Political Speech

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 205, 27 February 1914, Page 8

Political Speech

IIOX. JAiIJiS ALL.KN AT NEW PLYMOUTH. POLICY OF THE GOVERNMENT DEI''ENDED. There was a fairly good attendance in (he Brougham Street Hall last night at a complimentary smoke concert tendered by the Taranaki Agricultural Society to the Hon. dames Allen and the judges at the show. Tile chair was taken by Mr. .1. H. Connett (President of the Society), and he had on his right the Hon. James Allen, and on his left Mr. H. Okey, M.P. After a tempting spread had been disposed of, a short toast list was discussed.

After the usual loyal toast, the chairman proposed the loast of "The Cabinet of New Zealand," coupled with the name of the Hon. James Allen. The Ministry, he said, stood in the same administrative relation to the country as did the executive of an A. and P. Show to the members and committee. They had to bring down the, country's policy, and this duty had been a very anxious one for the present Ministry. The defence policy had caused the Ministry an anxious time, and it was likely that the question as to how long this young country could stand the expense was likely to cause diem more. The present Ministry was one of abl« and deepthinking men tit to watch the interests of the Dominion, and as ln-g as this was so it mattered little whether they were called Liberals or Conservatives. Mr. Allen took the lead of the chairman. Mr. Connett had remarked that the Ministry had had anxieties, and so they had, but men were made by facing difficulties, and he for one would not regret them. One of their foremost had been the strike, which was created before they cafne into otfice. He thought they would all agree that Mr. Ilerdman had handled the position well. Finance had been a prcsring anviety.

FINANCE', The Minister outlined the position which the Government had had to face when it came into office, criticising the financial methods of the Ward Ministry. New Zealand had £BOO,OOO worth of gilt-edged securities in London for purposes of emergen 3y. Before the Eeform Party came into office, this money had all been pledged: A temporary advance had been made a loan authorised but «ot raised. As a result, the speaker's immediate predecessor in office had been literally forced 011 the London market and hail raised a two-year loan. Two years previous to this, Sir Joseph Ward had raised a loan for four jears. These were both falling due this v<-nr, with another two millions for other short-dated loans, to say nothing of the requirements of last vear and this. At a difficult time, he had raised money to pay off those loans falling due, and was providing for the remainder. The Government opposed, 110 L legitimate burrowing, but the waste of borrowed money which the country ingmtly needed. SHORT-DATED LOAN'S. He touched upon the finance for the present year. This was a serious question. He would go .into no details, but wished to warn his hearers against short-dated loans. .He believed that neither of his predecessors had liked them, hut some of them had liad no choice in the matter. He said this with a full sense of his responsibility. Dealing directly with short-dated loan's, he pointed out the ever-recurring cost of raising them, brokerage, discount and advertising. It was nonsense to say than even a three and a-lialf pel cent loan at two and a-half per cent, discount for a short period was ehcaprr than a loan for a lengthy period. Tilt Government's policy was a long-dated loan raised with a View to the n'ocds of the year for ordinary public work?., advances to settlers and local bodies, etc. Tt was all very well to sac tliat the London money market was' unlimited, but the feeling there was that a country which wanted more than its fair share of money must pay for it. lie could have raised three millions more cheaply than four. The Government had started with nine millions due 011 shortiitcd loans, and; moreover, he suid emphatically that much of this monev had not found its way to the pockets of the. legitimate investor, but those of the speculator and the broker. So it was with the five million loan, part of which Sir Joseph Ward had raised. The speaker had been told that it was impossible to raise 12 millions for New Zealand in one year, but he had raised part of it before 1011 to meet requirements and to pay otr part of the fouryeai loan. At the present time the tour and a-half millions due in duly was in hand, and the three and a-lialf mil- | lions required for the year were also in hand. Towards the end of last vear he had to raise three and a-quarter millions to pay for works done, four years ago, and with a knowledge of the'difficulties of this, be advised a policy of long-dated loans. He had proved that he was not against loans in general, for he had raised four and a-half millions, one million to pay off the loan which Mi. -Myers h:yl been forced to raise, the balance being distributed among public works loans to local bodies, advances to settlers and workers, and lands for settlement.

helping the country. "ben the Government came into ollice after the election, the linances of the Advances to Settlers Department were in a peculiar state, air Joseph \ard had boasted that he had loaned two millions to settlers. That was nothing to boast of. He )u:tlI;l H y authorised to borrow one and a-hail' mil Kins for advances to settlers, b„L he liad drawn (m (1,,, amounts auUiorised tor previous years ami withdrawn. The imds were absolutely depleted and the oans to local bodies' fund was commitroo non' « million with not 1-0,0(K) to meet it. The present Government was now out for sound finance.

Things had got bo bad Hull, the maxiliunn loan on advances to settlers was reduced to £SOO. The loans to local bodies were cut down and at one time actually stopped. "This," said Mr. Allen,

''is not my lault. 1 have met all the responsibilities of my predecessors, and the Advances to Settlers Department is now in a sound condition." The maximum loan to settlers, he continued, had been increased from £SOO to £IOOO. to workers it was £-130, to local authorities it had been raised to £2OOO, and on February 0 to £SOOO. The Government claimed that it hart gone back to the old principle of assisting the back-block pioneers, and had proved it by providing a quarter of a million for that purpose. In addition, any local 'body could now apply for a loan of from ' £2OOO to £SOOO with a reasonable hope.of getting it. In the old days, the 'boroughs liad got more than their share. "When we' get out of office," said the speaker, "we want, to be able to say that we have never lowered the maximum of loans to local bodies, advances to settlers, or lands for settlement, but had increased it on safe lines." /

The position of New Zealand was sounder than it had been for the last 15 years. In the past it had been the practice to sell Crown lands and devote the proceeds to revenue instead of capital account, and so when the Governmailt remedied this, it was accused of having reduced the revenue. This money now went to the Lands for Settlement Account. The (lovernment had provided money to replace buildings destroyed by fire instead of raising loans for it. Then they were accused of increasing the expenditure. They had had to find £48,000 per annum to make the superannuation scheme sound for three years. The teachers' and railways' superannuation funds were found in the same state. Their accounts had never been properly controlled by the Government which inaugurated them. NO LACK OF POLICY, The critics of the (lovernment had accused it of a lack of policy, but they had redeemed the pledges they made to improve the pensioning of women, widows, and veterans. Touching' on the land f|ncstion. Mr. Allen said the (Government believed in small holdings on secure tenure, freehold or leasehold as the individual preferred. This should not be limited to the country, but should extend to the the working man ill the towns. The late Government had claimed credit for the workers' homes scheme, but they should admit that when Mr. Mass'ey had brought it before the House he had been met with a storm of opposition. To settle the country on the freehold principle meant the creation of a class with a stake in the country, who would not permit of industrial strife such as occurred last year. Touching once more on the strike, he said: "The Government has been a fair mark for critics, but some of (hem, men who haA no serious criticism to offer, have blundered and have hampered the Government in dealing with the strike." lie referred feelingly to the help given by the farmers in this crisis.

ADVANCES TO SETTLERS. Lapsing' into figures, Mr. Allen said that the amount advanced to settlers had once been as low as £37,000 for one month, but in the months of October, November and December liis Government had advanced £300,000. To workers they had advanced £30,000 in October, £30,000 in November, and £24,000 in December, and yet the people had been told that the Reform Party would kill the advances to settlers and stop advances to workers!

DEFENCE. Mr. Allen vigorously defended the liresent system of compulsory military training. The cost had been great, but much of it would be non-recurring, and | it was paying far better in actual results than the volunteer system. The ■country woujd see the benefit of it when such boys as lie had seen at the New Plymouth High School reached the. Territorial forces. The Government was looking to Sir General lan Hamilton to give them a lead for future operations. ■Referring to the naval policy, he advocated, not a mere New Zealand navy, but a New Zealand unit of one great Imperial navy. The policy of contributions to the British navy was useless. New Zealand must undertake a part of the actual work of naval defence. England could not now alone control all the seas. She had of late had to concentrate in the Mediterranean and only through an alliance with .lapa,n and an understanding with France had Xe\v Zealand and Australia been safe. The old system of naval contribution died w-hen England asked f.or New Zealand's gift warship in the Home seas.

TAR ANA KI. The Minister concluded his speech with a reference to the resources anil potentialities of Taranaki. Speaking of the oil industry, he quoted the words of Sir Boverton Redwood as to its importance to the Empire. Regarding the question of Hooding, he said that while he did not believe the field was flooded, the question was very serious, and if legislation were introduced concerning it, it would be understood that this was only done in the interests of the industry. The Government had aßsisted the industry in the past and would do so in the future.

TELEGRAM KROM THE PR KM I Kit. He then road a telegram from Mr. Massey, which said that it was intended to appoint Mr. .1. (i. Wilson (president of the Now Zealand Farmers' Union! president of the Hoard of A"ri culture. The telegram also iffßiie reference to the freehold in small lots as the main plank of '.!*.e (iovt: nnienl's land policy, which had already olTcvd the freehold to *1,1)1)0 ('rova len.ints. Mr. Allen's > i )eecli was : c.vived with enthusiasm. After the [oast of •■The Judges" had been proposed by Mr. 1£ Griffiths and responded to liy Messrs. llaxler, Kenl and Parkinson. Mr. V. ir. Uuraesa proposed '•Transport Facilities" toucliin"

briefly on the knowledge gained during his trip to the Oliuru. .Messrs. McC'utcheon .and . I ones refunded. dealing ulily with !he (|iie,stion fi'iim the back-block settlers' point of view.

Mr. J. Browne proposed ''Agricultural Industries," which was responded to by Mr. A. Morton, who referred Lo the importance of the dairying industry and the rapid strides it had made under the influence of scientific farming. Other toasts were "Tln Harbor Hoard," proposed by Mr. Carter and responded to by Mr. J. B. Coniieti., and "Technical Education,'' proposed by Mr. F. C. ■!. Bellrhiger and responded to by Mr. A. Cray. During tlie evening items were eontriliuted by Messrs. Broome, (loldawortliv, and 11. Hill-Johnson.

SPEECH BY SIR JOSEPH WAKD. COVKP.XMKNT'M POUCY CUITICISED. Dunedin, T.ast Nigh.'. Sir Joseph Ward delivered a political address in the. Garrison Hail this, evening. before a very lar;;e audience. The address lasted for two hours, and was frequently punctuated with applause. After referring to the criticism levelled at him by the Conservative "pre-'-s, Sir Joseph Ward went on to speak of the naval policy, and said if the present Government's proposals were carried out it would mean disaster. Tie also said he was not in favor of imprisoning youths for non-compliance with the Territorial regulations, aud said that though that wan possible legally lie had not thought the punishment would be given effect to.

lie thon wont 011 to refute the allegations 111:1 dp against tile financial transactions of his Government, and aAid that in the. mutter of loan renewals, when his Government w nt oul of office it had less loans to renew than the Commonwealth of Australia, New South Wales or Tasmania, lie minted an extract from a prospectus issued in London by the Government when is-n'mr its loan of three and a-half millions, to show that the present Government admitted there had been a surplus sit tbo end of each year over a number of years during his term of office, and that his Government li:>d paid several million* into the Public Work* Fund.

frir Joseph defended the action he took in connection with the strike. He criticised the Government for not bringing down another system of voting when repealing the second ballot. lie stated there. \va9 absolutely no truth in the statement that he wa.s losing the sympathy and support of the farmers. Tie asserted that the cost of the Dreadnought was not being put 011 to the people, and stated that the present Government had not decreased the tax per head of the population, but. had increased it. lie said that the Opposition, through its leader, did not intend to formulate a policy for the Government to Meal, as it hi.d st-ol'Mi it before.

The following motion iras carried with cheers, only a few hands being held up against it:"That lira meeting llunks Sir Joseph Ward for his able and statesmanlike address. It desires to convey to him its high appreciation of the great public services he has rendered to the Dominion, and assures him of its hearty good wishes for hi, future 1:0-vss and that of his party."