Premier's Address.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 134, 28 November 1911, Page 5

Premier's Address.

GIIEAT MEETING AT INGLEWOOD. SHI JOSEPH TX FIXE FIGHTING FORM. SOME HARD HITTING. (By wire—Own correspondent.) Inglewood, Last, Night. The Parish Hall was insufficient to accommodate the crowd which assembled to-night half an hour before eight o'clock to hear the Premier. When eight o'clock came every inch of space in the body of the hall was crowded. When the speech started the stage .was also crowded, and ewry window was filled with faces, and the crowd extended through the porches to the street. The Mayor (Mr. G. W. Bennett) presided, and in the course of his opening remarks made an appeal to the ratepayers to remember this overcrowding when the municipal loan scheme cropped up. The meeting was good humored, but early opposition developed in one corner at the back of the hall, but Sir Joseph, who was in great fighting form, hit hard and often, but was good humored in dealing with these interjectors. On one occasion there was some booing, and Sir Joseph said that he would like to tell those two or three people that his experience of people who booed was that 'tlwy had a hollow in the top !of /flile head and hod no brains. From this onward THE OPPOSITION SLACKENED, and; whenever the disturbers opened their mouths they were greeted with laughter. Even the solid opposition in the audience seemed to .be settled as matters progressed, and the Prime Minister made a decidedly favorable impression, combatting ably and clearly and disproving many of the misstatements made by the Opposition candidates.

The Premier said it had been said that no member of the Government need put his foot in Taranaki. Whilst lu was away in England, men went through this district and criticised him, and he was here to reply and

TO EXPOSE THE MISREPRESENTATIONS made. The people had been told lately of the terrible position to which this rountry had been brought by the Liberal Government. That statement was quite contrary to fact. New Zealand had newer been so .prosperous as she was to-day. A good tesit was the savings of the people and these in New Zealand were the highest in the world. (Applause.)

THE "WEALTH OP THIS COUNTRY per head was higher than that of any other country in the world. The electors were being urged to put out tried and put in untried men to conduct the affairs of this country, Men who had been pessimists had at all times been in the Opposition. Replying to interjections, he said FARMERS OUGHT TO REMEMBER that during the tightness of the money market in the Dominion three years ago it was the Government and the Government alone that had kept the money market steady by borrowing money and lending out to farmers at low rates of interest and by declining to raise that rate of interest while usurers were letting out money at usurious rates. Three years ago the Opposition professed to blame him for money going out of the country. To-day they were stupid enough to blame him that there was too m-uch money in the country, which could not be invested. (Cheers.) Opening out in

CRITICISM OF THE OPPOSITION, he said that the party never got down to specific charges, never gave facts, but dealt with innuendoes and suggestions. It was urged against him that he should be put out of office on account of the amount of money that had been borrowed, but did the Opposition tell them how the borrowed money was spent. He had been told that some farmers were opposed to the Government. iA voice: All of them. If they were, went 011 the Premier, then it doesn't say very much for then. (Cheering.) The Opposition had not told them that of the money borrowed during his administration, nearly five millions was to enable them to keep out of the hands of the usurer. Would any farmer laugh at that? This Liberal Government had savedj the farmers thousands and thousands of pounds in intenest. Would farmers laugh at that? Then money .borrowed had been used in buying up and cutting up

LAND FOR SETTLEMENT. If the Opposition's objection to the land settlement legislation had been successful there would have been 150,000 fewer settlers on the land torday. It was significant that all the big land owners who were candidates at the general election were supporting the Opposition.

ADVANCES TO LOCAL BODIES. Three years ago local bodies could not get money, but he had made arrangements by which they could borrow money at 3% per cent, for public purposes. They had borrowed nearly five millions for new railways. Summing up, he said thait 011 £15,500,000 which had been borrowed not a penny piece was being paid in interest or sinking funds through taxation. Every penny of it was reproductive. Then, as regards defence —

A voice: We've had enough of it. Sir Joseph: Well, you're one of the men who ace not prepared to defend your country aaul ought to get out of it. He showed that the interest on land for settlement borrowing, workers-' homes borrowing, advances to settlers borrowing was paid by the users of the money, not by the taxpayer. Yeit the Opposition went over the country and talked stuff that would make an intelligent horse sick about the burden of taxation imposed by the borrowing of the Government.

Farmers were grossly misled by the Opposition. Why, when they were previously in power they taxed the farmer's bed and bcddiiii" and pillows. Now the Government had shifted the taxation from the shoulders pf the mass of the people to the big land owner, who was opposing the .present Government's policy.

OTHER MATHERS. He referred to one county in New Zealand owned by one man, but acquired toy the Government, who settled 1500 people on it in three years. They were told it would be their nemesis, but was it? Despite what the Opposition said, the Government had made a practically free breakfast table and made remissions in taxation of £1,300,000. He defied even the bitterest opponent to show any increase in taxation except for defence and by the graduated land tax. He reviewed the Dreadnought offer, and showed that he had consulted Cabmet, who were unanimous. He consulted Parliament, who were unanimous. Yet now the Opposition said he ignored Parliament and his colleagues. They were shirking responsibility simply to catch votes. For their £150,000 a year interest and sinking fund for the Dreadnought and the £IOO,OOO naval subsidy, amounting an all to os per head of population, they had the protection of the greatest navy ev&r known to keep open their tracks from our ports to the Home markets. Wasn't that sound, policy? He put a fresh complexion on the

| Moksjj deaV'amT showed that the Gov» - I ernnvent hud clean hands. He showed also that the Opposition h*d deliberately withheld the truth wten they said, they had jio information as to the cost of the five millions loan, for information had been given ibv him in ith« House. He replied to the:' criticism re the llutt-WeHington duplication and Dunedin railway station. He referred to the new financing schemes introduced to enable gvoups of small farmers to buy land- and" stock at low interest, and to the humnnitjiri&n legislation of the Government. , ■ln connection with land for settllement, the Premier explained that the owners were putting up prices to such an extent as to make the acquisition of estates a difficult matter, but legislation was being introduced to have the value of estates assessed' at any time if desired and be acquired by the State. THE RECORD OF THE GOVERN-

MENT. In conclusion the Premier -asked them to look impartially at the record of the Government. He conceded to theia the right to their own view of politics, but if they looked impartiality they; must admit that the present Government, had legislated for the benefit of the workers, farmers, business, men and employees of the State, and, without exception, the legislation had been for the benefit of the people a® a whole. They would agree with him that New Zealand was on the road to a still better day, and no one would deny that the men and women of New Zealand could go to many a country and be worse off than they were here.

He referred to the efforts of the Opposition diuring his absence in England to "run away with his electorate." Mr, Massey, speaking in the adjoining district because was not quite the to speak right in Awarua itself, got a. friend of Sir Joseph Ward's to go over to their side and contest the seat. Then Mr. Massey spoke there the other night and .put on a special- train with a view; of maiding put tha/t lie (Sir Joseph) was in a bad way. This hadn't concerned him much, as was shown- by his i»»in g away from his electorate now. He re- < ferred to his visit to Mr. Massey's electorate, a«d without preparation or importation of people had a big meeting. The place was decorated with flags, and a vote of thanks and confidence in the Government was carried. He wouldn't rig a meeting. If he couldn't get a vote ' in the ordinary way he wouldn't have it. He had complete confidence in the people and would trust the people to say whether they would take a retwreseive step ajid return to the conditions prevailing before the Liberal Govern- , ment took office, or if they would continue to support the present progressive P^ rt £- He was confident, too, that on tne 7th- December they would not throw] over a tried -party which -had done its best m the interests of all, improving conditions in which we lived. r I ? re S iven f <* the Premier and Lady Ward.

On the motion of Mr. R. Price, seconded by Mr D. Todd, a vote of thamka was accorded Sir Joseph Ward for hia

™ te amidst cheera for Sir Joseph Ward, Mr. Hine, the Gov ernment and ifce Opposition.