POLITICAL

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3861, 23 October 1928, Page 2

POLITICAL

MR. P. J. SMALL AT FOXTON. Last evening Mr P. J. 'Small, the United Party’s candidate for Maria watu, addressed a meeting in the Royal Theatre. The attendance was not large. Mr. M. E. Perreau presided and introduced the speaker. Mr. Small said that owing to the smallness of his audience he would not deliver his usual speech but would come back to Foxton again before the election. He would content himself that evening with a few remarks and not detain his audience. Mr. Small said the Ministers of the Crown to-day were waking up after three years’ sleep and wondering why they were being faced with opposition at the coming poll. The Minister of Lands had said that it was no use trying to settle people on the land and the Prime Minister had just recently contradicted that statement. A voice: Excuse me. Absolute rot!

Continuing, Mr. Small said that the Prime Minister said he had a land policy up his sleeve but would not bring it out because the opposition might get it. It was remarkable, said the speaker, that that policy was to be brought to light after being held back for three years. Three years of the people’s time had been wasted at a cost of £40,000, i.e., the cost of legislation in New Zealand over three years. Under the present Government’s land policy there were today 1000 less farmers and 1300 less people on the land than there were three years ago. Wjhat was wanted to-day was a Government that would go seriously into the land question and cheaper money. The speaker referred to the group system adopted by Canada and Australia which could be applied to New Zealand. Under the present circumstances the New Zealand farm boys were being sent to swell the ranks of the unemployed in the cities. Farmers’ mortgages were steadily increasing and their stock to-day, in many cases, was also mortgaged. Mr. Small also referred to the National Debt. The United Party, he said, would endeavour to cut up large land holdings for closer settlement and thus obviate unemployment so that the Government would not have to offer single men 9/- ■ a day and married men 12/- per day for relief work. Reduced wages meant a reduction in the prices obtained by the producer and this was no good to any country. The country’s only hope of placing its surplus population was to put them on the land. There were 16,000,000 acres of land in New Zealand which could be carrying a far greater population 'than it was.

In touching on legislation, Mr. Small said the sooner the country got members of Parliament to represent them who could take charge of legislation and get rid of the Order in Council system the better it would be. The Bills passed today" were done so jjy half a dozen ’’heads” and all important legislation was done by Order-in-Coun-cil or some other short method. The only good members of the House seemed to be during the last term was to abuse each other. Nothing had been done during the last three years. Eleven million pounds a year was passed in the Estimates iu which the House of Representatives had no say; and was handed over to be handled by Civil Servants, and perhaps eighteen months after a balance-sheet would be submitted to the House in connection therewith. Mr. ;Small condemned the Government’s policy of granting subsidies~and said it was only a means of vote catching. Instead of subsidising the South Island wheat tanners in order to ensure the return of four Reform candidates, Mr. Small contended the duty on Australian wheat and flour should be abolished and the people given cheaper bread. Personally he was New Zealandborn and no one would like to see New Zealand progress more than lie, but the administration woqfd have to be altered before any progress was witnessed. He hoped that when he next spoke locally the people would be sufficiently interested in the government of their country to turn up and hear the address.

At the conclusion of his address, Mr. Small was accorded a vote of thanks.

MR. LINKLATER AT MOUTOA TO-NIGHT. This evening Mr. J. Linklater, M.P., will address Moutoa residents in the Moutoa Hall. On Saturday evening Mr. J. Linklater, M.P., official Reform candidate for Manawatu, addressed a large gathering of settlers in the Poroutawhao schoolroom. Mr. S. Jackson was in the ehair and introduced the speaker. Mr. Linklater dwelt chiefly on matters of interest to the farming community and touched on the Government’s policy in regard to finance, public health, and main highways. At the conclusion of his address a hearty vote of thanks and confidence in him was passed on the motion of Messrs S. Jackson and J. Speirs. It is not very often that a candidate for political honours has the pleasure of being cheered at the conclusion of his address but such was the case with Mr. J. Linklater, M.P., the official Reform candidate for Manawatu, on Saturday evening'. At the conclusion of his address to the settlers in the Poroutawhao district, held in the school-

house, the audience, a large and representative gathering, rose to its feet and accorded the speaker three hearty cheers, topping the ovation off with a vote of thanks and confidence in the candidate and a request that, if possible, he again address the settlers in that, locality. Mi\ P. J. Small, the United Party candidate for Manawatu, when speaking at the Royal theatre last night referred to the strenuous times Parliamentary candidates in country constituencies had in covering their districts, as compared with the city candidates, who after their meetings could hop on a tram and reach their homes within a few minutes. Mr. Small said it was practically impossible for candidates to speak more than once at .any centre during the campaign, but he had arranged for a speaker to address meetings where he was unable to do so. Mr. ,P. ,J. Small, United Party candidate, will speak at Shannon to-night and Levin to-morrow night. “Good old Harry!” came a chorus from some “front benchers” when Mr. V. PI. Potter made reference to the leader of the Opposition, during a recent speech. “Half a minute, half a miniite,” pleaded Mr. Potter, of the most persistent interjector. “You are not talking in your sleep, are you?” Then, later, he observed, “If Mr. Holland came on to this platform and offered you a brick for a lemon drink, half of you would squeeze it.” (Laughter).

Compai’ative unemployment statistics were given by Mr. V. H. Potter, Reform candidate for Eden. He said that the numbers of unemployed were: — tUS.A.—I in 84. England.—l in 38. Australia.—l in 190. New South Wales. —1 in 69. Queensland. —1 in 63. New Zealand.—l in 300. Mr. Potter’s statement met with incredulous cries, such as “Don’t believe it” “Rubbish!”“They are the official figures,” he said.