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The Daily News WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4. MR. OKEY'S ADDRESS.

Matters political may be said to have settled down ill earnest for ■tile light to be deeded on liie 17ill insl., all the candidates for tile Xaianaki seat having now placed their views before the electors, and evidence of the gradually ilk leasing interest was shown by the large attendance at .Mr. ukey s mooting 0,1 .Monday .light, -Mr. Ukey, who nas represented the Xaranaki electorate in I'arliaii.-.'iit daring rile past two sessions as an Oppositionist, is again oll'ering 'Himself for election as a follower of .Mr. Masscy. We desire at the ouiset to give ilr. Obey croon, lor a coiise'vnlious perfornniiieo of duly, for it has lit en generally recognised by friend and opponent alike thai ho has striven hard in make himself conversant with Parliamentary procedure, and has not spared himself in tile interests of his constituents. As a

speaker he also shows the benelit derived from two sessions of experience ra Parliament. Jlv has found, too, what few people are generous enough to admit, that the work ot a member of Parliament is arduous and exacting, for which I lie monetary remuneration alone is no recompense.

Mr. Okey's speech was conlined to a more or less vague and general criticism of some planks of the uoveninieni policy and existing legislation, in urging that the time had arrived for improvement in the system of local government, 'lie was dealing-with a matter on which there are no two opinions. As the Government has already taken the question in hand, however, and a comprehensive Local Government Hill will be on the legislative programme- next session, there was nothing novel in the proposal. Equally on the question of native lands, no one denies that great confusion lias resulted from complexity of legislation alieeting the native race and their lands, tint it is also a fact that no Government in the Dominion has made a greater vilort to place the .Maori land laws on an up-to-date and uniform basis than tne Government un-

iler .Sir Joseph Ward. We cannot agree with .Mr. Okoy, for instance, that IrtLle good will result from the investigations and reports of the present Royal Commission on Native Lands, The country,, we are thoroughly convinced, is entirely with the Government hi its endeavor to clear up the tangle of native land titles, with a view to opening up me laud for settlement. No one expected that so large a question, one that had baffled every previous Government to solve, would be settled in a day. and that as soon as the Royal Commission was set up, the settlement of the. native land would at 'once commence. It is idle to argue that the Minister for Native All'airs could hang up indefinitely the realisation of a definitely settled .Government policy and we are perfectly satisfied that immediately everything is in order, the surplus native lands of ih's Island will lie thrown upon the '.oo.rkct on the conditions approved of ,by Parliament. There is nothing to I : us'tify the pessimistic view taken by ilr. Okoy on this question, which for the first "lime in the history of the Dominion is being dealt with on practical lines.

Mr. Okoy spcnl some lime outlining Ihe votes he Had secured H'om tile Government for the dis'.rict. particularly the large votes lor buildings in the towns, wnicli. tie considered «"i'c justified. It is hardly cn.isis.toui ttilii the cry of the Opposition, however, that the Government oxpondiiui'c on public buildings is rubbery of the hackiiiock roads and bridges. Tin- lact is tii.il the cry \: a good o.ie to ..so against a Government si, ping only as H is n.d put into operation in the district of the member making it. Mi. .uassey is at present making a strong point in uU speeches again.-! expenditure »n public building- but lie, like Mr. Okey, oniy objects when the expemliiure on public buildings is in the other fellow's district. There is nothing wrong with the Government policy which sices him all ho wants fur his' own electorate. The expenditure of a very largo sum on necessary Gu\or;inicnl 'buildings at Auckland is hold to be justified, because Mr. Massci's inl:'i-e*i- are in Auckland, but what, a noise in- made about expenditure o;, publ'c buildings in Welling ton and the South! We agree with Mr.

Okey that a town is known by its buildings, but not. so that we should be known and noted would we advocate the erecting of public buildings which were nol required. The fact, however, is that the increase of public btisi'less is such that most (Joveriiincnt Departments have quite outgrown the accommodation provided for them. Mr. Okey quite agrees such is the ease in New Plymouth; Mr. Massey agrees such is the case in Auckland; Mr. Jas. Allen agrees a similar condition exists in Milton; each strives his hardest, to have necessary buildings erected in file district in which his interests lie. and (Ilea Willi delightful inconsistency the Opposition condemn (ioveriiim.it ox-

jN'iidiliire on public buildings. M". Okoy's claim that Ihe district'has not sulfcrcd by reason of being represented in Parliament by an Oppositionist, is, pari nitiovic, an admission that the Oovcrnment is not, the corrupt power the Opposition always allirm. On lilt; question of policy. Mr. Okev repeats his leader's dicUuii. lime mere is now very little dilfcrcnce between the policy of the (iover.iuient and the Opposition. Mr. Okev referred furtliei to the suggestion that the two parties

si Id form a. coalition to combat socialism, and inferred that Hie overtures came from the Oovonimont side of the House. Mr. Okey knows only 100 well lhat the l'remier'has repudiated having at any time considered the question of c," alescingwith the Opposition. Mr Masscv has stated that there is practically no ditl'ereace between the Oovernm'ent'J and his policy now—lhat lie would repeal none of the O'overnmenfs legislation if given the political leadership. It is passing strange, therefore, if the policies have -o much in common, that tins Premier should be under the nec-s----sity of keeping up a running fire of replies to the accusations promulgated by the Opposition throughout the Dominion. It is very evident that Mr. Okey has but a very faint conception of what is meant by socialism, to which he declare,! his npp,„fiio„. || U o„|.| mean, according to Mr. Okey. llie stale pro diiclioi) of wheat, miiling of Hour and so on. It is very convenient to declare that there is imminent danger ol socialism through (lovernuient instrumentality, because estates have been purchased to promote settlement and money has been borrowed to loan -to settlers, and an old-age pension has been established. Dare the Opposition repudiate any of the socialistic experiments of the" Stale' .Mr. Okey is very evidently confused between tile aspirations of militant labor, and the socialism that New Zealanders understand and practice. In connection with the same subject, we can only assume from Jiis remarks that Mr. Okey is opposed to micii institutions a- stale agricultural and poultry farms. ,\]| «e can say is that Mr. okey's opinion is in direct conflict will, that of llie meat majority of llie. fanner* who have wsited 'those ' institutions.

On 11n- hind ,|in-ii<,ii Air. o; ir y av.is srffjvi'ly i-i>iiii-iii>iii wiili fart wii'di lie «iiiprfii|si,c(l thin the unc jri-ont <iill>r «nci! bcljyfcii lh" (lovoinnieiii aad Hip Opposition «;h I Inn. xli<- former lielicvcd in I lie leasehold and lh,. Jailor did not. 'l'll,- "illy intVivin'C in 1.0 drawn from ihi, -oniewhat a-tulelv drawn lino of dcininv;i(i"ii is UiiU Ilic Coverainoni iopposed to the freehold. .if Hi,. ii|.|Mirimjiii... jriv, , mrfc-r Ui" Land | Ml l,i ae.piiro tin- freehold. ~.f Ilic ,„,. I i.orlunitirs proposed l.i secure lh,. freehold "i Unlive land, why did Mr. Okoy not .ejvo I!„• 'iuvrnv nl. ,-rnlil for Hehighly .mil important l;m.| proposal outlined in thi-, \ ear's I'.aile.e!. ! and laior iiilr,i,u,ce,| in Hi',. f,and Si-IIK--j Went Finaneo Hill? 'l'll,, i--i<eiic< of (!„. propo-al. (o facilitate liv :, mm,, jni.iri uhliv 11 .-.jui-ilii. ■ n lar-o area of I land for (ho punioso of subiliyts.oii I aeion.f tin. |iiiiv!i'a.„.«, lias nalin-;:!!..-1 II V,',.1,,H | !,v fividloH.-ls 1,,-,-;, lis,- il ~|V.-,.,i iiiii,riv,.,|,.nii-il ~p,,,,,■(,initie, !',,r I'll. :lr.|'ni ili.lll ..f III" J'reloild. »l,i|.. :,l Hi,,,' ill-., i-iiU „f ,„o„„ i,..|y «,!•,- r,p,;,!i, .'.lad lo sec llic poor man ~|iali|,.,i i" ■■•l a -,vti,,:i on ,••„.!,- |i.,nallv ,-a-v ii-nn... under coadil ions v.liich pivrlii.lcd a;.-.:r<'!;lilioll. and would j iinpiw,. li„l hill;; 1.-iil a cinliilKi'lll liali'dity upon tin- State, '('his liiii represents: mi excellent idea, excellently worked out, trad comprint sncli a repudiation

to the old accusation uf the Opposition that the Government is only fur the freehold, that we are not surprised Mr. Okey quite overlooked the matter ill his New Plymouth meeting. Air. Okey, we were pleased to observe, is in favor of encouraging and assisting workers to secure tiieir own homes through Government assistance with cheap money, but it might be pertinent to note that these provisions have already been made by the Government under various Acts, and workers, particularly in laranaki towns, are largely availing themselves of the special inducements ojl'ercd by the Government. We cannot agree with Air. Okey that all votes and grants for roads should pass through the local bodies' hands for expenditure. As a matter of fact, grants in settled districts are nearly all expended by the local authority tit" present, tin.' work heiug merely subject to inspection by the (Jovcrnmeut engineers. .But it is ridiculous to say that Jislricts like the hinterland of laranaki should be asked to supervise the ex Deiiditiire of money on their roads, la llie very first place they simplv eould; 101 all'ord to be saddled with'the adninUlrative cost, Under a more" eomiroliensive system of local government hail obtains at present some such syseni might be possible in many districts, ml c.\]K'riciiee lias not demonstrated ,h»t local bodies gel better value for heir expenditure uian the l'ublic A'orks Department with its able staff if engineers. Mr. Okey touched on ither important matters, colonial as veil as local, but we have readied the imit of our. space, and will have 10 hold vcr further comment till to-morro\v.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TDN19081104.2.7

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 267, 4 November 1908, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,684

The Daily News WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4. MR. OKEY'S ADDRESS. Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 267, 4 November 1908, Page 2

The Daily News WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4. MR. OKEY'S ADDRESS. Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 267, 4 November 1908, Page 2

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