FROM THE FIRING LINE.

Shannon News, 12 November 1928, Page 3

FROM THE FIRING LINE.

relief of unemployment a DUTY FOR ALL.

Rather a poser was put to Mr AleManaway last week, when he was asked, “Will there be a decrease or an increase, of unemployment next winter, under Mr Cogtes?” “I am not a prophet,’ ’ responded .the candidate; “ I am not ah Argus. * “Doe 3 Mr Coates promise any legislation to help employment ?’ ’ Mr MeManaway: You will find that more men have been put on and moie money spent, and it’is the duty of any Government where there are able-bod-ied men unemployed in times of depression to see that work is found tor them. It is also the duty of local bodies, and of every one of us singly, to see to that. I do hope that next year the Prime Minister, who is not a hard man, will try to evolye some means by which .there shall not be so much unemployment. In other countries, however, it is far worse than m this, country. , , , , The candidate added that there h< d been too much immigration in the last few years. He would tell the Government that until the country was able to absorb more of them on the land, no more immigrants should be brought out. The greatest factor in solving the problem would be the cutting-up of the lands of New Zealand. into smaller areas. (Applause). Mr Roe: i’hey have been going to do that for thc‘ last 20 years. _ Mr MeManaway: Put in men like myself, who will keep at them, and you will get it done. THE FLAXM2LL STOPPAGE. MR McMANAWAY FAVOURS SLIDING SCALE BOTH WAYS. The hold-up in the flaxmilling industry w'H3 the subject, of some emphatic comments by Mr MeManaway, Independent Reform candidate for Manawatu, in his speech at Weraroa last week. He remarked that there had been a great deal of suffering during the winter owing to the stoppage of the mills; and he event on to give ft review of the negotiations for a settlement. As the result ot a conference between representatives of the parties, the mills opened on the understanding that the men would accept a 10 pef cent, reduction in pay. Then, and rightly, in his opinion, the men suggested that, if a reduction of 10 per cent, was made when- hemp prices were down, then the sliding scale should bring their pay back not only to the award rate, when conditions were good, but should also concede them the money that they had lost when having to submit to the reduction. It seemed to the speaker that “what was sauce for the goose should be sauce for the gander.” The parties were at a deadlock now in regard to the question. The mills were closed, and there was a grea,t deal of poverty and trouble in some towns adjacent to this. .The. men seemed to be in the right *n regard to si sliding scale. The’millers’ books had been inspected to show that the business was not paying, and the same method should be used to show that it was paying when prices went up. He hoped that better conditions would prevail, and that something would be done in that connection. AGAINST FLOUR DUTY. Mr MeManaway, Independent Reform candidate, was asked at Weraroa, on Friday, why the Government, after taking action against a southern firm under anti-trust had protected flour~millers«’by imposing a duty ou imported flour. “I am strongly against it,.” the candidate replied, “and would, if elected, make it my first duty to see that • that was taken off.

It was stated by a tradesman present that, if the duty were removed, bread could be sold over the counter jfor cash at 5d per 21b loaf —a reduction of lsd on the prevailing price. “Put the duty on . the flour,” said a member of the audience, “and let the wheat come in free, so that we could manufacture here. ’ ’ Mr MeManaway: That would be a point. A MEMBER’S TRUST. A man at the back of the hall asked Mr MeManaway at Weraroa on Friday, “In the event of the Government not taking the duty off wheat and flour, or not getting the necessary money for State Advances, would you vote for them on a no-confidence motion?’’ “I would have to come back,” the candidate answered. “I would hand in my trust and come back to the people if I felt I could not support them. That is the right thing for a member to do.” fl “AN HONOURABLE JOB.” “Would you be in favour of an increased honorarium for members, and a longer term for Parliament,” was & question put by Mr F. G. Roe to Mr MeManaway at the meeting at Weraroa on Friday. , “For the amount of work done down, there,” said the candidate, “the salary is quite sufficient. It would be better to have a four-year Parliament, because in the present three-year term very little work is done in the first year, the ” second is a working session, but in the third session they are all thinking about the election, speaking to Hansard, and getting restless until t,hp,; session is ended. A four-year Par- - liniment should provide two good, solid working sessions. As to the honorarium, I think that £450 a year is possibly a little too much for some. However,'that cannot be helped. In some cases it may ppssibly be pretty hard, because some men have to look to that for a living. If you made it up to £BOO there would be the .professional politician with a good flow of language to get round the people and stay in. It is an honourable job to represent electors in Parliament. A voice from the back: Would you be in favour of the “sliding scale” for members—per page of Hansard? (Laughter). Mr MeManaway: I know one or two whq would not have got anything.

levin-greatford railway.

IMR McMANAWAY PROMISES SUPPORT IF ELECTED.

“You are interested in the LevinGreatford railway?” asked Mr F. G. Roe of Mr MeManaway at his Wera:oa meeting. “In 1922, when that agitation was gting on, or a little before that,” said the candidate, “at the urgent request of the League and Sir James Wilson 1 left my business in Bulls and spoke .;ight through to Stratford taking in Waup-anui, Waverley, Pa tea, Hawera, and Eltham—in favour of the LevinGreatford railway, and put it to them to look at it in a national way and rot a parochial way, as it would shorten the distance to Taranaki and Auckland. I had no thought then of being a candidate for Parliament; but on national lines the project deserved to be considered. Mu Roe: I suppose a good deal of country between Levin and Greatford would be opened up. What position will you take up in regard to this if you are elected to Parliament? Mr MeManaway: I will always support. ifc to the best of my ability, and press it. Mr Roe: Hear, hear. The candidate’s promise was received with hearty appilause. MASSEY COLLEGE SITE. “What.about the Massey College,” asked a member of Mr MeManaway’s Weraroa audience after the candidate had enumerated the blessings bestowed on Levin by the Government, with the approach of the election. “If. they could shift that here it would be a sensible thing,” Mr McManaway replied, “and it would get rid of that, white elephant they have got. Whether I am elected or not, I do think there was something else behind it that we possibly don’t know 'anything about, when the Central Development Farm' was passed by to put the college where it is now. There is no comparison between the sites. The Minister of Agriculture must have known, when the agitation was going on for the Massey College, that they were going to do away with the C.D. Farm. Did it, not seem just, in the interests of New Zealand, with the beautiful ’ buildings suitable for the professors, with yards and sheds, and 800 acres of the best of country—did if not seem just, irrespective of whether this is Levin or Ngahauranga, that it should be here. Mr Linklater said it might have been iu Hawkes Bay. That is a great answer.. We had a place that was suitable, yet they spent hundreds of thousands in putting it up theme.” A voice: It is under water, isn’t it? . Mr MeManaway: I would not like to say that. Another voice: Part of it is, isn’t it,

Air MeManaway: It is on the riverbank, anyway.

“ELECTION YEAR.”

‘ ‘ I notice that this last week or two you only have to ask to receive,” said the Independent Reform candidate, Mr MeManaway, with a chuckle, in addressing the electors at- Weraroa on Friday. “At Shannon they have been two years trying to get their school re- ' paired. Last week the committee got word that it was going to be done at once. Although the Prime Minister formerly told you it could not be done, I see that you are going to have the New Plymouth down mail train stopping hero. Your highways were hung up when, there was grave unemployment during the winter, but I notice that the subsidy to be given now is larger than was asked in the first place. •It. seems to me that one should ln’o in Levin ir he wants anything. ’’

HOW MANY IMMIGRANTS?

PRTAIE MINISTER’S FIGURES CHALLENGED.

A different aspect was placed upon the Prime Minister’s figures concerning immigration when Air MeManaway spoke at Weraroa on Friday. In answer to a question Air AleAlaiiawav said that he would recommend that assisted immigration be discontinued until the country was in a condition to absorb the migrants. He then stated that 30,000 nominated and assisted immigrants had come out in three years. A voice: The Prime Alinister said 17,000. Air MeManawayi I have got it from the books. I can assure you we had thousands too many. . “Who was responsible for the description of New Zealand conditions?’’ Mr MeManaway: The Publicity Derailment, Other countries were strong on it too. Another questioner: “Can we refuse immigrants?” Air MeManaway: Not if they pay their way. “If they say in England, ‘We are going to send them,’ we would have to take them.” Mr MeManaway: 1 am talking of assisted immigration. Britain is not foolish enough to send them out here, or to any' other eolony, to starve. MEASURE FOR MEASURE. “If the Government is returned—” Mr MeManaway, Independent Reform candidate, was saying at. Weraroa on Friday, when Air F. G. Roe interrupted with “Never, never!” “You are hopeless,!’ retorted the candidate. “You are a pessimist,-You want to keep on hoping. If it is wet to-day, the sun will shine to-morrow. (Laughter and applause). Subsequently, when Mr. MeManaway was touching on fmanc.e, Air Roe remarked, “Sir Joseph Ward comes in there.” .

Mr MeManaway: I am glad he comes in v somewhere. It is a long time since he nas been in anywhere.