POLITICAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 137, 1 December 1911, Page 7

POLITICAL.

THE SINKING FUND.

I By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Thursday. Replying to Mr. Massey re sinking funds, the Premier said these now amounted to nearly £1,000,000. No Government had ever appropriated l u single penny of the 1 sums set aside for paying off any debt when such funds had 1 been liberated. It was by a new contract with the lender, and! with : his full consent, instead .of .the funds being "collared" as Mr. M&seey suggested, they have .been expressly made an endowment for helping to repay the whole public debt, and cannot be touched till this is done. The Act provides that they cannot he invested in New Zealand Government stock, .but must l>e lent to fanners, workers, and k'cal bodies. To collar such funds implied cancelling the loans to these people. Any Treasury who tried it would be quickly expelled from office. He had no hesitation in saying no more valuable Act was ever passed. A MAZE OF DATES,

MR. MASSEFS REPLY TO MR. McNAB"S CHALLENGE. Auckland, November 29. Replying to Mr. McNab's challenge re the Mokau matter, Mr. M&ssey, inter, viewed, said his statements regarding Mr. McNab's association with the Mokau were corroborated by the evidence given before the Native Affairs Committee, including that by Mr. McNab himself. "At Palmersfcon North 1 -gave the principal dates upon which the more important incidents connected with the Mokau transaction took place," said Mr. Massey. "I mentioned that Findlay, Dalziell, and Co. approached the Government towards the end of last year, ,-and asked for an Order-in-Oouncil to allow the Kile to taike place, and that they received a favorable reply. I quoted from evidence of Mr. McNab's statement that, when he came back to Palmereton, about January 24 or January 25 of this year, Mr. Johnston spoke to him about the company that was being floated to lake over the Mokau block, and said that Mr. White also asked him to take shares in the company. A rough prospectus had beesf drawn up, and Mr. McNab stated thftt he agreed, either on that day, or a ,<] ;l y or two afterwards, to take up /1000 shares of £lO each in a oompaAiy of £<loo,ooo capital. The Executive met on March 15, and agreed to the of an Order-in-Coimc-il. The native owners met for the third time at Te Kiuij on March 22, and agreed to the. safe of *53,200 acres of the blodk for %25,000 from Herman Lewis and .t•>_<-,/KX> WO rth of shares in addition frq.ni Mr. McNab's company. The Maori , ; Land Board* confirmed the sale on Msfrch 24, subject to official notification xC-ith regard to the Qraer-in-Council, buft the Order-in-Coun-cjl was not issued Wil March 30 or 31. These are the points which I mentioned at Pafonerston. /

Mr Massey "They are borne out by the evidence, especially by tha-t of Mr. McNaK iiimself. I make the pltiin statement of facts, and leave the public to ju<ige as to the rights and wrongs of transaction."

TODAY'S MEETINGS. Taranaj K i_j{ r Okey, at Westown, 8 JT at Fitzroy, 8 p.m.; • ''"^V s :it Theatre Royal, 8 p.m. • •yiui.tl —ilr. MeCiuggage, at Tututawa,/i p.m., Puniwhakau, 8 p.m.; Mr. IlineV \\ aitui, 8 p.m., Pembroke, 1 p.m./ fygmont— lion. T. Mackenzie at Mere--12.30 p.m., Ararata, 8 p.m.; Mr. D *Ve, at Oinoana. 8 p.m. I /AIR. BELLRINGER'S CANDIDATURE. Mr. C. E.' Bellringer addressed the electors at Hurford road on Wednesday evening. There was a good attendance, including several ladies, although the night was stormy . Mr Smith was voted to the chair. Mr. Bellringer -dealt fully with what the Government had done for the farmer and received a good hearing. A great many questions were answered. A vote of thanks was duly passed. Mr. Bellringer spoke at the Breakwater at midday yesterday (Thursday) and had a very enthusiastic meeting. He urged the necessity of unity and dealt with the question of workers' hours and co-operative labor. A vote of thanks and confidence was enthusiastically accorded.

Mr. C. E. Bellringer will address meetings at Inglewood Parish Hall on Tuesday, 4th December, and at the Theatre Royal on Wednesday next.

MR. FORBES AT WAIONGONA. Mr. W. Forbes addressed the electors of Waiongontt on Wednesday evening, Mr. Kenwood presiding. Mr. Forbes spoke on lines already familiar to our readers, and received a vote of thanks on the motion of Mr. 1-line. MR. UIXE'S CAMPAIGN. On Tuesday Mr. Hine addressed three mee tings—X'orfolk Road at 1.30 p.m., Rowan at 7 p.m., and Mahoe at 5.30 p.m. At Xorfolk Road Mr. Hine addressed about thirty electors in the school shelter shed, and his remarks were listened to with interest, and at the close of his address Mr. Stevens moved a very hearty vote of thanks to Mr. Hine for his intereting and instructive address. ' Over forty fanners and ladies attended tin; Rowan School at the awkward hour of 7 o'cloc'k to hear Mr. Hine place his political views before them. His criticisms were listened to with great interest, and the Reform Party's platform, as explained by the speaker, was also listened to with keen attention. 1 Mr. lline was tendered a hearty vfite of thanks.

Oil returning lo Mahoe, shortly after 5.30 J*.111., Mr. nine found about a hundred farmers and ladies awaiting his arrival. This meeting was of a livelier nature than the other two of that day, owing to one gentleman in the audience being of an argunientive turn of mind. 111-cause lie did not see eye to ove with the speaker, although at times it was hard to understand what the gentleinan was driving at. The- fioverniitent suli'ercd a severe criticism at the speaker's hands, much to the discomfort. of one or two of his audience. At the close of the address a nuinlier of questions were forthcoming, all of which wen- answered. The usual votes of l hanks terminated a most successful

meet inc. The Dudley "Road school room was taxed to its utmost capacity on Wednesday evening to hear Mr. iline. This meeting was one of the most, pleasant and successful of the whole tonr, the speaker's remarks being thoroughly :in'-reciated. judging by the frequent applause. At the close of the address a few minor i|tirsf ions were 1 asked and answered. II was proposed that a vote of thanks and confidence be tendered to the speaker, ami that the meeting had no confidence in the present administration. This was carried unanimously, and the meeting ended with three hearty cheers for Mr. Iline.—Contributed.

SEEDS PURITY BILL. (To 'the Editor.) Sir, —I notice a report in a recent issue of your paper of Mr. Hinc's meeting, at which 'lie cast ridicule on the Seeds Purity Bill, and his action in this respect is being backed up by at least one member of the Farmers' Union. The attitude of farmers' candidates and Farmers' Union representatives in this matter is beyond comprehension. The sole purpose of promoting the Bill is to protect the faimers from impure seeds; yet those who are supposed to represent the farmers caßt a slur on me Sor bringing in the measure. It is true that I have specified that not more than one per cent, of certain noxious weeds must be in seed sold; that is, one impure seed in 100 pure seeds. T would point out, however, that the law at present places no restriction on a seed merchant selling in seed as manv noxious weeds as ho likes. My Bill specifies that if a merchant professes to sell clean seed, it must not contain more than one impure seed in 100 pure seeds, and that is a great protection to the farmer. Tn addition, the farmer should be protected so that seeds for sale shall germinate, that the quality and mode under which such is grown for seed purposes shall be of the nature to se-! cure to the farmer the continuance of . the good properties of the plants they; purchase. The whole intention of the; 1 Bill was to get as pure seed as possible that will grow and be true to nume and variety as against what tlye law now allows, namely, no protection to the farmer in connection wi/cli the seed 'hat may be sold to liiny Yet I am •eld up to ridicule because of my ttempt to do this for the "farmers.— [ am, etc., THOMAS MACKENZIE, Minister of Agriculture.

OUR WORTHY MEMBER. I ~~~ 3*o the Editor. Sir, —We ji're hearing a good deal about the political fight tliat is now going on and will /be for tlje next few days. I fail to fee why there is such a cry being mpwte by the Reform Party against our Government and its doings for,the past few years. If I had a large bvisiness and employed a general manager jfnd assistants, and that business grew and' prospered l , I would 1 say lie is a good man, and I would keep him there. So it is with the Government of to-day. Things are prosperous; good prices are ruling "for anything you like to mention; money is being .spent in most cases judiciously; mistakes have been I know and adimit, but that will happen in any line of business. I maintain when we have a good party at work governing the country we should stick to them. Where is there a man that travels so much, that looks after his constituency's every want, that fights' hard for the lmckblockers, that has such a large and wide electorate to go over, and is above all very popular with all he comes in contact with than our worthy member, Mr, W. F. Jennings, and all for three hundred a year! Why this electorate, being a part of Taranfflki and a part of Auckland, should be worth £IOOO a year to represent as it is being represented. You will find on the 7th of next month that our worthy memter will be there with a large majority.—l am, etc.,

A. G. CRAWFORD. Urenui, November 29, 1911.