THE OTAKI SEAT.

Otaki Mail, 6 November 1922, Page 3

THE OTAKI SEAT.

MR FIELD’S OPENING ADDRESS I , Mr W. H. Field, M.P. (Reform i opened liis campaign on Friday at Wai Ramie. The hall was well lilled, am I tho candidate had an excellent recep I tion. Mr A. A. Brown occupied tin chair. Mr Field dealt with the difficulties of the country resulting from the war. and showed how Mr Massey had. through ten years of unpiedeeented difficulties, steered the country with great ability, and had won unstinted praise in his representation of the Dominion in. London and Paris. He believed that a great majority of the people of the country fully realised that it was not time for experimenting with untried men. It was a pity, he said, that the last remnant of the old Liberal Party was still lighting, for personal ambition, against the Reform Party, whose politics, with the exception of one or two planks recently adopted by the Liberals, notably State tank and proportional representation, ivere almost identical with their own. ' The coming struggle in this country, j is-in many others, was between mod-! irates and extremists, and he antici>atod that his election would result in he return of the Reform Party with a übslantial majority, an increase of .labourites, and a still further roducion of Liberals.

Mr Field drew attention to the recent attempted compact of the Liberal and Labour Parties on tho proportional representation issue and to the fact that there were no Liberals opposing sitting Labour members, as well as other evidences of understanding. In ihe Otaki electorate no Labour candidate had yet been announced, from which he judged thai the Liberals expected the Labour vote. He thought, however, that working men generally had more confidence in Reform than in the Liberal Parly. Mr Field drew attention lo the progress of the district during the period, over twenty year.-, he had represented it, and the fact thai the three most needed roads—Paekakariki, Akatarawa, and Rimutaka—were rapidly approaching completion. The great handicap of the district was the inadequate railway, service, but he had good hopes that there would be early and longneeded improvements.

1 Mr Field replied to speeches delivcr- ' ed by Messrs Veiteh and Masters at ' Otaki. He detailed the achievements of the Reform Government during the recent past, and their proposals for the future, and pointed out that though hampered by post-war difficulties they had already carried out the large portion of their 1010 programme. He defended the Government on their return-' ed soldier settlement policy, but stated that the question of revaluation and remission of past liabilities would have to be faced. He strongly supported tho further development of the State Advances to purchase stock, implements, etc. He advocated the extension of the forestry policy, Mr Field asked that he should receive no vote of confidence, and after several questions had been replied 10. was accorded a luarty vote of thanks, on the motion of Mr A. Johnston. MR FIELD AT TE HORO. Some twenty electors attended a meeting addressed by Mr W. H. Field. M.P.. at Te Horo on Saturday night. Mr J". G. Harkness presiding. The j •weather was unfavorable, and thus the j attendance was interfered with. !

ilr Field touched on his past services and the future policy of the Reform parly, stressing the iioint that the election would be fought out more on party measures than individual qualifications of candidates. It certainly behoved all Reformers, he said, to vote for the man ivho wus officially recognised by Mr Massey, otherwise there was a danger of the 1011 experience being repeated and the seat represented by a member with r.roti.'iujy revolutionary ideals, At the conclusion of the address, which w-as listened to with much interest, Mr D. B. Mackersey nirjY&d, and Mr 11. L. Beauehamp seconded, "That this meeting of Te Horo electors wishes to thank Mr Field, for Ms address ana expressci confidence in him as a member, also confidence in the Massey party." This was unanimously carried, after which a hearty vote of thanks was accorded the Chairman.