written by Air Rod Ross (who was referred to as a “traitor” by Mr Martin) to a contemporary, in which he stated : “As one who has been in the inner circle of the Labour Party for many years and who has tried to put Labour’s land policy on honest lines, I am able to state, without fear of contradiction, that the Labour Party’s land policy was drawn up for the special purpose of deceiving the farmer; in other words, to catch the innocent farmers’ votes.” Excluding the Labour Party, there are the so-called

Liberals and the Reformers; the difference in policy is very little, a case of tweedledum and tweedledee. Sir John Finlay defined Liberalism as standing for freedom and, equality —economic freedom as well as political, and equality of opportunity, for freedom of individual effort for justice and security; for law and order, so that each shall have secured to him the fruit of his labour, the reward of his effort, he it manual or mental: for the sacred personal freedom of the individual in his home, his religion and honest convictions. Liberalism is neither revolutionary, visionary, or selfishly individualistic, and it stands for the moral and physical well-being of the people. A hove all, the keynote of Liberalism is freedom and equality.” Mr Massey has followed this out to the letter. He has not repealed one Liberal measure, bnt many have been improved on, the speaker,instancing t lie workers dwellings, old age, widows, and other pensions. Mr Massey’s policy is progressive a ild* enlightened. Sir John Findlay had declared that the Liberal Party s( , far as it professed to represent the Liberalism of Ballance and Sedd.m, is dead, and that the present Prime Minister is the truest exponent of Liberalism. Many Liberals are now on his side, as they recognise that he rings true. During the ten years he has had a more trying Vtime than any of his predecessors. During the war he had doiie just wlmt he should do, and there is no l>l;,i-« in the Empire in which he would not be an honoured guest. It would lie foolish to dispense with the services which he is so ready to give. A great many charges had been levelled, against the Reform Government. Oners that wages have been lowered, whereas, as a matter of fact, they have been increased. In 1910-11, tlip year before the Reform Government took office, the average wage per male worker was £!)!) Is 9d, females everaging £SO 2d. In 1920-21 the wages were practically doubled, the average being. for males, £2lO (is lOd, females, £S)O 5s Id. The position as far as the average payments are concerned is better than the figures indicate because of the number of boy and girl apprentices. The average pay for Civil Servants in 1913 was £IBB Is, in 1921-22, £283 19s lid. The “cut” does not leave the State employee in anything like the poor condition he was in in 1913. The speaker favoured paying good wages for work done. When produce was . high it was easy to pay high wages, tm! when produce came down it. was impossible t 6 pay high wages. He hoped that no more cuts will be neeessarv —that high production and high wages will again tie paid. The_£f increase in bonus entailed an expenditure of £4,500,000, which had to be found by the taxpayers. In 1916 taxpayers contributed £2,430,177 to the revenue, and in 1922 £9,‘137,924. Revenue began to slumpin 1921-22, there being a falling oft' l( f over £6, 800,000. No less than £900,000 is outstanding on account of land and income tax assessments. Last year’s collections totalled £7,640,803 and some people cavil at a rebate of £400,000. He pointed out that our Civil Servants get £6 10s 9d more than the average Civil Servant in the Commonwealth of Australia, and referred to the Government’s liberality in educational matters; the increase of pay to teachers, salaries increasing by nearly a million and recognising that education is the primary need of the people expenditure has been increased by 2f millions per annum. Every year there is an increase of 13,000 school children, and schools must- be built and refitted. Last year 706 new schools were erected, 035 being small country schools. The health of the children is being attended to, and it is hoped by the end of 1923 that classes will not be bigger than 40. IT we are to judge the Government by its humanitarian __ legislation we are forced to the conclusion that it deserves better of the people than its predecessors, he said and enlarged on the increased pensions. Government has passed over 50 Acts of direct benefit to the workers, an indication that the old .Liberal-La hour Party has had no monopoly of labour legislation. The Workers' Dwellings Acts passed in 1.005 by the late Mr Seddon had only'been administered in the most perfunctory manner. In the first O.i years only 209 dwellings were constructed. In their first three .years the Massey Government constructed 422 and during the lastthree years 11,110 and have erected them at a cost of £6,542,119. Workmen should Ijc made as comfortable as' possible, and the Government which does these things surely deserves the confidence ol the workers. The rate of interest in the having Bank lias been raised from 3A ui 4 per cent. When the Reform Government came into office theyentered into an era oi" unexampled prosperity, which was only checked by Uie war. The average worker is belter off’ to-day than ne was in 1912 when the Government accepted office, it is against all reason to suppose tiiauauy country can make progress or attain true prosperity under a reactionary or non-progres-sive Government. The workers' prosperity is reliected in Savings Banks deposits, insurance, policies, and Friendly Societies. Despite the slump the hanking position is sound, our public securities are in good demand, aud our credit stands high in the London market. Bank deposits in 1912 were £25,622,083, and in 1920 £59,405,431, an increase of £23,783,25b; an average of £49 16s 3d per head, a pretty sure sign of _ the country’s prosperity under Reform administration. There is still the public debt to deal with, hut he was pleased to say things are on the turn. Stock prices are improving,

and be felt confident as to the future. The Government has helped the farmei’, and had liberalised the land laws of the country in a thorough fashion. In establishing the freehold, it had done a good thing tor New Zealand. The farmer likes to own the land he works. The purchase of Ocean and Nauru Islands provides an inexhaustible supply of -phosphates, which is a good thing, for- tlie farmers of the country. The Board of Agriculture established in 1913 has done good work, instructors disseminating ■useful knowledge all through. the Dominion and .doing good work in promoting ' crop growing competitions between school hoys and girls. Referring to the commandeer, he said the Government undertook the marketing of produce during the war and had saved the farmers w r ho had to depend on Government getting the produce to the Home markets. This resulted in £1110,000,000 being paid to the producers of the country. The Meat Export Producers’ Board has done good wark, and will continue doing so. Producers have already been saved £600,000. Mr Linklafer referred to the prosecution of the hydro-electric schemes hv the Government and said When the juice was turned op it would add lo the productivity of the country. Another plank in the Government policy was the afforestation and the reclamation of sand dunes. He referred to the thousands of acres of waste land of this nature on this coast which in the years to come would be made profitable by afforestation. Concluding, Mr Linklater assured the meeting that the Reform. Party has the welfare of the ’ whole community at heart. He looked with pride on what the .Reform Party has' done in the cause of human freedom and human happiness.. The Government is struggling with difficulties greater than have been ever known in this great country before, hut is bravely carrying oil the good fight. “At their head,” he said,-“we have men who are willing to sacrifice their best energies in the cause of democracy, and to those men T have decided to attach myself. XVliellier- in or out of Parliament, whether speaking with "that authority which rightly belongs to the representative of this great and enlightened community of expressing the sentiments of a humble citizen, T will maintain my fidelity to the principles of truth and justice.” He coneluded by thanking his audience for the good hearing accorded him and was accorded a heart round of applause upon resuming" his seat. - ’ Questions were then invited and Mr Martin asked if the candidate was in favour of the Levin-Marlon railway? Mr Linklafer replied in the affirmative. Mr Martin: Why were you hostile to if before the Commission? Mr Linklafer: Dead men and fools are the only ones who do not change their minds (applause). Ladies and gentlemen, I am in favour of the Levin-Marton railway. Mr Martin: You said Mr Ross was a member of the Labour Party. That'is not true. Mr Linklafer: Tt is useless for MiMartin to try a.ud repudiate Mr Ross who was a leader of the Labour Party and conducted a socialistic school in Palmerston. Mr'Adams created a diversion by an imitation of Mr Massey’s statement on land for settlement and yet the Government paid large sums of money for soldier settlements. ’ Mr Linklater said they thought too much of the soldiers to ask them to take up such land. “Mr Adams charged the Government with putting a man with a family of thirteen children “on the rocks.” '

Mr Linklater said he had not heard of the case and did'not know the circumstances. The Government had done its best to assist men with large families. “ Mr Oscar Jacobsen asked if the candidate was in favour of reducing wages at Mangabao and increasing the cost of living to tlie men. " Mr Linklater said he could not a-f»i-ee to any hardships being inflicted on the men.

Mr Martin said if the conn Ivy was so prosperous why was it necessary to have soup kitchens?

■Mr Linklater: T didn’t know we had soup kitchens but whatever Ihe prosperity some men would take advantage of soup kitchens.

Mr Oscar Jacobsen moved a vote of no confidence, which lacked a seconder.

’Mr B. Gower moved a vote of thanks and confidence in the candidate and the Reform Government, seconded by Mr W. E. Barber. Mr Adams moved an amendment that a vote of thanks he accorded the candidate.

Mr Oscar Jacobsen' urged the chairman to accept his araendmeijt. 'The chairman then put Mr Adams’ amendment which met with lifftle response, the motion being carried almost unanimously and with a round of applause intermingled with a hoot.

. The usual compliment to the chair terminated the meeting.