THE LIBERAL CAMPAIGN.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 21, 16 May 1914, Page 2

THE LIBERAL CAMPAIGN.

MR ATMORE AT MIDHIRST. Owing to the wretched weather last night there was only an attendance of about forty at the Midbirst Public Hall to hear the address given by Mr H, M.P. for Nelson, one of the Liberal Flying Squadron. -Mr Alex. Brown was voted to the chair. He introduced the speaker shortly, and said that but for the wretched weather ho was sure that the ball ivould bo full. Mr Atmoi'o look a cheerful view of the small auclicnce, saying that it showed that a great deal of interest was taken in politics, or otherwise nobody at all would have ventured out in such weather. .At the conclusion of the address it'- was moved by Mr W. Mountford and seconded by Mr E. Vickers that a vote of thanks be passed to Mr Atmore for bis address and confidence lie expressed in the Liberal Government with Sir Joseph Ward as leader. This was carried with acclamation.

In returning, thanks Mr Atmore said he would be in the district later and would be pleased to speak again if desired. On the* call of Mr Atmore three cheers jvoro given lor Sir Joseph Ward, and on the call of one of the audience three cheers were asked for Mr Massey, but the response Mas feeble, and only got the length of one "hurrah." Afterwards an agreeable light supper was handed round and was much appreciated by those present. POINTS FROM THE SPEECH. I am not attached to any party, but I am against Mr Massey, because ho for monopolies. Monopolies should be in the bands of the State.

At Stratford the other day Mr Hiun admitted that Mr Massey was not in power by the will of the people. Mr Massey had had repealed the Second Ballot, which was a way, although a

clumsy way, of ascertaining'"be nilj of the people. In Wellington Central, under the single ballot, Mr Fibber, wio had forfeited the confiding of his constituents, might in i contest with three others poll only two thousand yotes out of six thousand, lour thousand voters being unrepresented;

Let Mr Massey go to Stratford or to Nelson, as he did recently, ami evfcrvfjot'; couhl n.otica t■ >t <iii ! y the well-bo-do waited on I im.

If there is onp portion of the population of the country who dumb! stick to the Liberals it is the small farmer

Mi: Massey to reduce borrowing; hut it Mas a fact that h/ii"owing could be reduced, and if he had been a statesman he would not lihvo made such >a silly statement As a nlattorof fact the Mass>v CovVrnmont had bororwed more heavily, than any other Government hi the history of the country. ■

The only effort the Massey Government had made to reduce taxation was in the ease of men who received from ■C() to £8 per week. The man who required help was not helped. The Government should deal with the Customs duties which were paid by the poorest classes. There were men in Wellington who, had a wage of £2 8s a week 'and had to pay £1 per week rout. That meant that he had to work till dinner time on Wednesday before lie paid his rent, then having the princely sum of CI 8s to keep himself and family for the week.

Mr Massey wanted to get the North of Auckland settled, but no member of the Government bad ever suggested that the sheep-walks in Hawke's Bay should be cut up.

Mr Joseph Nathan had .said that Mr Massey was endeavoring to corner the whole of the press of the country, and that he would have the same experience as Napoleon. When the people rarne to know that the whole of the press was expressing only the opinion of NapoJeoii no notice was taken of the views expressed. 'When the people of New Zealand knew that the ■press was expressing only the views of the Government and was not backed up by public opinion they would also take very little notice of it. » ->:■ * # The gum lands of the north and the swamp land-; of the west coast of the South Island would no doubt be settled more closely, hut the big estate in Hawke's Hay would never be more closely settled because the owners of big estates were the directors of the Government. i The Massey Government seemed to he desiring to cany out the axiom of Colonel Wakefield—that the price of land should bo kept up,wliereby wages would he kept down, and therefore men working on wajios could never amass sufficient money to acquire any land. Sir Walter Buchanan characterised the Old Age Pensions Act as the blackest piece of law on the New Zealand Statute Hook. . The Liberals would have done a great deal of good but for the unreasonable opposition of the hidebound Tories now led by the Hon. W. F. Masesy. Now the Government attempted to damn the Liberals for what they had not done. The State Fire Insurance Department was formed not to absorb all other insurance companies but to enter info fair competition with the other companies. Mr Massey said he would bring in ! something hotter than the second hsili lot when he discovered it; bid lie knew

all about proportional representation and preferential voting. But lie would not institute either because lie knew the people's verdict would ba against him. •;;- * * * The Massey Government imported two men. One was Mr Hiley at £6O per week with a guinea a day expenses. The other was John Hallorau, Who was six feet high, thirteen stone in weight, twenty years of age, and (had six years of farming experience. IJohn was to be given 7s 6d per week, but with a reduction of (is 6d per (week for thirty weeks, leaving John 2d per clay of pocket money. ';<■ * * * In 1890 and 1913 there were big strikes and in both years the Conservatives were in power. In 1913 there was smallpox: thrown in to make weight. The Conservatives might.be blamed for the smallpox, because they always seemed to take credit for everything from the fine weather to. the good crops. * * * * The Premier said he did not settle the strike because both parties would not agree to the Government's decison. Would a Supreme Court judge [decline to give, a decision for such a reason? If a decsion was wrong it would be rectified by the will of the people. • . ' -;;• * # * Prior to the Grey by-election'.there were only two Red Feds in Parliament and both were put in by the help of Mr Massey. The day of the general strike is done. If "the workers rely on the ballot-box they will win. The failure of the Wellington and South African strikes Was a good indication of the fall of the general strike. The farmers had to deal with the strike because of the incapacity of the Government. # * # * .If, ii! There is some degree of truth in the claim that much of the misery is due to heredity but a great deal more is due to economic pressure.

Mr Fisher said the loss of the country over the strike would be £400,000, but it will be a million and a half, all owing to the fault of the Government. * * * «• Xew Zealand is "God's Own Country" as far as natural advantages arc concerned; but we are reproducing the same lamentable economic conditions !'■ • • ™- ' obtaining in the Old tvorkl. To keep qui Asiatics itjfjakes more than a tariff ,wall —there) must be ,a wall of bayonets behind, ,it. And in the' Pacific; Ocean the .Japanese have a navy bigger, than other nation. >■•■■'■ ill i ->■ ■ * * ■,.'** Mr Massey says the; kpid defence expenditure wag an insurance of property. Why does he not make a levy on the owners of .property, in proportion ,to the amount of property protected. A Territorial should be given as much pay in camp as he usually receives in wages/. • . Ter-. ritorials shprdjd never .he,.called upon to quell industrial disturbances. lii _ v i ■ h .it.. # * tfiyery man in New;..Zealand, could be catching shrimps every day and still there i would 'be trout in Lake Taupe, who would never see a shrimp. A Voice .j Shamed. ~ : >Wov< m . ■»:• , , * * * In his prospectus on the London money market Mr Allen claimed that it had been admitted that if the New Zealand Debt Extinction Act was applied to the British national debt of eight hundred millions it could be entirely wiped out in fifty ychrs. This was a great .compliment, to the author of the Act, Sir Joseph Ward. * * k * Much more, interest was being taken this year,in politics than in previous, years, the campaign having started months before was the usual case. Many of the centres bad already been visited and before the election the whole of them would be.