POLITICAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3860, 20 October 1928, Page 4

POLITICAL.

SIR JOSEPH WARD’S SPEECH

CRITICISED BY PRIME MINISTER. DUNEDIN, Oct. 18. The Prime Minister addressed a crowded audience at the Princess Theatre to-night. All New Zealand’s recent troubles, he said, had been economic and were due to outside com ditions. The country had to accept lower prices for its products, yet in each of the last three years it .had had a surplus. Taxation had decreased £1 per head since 1914 and was now £2 per head less than in Australia. The Government was making provision for returned soldiers who were cracking up. Mr Coates dealt at length with Sir Joseph Ward’s speech at Auckland and described his scheme to borrow £70,000,000 as “borrow, boom and burst. ’’ Credit would be gone, he said, and the oxchange system would break down with evil effects on the prices of primary products. Sir Jolbpfi had made a complete change of front in a year. He had hitherto lost no opportunity of criticising the Government’s borrowing. Tne scheme was an ill-considered expedient to purchase temporary prosperity without regard to the fact that the war debt and war obligations were keeping taxation high. CANDIDATES’ ADDRESSES INVERCARGILL, Oct. 18. Mr S. M. Macalister, solicitor, has agreed at the. request of a representative deputation to contest the Invercargill seat at the forthcoming election. He will be an independent Reform candidate. DUNEDIN, Oct. 18. Mr Charles Robert Smith, deputy chairman of the. Co-operative Dairy Co. of Otago, has been selected as the United Party’s official candidate for Dunedin North. CARTERTON, Oct. 18. The first gun in the Wairarapa political campaign was fired at Greytown last night, when Mr T. W. McDonald (United Party) gave his opening address. He attacked the Government on its alleged vote-catching policy. Ho declared himself in favour of continuance and strongly condemned the imposition of flour duties. He twitted the Minister of Agriculture and the Minister of Lands on making contradictory statements regarding land for settlement. The former said that there was little or no demand for land and that the latter said he could find men if the land were available. MASTERTON, Oct. 18. Mr G. R. Sykes, the sitting member and Reform candidate, had a good, though quiet hearing this evening. He vigorously defended the Government’s policy and administration, citing what it had done for the farmers, workers and other sections of the population. NELSON. Oct. 18. Mr R. P- Hudson, M.P., in opening his campaign for the Motueka seat said that lie was proud to say that he had represented the electors as a member of the Reform Party for 14 years. There was only two distinct parties in the field, one Labour and the other anti-Labour. He strongly supported the various Government measures introduced to assist farmers and workers. An advance of 95 per cent for workers’ • homes was strongly approved. GISBORNE, Oct. 18. The United Party candidate for the Gisborne seat, Mr W. L. Clayton, opened his campaign to-night at Matawhero. The speaker spoke largely on general lines. He condemned .Mr Coates for interference with private enterprise, especially in connection with biis services competing against the railways. UNITED PARTY’S PATEA CANDIDATE. WANGANUI, Oct. 17. It was reported here this morning that Mr J. Hislop, of Wellington, would be the United Party’s candidate for Patea. This was confirmed by Mr W. A. Veitch, who said his son, Mr V. R. Veitch, would act as organiser. CANDIDATE RETIRES. INVERCARGILL, Oct. 18. Mr Robert Howell, who had announced himself as a candiate for the Wallace seat in the Labour interests, has definitely retired from the contest. MR COATES GOING NORTH. VISITING OWN ELECTORATE. AT AUCKLAND ON OCTOBER 29. Leaving Wellington . next Tuesday evening, the Prime Minister, Mr Coates, will spend six days in the Auckland province in the course of his Dominion election tour. Arriving in Auckland on Wednesday morning, Mr Coates will leave almost immediately for his own electorate of Kaipara, and will spend the succeeding three days there. He will return to Auckland on the Sunday, and will address the electors in the Town Hall on the evening of Monday, October 29. Mrs Coates will accompany the Prime Minister on his northern tour, and women supporters of the Reform party are arranging a reception for her on the afternoon of October 29. The Prime Minister will return south on the following day.