POLITICAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 85, 30 September 1911, Page 3

POLITICAL.

| STRATFORD ELECTORATE. i MR. JOSEPH McCLUGGAGIi AT MTOHIKfiT. 1 (By our correspondent.) A largely attended meeting of electors was Md at the Public Hull, Midhirst, on Thursday evening, to hear the address of the Liberal candidate, Mr. Joseph MeCluggnge, upon matters political. The chair was occupied by Mr. Alex. Brown, and Mr. McC'ugigagc was accorded a very attentive hearing. In soliciting the electors' support in the coming, Parliamentary elections, the candidate announced that he was the sell-cited Liberal candidate, and, if returned, ivotild give his strongest support to ihe present Administration. IR; 'believed tliat the Government's policy was settled and progressive, and that the Gov-emmemt had placed legislation upon the Statute Boofc that ha<l benefited the people of the Dominion. The value and soundness of the Government's legislation was amply vouched and suptported by the fact that, older countries in Europe, and the British Parliament itself, had copied a great deal of it, and were now forecasting further measures on the lines of enactments already in force in this country.

Mr. McCluggage dealt very exhaustively with .the land policy of the present Administration, and, speaking as a member of the Taranaki ' Land Bosiixl for inany years past, si id that no community under the sun had such facilities for getting on the land under favorable e.onditons as the people of New Zealand.

.He made special reference to "The Lands Settlement Finance Amendment Acit." which empowered five or more intending settlers with farming experience aoid very little capital to negotiate for a block of land of not less than 250 acres, and, providing the Government Yaluer agrees upon the price, the Government will purchase the land wished for, the applicants only finding 4 per cent, of the capital paying the balance off in 20 years, and in the meantime paying i I 4'/i per cent, interest on the unpaid pur- j clia.se money, which is raised by a charge of 1% ipcr cent, .annually for the 20 years. The settlers can individualise' their title or hold it in common, just as I it suits them. •Mr. Met'luggage concluded his remarks on the land question by stating that he was of opinion that tiie L.1.1'. tenants should lie placed upon the same footing as the O.R.P. settlers, if they so desired,, upon paying, the additional 1 per cent.

J He also stated that the remarks so J continually .passed 1»y the Opposition re ;| the neglect in settling native lands, were, [like so many Clmposition charges, both reckless and absolutely iinitrue. The position was, according to official figures, tliat tire area, of the ' Dominion was 00.000,000. Of this the original owners of the soil, the natives; now possessed only 4,037,120' acres. Of this 'area, 3,232,070 acres were being properly worked and occupied by their owners, leaving a balance of 2,804,452 acres, some of which, is now being surveyed l> 4 y tli'e Government for European settlement, there being over 70 survey stall's in thfe field at the present time. It should be remembered. aUo that a large proportion { of this land is inaccessible and unfit for occupation. When it i® considered that there are over 30,000 Maoris in New Zealand it will be seen that there was therefore a very small proportion, pel* head, of unused native lands. The Conservative Party had thmeslves, when in office, done nothing in the wny of native land settlement, and it ill became them to eriticisiethe Government that had done {so much in tllis direction. The whole I outcry was promulgated by the large i Conservative nionied speculators in the ! North, who saw in the matter grtat Ojp- | w>rtimities for land gambling, and speculation in native lands when the' j same were available for sale, at the cost of the natives themselves and bona fide j Kuropcaw buyers. The Conservative I Party were deliberately planning the whole thing for . the benefit of town plutocrats in Auckland, who were already too rich for the welfare of the community in the north. Tlie some game had'been tried with the native lands just before the construction of the Alain Trunk railway, ami, had the Government allowed it, by the time tllo line was opened the whole of tho land would have been held Aiiid gridirmicd amongst the rich speculators instead of in moderate holdings by decent settlers as it is now. The wisdom of the Government on that occasion has saved the bona fide settlor in that district many thousands of pounds.

Mr. MeOhiggage advocated 'the free dental inspection of school children, and would favor an alteration in the electoral system to provide for proportional voting. Also that tlie Government should establish two sanatoria for the treatment of consumption. One should he established in each island, and the treatment should be given free of cost to the sufferers. On the liquor question lie was in favor of a bare majority on a Dominion vote. He also thought that the Government should set aside endowments of land scattered throughout the barf: blocks for the maintenance of nurses in such districts, duly qualified in midwifery. lie would advocate the establishment of a. State experimental fami in central Ta.ra.naki.

Mr. MoClnjfgage also dealt exhaustively with the questions of immigration, land and customs taxation, extension of the Oild Age, Pensions Act, pensions ifor indigent widows left with voting children, and would support an extensive road and bridge construction policy, and was in favor of the present system of control of the Civil Service.

At the conclusion of the candidate's speech, 3tr. A. Walker moved, ami Mr. Moiintfonl .seconded, that a very hearty vote of thanks to. ami of eoiilUlejicc in, Mr. McCluggagc. iiiid of confidence ill the present Liberal Government, -bo accorded. As an amendment to this Mr. Potonwen moved, and .Mr. Mead' seconded, that a "vote of thanks onJv lie passed.

Upon the chairman putting the motions to the meeting the amendment "Nilß defeated anil the original resolution carvide liy a. very lar«e majority. The proceedings terminated with a vole of thanks to tlw chair.