THE TARANAKI SEAT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 254, 20 October 1908, Page 3

THE TARANAKI SEAT.

I'* j! MR. \V. G. MALONE AT THE Mr. W. G. Maione, Liberal candidate, addressed a packed meeting at the Theatre Royal last night. Mr. U. I'wh, Mayor of Ne w Plymouth, presided, tuid in introducing the candidate referred to him as a colonist of 28 years' steading, and one who had borne his share ol the pioneer work. Mr. Maione, who was well received, thanked those 1010 electors who had deemed Win worthy of their confidence at tho bye-election i a I'JO7, and tliv thousand or more who had believed in him yet were not prepared to swerve from the selected candidate, believing it impossible for him to fig Jit the opposition of both sides in politics and both

the New Plymouth papers. He claimed a moral victory in 1307, and confidently expected an actual victory in 1!K)8. lietraced the growth of popular government from the days when all men had a voice in the management of the country's affairs to the present time, when the increase of population rendered it necessary for a system of representation. It was important that government should still be kept in the hands of the people and not allowed to be dominated by a cabal or little party of intrigants, who set themselves lip as representatives of a party. In a Liberal, democratic cofratry such as this, the selection of representatives should be by the people without interference, declaration, or suggestion from anyone. fraolir ntld nf t nfir flln will. Tf. TVaR

a right principle that people should do their own thinking. In choosing their member, the people should recognise they owed a duty to themselves, to tyiraaaki, and to the whole of tie Dominion. He would ask them to -weigh the claims of all the candidates fairly, free from ibias and bigotry, and then let ( the best man win. Summed up, his po- 1 litics were to work for everything that could lead to the supremacy of New Zealand and the New Zealanders, aid particularly Taranaki and its people. - PERSONAL.

There were three candidates for the seat. There was Mr. Okey, M.P., a known Oppositionist, wit Mr. Malone ■was "aot going to trouble himself very lnudh albout him." And Mr. Bellringer nnd the speaker were standing In the Liberal Government interests. There was this difference, that tie (Mr. Malone) was the Libera] candidate, aad Mr. Bellringer the New Plymouth Liberal League candidate. He claimed the right of every man to stand for Parliamentary honors. Mr. C. Weston and Mr. J. B. Connett had publicly asBumed tliat he had no right to stand a 9 a Liberal, as he bad not been selected by the Party. He would quote authorities. The first safd: "I insist that .the people have a right to choose their own representative, and I object to a state of things which enables anyone to take on himself tic onus of saying a particular man should be their candidate. Every man who feels he can serve a community has a perfect right to contest an election, and in my opinion the people's right in this particular direction is going to be asserted. I apprehend a retrograde movement instead of advancement in Liberalism unless the people assert their power. I maintain that party govcrnlment is materially Interfering with the conscientious rights of memlbers .... and where an

opinion is forced aside moral degradation sets in, the member becomes a slave to party, and representation is a larce." Those Were true, weighty, allconeinsive words, and they had been used by Mr. G. K. Bellriager in tliat very hall during tie 1905 campaign. His second authority stated: "Of course. I admit that, it is the undoubted right of the electors to hear any man, just as it is the absolute right of any man to stand and express his views to the electors. lam quite in accord with that because I do not believe in restriction or prevention in any way whatever." Those were Sir Joseph Ward's •words. He warmly congratulated Sir Joseph Ward upon lis Second Ballot Bill, which wa3 framed to secure that people should be free of the influence of patties of intriguers. This was the finest thing that any Government bail ever done for this country, or for any country.

Mr. Malone said ho had been indiote by Mr. Claude Weston on three count that he was not standing in the Gc vernment interest, that he was mislead ing the electors, and that he was ini perilling the recovery of the Xaranak Beat to the Liberals; with the indirec charge that he had no right to stam at all. Mr. Bellringcr Had indictci Jlhn upon a charge that foe was not tl» Government candidate at all, and thai he had declared himself to thai which he was not; and indirectly thai bu was not loyal to the Party and taal he was splitting the Liberal vote. Mr Connett's indictment was of an indirect nature, that he had claimed to be th( Government nominee, and that he hat been misleading the electors. To ever} accusation he gavv an absolute denial He claimed that Mr. Bellringcr, thougli admittedly standing in the Liberal Go rverament interest, iwas only the candid ate of a cabal, .the New Plymouth Lib cral League. The candidate iWaiv at considerable length with tiic mouiod oi (electing the Government candidates ioi ilhe bye-election in 1807 and lor uiielection. In 1907 an attempt was m.-itU to select a maa for whom all Liberals must vote, whether they liked it 01 not. H« would not have objected sc much to this had the selection been made by a publicly appointed committee of delegates of the great Liberal Tarty in different parts ol tlw electora teg. But it wasn't done that way. party of five political intriguers—neitner"Mr. Bellringcr nor Mr. Dockrill being with them—met and pretendedjo represent the Liberals ot the electorate. There were five candidates at the time —Messrs. Okey, Bellringcr, Dockrill, S Smith, and Malone, and this cabal 01 five determhred that Mr. Dockrill was «he best man to suit their ends. 01 eourse, that gentleman was una,ware ol the fact that he was to be used merely as a seat-warmer for 18 months. Mr. Malone said that as for himself he had flatly declined to have anything to! tHo ■with that sort of thing, and hj« was, ignored by the svlf-constituted selectors. Jhey were unable to 'decide whether Mi Dockrill or Mr. Bellringcr should go to the poll, so they referred it to the Premier. Mr. Bellringer went to Wellington and as a result of an interview the Premier telegraphed to one of the five stating that Mr. Bellringcr had beer selected. But that didn't suit these "loyalists," who now howled "traitorat the speakrr. They suppressed that telegram, knowing full well that if Mr, Bellringer got in they would not be able to shift him at the next genera election; and they published th« fact that Mr. Dockrill was_ the Government

nominee, \vnen Mr. the was astounded with the turu things jutd taken, and to W olhngtwf but Cabinet disouimed any knowledge of .Mr. Dockriil's selection T 1 ne ulot failed, and theatfec five comyLim«d that the Government c&udidates defeat at the poll .was due to the. preswice of Mr. Malone as a candidate, whereas it was due to the fowling mess" they had made of the arrangiw ments. These sticklers for loyalty then

threatened tliat, in the event of Mr ilalone ever atandi7]g as a (.lovenimeni candidate would prefer to vole lor Mr Okey, and he believf-il they w;cr. ■wretched enough to no it. 'incn tne; began to pretend that their defeat wa due to lack of organisation, "Let us organist',"' they said. And vliat did !they organise? There was 110 public announcement tu the Liberals 01 Lie electorate that organisation wa? necessary to win the seat back. Xo feai. More or kits private invitations were sent put to a select icw, and every one of them .Fas an enemy of Malone'a. They formed, what he would call lor short, the New Plymouth Literal Lea "iff. a branch of a league wlnf.n would disown the lirHiieJi if it were aware of the tricks played here, A » executive of wvsn, the quintessence of eamity of Slalone, was elected., and lie was asked to submit liis name to them. But he was not to be caught in a trap like that —for he found afterwards that «-» fl « t.ran A few of hj-3 friends

• joined the League, and from l&em ie learned what went on. Jn the linisli lie decided flat if lie could not get into Parliament without nn organisation of that sort he didn't want io get tlwre at all. Mr. Malone stated that be \va» asked a second time-tJiis time by a vice-president—to placr- himself 111 the hands of the League, but lie replied that he was not fool enough to do so. knowing that the hundred monitors or 10 were nearly all opposed to him. and he would have no chance. The v.cefpresident pointed out, But you c.

Sack tho ballot, too. Yon can ; i>"t;al your friends ra." That u:l ~ 11,11 3n Xaranaki. The whole transacts (Was dishonest and immoral. *o won der tlhe membership of ll,v Lco S"* dwindled away when members wer made tools of in that way. Coming to the present election, lie T«' ftrred to Sir Joseph Ward s announce Sflent Of Ilia intention to introduce tli Second Ballot Bill in a true snirit o Liberalism to avoid splitting of »'ote> and to prevent the creation of bad blooc ■between party followers. Now. Mr Malta® hftd announced his candidature immediately alter tlie bye-election, and ha bad made a special announcement to St 3o«jJ> Ward, There was no objee-

tion; lii fact, there was a ljraciicui approval of his candidature mere was l-uuiw menuoii Of utuer candidates and the League stared to consiuer tile > best tliiug to do. There were several members all anxious to stand, !>o they »aited on a .Minister 0 f tlicr Crow a here ; ® ne night, and the claims of all tuce • Jlr. Alalwic—were ' laid before him. 'l'Jte jMinister loid them he was going to have a Seco-rd , Ballot or Absolute .Majority iiiii passed u'ls -hist session, > 0 tlut thi-y could all have a go if they Hked.'' uut uie I Libeial League didn't wa.it that sort ot Lioeralisiu. Tiio.se candidates were not game to siaud on tiieir own—they wanted a '.soft thing.' Luior ou. L iu i y

saw Sir Josejdi Ward aad asked ix'ini io 'l° "tfildidute for '-us,'' but Siv Joscpli Ward wasn't very keen 0 n it, ihiit request was made by the rcpresentatives of the League whose ukmiieisnip could not have numbered more ft at an * v tinK '' P ( -' rlla l ) 8 not more . n u0 > a"J that was what Jlr. Bellnnger grandiloquently but erroneously styled selection by the whole Liberal f '- T lK\ ® lr Jo«sepU Ward seat us his faithful henchman, wiio had come Co he speaker, but hv told linn lie didn't relieve ill that sort of thing, and the trusted henchman iett Mr. Maloao alone. It was not right for any man to claim votes on ilie ground that lie I was the Government candidate, jer hu believed he could have been the Go-

. """"lice Hinisen, Air. liell- [ linger was only the New Plymouth Libera! League's candidate, although he had been selected by Sir Joseph Ward or his trusted henchman. Then hi 3 name was submitted back to the League, and its members discussed whether or not to endorse the selection. He claimed that he had proved he ivas standing in the Government Interest and was entitled to eall himself a can-' didate in the Government; interest; that he was not misleading the people; that he was not pausing a split in the Liberal Party; and was not creating bad blood. (Applause). GENERAL PRINCIPLES.

Coming to the general principles of his politics, Jlr. Jlalone stated his conviction that the interest of the State and 110,t the individual must be first. Government must be equal for all classes, conditions, and creeds; but ttto poor and weak requi.e more consideration than the rich and strong. Government must aim to give or insure the greatest amount of individual well-be-ing with the least State expense. The true wealth of a State consisted in a strong, healthy, intelligent, moral, welleriucntP*] inrillarrimie nTI/1 nmoQA.iM.f

y, happy people. The maximum of lational and individual material wealth to created by sucti a people. He beieved tliat the Government now in ower based Its actions on those priniples, and therefore lie was a Governaent supporter. Ia the 1905 election , Taranaki paper now supporting the )ppositioji had said: "No Government las done more for the advancement of he country than the present Govcrnneat." And that was true. Just beore this Party took office there waa he reign of the soup kitchens and shelters, and wages were 2s Gd a day. People were being driven out of the ountry. Since then the population had nereased' by 320,000. and there v a s abounding progress and prosperity, Inreasing and well maintained. He did lot think Government could lay claim o having eaused all that prosperity, iut, when the Government took office, he Opposition had tiled: "This Goernment will ruin the country." Sceng that it had done nothing of the iort, perihaps the Govern:,-,e;\t was en:itted to say, in opposite n lo that preliction, that it had made the country Jrosper. This Government had passed legislation tihat was leading the world and which was all aimed at the amelioration of the conditions of the settlers. It was progressive b-jri.-.lntion, and it had been opposed bit by bit by the Opposition. (Hear, hear). In 1894, the colony was on the brink of ruin. The Bank of New Zealand was just about putting up its shutters, and its closing would have spelt rnin to thousands. The Government, despite all the efforts of the Opposition, came to the assistance of the bank, and the colony was safe. The Government, when it came into power, found*a system under which large tracts of land had been secured by outride capitalists who had never taken any share of the toils of colonisation. He had no objection to the pioneers buying up and holding decent sreas. for they had to do the work and i'rave ths Maoris. The Liberal Government set about acquiring those estates and making them available for clo-e settlement upon reasonable terms. He believed in that system, but all waste Crown lands should first ha

settled. Then came the period in which t'iie Advances to Settlers Act was pass-

ed. Money was then borrowed at 10 p-.'r cent, upon broad acres' rieeurity,

E'liil this Act reduced the rate. Then followed a whole chapter of democratic laws, the great mass of it tending towards bettering the conditions 01 v>ie people—hut the Opposition condemned it as "experimental.'-

A voice from the hall: What fibou the Arbitration Act?

Mr. Malone retorted that many poo. plv were blaming the Government for flaws in the Arbitration Act. This mea-t-ui'f had been passed by the mutual eon-ent of the Government and Opposition, in 1894, believing the principle to be sound and in the best interests oi tiie country. (Applause), 'lnc proof of the goodness and soundness of ail that legislation lav in the fact that it still stood, and that Mr. Massey, tiie Leader of the Opposition, had stated on that very platform that "there was practically no difference between the policy of "the Government and the policy fff the Opposition" Mr. Massey went further, and said: "They stole their policy from us, from our brains." Mr. Okev, M.P., speaking here in January last," had used' similar words, and the provincial executive of the Otago Farmers' Union, in that country of hard-headed people, had passed a resolution recognising that there was no longer any appreciable difference be tween Wie parties, and urging coalition. | It really amounted to a policy of the party that was "out'' trying to get "in." Mr. Okey would doubtless tell the electors that a good Opposition was necessary, but the speaker said it would be good business to let some other electorate send tho Oppositionists to the House. For his part, he did not sea much good in a party that was bound to criticise everytfeg and oppose, it irrespective of merit. Sir Joseph Ward had very rightly dubbed the Opposition as a party of "calamity howlers." Mr. Malone warmly approved the Second Ballot Act, and cried shame on the Opposition for opposing a measure aimed at ending the system about which they had for so long complained. lie approved the Land Settlement Association scheme of tho Government, and the additional loans for the Advances to Settlers Department, and

for tile prosecution of a more vigorous " hacbbloeks roading policy. He churned that the Premier's policy was businesslike. and instanced his concentration of energy on the Main Trunk line, thus completing a work that had threatened to drag indefinitely. Jic praised Sir Joheph Ward's cheap postage scheme (sneered at by the Opposition) and ' welcomed the proposed penny cable ser- ■ vice to Knghrnd. Altogether the record of Sir Joseph Ward anil his Cabinet had the speaker's hearty support, 1 and he would be surprised if the coun- . trv did not endorse their policy. At i the same time, if he were returned, he

would be a strong friend and not a slave of tho Ministry. THE LAXI).

Mr. Malone enunciated the principle that as practically everything came from Ike land, its settlement should be encouraged in every way. He believed m the freehold, or the occupation with right of purchase system, and it was tllie duty of the State to provide laud for the people on those tenures, ftoads should precede settlement, and _ areas should he restricted as now. Xo t!o----verninent, Conservative or Liberal, had as yet fully grasped the need for more rapid roadi.ig of the country. The Government must construct roads, bridges

and railway » to gm " access at all seasons to the land ami markets and ports. AH native lands, except that required for actual use liv the natives, should be acquired by tCie Crown and with the Crown waste land 1,0 opened for settlement for the whiles, lie did not believe in a -Maori landed aristocracy to rack-rent t'he settlers on

their lands . lfe believed ill encouragement of immigration. but not promiscuously. Assistance should be given only to farmers and farm laborers, or to some hi-mdies of craftsmen But of the avc-,-,«e town worker we already had enough. Immigration of the unfit and of Asiatics should be restricted. Education should be free, wcular, I compulsory and ellicient, lie hclieied I in technical education, especially with regard to enabling the, farmer to get tlie best use out of I'lie land. The laws of liyiene should be inculcated in thn schools. He would favor a scheme of national denlistrv on lines somewhat similar to our hospital system, for the people of the Dominion were threatened through tJieir bad teeth, and dentists' bills were heavy, lie believed ill Hie ri'«ht of labor to combine, and tnnf. wages' should be sufficient to properly feed ' elotlie. and shelter workers ia<\ I their families, provide reasonable recreation and enable them to put by ti

little for .tile rainy day. Dairying, agriei:liural, pastoral, aiming and industrial pursuits should bc> encouraged, as Simula also the commercially practical manufacture of our necessities. Land values should not be based 011 "swops' or tilu; fancy price that some fools paid for land, but upon the basis of its productivity. IX-alh duties in laigc cs- . Uites should be increased, with the cor-

j.v3jjuuu'ng uw,it»isc oi taxation upon the living, lit was an adniim- of the old pension " L'llCIHI'. J.OCAL -\EJiD,S. | His plaliorm with regard to local .unit's and uis ambitions wr l.trtuiaki coin.pris-'il Hie following.- The coinjiletion of a deep-sea harbor at Jlotuvoa; railway connection between Tanuiaki and Auckland dilect; l'alwav lon.ieetion of Xew Plymouth with" Opuiiake Via Stratford, and diicet via the coast; -New Plymouth the first port of call from aJiil last port of departure to Australia; efficient opening and proper settlement of all waste land in the province and connection of same by rail and road with the harbor; construction or completion of roads and bridges, and

erection of public buildings wherever projiovly iviiuisile; increased subsidies to local bodies in proportion to rates levied; the acquisition of native land now leased under the West Coast S.R.L. Act', and tHie sale of the same to the present teiiants on freehold or occupation nith right of freehold tenure; the prospecting of the KaiUki ranges and Mountain Buscrre for minerals; the erection and conduct of a Government tourist resort on Mount Eginont; the inclusion of Taranaki in all Govern-

ment and Tourist Department advertisements, and its general development as a tourist resort; tile establishment and conduct of a dairy and farm school; the establishment of sea fis'hery; legal provision that the improvements °to dairy -yards and sheds, etc., required by the dairy department shall be ma'de 'by Idle owners of tiic laud, the tenants paying a fair annual sum to cover interest and depreciation; the union of country and town and practical progress for the good of both; the raising of Taranaki —the, best province in the world—to its proper leading position in the Dominion. In conclusion, All*. Maione claimed to Ire a practical and progressive man, and i pledged himself, if returned, to be at ' the service of the country in session und out of session, to do his best for everyone, without regard to class, condition, or creed. No questions were aslced. Mr. C. T. II ilia, in proposing a vote of thanks to Mr. Maione, said tllvat just now Taranaki wanted a man full of energy, with plenty of time at his disposal, and broadminded. Mr. Maione was imbued with all these traits. Mr. R. Cock seconded, and the motion was carried unanimously. l A similar compliment to the Mayor for presiding terminated the meeting. ]