POLITICAL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 139, 7 December 1911, Page 7

POLITICAL

i. WELLINGTON" SUBURBS SEAT. By Telegraph—Press Association, j Wellington, Wednesday. I Mr. J. P. Luke, member for WellingI ton Suburbs in the last Parliament, wai asked last night how he would vote on a. no-confidence motion, and according to reports published this morning, said that about a fortnight ago the Premier had sent for him and asked him to stand aside for another candidate. He had absolutely refused, and considered I the proposal an" insult to him, after the | services he bad rendered the country j and the city. He would vote to remove the present Government from office and fill their places from men elected to represent the Liberal Party in Parliament, but he wanted it clearly understood he -would not vote to put Sir Joseph Ward out for the purpose of putting Mr. Massey in. MB. OKEY AT INGLEWOOD. Mr Okey's was the first political meeting of ladies ever held in Inglewood, and was a great success, over 100 ladies being present. Mrs G. W. Bennet (Mayoress) waa in the chair, and nicely introduced Mr Okey, who spoke for three-quarters of an hour. He dealt with the benefits the people would derive from careful administration, the increased cost of living favoring the taking the duty off flour and all articles of food and cotton goods in use every day, upon which 2.5 per cent, duty is charged. On licensing matters ' he believed in having a substantial majority for carrying local option, favoring 55 per cent, majority. On Dominion Prohibition he considered' this could be reduced. His opinion on these questions were well received. Mr Okey also stated that the party favored humanitarian legislation, as shown .by their support of giving pensions to widows of any age with two of more children under 14 years of age, and showed that one of the planks of the Reform Party was to give the old age pension to women at CO years of age. At the close of the address Mrs Hanunerton proposed a hearty vote of thanks to Mr Okey for his address and confidence in him as a fit and proper per- , son to represent them in Parliament. This was seconded by Mrs Brown and carried unanimously. A vote of thanks to the Mayoress for presiding concluded the meeting. Mr Okey was then entertained to afternoon tea by the ladies • present. At Hursthouse Road Mr Okey had a good meeting at Mr Austin's house, and was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence. MR. C. K. WILSON AT TIKORANGI. Mr. 0. K. Wilson met with an enthusiastic reception from a crowded meeting at the Tikorangi Hall on Monday evening. His address, which was on the same limes to that given at Waitara the previous evening, was punctuated hv frequent applause, and a vote of (hanks and confidence in the candidate and no confidence in the Ward administration was carried by acclamation. Three hearty cheers for Mr. Wilson closed the largest and most successful political meeting cv, r held ill Tikorangi. —Contributed. MR McCLUGGAGE AT STRATFORD. By Telegraph—Own Correspondent. Mr. McCJuggage addressed the biggest political meeting ever held in Stratford last night, tlu- Mayor presiding. The candidate effectually replied to Mr. | Hine's speech of the. previous night. At the conclusion of the meeting a vote lof thanks and confidence in "Mr. McOluggage and the Government was carried, an amendment favoring Mr. Hine'g election not finding a seconder. | — | MR. lIIXE AT STRATFORD. (From our resident reporter.) Mr. J. B. Hine had a crowded audience at the Stratford Town Hall on Tucsdav night. Mr. J. Masters, Mayor of Stratford, and in introducing Mr. Hine remarked that the campaign had been remarkable in that he had not heard or seen in print any personalities which would interfere with the friendship of the two candidates. Mr. Hine said the editor of the Daily New* haddevoted an article to him headed "A mean action." He said that at his previous meeting in Stratford he had referred to the sugar monopoly, pointing out that the Ministry, although some of its members had .promised to do so, had not taken any steps to prevent a ring being formed among merchants to raise the price of sugar. Next morning he had handed to the Daily News rei porter some printed copies of letters written to two Ministers on the matter. Those letters the reporter promised to hand to his chief to deal wih more fully. But nothing had ever appeared, and when he telephoned the editor it peared the letters had been lost. He considered he was justified in saying that the letters had been suppressed because they criticised the Government. Wouldn't it have been better for the editor to have written and told him the letters were lost? He said he had always given the News editor credit for having treated him fairly, but he considered he, and not the" speaker, had done a mean act in writing as he had done. Mr. Hine referred to the .charge made bv Liberal supporters that the Opposition had no initiative, and no constructive ahilily. It must be remembered that no private member could take the initiative in legislation dealing with taxation, land, or the expenditure of public money. It was a disgraceful thing for Sir Joseph Ward to refuse to accept any blame for any faults committed by the previous Liberal administration, when the late Mr. Seddon had been such a good friend to the present Premier. On Sir Joseph's own showing he (Mr. ITine) could not be connected with, anything prior to his election three years ago. So there wan no use for the old "gag" of twenty years ago.

The Reform Party stood for civil ser- > vice reform, with a civil service hoard, free from Ministerial control, instead of tin! present system of "stuffing'' with "pets," and doling out increases just before, elections. The debt of the Dominion was SI millions, and Sir Joseph Ward had dissected the debt. Before ISill there were .IS millions borrowed, and of that Sir Joseph Ward had said 10 millions were non-interest bearing. Of these lfl millions there were £2,357.000 Maori war loans. Wasn't it right to subdue the Maoris? Was it right to call that noninterest bearing? It was a base argument. Tn roads and bridges the present Ministry had spent .-C1.7fi5.251. and the Olovcrnments before ISM had spent C5.10fi.000. That was non-interest bearing, but how did the present Government make out that money spent in public buildings was interest-bearing. The preseut administration had spent £3,4 10.000 in this way, and before ISM Cl,SOO.OOO had been' spent. This fioverninent had spent only £4002 in immigration, and previous administrations had spent nearly 2% millions before ISM. And these immigrants made New Zealand. The Reform Party would encourage farming immigration'. The last item on the pre-'fll loans was seven millions for provincial liabilities taken over from

{ the old provincial governments. CouTd they be blamed that that was not inj terest-bearing? Mr. Hine said he was looking hopefully towards Mr. Massey being Premier after Thursday next. Mr. Hine traversed and ridiculed the Pure Seeds Bill, criticised the Mokan land deal and the attitude of the Government towards it, suggesting that Mr. Herman Lewis must have had a "friend at court" to know he could obtain the freehold. The Government use of the public purse for private purposes should be unknown. But it was not so with the present administration. Mr. Hine concluded amidst applause. Question time was live'v, and the candidate usually scored off the questioners. At the conclusion a vote of thanks to Mr. Hine for his speech and straightforward tactics in the House, and of confidence in him as member, was carried. [We refer elsewhere to Mr. Hine's reference to us. —Ed.] MR. HINE CORNERED. THE LAND BOARD INCIDENT. MR. HESLOP IN THE FRAY. Mr, John Heslop asked Mr. Hine if ho had made a satement on the floor j of the House that the Taranaki Land ' Board had refused to allow an applicant I for land to go to a land ballot because he had not £SOO, and to give his reason \ now for having made such an untruthful statement. Mr, Hint: If the questioner will withdraw that word I will answer his question. Mr, Heslop: Very well. I'll do what ou do in Parliament. I'll withdraw hat word and say your statement was contrary to fact. (Cheers and counter cries.) Mr. Hine said he had made the statement referred to. Mr. Heslop: Will you tell us why you made it? Mr, Hine: Because I was told so by' an applicant. Mr. Heslop then asked Mr. Hine if lie had seen a challenge in the New Zealand Times, and if he had received a letter himself, challenging him to prove the statement to be true, and to forfeit £lO to the hospital if it were not true, Mr. Heslop to similarly forfeit £lO of Mr. Hine could prove his statement. Mr. Hine: I would not lower my dignity by taking up a challenge from you. (Cheers and hoots were loud for a minute or so.) The chairman appealed for order, and Mr. Heslop. when matters quietened, faced the turbulent section: "Give me fair play," he asked, "that's all I want." Continuing, he said. "I'm the senior member of the land board, and I am here . to defend them, and to answer any charge that Mr. Hine makes." The opposing factions again made much noise, and when it subsided Mr. Heslop repeated his challenge. "I re- \ peat my challenge," he said. "I will • make it £IOO, to be given by me to the J hospital if you prove your statement is; true." A voice: Take him up, Jack. Mr. Hine: I'm not going to be caught' napping on the eve of an election. Cries of "Answer the question!" Mr. Hine: I refer Mr. Heslop to the gentleman who told me. He has always known the name of the gentleman, and knows the man himself. If I have been misled it was not my fault. A voice: Give us facts, or leave it alone, Mr. Hine: T took that gentleman's word for it. and T still believe him. He told me that the questions in the pamphlet he received were equivalent to asking him if he had £SOO. A member of the land board told me that such an enquiry was made. | Mr. Heslop: Was the application von speak of ever lodged with the land board? Mr. Hine: I don't know. Mr. Heslop: It was never made. Mr. Hine: I don't know that. The incident ended here. It caused much excitement and much hilarity whilst it was in progress. MR. O'DEA AT PATEA. Mr. O'Dea had a magnificent meeting at Fa tea on Wednesday night, the Mayor (Mr. J. A. McKen'na) presiding. The hall was packed, many being content with standing room only. The candidate was accorded' a unanimous vote of thanks and confidence on the motion of Mr. Cbristensen (ex-Mayor), seconded! by Mr. Gilligan. A scene of enthusiasm marked the close of the meetiw*.—Contributed. °