POLITICAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 129, 22 November 1911, Page 8

POLITICAL.

THE PREMIER'S MOVEMENTS. , By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. Sir Joseph Ward arrived from the south this evening, and, after spending three hours disposing of departmental work, left by the Main Trunk express for Taumarunui, To-morrow morning he is to open a new bridge at Taumarunui. and in the afternoon he is to turn the first sod of the branch railway from Te Koura to Whangamomona and Stratford. In the evening he will deliver an address at Taumarunui, after which he is to bet banquetted by residents, leaving immediately afterwards by train for Pukekohe. On Thursday | morning he will be at Pukekohe, and in I the afternoon proceeds to Patumahoe and Waiuku, and will speak at the latter place on Thursday evening. Friday and Saturday will be spent in Auckland ] district. On Sunday Sir Joseph leaves Onplmnga by Rarawa for N T ew Plymouth. On Monday afternoon he will deliver a short address at Normanby, and will speak at Hawera in the evening. In the afternoon lie is to lay the foundation stone of a new district high school at Stratford, and he is also to speak at Inglewood. The Prime Minister returns to Wellington probably on Wednesday next.

THE PREMIER AT PALMERSTON. Palmerston North. Last Night. The Premier was accorded a hearty reception by a large gathering at the railway station to-day, being cheered coming and going. Tie said the Government would not only hold its own lithe South, but also win scats from the Opposition. He, condemned certain southern Press Association agents, who had discounted his speeches and receptions, while trying to uplift those of Mr. Massey, referring especially to Mr. Masscy's Winton meeting, where hundreds were brought from outside the electorate to swell the meeting.

MR. MASSEY'S MOVEMENTS. Wellington, Last Night. Mr. W. F. Massey (Leader of the Opposition) arrives from the south to-mor-row, and leaves by the Main Trunk for Palmerston North, at which town he will deliver an address to-morrow even-' ing. Christchurch, Last Night. Mr. Massey passed through Christchurch this evening. Though suffering from a bad cold, he said he confidently expected he will have recovered sufficiently to give his promised address in Palmerston North to-morrow evening. DUXEDIN CENTRAL. Dunedin, Last Night. Mr. J. F. Arnold, retiring member for Dunedin Central, addresed the electors at Mornington to-night. He received a rote of thanks. THE TIMARU SEAT . Timaru, Last Night. Mr. Jas. Craigie gave his first address to the electors of Timaru to-night. There were probably 800 or 000 people present. He favored the bare majority on all issues as a good democratic principle, andi favored an elective executive to minimise the party system. He received a vote of thanks.

MR. lIERRIES AT ROTORI'A. Rotorua, Last Night. Mr. Berries delivered an address to a crowded and enthusiastic audience tonight. Ho accused the Government of vacillation and asked who was the friend of the "fat man" over the Mokau case—the Government, which granted an Order-in Council, or the Opposition, which exposed the transaction. He accused the government of unnecessarily increasing taxation, stating that the extra expenditure estimated in 1009 had fallen £IIB,OOO below the amount raised. He elaborated the points made in the platform of the Party, outlined by Mr. Massey in Wellington som« months ago, as regards native lands, saying the Maori should be on the same footing as the European. THE IKVERCARGILL SEAT. Invercargill, Last Night. Mr. Fleming, Opposition candidate for Invercargill, addressed his first meeting to-night. Tliere were about 1400 in the audience. He adhered in toto to the Reform Party's platform, and received a vote of thanks and confidence.

MR. BELLRINGER AT WAIONGONA,

Mr. Bellriager spoke to SO people, including a number of ladies, at Waiongona oil Monday night. Mr. Kenwood presided, and the candidate liad a most attentive hearing. Mr. Bellringer's convincing and emphatic arguments for the retention of the present Government appealed forcibly to his hearers, who frequently applauded. At the conclusion of the meeting the candidate received a vote of thanks. MR. OKEY AT INGLEWOOD.

; Mr. Okey, M.P., met on Monday night, the electors of Inglewood and surrounding district. Thcro ivas a > large attendance in spite of the fact I that two otlier important meetings were t being held. The Mayor of Inglewood presided. At the outset of his speech Mr. Okey expressed his pleasure at meeting the, citizens of Inglewood who had recently been included in his electorate. At the same time he felt that he was no stranger to them, as he had as county chairman been in close touch with them in connection with county allairs when Inglewood formed part of Hie T.iranaki County. Mr. Okey's address was even more interesting than thait delivered in Xew Plymouth. He gave as briefly as possible an account of the Mok.ni ease from the time when Mr. Joshua Jones first entered the King Country. He showed how Mr. Jones had spent the best part of his life in the struggle to open up and settle the Mokau district and maintain his claims to lus leases. lie pointed out that while the law of the land forbade anyone to acquire more than (140 acres of first-class freehold land, the Govennent had passed a special Ordcr-in-Council to permit a speculator to acquire over 50,000 acres of freehold and to make immense profits out of it. while the unfortunate Jones was left broken in health and penniless. Mr. Okey dwelt upon many other mailers of interest, and was frequently applauded. -Mr. Henry Brown, J.P., proposed a, hearty vote of thanks to Mr. 'Okev for his address, and an expression of confidence in him as their representative. This was (July seconded and carried unanimously. At the close of the meeting a committee was formed to promote his candidature. MR. FORBES AT OMATA. Mr. W. Forbes addressed the electors at Omata on Monday evening. There was a large number of electors present, ' and the candidate was given a most attentive hearing. Mr. Meredith occupied i

the chair. Mr. Forbes, on rising to speak, was greeted with applause, and in a speech lasting over an hour gave his hearers an interesting review of the. political questions, dealing at length with the national debt, civil .service and public works. Mr. Forbes impressed upon his hearers the stern necessity for a chance of administration. Several questions were answered to the satisfaction of the majority, and a vote of thanks, proposed by Mr. Meyenburg and seconded by Mr. Moore, together with a vote of thanks to the chairman, concluded the meeting.

MR. FORBES AT FRANKLEY ROAk

Mr. W. Forbes addressed the electors at Frankley Road School last night. There was a good number of electors present, who gave the candidate a very attentive hearing. Mr. R. Corney occupied the chair. Mr. Forbes, who was in good fighting form, delivered a very able and interesting address, touching j on the vital questions of the day in a j way which seemed to carry his hearers with him. One question was asked and answered to the satisfaction of all present. Mr. Cole got up and remarked that Mr. Forbes had left them nothing to ask for. He considered the candidate's speech was beyond criticism, and he had much pleasure in moving a hearty vote of thanks, which was seconded by Mr. Bunter and carried unanimously.

MR. HINE'S CAMPAIGN. Mr. Hine is covering a good deal of ground in his campaign, and is now holding two meetings practically every day, and although midday meetings cannot be expected to be as successful as those held at night, Mr. Hine's day meetings are being very well attended. At Denbigh Road on Monday afternoon a good number of farmers attended the school to hear Mr. Hine place his political views before them. The speaker, as on previous occasions, placed the Reform Party's platform before his hearers, and severely criticised the administration of the Government. He received an attentive hearing, at the close of his address was accorded a vote of thanks, and also a vote of renewed confidence in him as their member.

Although the weather was far from fine yesterday afternoon about thirty electors attended the school at York road, including several ladies, to hear Mr. Hine's address. Mr. Hine thanked those present for turning out at such an awkward hour and on such a disagreeable day, and then dealt with the various Acts brought down by the Government and the wasteful expenditure of public money. The speaker also gave the history of the Mokau ease, showing where the Government had failed in their duty to settlers of New Zealand by allowing this large block of land to fall into the hands of speculators, who between them had already made a profit of about £50,000, and Mr. Hine stated that the settlers would have to pay the company this profit, whereas if the Government had acquired the land the settler could be put on at a very much lower cost. The candidate received a most attentive hearing throughout his address, and at the close was accorded a very hearty vote of thanks for his address. A vote of thanks to the chairmail brought the meeting to a close.

THE HARBOR BILL. To the Editor. Sir,—ln your paper of this day (Monday) Mr. Okey has ma do a. generous acknowledgment of the help which he reeeiyed from Messrs Maxwell, Connett and King. But in a footnote you ask, "Why did Mr. Okey not acknowledge the service of the Premier and the Minister for Marine, but for whom the Bill could never have passed?" Now, in your own report of Mr. Okey's speech at New Plymouth you report him as saying that "in this measure he had the support of the Prime Minister and other members of the Cabinet."—l am, etc., R. CLINTON HUGHES. [At his meeting at New Plymouth, Mr. Okey certainly referred to the support given by the Premier and other members of the Cabinet, but in a way that would suggest to the average man that this assistance wasn't of material consequence, and that he (Mr. Okey) was mainly responsible for the passage of the Bill, when in point of fact his services would not have been effective without the work of the members of certain Ministers and the Taranaki members of the Upper House, not forgetting promoters, who were untiring in their efforts in Wellington at the time. We have no wish to disparage Mr. Okey's services in connection with this matter, but we do object to him taking all the credit to himself, as, in our opinion, he endeavored to do at his New Plymouth meeting—Ed.]