POLITCAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 137, 3 November 1914, Page 7

POLITCAL.

THE TARANAKI ELECTORATE. AIR. D. J. HUGHES' CAMPAIGN. .Mr. D. J. Hughes, the Liberal candi■ate for the Taranaki seat, addressed tne .eotors at the Patua Schoolhouse, Upper I'arrington Road, last night. Mr Derby was voted to the chair. -Mr. Unfiles commenced, by referring to the fact that hitherto lie had had a eli Jin sheet" in public life, but he expected before long to be accused of .icariy all the crimes oil the calendar. It was necessary, as lie was quite a tranter to many o£ his hearers, to recount briefly his public life. He had been a director of the Kaponga and Kaupokonui Dairy Companies, was still •iic.Mi..r of the YV'aiiiiate West L'ountv

.unci'. and of the New Ph month Harbor Board. He made 110 pretensions to a 4111 of oratory, lie was just a plainpeaking man, whose life had been spent In hard work in the bush and on tlie iarm. In this contest he would speak liis miud plainly, in a plain way, giving Jie results of his practical observation ■ i local and iiational wants, lie would ry not to be personal. They all knew Mr. Okey, and respected him for his good qualities, but it was Mr. Okey as a poliieian, as a representative of the Tory ■ •'overnment, that he was out to oppose, ml in criticising liis opponent it would be done only in a political sense. He ondemned the all too common means of

' ark by anonymous letter-writing, and trusted that his supporters, when they wrote to the Press, would be prepared to sign their own names.

I "PURITY." Mr. Hughes started his political references by touching on Mr. Massey's muchvaunted purity. What was his first act? The speaker touched on the appointment nf the Hon. Thomas Mackenzie as Hign Commissioner. The lion, gentleman, then Premier and representative of ttie KgniOnt electorate, had distinctly told a meeting at Manaia, in answer to Mr. Duncan Scott, that if the High Comnv' sionership were offered him he would do nothing without consulting his constituents. Yet he accepted the, position at the hands of the Premier, but, at his dictation, kept the matter secret. At the same time an Egmont elector on the | "Reform" side knew all about it, and the (district was organised for the impending election. The Liberals were kept in the 'dark, but 'Mr. Massev, the ''pure" man, cabled to Mr. Wilkinson, and got him back from America to contest the seat. This was ail done before the Hon. Mackenzie's appointment was announced, j Was that purity!

DEFENCE. It had been stated to him that the present excellent defence scheme, which '' til made it possible to send off the Expiditionary Force, well trained and equipped, at such short notice, was the work of the present Defence Minister, ilr. Hughes, on hearing this, and knowing better, had decided to get aa niithori'e.iive denial, and he had it from Sir Joseph Ward himself that it was he who prepared the scheme, introduced the Bill, and got the House to put it on ' the Statute Book. He it was, too, who was responsible for Lord Kitchener's visit, and fo'r the appointment of General Godley. That being so, what be- j mule of the claims that Mr, Allen was the initiator of the whole of this fine scheme of military training? Mr. Hughes also touched on the, gift of the battleship Xew Zealand to the Empire, a gift which, according to "The Navy," was the greatest living and concrete example of Imperial patriotism which .had yet been evolved. 11.M.5. New Zealand had already been in t'io tiring line, and Sir Joseph Ward's prescience had been amply proved. For making that gift that fine Imperialist. Sir Joseph Ward, had been traduced and vilified from end to end of the Dominion. And now, when his action had been so fully justified, and when the presence of the battleship with the North Sea Fleet was the envy of the sister Dominions, what man of his opponents was prepared to give him a "square deal," acknowledging that he was right, and they were wrong?

THE LICENSING QUESTION. The licensing question should really he kept outside of general polities. He stood as a supporter of the 55 per cent, majority, and against local option. THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS. The candidate voiced the opinion that this question might very well Le left alone at the present time. The great war, on which depended the fate of the nation, was all-absorbing. 1 WEST COAST LEASES —1802 ACT. The amendment of the" West Coast Settlement Reserves lAct of 1892, whereby the lessees had a renewable lease and full compensation for improvements, was, during the year 1!)I3, amended in so far as it gave the lessees the right of acquiring the freehold from the Crown, and the Crown purchased from tlie Maoris. The speaker held that this mode of giving the freehold was not a freehold at all, because one could go on to practically any section held under this Act, and particularly in the Waimate Plains district, and one would find from 40 to 120 individual Maori owners of one section. It was an impossibility to get the sanction of ail these owners to the sale of their section, for the simple reason that the old Maori would not Bell his land. The young Maori would sell, and probably put the I money into a motor ear. The owners were scattered far and wide, too. Some of them were in the Chatham Islands. The mere fact of a Maori saying, "I'll sell my share," meant nothing. It was not worth the paper' it was written on, for how was the Government to get the consent of all the co-owners in the particular block of land? The speaker said lie had years ago advocated that as this land, held under renewable lease, never went back to the Maori, it should be sold straight out. and the money invested in Consols or some similar stock, the interest being paid to the -Maoris, leasehold land was not a good thing for a district, for there was not the freeholder's incentive to improve it. Further, the tenure wns awkward to handle in the event of a father wishing to subdivide for the benefit of his family.

WE,ST COAST LEASES, 1881 ACT. As fur tho tenure under the Act (if 1881. ami the, Torv Government's 19US Amending Act, whereby the leases whi(;h expired last your had been renewed for ten years over an acreage of

18,399 acres, tliis amendment was, in his opinion, one of the most "Torified" Acts ever put on the Statute Book of this country by any Government, for the simple reason that out of that total area there were, to liis knowledge, about GOOO acres sub-let to hard-working farmers at high rentals to keep the original lessees in comfort and affluence in the cities and towns. This was a clear case of the '■' farmer farming the fanner." He instanced the case of one rich owner, with a family of one, who held six farms of this tenure, aggregating some 1200 acres. The individual areas held under this Act rail from 50 acres to SOU and COO acres. These blocks of 500 and GOO acres were all right 31 years ago, when the land was taken up, but to-day the conditions had changed. More intense farming was an absolute necessity to make this valuable land produce its best. But what did the Tory party care for small holdings? Here was an instance of a special Act being passed for special people, who had had the opportunity -ting ago yf converting these tenures into renewable leases. Why did they not do so? Because it was well known that they who held those tenures belonged to the Tory element, which alwaj« took the pessimistic triew cf the future. In other words, they always argued that when the leases" expired they would be able to get the land again at their own price. ,And when the leases did actually expire they were fortunate eaough to have, a Tory Government in power, which was on the side of the big landowner, and which passed special legislation to suit their own kith and kin, making absolutely no provision for the sub-lessees, who were the legitimate farmers. Of course, those lessees who fanned the land themselves were, in the speaker's opinion, fully entitled to tne extension of lease, subject, of course, to area limitations, as he thought the' Maori, on the whole, was not sutlicirntlv advanced in farming to profitably occupy the land himself. I roiu present appearances, however, ten years would see a big dilTerence in the Maori fanner, who was "shaping well" on some Waimate Plains farms now.

An astounding fact which had cropped up in regard to these leases would be alarming news to the 'Maoris. They had been given to understand that at tlie expiration of the ten years' extension of lease the fee simple of these lands would be partitioned, and handed back to them to be worked by them for their own use and benefit. As a matter of fact, the Government could purchase to-morrow just the some as under the 1892 Act. The Tory Government had used the West Coast leases for vole-catching, pure and simple. Men who had supported the Liberal Government because of its cheap money scheme and other popular legislation, and who had been enabled thereby to amass independence, had been tempted across the line by this promise of the 1013 Act. It "was designed for that purpose, and had done what it was intended to do.

Reverting to the 18112 Act, Mr. Hughes stated that since the option of the freehold hail been given, aggregation was increasing at an alarming rate. Instances were cited of large freeholders buying up these leasehold lands in South Tara° naki. with tlie idea eventually of increasing their freehold farms, whereas they had (jiiite enough laud already.

WHEY BUTTER. Mr Ilughes made a strong protest against the action of ilr Massey, as Minister of Agriculture, in permitting whey' butter to be exported from New Zealand in packages so similar to the creamery butter that it was almost impossible tu distinguish one box from the o'bor. The whey butter went to hngland as "pure factory butter," and the butter from the butter factories was branded 'pure creamery butter." This was the result of a deputation of the big cheese and whey-butter men , in South raramiki, who had 'submitted samples of whey butter and creamery ju titer to the .Minister when botli samples were fresh. Bub whey butter when it. arrived at Homo was totallv milcrent stull'. It was more oily in appearance, acid in flavour, an;l jacking in the fine aroma of New Zealand's famous creamery butter. Putting whey bu-tcr on the market in such a form must ultimately have a detrimental effect on the sale of our best produce, Mr Okey had at one time mentioned the matter to the Premier, but lie had not persisted, and the whey butter men hail got their way. Tn this matter. Mr Hughes claimed to have first-hand inlormaMon. obtained during his term as a director on the Kaupokonui clieess concern, and !i 0 had seen the reports on the whey butter shipped Home.

NOXIOUS WEEDS. Mr Hughes touched on noxous weeds, and said there was need for more vigorous ins'iiec; ion of some Taranaki farms, where blackberry ami other weeds were growing rank and spoiling land that was capable of good results. It was all very well to "throw o1Y" about the Maori land, hut the pakeha was just as careless. THE GrUNAKE RAILWAY". '1:1,1 speaker touched on local vailway, and claimed that, as the p»-ime mover in bringing the lion. Tlios. Mackenzie to the Egmont electorate; he had set ,the ball rolling, and now the "line was being started. Jle was ra'.ller disappointed with the deiay in making a commencement. He did not see why the ' t copie between New Plymouth and (,'punake should have to rate Uu'cwclvc-s for their railway when the present Government was voting away thousands and thousands for smart railway station 4 in the lug centres. The lines to serve the producers of the na,lion's wealth were entitled to the first call on the public purse. He referred to his action as a member of i'he harbour board in endeavouring to have the board's sinknig fund of £I7OOO invested in local railway debentures. The money, however, was at present doing good work, having been lent out to farmers. The Opposition had opposed some of the clauses in the Local Railways .Bill, and it was being stated that they opposed tlie Bill. Sir Joseph Ward's speech as pubished in Hansard, showed clearly tha;! lie was anxious to see the farmers provided with proper facilities for getting their produce to market, but desired to 'prevent their being exploited and being made to pay too dearly for these facilities. As tile result of the criticism from the Liberal side of ihe li"',i'e the .Minister had abandoned the clause in the Hill which would have given the Kurds power to sell the railways to privcue speculators and thus place the farmers at the mercy of l.iescgentry.

PETROLEUM INDUSTRY. The candidate favoured State ai.l to 'he oil industry. The Government might acquire a big interest, or nationalise Ihe industry, or approach the Imperial C!ovcrmncnt and Jmperialise it. Eventually there niu-s: be an Adniiralty*oil-fuel station in the Pacitie, and New Zealand should be recognised then. He was glad to know that the .Admiralty was now showing some interest in, the ir alter.

LOCAL INDUSTRIES. Hf belie red that the Harbour Board fhould assist the farmers' freezing company to erect their freezing works at .Vwtiiroa, an dto give tlleni the most ■ ivom-able terms possible. He was keen on supporting all ] ot . a l industries o' his nature. Ihe iioi.sand industry, which was ''Ram being woiked in a small way should have State as-sitance He stood for the abolition of tollgates ami would advocate extra State -übsidy to assist local bodies and the producers.

-MOW PLYMOUTH HARBOUR. He had f or many years .been, and w»« pi , 11 supporter of ihe New ■ y liont I harbor, which was destined ,',v, ''"lk of the import and - port fra,|e 0 f |:| u . province. The port of I at,ea had proved unreliable for dairy- • , i "p ' irrt 'K»livrity of boat., • il'e impossibility of shipping urn el Uie best, conditions, vide Mr 1) • 'V s report on transhipment, ami 1" of dairy prot i on y „ llhe otlier <la - v ' l!ic .isceitaineil that South Taranaki cheese r "! ,:wo .steamers at J .Hca,, they being unable to get out Hi,. Umperatua-e of that produce Would be .bound to increase, and i.hat would be bad for the cheese, fcinee (hen a. boat I'm gone asJiore there, which v.ouUdoubtless cause more dolav. Look at * vw Hymoulh harbor, with its line '' 'lower water spring tides and free ingress and egress at all tide* •»nd in all weathers, aiul an uninterrupted service always.

HO!\V TARANAKI IS TREATED. Mr Hughes complained that Taranaki was being badly treated bv the Governmcnt. All our public " departments seemed t, 0 l )(! melting away. Ttfey had •squashed, or tried to squash, our education district. What was the sitting member doing? Why were here no e.v curslon fares to the Brighton of Tarar.aki on Labor Day? What was the member doing?

LAND. _ - , ' r Hughea stood as a freeholder. The piesent Government had done nothiiv to increase settlement. Mr Massey had not put one imttn more on tho land as th ( result of his own legislation, hut he had sold hundreds of thousands of pound-? worth of the freehold of the State's own land for votes. BROKEN PLEDGES. The speaker also dealt with the failure of file (.'overnment to redeem its election pledges. Its boasW purity of administration was a misnomer. Political patronage was never more rife They had not provided the promised Mibstitu'e for the Second Ballot Act. The candidate believed in the right of recall, which would eireefuivlly "deal with "rates" such as had enabled'the Massey parly to step into oll'ice and 'remain there. A FIGHTER. Concluding, Mr Hughes stated that he had fought for Taranaki in the past as a footballer, and, if elected, he would devote practically the whole of his time to fighting for Taranaki on a wider field, lie was prepared to give almost all hit- time to battling for the rights of his district, which seemed to himi, likely to be blotted out and hidden under the shadow of the Kgmont number's doing. If elected, lie could assure them that ho would be no sleepy representative, but ever ready to serve his constituents and to advance the best interests of the people he was cho;cn to represent. QUESTIONS. What had been the increase in the national debt under the Massey adminis tralion'.' Mr Hughes 'stated that, the mcv.ase ■had been about nine millions, but when the SHiley millions and other commitments were expended the increase would he about fifteen millions. •The candidate believed that good roads should be made through Government blocks before the settlors were put on tho land. The questioner stated that in this district there were settles of U years' standing without a vehicle, road to their holdings. He did not '.onsider the settlers had been given a square deal. Mr Hughes rejoined tha lie believed in roads before settlement, and, if returned, he would do his best 'to bring that about. As for the employment of noxious weeds inspectors, these were necessary to keep careless farmers up to the inmrk. But there should be no discrimination. The small settler should get. the same I treatment as the big, man, and vice versa'. 1

The meeting closed with heart-.- votes of thanks to tin- speaker, for h j :« address. and to the chairman for presiding.