POLITICAL MEETINGS.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 8, Issue 485, 28 November 1919, Page 2

POLITICAL MEETINGS.

Mr Bollard at Onewhero

(Stall Representative)

The sitting member for Raglan (Mr R. F. Bollard) received a very cordial hearing at Onewhero on Wednesday evening, though on account of the lack of locally advertising the date of the meeting, the attendance was not as large as it might have been.

Mr A. H. Waring, of Taupiri, who is a pillar of Reform in that district, accompanied Mr Bollard. Mr Bollard, who received a cordial ovation on rising to speak, declared that the National Cabinet had creditably carried out work necessary to win the war. There had been no feathering ot nests and not a man of the Cabinet gained one threepenny bit of personal profit out of the war. (Loud Applause) The visit of our delegates, Rt. Hon. W- F. Massey and-Sir Joseph Ward, had resulted in securing shipping for NZ, and th»ir work at the Peace Conference had been of a very valuable order. However, the Liberal Party had turned down the suggestion definitely offered by the Reform Party that, in order to grapple with after war problems, a coalition Cabinet should continue, thereby ensuring the pick of the strong men. Mr Bollard referred to Mr Massey's good work in securing for New Zealand a share in the phosphates of Naurua Island, namely 16 per cent of the huge output. The island was worth 375 millions. He understood that the phosphates would be put on board ship at £2 per ton. He believed the Prime Minister intended to have State ships to bring the phosphates to New Zealand. (Applause). That bargain alone would be worth to New Zealand far more than it cost the country to send our delegates to Europe. Touching on the cost of living, the candidate said it was bad business to try and reduce the cost of living by lowering the selling price of the farmers produce, for the latter was the mainstay of the Dominion. (Applause) The butter tax for instance was iniquitious. The speaker gave comparative tables to shew that the cost of living had gone up 100 per cent and more in many other countries. It had risen 46-6 in Australia, the lowest rise of any. It was cheaper to live in New Zealand than in any other country having a standard of living at all nearly approaching our own. There had been a scarcity at times, but there had been no rationing; and sugar at 3Jd a lb was cheaper than in any other country. The Government had fixed prices and done all in its power to limit the cost of living. The Board of Trade had full power now to enquire closely into the cost of every article sold. It could demand a business man's books and invoices, and if anything were refused he could be fined £SOO. The Government was prepared to spend a million and a half a year on erecting houses, but there was a difficulty in getting labour. 2s 6d an hour was being offered in Wellington, and even then it was not available sufficiently. Speaking of the Meat Trust, Mr Bollard said the Prime Minister was, anxious to oust that organization from this Dominion, but it was a big problem Ships were almost impossible to buy at present. Also, we would have to establish our own agencies in London and cut out the middlemen. This would be done in 1 time.

There was a million and a quarter on the estimates for public works, which would be expended as labour became available. He was strongly in favour of assisting the men in the backblocks. Replying to questions, Mr Bollard said there wouldbe.no middlemen handling the phosphates from Naurua Island. No payment would be made for the raw material, except labour to excavate and ship it. Mr J. B. Sim (Bnckland) asked if the penalty on the producers of butter was not too great, the price being Is 3d locally and 2s 6d at Home. The candidate said he was in favour of making the market open, enabling producers to get the top prices as soon as possible, but the shipping was the whole trouble. A million pounds was paid by the Imperial Government for meat storage alone. If the butter was left on our hands, owing to there being no shipping guaranteed, the position would become acute. The matter was in the producers' own hands, and if they liked to chance the shipping they could go on the open market, but if they failed to get the shipping, and so met disaster, then he hoped they would not blame the Government. He did not know when the butter subsidies would be paid. It was for the directors of dairy companies to shake up the Treasury. Perhaps Mr Fulton knew something about it -Laughter. Mr Fulton. It will probably be paid by the end of March. A hearty vote of thanks to and confidence in Mr Bollard was carried unanimously. Mr Dynes Fulton paid the candidate a final tribute, Stating it was due to Mr Bollard that improvement had been made in the means of communication between Tuakau and Onewhero, also he had been a good friend to the Tuakau Town Board Loud applause. In thanking those present, Mr Bollard said that if he was returned he would fairly lepresent both supporters and those opposed to him. The speaker condemned extremists of all classes, and hoped the Reformers would all roll up to the poll The meeting concluded with three rousing cheers for Mr Bollard and a similar expression for Mr Massey.

I Mr T. W. Rhodes at Pokeno, (Staff Reporter). Mr T. W. Rhodes, M.P. lor Thames, continued his campaign on Wednesday night, when he addressed a number of electors in the Pokeno Hall, Rev. 0. L. Vaughan presided. Mr Rhodes said he was a worker in and out of Parliament. A voice: We know that. Continuing Mr Rhodes said anyone who was not a worker should not live in the country. (Applause). He dealth briefly with the work done by the National Government and

commented the excellent work done by every member of the Cabinet. Speaking with regard to the withdrawal of Sir Joseph Ward and his colleages from the National Government, Mr Rhodes said in his opinion Sir Joseph did an unwise thing. Certainly opinions differ with regard to Sir Joseph's action, but they would see what would happen on the 17 th of December. Any doubt the people had as regards a leading statesman, was now a thing of the past, and not a more able man could be found than the present Prime Minister of the Dominion, the Rt. Hon William Ferguson Massey He is the only man we have in sight. (Applause). Mr Rhodes then dealt at length with legislation placed on the statute books during the last session, touching on important aspects of education, pensions, and the liberal provisions the Reform Government had made and intended to make in future. He referred to the butterfat subsidy, and said the Government had provided for the £340,000 to be paid to the producers He considered it a right thing to take the money from the consolidated fund. Legislation had also been brought down to prevent land agggregation. He was strongly in favour of this, and stated that greater provision should be made for cutting up large blocks of land, in order that returned soldiers could be placed thereon. He advocated closer settlement.

He dealt briefly with the prospects of hydro electricty in New Zealand. Mr Rhodes said the Reform Government had harnessed the power in the South Island and were endeavouring to harness the water, to have electricity in the North Island. He said it would take 7,000,000 tons of coal to produce the water power they had in New Zealand. He considered the prospects for hydro-electric power were extremely good. He advocated in order to facilitate getting their produce to the markets, the completion cf the main railways, subsidiary lines, a scheme of good reading and bridging! At the conclusion of the address a number of questions were asked and satisfactorily answered. He was in favour of either purchasing or chartering shipping, in order to crush the shipping monopolies. He was in favour of utilising every area of Grown Lands, for returned soldiers in preference, in order to increase production. He was in favour of having the Pokeno-Paeroa railway started at the Pokeno end at the very earliest convenience. He had urged this during the session. Mr J. Daan moved a hearty vote of thanks to the candidate, for his able address, and also for the manner in which he had answered questions. The motion was oarried unanimously.

Mr Rea At Pukekohe. Mr Joseph Rea Independent Liberal Candidate for Franklin, addressed the electors in the Premier Hall, Pukekohe, last night. The Mayor (Mr C. E. Lawrie) presided, stating that he did not know Mr Rea personally, but he congratulated him on his courage in opposing so strong a man as the sitting member. In his opening remarks Mr Rea said he had not intended to stand, and had endeavoured to get someone else to contest, but could not do so, as liberals thought there was no possibility of defeating Mr Massey Therefore he took the burden upon himself. One thing in his favour was that there could be no doubt as to where he would be in the event of a no confidence motion, as if he get into parliament he would have already defeated Mr Massey. He would be on the side of the Liberal Party. He sympathised with sane labour that abided by constitutional laws, but he had no use for men of the type of Semple, Webb and Holland. Union between Labour and the farmer was not feasible. The farmer was the greatest worker on earth, for they could not strike or go slow. It was absolutely imEwsiblefor the two to unite until abour discarded the principle of strikes, or direct aotion. The reason why he stood for Liberalism was that the party stood for the truest democracy. The Reform criticism of the Liberal Party did not date back for more than five years, during which a coalition Government existed, and justified its existence. But they were not a happy family, and it was just as well that the rupture occurred. The Reform Party had not redeemed its pledges even before the war. He did not expect (them to do so during the war. Such matters as reform of the Legislative Council, assured finance to local bodies and the prevention of "log-rolling," decrease of taxation, the prevention of the aggregation of land had not been dealt with by any means after the manner promised by Mr Massey when he was in the cold shades of Opposition. All these wrongs had actually been aggravated. Nothing was further from his mind than to say anything against Mr Massey personally. He was dealing with policy only. Mr Massey abolished the second ballot on the distinct understanding that something should be substituted. This had not been done despite Mr Massey's talk about proportional representation and preferential voting* He was in favour of these real reforms, the present system acting most unjustly. In the last election Reform was over 1,300 votes below a bare majority in every electorate, and yet they held the Treasury benches. This meant that a large number of people were totally unrepresented. [At the end of the meeting Mr M. J. Rogers moved a vote of thanks.— Carried. The latter half of report will appear Tuesday.]