POLITICAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 143, 11 November 1914, Page 4

POLITICAL.

mi MASSEY'S CAMPAIGN. By Telegraph.—Per Press Association, Auckland, Midnight. The Prime Minister addressed a largely. attended meeting of electors of the Franklin electorate, Howick, tfe evening,, and was accorded an excellent •reception. He stated that the Government had made satisfactory arraii;.. inents tor paying off the £3,000,000 loan, i which would fall due on December Ist.' In respect to the operations of the Advances Department he said that during the past seven months the total amount paid out to settlers was £839,670, to workers , €213,730, and to local authorities fl&Vl-'.V or a total of £l,m#Ss..\ During these three months (August, September and October) Bince the war broke out the amount paid out to settleM had been £31)0,005, to workers £00,070, .and to local authorities £63,030. The insurance department had also advanced ■ £45,110 to settlers, and £11,500 to local authorities, while the public trustees had also granted loans, to a total amount oi £197,583. In addition, the public trust had entertained further loans representing £36,300, subject to valuations now being made tliiis making a grand total for the three months of £834,008. Mr Massey compared the terms of the loans raised ih January last by the Government with those of loans raised this year by various Australian States, and said that the very favourable treatment received by Xew Zealand was evidence that the London underwriters had confidence in the Dominion and the present Government. In spite of the war there was not one iman unemployed to-day for every ten who were unemployed when the war broke' out There were more men employed on the public works now than had been employed for many years past. On the motion of Mr'j.*T. Gill, a vote of thanks and confidence was passed to Massey will speak at Puktikohe. toMussey will, spea kat Pukekohc to. morrow night and leave by the same night's express for Wellington.

OAMABU SEAT. „ j Waikouaiti, Laet Night. Mr J. A. MacPherson, candidate for j tlie Oamari! seat, addressed a meeting of electors at Waikouaiti to-night. He said ho had come forward at the unanimous* request of the Liberal Association of tho Oamaru electorate. He dealt at length with tho broken promises'of the. Massey ttovernment in respect to the reduction of borrowing and of taxation, the .promotion of industrial peace local fcJovernment Bill, Town lanning Bill reduction of cost of living, insurance against sickness and unemployment, and other matters. He pointed out that the national debt had risen from eightyone millions in 1911 to ninety-nine millions in 1014, and said the Government took authority last session to borrow no less thai) thirteen millions, though not all in one year. He contended that the country was not obtaining an adequate return for the new railway manager's salary, and said the public service commissioners had increased the salaries of the top men, giving little attention to those on the lower rung of the ladder. Mr MacPherson was accorded a unanimous vote of thanks and confidence.

THE 'NELSON SEAT. Nelson, Last Jvight. _Mr 11. Atmore, sitting member for Nelson, ojji'tH'd his election campaign to. night, when lie addressed a large meeting in tin- Theatre Royal. His speech was devoted to a criticism of the Massey Government's legislation and adminhtration. A vote of confidence in the candidate was carried unanimously by acclamation, and the meeting ended with cheers for Sir Joseph Ward and Air Atmore.

W'AXGANUI SEAT. Wanganui, lust Night. Mr W. A. Veitch opened his election campaign this evening. He said he was a Labour candidate, but would support Sir .10-vph Ward against Mr Massey, as lie considered the repeal of the second ballot was a device, by which the Reform party hoped to retain power at the expense of the Liberals and Labour.

MR HUGHES AT EGMOXT VILLAGE. Mr I>. J. Hughes addressed about 5!1 electors at F.guiont Village last night, amongst the number being several ladies. Mr R. Price occupied the chair, and formally introduced the speaker, referring to him as an old colleague on the Harbour Hoard, "adding, that many things • had come under his notice 1 that proved Mr Hughes was a fighter, and a man of ( determined will and tireless energy. The j|v.i><!ri--x was, on the whole, -uracil the same as those previously given' by the candidate, but, in addition, he dwelt at some length,'in advocating the institution of an Agricultural College for ;fai-mors' .--mis, as he considered that throughout Taranaki, and in fact throughout the Dominion there was not being dune enough in the direction of laying the foundation for inculcating up-to-date farming methods. ''V.'c have," he said, ''at the present time a pood few sons of farmers attending the schools in Xew Plymouth. There are to my knowledge several from the Manaia district. I should like to see, and would do my best to promote the establishment of an Agricultural College for scientific and practical lessons for the elder boys, which are so essential for up-to-date farming. lam quite sure a small farm could he acquired handy to the Technical and High Schools for this purpose, and I have no doubt the local Agricultural and Pastoral Association would do its utmost to further such a scheme, and that the Liberal party when returned to power would be in favour of giving a grant for such a worthy -cause, which would hi" a mark of educational progress in this district."

At the conclusion oi' the address several quesiians were answered, and a vote of thanks to the speaker was proposed t>\' Mr Raster, wjio remarked that "tliis v.-as tlif best political colt ho had yet Inavd, I'nd that his elevating and sound practical address was an education to his hearers." The motion was seconded by Mr Jordan and carried with only one dissentient. Old residents said that the meeting was the best political one vet held in the Hall.

THE STRATiIORD SEAT. Mil 11WKIXK AT TARTKI. (From our Own Correspondent). On Moiidnv evening last, in the! Tariki .Hall, Mr "\Y. H. Hawkins, Liberal candidate, addressed a very large nwl cnrlmsia-tic audience of electors. Mr -W. .Harknoss presided, The candidate

Two or three objectors, after a fow bif • *w experiences, relapsed into compant*rre wleneo. The candidate's vigorom treatment of interjectors.aiet with the pronounced approval of the large audteuce. At thp conclusion of the address'a number of questions were asked, and answered to the evident satijJaetion of the largo majority of the " audience. The candidate having stated that his nue not to accept voteu f Preferring to leave that to the ballot-box-, he was accorded a hearty -vote of thanks for the able and instructive address. The applause accompanying the passing of the vote, must have proved satisfactory to the candidate.

Mr W. H. Hawtans, who has just retwned from a toil* af tihe raatern portion of the Stratford electorate said he was more than pleased with the' prospects of tllie Liberal party. All his meetings had been well attended, many, electors having travelled lon £ distances to he present. He had formerly conversed wilili a number of elcofors -who* to-day frankly stated that the cam-'-paign of slander n.nd misrepresentation carried on by the Tory party durina the election contest of 1011 had influenced them to vote for the alleged Reform party just to pkco themStf power, to see if there was any trutW' «i tneir many oVars-es. They had niJWI' been In power a full Parliament, leaj three months, and so far not a ainrii' charge to the liberal party's discredit had been prove*. p OT these and otheS reasons they would not vote Liberal I ' Y<% said Mr Hawkins I firmly believf Hie Tones both in th e Stratford elec torate and throughout the Domfinio* wall get the- surprise of their live*' on the coming polling day. J