THE GENERAL ELECTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 275, 14 November 1908, Page 2

THE GENERAL ELECTION.

JIK. BELUiINGEH AT XEW PLYMOUTH. All'. Bellringer delivered his i\e»- I JyniouUi speech at the Theatre lxo\til lust liVoiiiiig. There wiifj jair attendance, and Mr. .Doekrill presided Jn opening his .speech .Mr. Jiolh-j, explained Uiat when he iiixt spoke"at A'eiv Plymouth the otll'er canuWato.s, liiul not opened their campaigns. They had since done so. He. did lint intend to indulge in personalities, only to ileal "'it'll certain matters that had arisen from their speclios. Jle did not hold it necessary to explain matters in eon- ! neetiou with tlic bye-election tliut l\ad been discussed by Mr. iMalone. Jle felt that the meeting had vindicated him by remaining silent when asked by .Mr. ilalone for an'expression of opinion uu thi charge, brought against him (the speaker).

lie alluded to the visit of the Premier and his indication as to who was the Government candidate for the scat, an animation which, lie trusted and felt sure, would once and for all settle the question. He did not propose to contest the right of Air. Alalone to stand, lut he could not help feeling that when a man allied himself with a party should be loyal to that party ami do nothing to jeopardise its interests. Had Jie (the speaker) 'not been of that view i he would not lie before them that nig'.t. it had been said that Air. Okey had referred in disparaging terms to both the other candidates, saying, amo/ig other things, that a "jointer was not a respectable man to represent the constituency." lie had taxed Air. Okey with the statement, and Air. Okey had given it complete denial, and he was satisfied to accept the denial. OPPOSITION CIIITICISM.

The candidate proceeded to refer to the Opposition attacks on the Government. In regard to the freehold, it had been persistently stated thai the Government were 'enemies of tms form of tenure. Instead of withholding the freehold from the people, the Govern-1 ment had done everything they could for it, and shown a desire to help the people on the land rather than puttiig obstacles in their way. fie proceeded to prove his statement. Jt had been said by Mr. Jlassey that the Government ■had tried to establish .Maori landlordism, but he challenged him to prove the assertion. As a matter of fact the Government Jiad done nothing of the sort. Mr. Masscy was plainly endeavoring to j'create a color distinction, a tiling that shotfld be deprecated, lie believed the -Mauris should be placed under the same conditions as the whites. .Regarding the freehold, lie held strong freehold views, and were the Government tile enemies I of the freehold Mr. Masscy sought to make th'c people believe they were, lie would not support them. It had also been charged against the Administration that it was a single-tax Government, just because in the Cabinet was a man (the Hon. Fowlds) who was a strong advocate of this form of taxation. Tue policy of the Government was settled by the Cabinet and Ministers had to sink their individual beliefs and act with the majority, ft might be said with equal force that the Opposition were leaseholders just because one of their prominent members (Mr. Aitken, of Wellington) was a staunch leaseholder. The charge was obviously groundless, as the achieveriients and policy of the Government showed. Personally he was opposed to single tax. Mr. Massey 3iad accused the Government of preaching and practising socialism. For a long time New Zealand had been committed to taking a hand in many matters of the greatest importance to the country. In its interests public services like the railways,, telegraphs, telephones, State coal Vnines, etc., had been undertaken. If that were socialism in its worst form, then the Government were socialists. But would the people have it otherwise! On the one side socialists were accusing the Government of legislating in the interests of capitalists; on the other side, the Opposition were accusing the Government of forcing socialism upon the country. This showed one thing—that the Government were steering a middle course.

He defended the Government from the charges of waste and extravagance. The expenditure had certainly increased. This was an inevitable'corollary of the increase in revenue and development of the country, He complained of the Opposition not bringing forward direct and detailed charges in this connection. Ue was satisfied the Government had on the whole displayed a wise prudence and that the country had got good value for its expenditure. He criticised the Opposition cry about tlie Government's proposed expenditure on national buildings. Jjc was quite prepared to accept the Premier's statement Unit the proposed expenditure would not exeeed a quarter of a million. the Government were accused of increasing the tarilf in respect of farm Jtiul mining implements. As a matter of fact, the Government had done their utmost for both these important industries. The Government had -no more consistent or loyal supporters thna those engaged in the mining industry iliejr would fmd that at the comijij election the miners would only return meij belonging to the Government party. (Applause). Again tlie Government had been accused :by the Oppositioa of violattoj; the rights of the minority by passing the •-eeond Ballot Bill. In every democracy the majority ruled, and if Mr. .Massey and his party were not in sympathy with majority rule they were opposed I to tlie first principle of democratic government. Passing to another charge made by the Opposition that the Government had passed unsatisfactory legislation!, he pointed out that the Opposition saw no good in anything done -by the Go-J vernment; they did nothing but lind tault and criticise. But the majority of the people thought iliflcrently, otherwise they would not. have so repeatedly m the past endorsed the actions 01 ui'p Administration, Me did not say everything passed by the Government was perfect. There were defects' that had from time to time to be remedied, and tlie Government had done and was doing this, ric thought the Opposition ought to back up their assertions and indicate where the legislation of the Government was unsatisfactory. hi respect to the Administration of the Government, much used to be heard of the cry of "Spoils to tile victors''— ot the charge that the Government gave their supporters all tile good things at the expense of their opponents, lint Mr. Okey, in his .Yew Plymouth speech, distinctly told them that tile Government had treated him reasonably and faiily in regard to all the requests he had made on behalf of his constituents

Hi tact, ho rather prided himself upon what lie had been able to get- from Die Government. And so it was in other respects. He was certain that the Government's administration would compare favorably with the administration of the Conservative Government t]i«v siieceudoil. Again, (lio CfovonmiOiit wore charged 1 with making Uu» country unprosporou*, and Mr Massey claimed that tile Opposition could save the eonntry. He contended that although there hud hcen a slight depression, from foreign reasons over which \ew Zealand had 710 contiol, the country as a whole "was neve:* in a more prosperous condition than towere endowed " II " 'l'lfHlies of energy, industry and thrift, the essentials of prosperitv and the Government's wise administration had done much to assist in the re.ilj isiition of our undouhted prospiirit>7 whieh was more pronounced now than at any stage of history. The Government hail also been accused of interfcr",g with private enterprise, but he was of a contrary opinion. Certainlv the had launched out in cerium lines 111 Urn interests of the people, but. fh-irl enterprise in the cause of mankind was I warranted fiuf so far from sliding industry. wli.it was | Ik, position at n lO present moment ; ,-Vope f,„. enterprise was as tree to-day as ever. The civ 'li'iving capital nut of the countrV "■id been raised yen is ago, but th'f growth of industries with file nnc "i' 0: new avenues f,„. |.,| l(ir 111:1 rkalll,' |„ ||„. face of results, how could il be contended that the Gover;i111e.it find discouraged enterprise, ~~| how could Mr. warranted? Il was aiso uiged ajinst (be (.oyer,.,,, out bv Mr. Massey and Mr IVI I ,ll ''■"vernmeiil had neglected the settlchieal of nalive lands \|. Iliougl, it was „ , I|osl dillictilf s ; ||li( , ( . t to deal win,. I |,o people IV cre aw'ue lliai the Government was inaliii],,' 1 valiant ell'ort lo have 111- whole moben, solved, and as t lie result of | h , |„. bors 01 the Royal ('iiiuiiiission now at ": m V J!"'""" 'iH- «ould 50,,;, | M , j„. divnlualised. -iiiituo owners mi „|e j sponsible for their share of local goverutl7> "■'n.li.s 1a...N o„em„| f„ r | I he '•d against the tJoverum■,,■,( that, {h ? Y had discouraged volunleei-itf, ||„ cognised there was „ certnin amount of discontent cmneefed with defei.ee ~,«( ge.ierallv. but contended f; 0 . verinucnt had nol been a110,.,,|] H .|- >•, sponsible. It was dilbcull (7, li,„| tUliy wlicre !Jn> mjlin l<iit-ss ],w | )M | lie was sal islied that I lie Govern, it was proceeding on the right lines. whatever scheme was brought dor '

would lie fair and hi the beat interests of Uic country, Again, the Government were accused by uie Opposition of not having given tin; people a fair opportunity ior nnprow.ig ilie:r positions in life, lie imd yet to learn mat the Opposition liad been distinguished in the past for giving tlie people opportunities for taeir material and soeial improvement. I (Hour, near), lie contended tile Liberal Government had done infinitely more tiiau any previous Administration to give every man an equal opportunity in life, and he believed we had a condition of allairs in .New /calami to-day .tliat gave every man u fair chance, a chalice ilint was denied them under the oIJ Conservative regime. The Opposition hail made a. charge they could not uphold. And on tile whole Air. Alassey's contentions against the Government would not bear analysis and could not lies ustained. Mil. AIALONE'S LAND POLICY. Referring for a moment to the land policy outlined by Mr. Alalone, in his eomi'.ition that the settlement of ill Crown lands should precede the breaking up of estates under the uiuus for .Settlement scheme, he claimed tluit there'll -Mr. Alalone was advocating the policy of tlie Opposition, and not that of the Government. To have made only Crown lands available would have meant that those looking for land, the sons of farmers, and the landless would have had no alternative except to go out into tiie backblocks, and he claimed that the Lands for .Settlement policy of the Government, in bringing large estates into the market, nad been conducive to the prosperity of the country. (Applause). As a matter of fact, the interests of the country demanded that many of these large estates should be broken up, and the people had not bw:i slow to recognise the good work done

uy uie uovurumcut m uiai uirccuoa. In his reply to the questions put by tlio Farmers' Union, Mr. Malone had also shown his sympathy with the Opposition policy, for he had answered the Farmers' Union that he was in favor of giving the freehold to Lands for Settlement lands. On this question Mr. Malone was in direct opposition to the Government policy, and would have to vote against the Government on a no confidence motion on such a question, lie (the speaker) had always held tint land bought under the Lands for Settlement scheme was in a different position to Crown lands, although he was a freeholder. On another question by the Farmers' Union, whether he would give all Crown tenants the statutory tight to acquire the freehold of tlieir land at any time, Jlr. JUlone and Mr. Okey both replied in the affirmative. The Government, as everyone knows, had set aside lands for endowments. That question attacked tlie very principle of the national endowments, by' which the Government was prepared to stand or fall. Mr, Malone having pledged himself on that particular question would have to vote against the-Govern-ment, and lie therefore could not justiby his claim to be in accord with the main features of Government policy. TAIUNAKI'S REPRESENTATIVE. He went on to refer to a statement made by Mr. Malone at hia meeting in New Plymouth, when he said: "This Taranaki of ours has suffered through the appointment of ill-selected 'Governors' " (they would notice he was quoting the revised version), "but the ground that had been lost, he ventured to eay, could be recovered if they returned a practical and progressive man." Proceeding, Mr. Bellringer said that if the people elected him "Governor" next week, he would be prepared to also do all he could for New Zealand. THE GOVERNMENT AND THE FARMER. The principal attack made on the Government was that it had done nothing for the farmer. Yet it was undeniable that the Government had done more for the farming community than any other class, (Applause). The Agricultural Department was one of the finest of its kind l in the world, and although the Government was spending £158,000 pn this Department alone, and solely in the interests of the farmers, many of them failed to recognise the fact. He instanced also the Government experimental farms, the Government inspection of dairy produce, the Government certificate of quality regarding which Mi a warranty for high prices on tho foreign markets, the Government .importation of high-class stock, the Government assistance given in storing and freezing dairy produce (in the case of Moturoa alone working out at £J2,000 by way of subsidies to aid the farmers when they needed help to firmly establish the industry). Then also the farmers had benefited by direct concessions on the railways, by tile Advances to Settlers Act of the Government, which the Government had bitterly opposed and denounced, and which it was authentically estimated had already saved the farmer 9% million pounds that would otherwise have gone into the pockets of the moneylenders. Without endeavoring to cover the whole range of assistance given the farmin» community by the Government, he con" tended th? Government had recognised the great importance of the industry and done everything possible to assist) it, and rightly so, altnough farmers as a rule were slow to recognise it. Referring to the dairy regulations, he believed that if the elections were not so dose, little exception would be taken to the regulations. Justice had not been done the Government in this matter, and a deliberate political attempt had been made to show that, the Govcrniueut were not the friends of the farmers, although the evidence of all the Government dealings with the farmers contradicted the assumption MR. OKEY'S POSITION. Mr. Okey in his speeches was stating that he had no wish to turn the Government out of office. Now, Mr. Okey was a candidate of the Opposition Party. If he were not desirous of turning the Ward Government out ot otficil,- how would he vote on a crucial I division, and why was lie asking the electors to strengthen the Opposition? Was it his wish I hat the Opposition ■ for ever remain in opposition? Mr. G':oy's statements were absurd, for how on earth could his party ever get 071 the Treasury benches without putting the Government out? And that, Mr. Okey said, lie did not wish to do. The Government legislation, he claimed, imd boen to good that it could not lv? attacked by the Opposition 'candidates, and they were asking to be returned to the House as Oppositionists who promised not to I urn the Government out lie thought Mr. Okey had failed to appreciate the position, or lie would hnvo stood forth as a candidate in the Government interest. If in-. Okey we-e returned, he was pledged to the Oppo sition and be must do his best to turn tills Government oil' the Ministerial benches. If he were not true to Sim. party, if he could not see (he justice of the attacks by the Opposition.) ; h"t should rise in his seat and sny so. But for nil Opposition candidate to come before the electors and say he would not try to put the Government out w/is surely a position that had never beeu heard of before,and the mnn who made such an announcement was almost lit for the political museum. It was but an attempt to thrown dust in the -eves of the not too pronounced Liberals. Mr ■ Okey asked them to strengthen the Opposition party, and the first thing that party would do when it was strong enough would be to occupy the Government benches. The position taken up by the Opposition candidate on this point was untenable. Mr. Hellnnger here referred to Mr. Okey'- statement, at his Fitzrov meeting tliat when the I'remier talked of the reduction in the import duties lie "must have forgotten that the duties on silks, sal''- . j-„ I plushes, the luxuries of the t-i. li. were reduced during the last session." Whati deduction was to lie made from Mr. Okey's words? There was only one fair dedrclimi. and that was that the Go-

vernmonl liml removed (lie dulv from dust' specified arlioles anil loft il on llio-c of a coninmner character. 51 r. Okie's words were true, lint it was only luilf Hi.- Inilli. which was worse jlian mi unlriitli. As flnost of .y, ! bearer... were aivai'P, 111,, duty tiiid been veiluecil on cotton piece #ood.s, cretonnes, velvets il 11; I velveteens, damasks, zephyrs, liaell. and >o on, bringing about a reduced cosl of these articles to tlie people of all ellipses. J| r . Okey lia.l

nmili> <i direct attempt. to deceive tbe people. leading llii'ni lo believe that llio (Inverniiiciil had taken "IV duties "'lk"- "f ll»' rich .id atl'luent, "11(1 uc«le<icd ( lip people less fortunate ly circumstanced. The revision of tli lariir. lie claimed. bail worked in ill. interests of the people as a whole, , lf ,l of a class. Mr. ()];oy hnd also refer red td (lie Increase of duty on u f,n\ tools used on (he forms, liii( ),e knew well onou«li Iha I most of Hie tools used Ml the farm were not dutiable. 'n„, se | slashers ;md hooks had had ,171 import duty placed on tliein merely to protect one of our own Industries.' Mr. okev had not mentioned, for instnnoe, live 1.211.000 per annum saved to Iho penI'le I'.v I In- reduction in (lie ,| ntv o| . sugar, molasses, treacle ele XO-I.IOICXSK. ' Mr. I?cllrin»cr said 11, at he had no! niwitioued this sulijnt al liis previous Now llymoulli niecliiiy. owino to his having inadvertently luriK .l over twoi sheets „t lus notes together. It , va ,! hardly necessary, however, for liim to l say where lie stood hi regard to t'liiis,'! (jiieslioii. There were some tiling fori ;t man's lifu would speuli, and tki a

was one of them. He believed in tlto people's right to settle the licensing, question, and that the vote of every* wan should be of equal value; that was, he believed in deciding the question upon an absolute majority, ilr. Okey had said that that would eause great junrest, but he could not see tlmt at all. As a democratic principle a bare majority was light, mitl before many years had passed the people who now opposed the bare majority would be asking for it, and they had every right to get it, lie also supported Dominion option, Oil u bare majority. a siiuj) vote. Mr. Bcllringer referred to the <mod work being done by the friendly societies, and said ho would oppov any propositi lo place in the hands of one or two people autocratic power TTmch might awt work in their interests. Ha would do nil in his power for their welfare, allowing each wiety to continue ' 'ilong the lines which to its members seemed best. "CRIBBING." According to .Mr. Okey at FiUroy, the Government hud been "cribbing" the Opposition policy. He never knew the Opposition bad one. Mr. Okey claimed the Advances to Workers Act for the Opposition, yet in 1800 llr. Massey opposed the Government's proposal to lend on suburban areas, and in 1899 lie objected to the extending of the Advances to Set tiers' scheme to urban and suburban lands, holding that people in the towns should go to the private money-lenders. But the Government carried the day. Then, six years later, Mr. Massey, in a speech at Auckland, advocated the course that the GovernI mcnt had adopted, and under which nearly a million had been loaned to workers. (Applause). IN CONCLUSION, He urged the electors that the owe way of securing the scut for the Government -was to support the Government with a solid vote. He was fightfalg for a principle. He was there to support the Government, and to do his fevel Tiest to keep tho Opposition off the Ministerial benches. He wa» not like Mr. Okey. He recognised that as a supporter of the Government it might become necessary at times to sink nis personal opinions, but if he were elected and ho found he could not honestly support the Government policy he would come back and place the position below his constituents. The legislation of the Government was broadly humanitarian in its scope, and beneficent in principle, and because he was firmly convinced of its value to tho Dominion he asked the electors to show their loyalty to the Government next Tuesday. In answer to a question, Mr Bellringer said he would , not favor the taxing of property held by churches for publio worship, for the churches held a poik. Hon in the community different to that of trade, and ttioir influence was of tin | utmostjjcneflt to the community.

Mr. E. Cliatterfcon moved a vote of thanks to Mr. Bellringer. Mr. W. Sadler seconded; and tl>e motion was carried. A vote to the chair terminated the meeting.

DR. FINDLAY AT DANNEVTRKE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Dannevirke, Last Night. Dr. Findlay addressed a crowded and cordial meeting in the Drill Hall tonight. The Minister's speech consisted i principally of a review of the work of ' the Liberal Government since taking office, and he appealed to the audience to judge them on past actions and take their work aa an indication of what would be done in the future. He mentioned that the dairy regulations were to benefit farmers, and the objections would be carefully considered before being brought into operation. At the conclusion a vote of thanks and confidence was carried with applause. ALLEGED ROLL-STUFFING. Auckland, last Night. Mr. Fowlds, speaking at Eden Terrace to-iiiglit, stated that he had been supplied with a list of about six hundred names on the Grey Lynn roll of people wiho had no right to be there. Some, he said, were dead; some had removed to other districts; some had not been twelve months in the Dominion; and some were uimaturalised aliens. He added that lie had personally seen the absolute proof of several flagrant case* of roll-stuffing, and that steps would be taken to detect those improperly voting. THE RAILWAY SERVICE. " Oamaru, Last Xiglit, Speaking at Oamaru this evening, James Mitchell, candidate for the constituency, dealt witli the Railway Classification Act, which professedly embodied a promise made b t v Sir Joseph Ward' that every employee in the service could have the right of appeal if he Iclt aggrieved with his position in the elassilication list, but Judge Eyre-Kenny's decision tJiat the Court had no juris-i diction showed that the Act was at fault. Advantage liad been taken If representatives of the Department ot the llaw in the Act to deprive an ap-. pellant of the right implied by but not explicitly conferred by Jaw.