Liberal Cheered at Waiuku Meeting

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 158, 24 September 1927, Page 1

Liberal Cheered at Waiuku Meeting

SIR JOSEPH WARD SPEAKS •‘COULD SAVE COUNTRY AGAIN” (Special to THE SUN.) WAIUKU, To-day. TI7HETHER it was in the nature V* of a compliment to a man who his more than 30 years of public service, or because of the small farmers’ dissatisfaction with the Reform Government, a remarkable reception was given Sir Joseph Ward, when he opened a short series of addresses in the Rsgiar area in support of the Liberal candidate, Mr. T. Parker, at Wa uku last evening. Sir Joseph outlined the unexampled letfisiaticn that had characterised the Liberal administration, and went on to <2xpre;js regret at the statement of the Minister of Lands that people on tho land must be secured before further settlement was undertaken. If settlement was to be anchored in this way the result would be disastrous. The increasing of the number of small fanners was one of the biggest necessities of the Dominion, the only alternative being a protective tariff on secondary industries. The Reform period had seen the money rates continually on the increase, the banks being blameless. They had to protect their customers. The rending of money on land was most difficult owing to fictitious values. He strongly criticised the abolition of the sinking fund statut« by which £11,000,000 had been raised by such a small percentage that, as far as their pockets were concerned, no knew anything: about it. The new lump sum repayments, leaving no interest, had merely resulted in increased land and income taxes. The increased taxes could only be properly explained by an admission of wrong-doing on the part of the Government. “The finances of the country must be put on a sounder basis,” remarked Sir Joseph. ‘‘ln two years this country has 1 orruwed more than £18,000,000 which nearis an additional tax of £900,00(1 a year. It is absolutely staggering. “But; we were >s>rse off when the Liberal Party came into power in 1890, and tli© Liberals can save the country as they did then,” he stated. “Th?rf* are 56 Reformers in the House to-day, and one solitary Liberal. I appeal to you, even on hard grounds, to give that Liberal a companion, as you would go to the assistance of a small boy being battered by two big ones,” urged Sir Joseph. He believed the Liberal Party was on the verge of returning .to at least a semblance of its size *vhen, 'for 22 years, it ran the affairs of the country with credit and financial success. Sir Joseph Ward also spoke at Bucklands or similar lines, and was received with cheers. GOVERNMENT ASSAILED MR. VEITCH IN FRAY {Special to THE SUN.) NGARUAWAHIA, To-day. The Government's land policy was Criticised ast evening when Mr. T. Parker, Liberal candidate for Raglan, addressed the electors. He s iid that there was a want of land po icy, and the present system of

taxation hit the small man too hard. Mr. W. A. Veitch. M.P. for WangaJ ll1 * in supporting Mr. Parker’s candidature, said that under Liberalism the settler got both his land and money cheap. -Agricultural banking, he said, would inflate currency, but would give farmers corporate security and lower the rate of interest.