The Patea Seat

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 51, 21 July 1914, Page 5

The Patea Seat

LIBERAL CANDIDATE SELECTED. SPEECHES BY MESSRS .MAt'DOXALD AMD WILFORD. By Telegraph.—Special to News. Patea, Last Night. Mr. T. \[. \\ i 1 ion!, M,P. for Halt. presided over a meeting of 24 delegates irom the Patea electorate tills afternoon, and Mr. Morrison, of Maxwelltown, was unanimously selected as the Liberal Party's candidate for the Patea seat now lipid by Mr. Pearce.

There were three nominees. Great enthusiasm prevailed throughout, and all present agreed _to support tty selected candidate, who is a prominent and popular farmer of Maxwelltown. 'lf the speeches at the conference are nn indication of the feeling throughout the electorate, the Liberals are in great heart, and a win is predicted. Addresses were given in the evening at the Town Hall. Mr. C. A. Larcombe, the Mayor of Patea, presided. Mr. Mac Donald, speaking first, said lie had been supporting the Liberal Government ever since lie had a vote, and as a farmer he recognised what a great deal that Government had done for the farming community, and of the £45,000,000 borrowed during the past twenty years ho was sure the farmers had received a large share, and they had been helped in many other ways. Referring to the present Government, lie said they were in power by the votes of political traitors, who were elected to vote against the Massey Party. He referred to the prosperity of the country under Liberal legislation, which prosperity still continued. lie mentioned the stopping of trunk railways liv the present Government, and the starting of six new branch lines. During the course of his speech, which lasted an hour, ho scathingly denounced the "shams" of the Massey Government, and at the finish received hearty applause. Mr. Wilford, on rising to speak, was greeted with an outburst of enthusiasm. He announced Mr. Morrison as the chosen candidate, and introduced him to the meeting amidst an enthusiastic outburst of cheering. Mr. Wilford began his address by saying that the present Government was a Government "of "political funks," and lie would prove it. He dealt with the Land Bills of 1!>12 and 1013, and said that not one farmer to date had been settled on the land under these Bills, tout that all the settlement that Mr. Massey had been prating about had taken place under the land laws of the Liberal Government. He quoted two notices of motion on the Order Paper, by Mr. Forbes and himself, referring to settlement wilder the 1012 and IMS Bills,

and said that Mr. Massey was not game to allow those motions to bo moved, for such enquiry would show the hollowness of tiio Massey land administration. He next referred to financial matters, and particularly to those, "commitments," and again pave his proof, as at Clirist- . church, that no Government had ever come into power with bettor financial conditions from a previous Government than the Massoy party. He said that Mr. Massey had not attempted to answer his figures. He referred to the local navy, the Public Service Commission'. i\' report, and the State Fire Department. and in scathing terms and clever satire he soundly trounced the Government's mismanagement. He showed that the Minister in charge of the State Fire Tnsurar.ee "Department had directed that extra allowances too paid to officers over and above their salaries, and yet they said the Commissioners bad control. Mr. Wilford maintained that the Minister still controlled when it suited him. He finished with a fine peroration on the Liberal Party, and, touching the land question, said he wished to make it perfectly clear that the policy of that party would be to cut up the large land areas near the railways and roads, and not to start in the roadless lmckfolocks. He received an ovation at the end of his speech, and after some questions had been answered ■Mr. Train proposed the following resolution:—."That this large and representative meeting of the electors of the Patea electorate thanks Messrs Wilford and McDonald for their able and instructive address, and expresses confidence in the Liberal Party led by Sir Joseph Ward, and hopes and believes that that party will be returned to power at the forthcoming elections." Mr. ,T. Gibbs, farmer, of Alton, seconded, and the motion was carried on the voices. At the conclusion of the meeting a smoke concert was tendered to Messrs Wilford and McDonald and the visiting delegates of the Patea branch of the. Liberal League.