POLITICAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 121, 13 November 1911, Page 7

POLITICAL.

MR. HIN-E AT KATMIRO. Although the meeting was called for an awkward time of the day (1 p.m.), and the weather was decidedly against it, aibout 30 farmers turned out to hear Mr. Jline's political views. Mr. Hine dealt on similar lines as on previous occasions and received a most attentive hearing 1 , and at the conclusion was accorded a very hearty vote of thanks and renewed confidence in him as their member, and a call for three cheers for Mr. Hine was responded to in an enthusiastic manner. MR.. HLVE AT INGLEWOOD. , The fearfully wet night did not prevent a large crowd turning out and packing the Parish Hall on Friday evening to hear Mr. Hine. The candidate explained his reason for speaking in Tnglewood, although the borough was not in his -electorate, stating that as the electors in the immediate surroundings were in the Stratford electorate this would be the only way of placing his views before them. The speaker received a most attentive hearing throughout, and was accorded ft hearty ■vote of thanks with every confidence in the Reform Party, which vote was carried unanimously. A vote of thanks to the chair brought a most successful meeting to a close.

THE DiEPARTMEXT OF AGRICULTURE.

A "BILL ADAMS" OF NEW ZEALAND.. The Hon. T. Mackenzie addressed the' Ngaere electors last week, Mr. H. Jones i presiding. In the course of his remarks.! Mir. Mackenzie said he had read Mr. | 'Pearce's campaign edition of the Opposi-1 lion's policy, and referred to one or two > points contained therein. Mr. Pearce! had quoted Mr. Mosley, of the Clutha, as! having no confidence in the Minister of i Agriculture. This opinion of Mr. Mo=-1 ley's was. by the way, pretty severely j dealt with in the 'Farmers' Union Advo-! eate not so long ago. As. however. Mr. Mosley's remarks had be>;n circulated widely by the Opposition, it may be as well to give the cause and history of his antagonism. Mr. Mosley, until 12 months ago, was one of -the bitterest opponents in the south of the Opposition. He insistently urgied the speaker last election to come out and fight Mr. James Allen. Failing Mr. Mackenzie doing so, Mr. Mosley stood against that gentleman. The cause and change in Mr. Mosley's i attitude was to be attributed to the fact' that he was fined-, after having been duly warned, for not clearing noxious weeds from his farm. He was the owner of some rich land in Inch Clutha, where it is no Hardship to ask a man to keep down weeds. From the time of hisj proescution until now Mr. Mosley had devoted himself to severely criticising the speaker. It was true that for some years previous to Mr. Mackenzie entering Parliament 24 years ago he was in business in the Clutha, but he did not know that that in any way debarred one I from public usefulness, it was equally

1,1 uc nun, un uisposing 01 ms storekeeping business the people who traded with >fr. Mackenzie put him into Parliament as their representative. In that same business he was thrown closely into touch with farming interests. Like most other colonials, Mr. Mackenzie had followed many callings (callings that no one need be ashamed of), and these including trading in this country and in London, experience in pioneering, bush work, and land, and, after all, perhaps the measure of his ability to manage could be seen by the fact that in addition to carrying 'on many valuable, experiments for farmers at the State farms, he had succeeded in making these institutions show a profit for the first time in their history. Mr. l'earce also dealt with the dairy regulations, and later on the speaker intended to deal fully with his remarks in that connection, and would show that the dairy regulations were never adopted by Parliament nor were they gazetted. Therefore, no appointments." could be made under non-existent dairy regulations. One hardly knows whether to attribute the attitude Mr. Pearce had adopted in connection with this matter to persistence in a wrong course, to obtusiencss of mind, or to stubbornness of nature. Mr. Pearce also la.bored under the delusion that he had "saved" Moumabaki farm from being closed. There was a "Bill Adams," a sergeant in the army at Waterloo, and this "Bill Adams" to his dying day was absolutely satisfied that it was he who won that battle. Mr. Pearce could apply the moral. Mr. Pearce was struggling hard to show that the Opposition members were not opposed to the Agricultural Department. The member for L'lutha bad on two occasions urged the wiping out of the Department, and the local papers criticised him in regard to the matter. 2Jo correction, however, appeared until the speaker had .brought the influence of public opinion ibehind the Department. Would Mr. Pearce deny this'/ Then Mr. Buick, Opposition member for Palmerston North, urged that the Weraroa State Farm should be cut up into sections and sold, and prominent members of the Opposition had urged that the money grant to the Department should be reduced. This present appreciation of the Department on the part of members of that party, whilst it was belated, was none the less welcome, and would enable him to have time to work that might otherwise have 'been occupied in replying to their antagonistic criticism. With regard to Moumahaki, when it was considered the censure from dozens of newspapers, and their scurrilous annonyinous correspondence that appcarco regarding his (Mr. Mackenzie's) line ol f action in connection with that farm, il i was gratifying to know that these lios | tile critics had met with the discomiortun

they deserved, when Mr. Dunlop, the | Scottish Agricultural Commissioner, ! .speaking in Scotland recently, said that | that estate was the best managed experimental farm Ire had seen on all his travels. Mr. Pearce might lay the flattering unction to his soul that it was he who .secured the continuance of that farm, hut the speaker took it as a tribute to himself that, notwithstanding the unpopularity of Mr. Pearce in the House, he decided to continue and enlarge the functions of the farm. At the conclusion of the address a numiwr of questions were asked, after which a vote of thanks was moved by Mr. Osmond, seconded by Mr. Kilbride, and a similar compliment to the chair concluded the meeting.

TIIK TAUMAUi;\'l'l SEAT. Mil. JEXJNNCiS' PROGRESS. A correspondent in the northern portion of Taumarunui electorate writes that when the sitting member arrived in different places he was met with questions as to the accuracy of many statements made by the ■Opposition candidate, his numerous friends anil supporters fearing that if there was any truth in these they would have a hard' row to hoe for their choice if one-tenth were correct. Mr. Jennings said he would reply to them from the stage, and asked that his friends hold bade their opinion until lie had the opportunity of refuting them. This he has done to their entire satisfaction, and, instead of losing any support, he has undoubtedly gained many who \vere inclined to: vote with the other side, and whien the numbers go up it will be a surprise to the "reformer" to find such a large number of small settlers supporting the Government candidate. As an instance of what has happened, the remarks made by one who had ■been opposed to the. party in power might he quoted. After hearing the address of the Opposition candidate he came away from the meeting satisfied that his opinion of politics was the correct one, and that the Ward Ministry was all that is vile and corrupt, but, after hearing the replies by Mr. Jennings, he said: "Why, you have turned us inside out." This expression just about fits the bill, and shows that men are not to he gulled if they are open to hear both sides of the question. He goes on to say that Mr. Jennings is meeting with good receptions wherever he goes; in fact, the spontaneous way in which the people, especially the back-block settler, is forming committees and urging his' early visit to the place must be very gratifying to the candidate, and they will not fo;- one moment hear of his defeat. They candidly admit that the present Government has done more for tbje backblocker than any other Government in the world. The terms on which he can get on to the land are so easy that unless he is a pure waster success is assured, and the success of the, farmer is the success of the Dominion. He farther points out that no other Govern-, ment catered so well for the farmer who is in the better position, instancing the grading of butter and cheese, etc., as well as the latest lefl'ort to educate he farmer to make two blades of grass grow where at present there is only one, and -how to improve the dairy herd and other animals that are a source of revenue to him by the issue of what is known as the Agricultural Journal. This fine publication is posted to the farmer at a cost of 2s 6d per year, not enough to cover the cost of the paper on which it is printed, much less the cost of publishing and printing. Why, he remarked, the farmer who opposes the present administration does not know on which side his bread is buttered, for no party could do better for him. He naively concludes by saying that the great surprise will be the defeat of the "reformer" who is endeavoring to catch the birds with chaff.