“ACHIEVEMENT”

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 493, 24 October 1928, Page 10

“ACHIEVEMENT”

COATES GOVERNMENT RIDICULED MR. R. B. SPEIRS IN FORM Subject to little interruption, end accorded a sympatnetic hearing, Mr. R. B. Speirs, official United candidate for Auckland West, addressed a crowded assembly of electors in All Saints’ Hall, Ponsonby, last evening. The candi. date, who is a vigorous and confident speaker, made an excellent impression, and at the conclusion of his speech received prolonged applause, with a hearty vote of thanks. He was supported on the platform by Mr. C. F. Bennett as chairman. “The most remarkable statements have been published recently in Auckland papers by the Coates Government. under the heading of ‘Achievement./* said Mr. Speirs, in analysing the Reform Party manifesto whici appeared a few days ago. Its opening lines were most illuminating; “Parties must be judged not merely by their promises, but by their performances." Examination, however, revealed many curious anomalies li the administration of the Government, Mr. Coates had said that hydroelectric works had been carried out with expedition Arapuni and Manga-

hao were notable examples that belied his statement. The estimated* cost of Arapuni had been £ 1.078,000, but already to date £ 1.216.000 had been expended on this scheme, and it was still far from completed. There was no prospect of power for at least 12 months. Was that expedition? The estimated cost of M angahao was £ 438,000. To complete the project would involve an expenditure of £ 2,600,000. Three important deductions were to be made from the facts of the position. First, the inefficient nature of Public Works estimates. Secondly, the bureaucratic control of the people’s money. At Arapuni £,500,000 had been spent without the authority of tlio country, and at Mangahao £SOO,OOO was similarly expended without the sanction of Parliament. Thirdly, although the price of steel and timber had come down, and labour was more skilled, the cost of Public Works activities was continuing at a high level. Was it any wonder that the public was becoming weary and suspicious? REFORM AND EDUCATION The Press throughout the Dominion had challenged the Government’s education policy. In 1912 the cost per capita of the education system was 21s sd, and in 1927 had risen to sos. The people quite reasonably were becoming alarmed. Mr. Speirs took the Government to task for attempting to abolish local education boards, with the view to centralisation of education control in Wellington. Sir Francis Bell had repudiated the board system, although authorities recognised that it was based upon the soundest principles. Reform wished to remove the right of parents to have a v6ice in the conduct of the schools to which they sent their children. STATE INTERFERENCE “Unjust interference by the in industry is as bad as State competition with private enterprise,” said the speaker. Mr. Coates had expressed sympathy with struggling industry, yet had done little to alleviate its burdens. A kauri gum company in the North had been crippled by the scaring off of outside capital simply as an outcome of the Kauri Gum Act. Recently 21 representatives of local industries had waited on the PrimMinister in regard to unfair competition % by State activities. They had pointed out that Government trading concerns were responsible to no one but the Minister in charge of a particular department. Nobody knew the condition of these businesses, except that losses were commonly made up out of the Consolidated Fund, which in turn was replenished by taxation. Government enterprises should be required to publish a balance sheet periodically, and separate accounts should be kept of each. If, -after a reasonable time, they failed to show adequate returns, operations should be suspended.There would be a genuine attempt at effecting closer settlement. The farmer would be helped by the pushing of roads and the provision of electric power. The whole scheme of rural finances would be rearranged, and short-dated loans replaced by long-dated mortgages, payable in instalments at reasonable interest rates. A Voice: You will have all the lawyers clearing out of the country. GRAVE PROBLEMS Whatever party was returned to power would have immediately to tackle the problems of unemployment and immigration. Reform apparently did not realise the seriousness of th© position. People had been induced to come to New Zealand under some of the most unblushing statements that had appeared in any country. QUESTION-TIME "When Seddon died he left Sir Joseph Ward with 64 members, ye* within a short time Massey, with only 12, turned Ward out. How does the candidate explain this?” was a question asked by an old-stager. 0 “That was the wish of the people, said Mr. Speirs. m “They had no confidence in him, the questioner retorted. While owning allegiance to no other party. the candidate would vote against the present Government on * no-confidence motion. He favoured the abolition of capital punishment seeing no good in a repetition of the crime of murder. The United Party proposed to eliminate land speculation by a graduated lax on lirst-class land above 500 acres, U l> to 5,000 acres third-class. "How did Sir Joseph Ward propo? e Ito raise £70,000,000 without costing (•the worker a penny?” The candidal© ; said candidly that he could not cxpl^ n I the loan, but had implicit faith in - ir Joseph.