TO-MORROW'S GREAT FIGHT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 143, 13 December 1911, Page 5

TO-MORROW'S GREAT FIGHT

THE ISSUES. THE PREMIER'S MANIFESTO. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Prime .Minister issues the following manifesto to the electors of New Zealand:— To-morrow it rests with you to decide in whose hands the political, industrial and social destinies of New Zealand shall rest for many years to come. The present campaign has been complicated by many cross issues. I desire now to put to you the real issue—the only issue. It has been urged that the sole question is whether the present Government is to continue in office. I put it to you that this is not so. The only issue is whether the Liberal and Labor Party or the Conservatives are to control the interests of the people. I ask you to brush aside all other considerations, and decide on that alone. You know what the Conservatives did when they were in office; but it is urged that you should ignore all that and look to the future, disregarding the past. This is absurd. "By their fruits shall ye know them." Men do not pluck grapes from thorns, nor figs from thistles. The record of the past is the best guide to the future. Fur many long years the Conservatives had unrestricted power. What happened 5 They acquired the bulk of the land, they promoted little or no industrial or social legislation, the}'' imposed heavy taxes (not direct on the land), ,but indirect through the Customs, the burden of which fell upon the work"s. Wages fell. Working men were id four and five shillings a day, and ousands were driven out of the coun- '. In the public service they not only opped promotion, but they imposed what practically amounted to a poll tax in the 10 per cent, reduction of salaries. Trade languished, deficits came year after year, and stagnation prevailed everywhere. All this was changed when the Liberal Party came into its own. From that time dates the era of progress and prosperity in New Zealand. The combined forces cf Liberalism and. Labor produced that shining system of humanistic and social legislation which has made New Zealand an example to the world, deficits were replaced by surpluses, taxation through the Customs was enormously reduced, emigration gave way to immigration, the workers were trained to union and organisation, thereby learning their strength and the power to use it wisely, railway communication was developed and cheapened, partly by compulsory acquisition and partly by the imposing of a strong graduated tax. The lands were unlocked to the people, and as a consequence millions of acres, instead of being held in huge areas, ring- fenced and shepherded, are now occupied in small and prosperous holdings by many thousands of families. The money-lender, under whose grip the struggling settler was being slowly strangled, gave way to the system of cheap Government. The worker, instead of •being rack-rented in slums, was enabled to become the builder and owner of his own house. Sweating was grappled with, and the wage-earner, instead of being exposed to the ruthless competition of the open market, was ensured a living wage with reasonable hours and healthy conditions of labor. Education was cheapened and widened, and a clear way opened from the primary and private schools to the university for everyone who desired to walk it. Compensation for industrial accident was provided, and has proved itself of immense value to injured workers and their families. Moreover, by the system of old age pensions, the sting of poverty and destitution in the declining years of life was taken away. It was not class legislation, for in the country, as well as in the towns, the kindly influences of the Liberal policy asserted itself, and, be it noted, all these great reforms have been effected without imposing burdens on the weak. The guiding principle has been that those shall pay who are best able to do so, and this in the last analysis is the great crime of the Liberal administration in the eves of the Conservatives. It is for you to say what will happen if the change so loudly clamored for is made. They assure you that even if they did oppose those beneficent measures they now accept them, that their ideals are practically the same as ours. Can you believe them? Is it not an insult to your intelligence? I have every confidence in the calm judgment of the people, and feel assured that that judgment, given at the ballot-boxes on Thursday, will not commit New Zealand to the tender mercies of the Party who, though now masquerading as reformers', are the Conservatives of old. They may well be believed when they sav they will not repeal these measures. They dare not. But the question is how would they administer them? Thev opposed them in the passing. Can thev be trusted to foster tlleni now ? Remember that by judicious administration an Act may be rendered inoperative without the formality of repeal. It has been said that, granted all these good things were done in the past, there is no hope for the future, that Liberalism is a spent force. Is it so? Look at the work ef the last three years? National endowments, to the extent of i).0()(),000 acres, were set aside as a heritage for the people of New Zealand at all times. A national provident fund wivs established, under which the wage earners can protect themselves and their widows and children by inalienable annuities. The problem of the public. debt was successfully solved by a system of sinking funds which will automatically extinguish the whole of the debt, and this without imposing any appreciable burden upon the people. By the land settlement finance scheme small groups of settlers are enabled to purchase farms for themselves with the assistance of the Government. By a system of special pension, widows with children dependent upon them have been treated with a liberality unequalled in any country in the world. By the hydroelectric power legislation the forces now latent in the rivers of New Zealand will he harnessed to work our factories, thereby enormously increasing the productiveness and efficiency of labor and the prosperity of the country. Superannuation was provided for the public service, an inestimable boon to the servants of the State. Effective steps were taken to remove the commercial canker of secret commissions and trade monopolies. Ihe finances of local bodies were strengthened by a wise and generous system of Government loans. It will thus be seen from these few examples that in every department of State activity, commerce, finance, industrial development and social improvement and forces of the past are still in full and vigorous operation, proving conclusively that the mission of the great Liberal and Labor Party is not yet accomplished, nor its vitality exhausted. To-day the finances are sound, trade is active, and the presage of the future is bright with promise. I repeat once more than the issue is not between the Government and the Opposition, but between the Liberal and Labor policy as against the policy of the Conservatives. Speaking for myself and for every other member of the present Govermment, I say that the personnel of the Government is a matter of comparative unim- , portancc. The one matter that is important is the principle on which the

legislation and administration of the country shall proceed Conservatism, aggregating wealth in the hands of the few, or Liberalism, diffusing it for the benefit of the many. Ladies and gentlemen, the issue rests with vou. JOSEPH GEORGE WARD. Wellington, Lee. 12, 1911, SIR WILLIAM RUSSELL'S OPINION. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright, Received 13, 12.45 a.m. Melbourne, December 12. Sir William Russell, interviewed said he thought the New Zealand Opposition party would win on the second ballots, and considered a close result likely. The prohibition poll did not represent the true opinion of the people. In spite of temperance legislation, statistics showed that' the consumption of alcohol per capita of the population was not diminished. THE WANGANUI SEAT. OPPOSITION GO OVER TO MR. 9 VEITCH. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wanganui, Last Night. At a meeting of Mr. George Hutchison's election committee to-night, the following resolution was carried unanimously: ''That in the circumstanes of the second ballot being between an avowed supporter of the Ward Ministry and a Labor candidate who will vote noconfidence in that Ministry, Mr. Hutchison's committee resolved nnanimausly to urge on all electors desirous of reform to vote on Thursday for Mr. Veitcli." The committee proceeded in a body to Mr. Veitch's committee room, where they were enthusiastically welcomed. Several members of Mr. Veitch's committee expressed the opinion that the Reform Party more nearly approached the 'Labor Party's ideals than did the Government Party. THE INVERCARGILL CONTEST. LABOR NEUTRAL. Invercargill, Last Night. In connection with the second ballot in Invercargill and the attitude to be observed by Farrant's (Labor) supporters, a committee meeting was held, and a certain line of action decided upon. The action of the committee was endorsed by the local executive of the Labor Party on Saturday, as the result of advice from the National Administration Council, to the effect that the Party would observe a neutral attitude with regard to the ballot, except in the case of pledged Labor candidates. The local executive wrote to both Mr. Fleming and Mr. Hanan, stating that unless either were pledged Labor candidates the Party could not give them its organised support. At the same time opportunity was given to each to become the accredited candidate, subject to signing a pledge. Written replies were asked for, and- these were received, both in the negative. At the midday meeting held to-day Mr. Hanan attended and put his attitude before the committee. The announcement was made to-night that Laiior people would be left free to vote as they pleased in the second ballot. THE PAHIATIJA SEAT. ADDRESS BY HON. T. MACKENZIE. Pahiatua, Yesterday. Hon. T. Mackenzie delivered an address at Pahiatua last night in support of the candidature of Mr. R. B. Ross. Ministerial candidate. Mr. Mackenzie dealt with the charges against the administration and the work of the Agricultural Department. At the conclusion a vote of tlmnks and confidence in the Minis! rv was declared carried. There was a' considerable volume of dissent, and it was very difficult to tell how many voted for and against, but probably the majority of those who voted were in favor of the motion. The Minister called for cheers for Mr. Ross and again there was a mixed response. THE HAWKE'S BAY SEAT. VISIT OF HON. RODERICK McKENZIE. Hastings, Yesterday. Advice of Hon. R, McKenzie's last night's visit to Hastings was kept a profound secret among tho Government candidates and supporters, and when the Minister arrived, accompanied by Mr. Brown, member for Napier, Mr. Dillon, cx-member for Hawke's Bay, only from twenty to thirty of Mr. Simson's supporters were at the station to receive him. Soon after his arrival a meeting was held in Mr. Simson's committee rooms, where the Minister addressed about 200 invited persons. The Minister's speech was an appeal to the Liberal forces of Hawke's Bay to sink minor diflcrences and return the Government candidate at the second ballot. At the conclusion of the address the meeting formed a deputation, including the Minister and Mr. Alf. Dillon, and proceeded to Mr. C'lapham's committee rooms, where the Labor supporters were holding a caucus to decide their course of action at the second ballot. When the deputation arrived, the caucus was still deliberating, and the Government party were kept outside the door. After waiting a considerable time, Mr. Clapham's committee announced that the meeting had passed a resolution not to receive the deputation, and that Labor in Hawke's Bay would remain neutral as a body, leaving to individual members to voto as they pleased. It is stated that a large percentage of the Labor vote will be cast in favor of the Opposition candidate. CHRISTCIIURCH EAST. Christchurch, Yesterday. Seven additional votes were received for East Christchurch to-day. Mr. Davey received five, and Mr. Hunter one, one being informal. The final figures are: Thackcr 2492, Davey 23C0, Hunter 2356, Cooke 418, informal 103. Thacker and Davey will contest the second ballot.