FIRST SHOT IN RAGLAN CAMPAIGN

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 142, 6 September 1927, Page 13

FIRST SHOT IN RAGLAN CAMPAIGN

REFORMER MR. ALLAN AT BUCKLAND (From Our Own Correspondent.) PUKEKOHE, To-day. ol 7*l 1 - 6 first shot in the Raglan byfnt C whT C x7 IP 'U n was flred last event Mr ' Bbenezer Allan, of Buek- !“ d ' Independent Reform candidate. v d , U l e Sectors in Buekland over' „ jUIA I' >lelvllle was chairman ovei an attendance of 80. Mi. Allan stated that the requests of Ifi?" 2 m . f e esteemed had induced " iff decide to come forward as a m h ~N ew Zealand’s political problems all came back to the land question. He considered idle and unproductive Crown lands should all be opened for settlement, rent free for ten years. Settlers who made sufficient improvements in that time should then have the right to purchase their sectums on terms at the upset price. .steps should be taken to put idle nan\ e lands, which were now only abl'e* IT* nox * ous tveeds, to more profitReturned soldier settlers, who were obviously unfitted for farming, should Has f, akG more suitable occupations ffd. t ff lr farms be re-let to others likely to make a success of them sc?em2°?k id « red the state advances ?f!l e rf e flnest financial scheme in the Dominion, as it gave equal opporto thrifty people to obtain and ff e , u ' ow f farms, or homes, ultimately, free of mortgage. -^ e favoured a State bank to regulate charges and the policies of other banks, and pointed out that the State r ire Insurance Office had regulated insurance premiums. Agricultural colleges should do much benefit the Dominion if they gave attention to such matters as evolving varieties of wheat, grasses, fruit, etc., specially suitable for production in The Production of a hpSfit Pr °°l Potato, investigation of flt J? ?, r dls advantages of line breede. and the training of veterinary surattention 61-6 other questions justifying Regarding recent Ministerial utterances he asked who had better right than the farmers to own a car and radio set. He advocated the extension of concession freights on the railway for farmers requisites such as manures, ! mC Iu a i SO - the .extension of business nietnoas in railway management. The sooner the railway line from Auckland to trankton was duplicated the better. EASE UP ON BORROWING J he country should taper off on the borrowing of money and turn Its attention to the development of Industries such as the growing of sugar Deet canning fruits and vegetables, constructing motor-car bodies, cultivating Irish flax for linseed, etc., paper production and the manufacturing of starch from small potatoes. Local industries should be given Customs protection where necessary. SAVING WASTE The life of Parliament should not exceed three years and Parliamentary procedure should be remodelled to prevent the country’s money being wasted on all-night sittings on stonewall debates. That the labour problem seemed no better under a Labour Government was exemplified by the serious strike position under the Labour Government in Queensland. Labour denounced the capitalists as octopi, but denounced the New Zealand Government for opposing capitalistic influences in Samoa that were against the interests of the natives. Mr. Allan made it clear that he was opposed to the abolition of education boards, and would oppose any increase in gambling. In reply to questions he said he would strive for Bible reading in schools and the deletion of the State Control issue from the licensing ballot. Prohibition was coming, but must come by the will of the people as expressed in the ballot-box. Asked by Mr. H. H. D. Wily whether ho intended definitely to go to the poll or whether he would submit his name to the Reform Selection Conference for the electorate and abide by its selection of a candidate to officially represent Reform, Mr. Allan said he had told the Reform organiser that day, after a long discussion, that he would refuse to bind himself, in the meantime at all events, to anything at all. If the men who had been requested to stand met together and recommended him to hand his name to the Reform Conference he would do so, but meanwhile he was perfectly free and independent. There were rumours that a Reform candidate had already been selected. He could not say whether they were true or not, but they persisted. Mr. Allan did not ask for a vote of confidence until the audience had had an opportunity of hearing other candidates. A vote of thanks for his address was carried in an enthusiastic manner.