POLITICAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 145, 14 November 1914, Page 3

POLITICAL.

-Mil H. OKi.i, M.P. AT FITZKOV

Mr H. Okey, M.P., Government candidate for the Taranaki seat, addressed his constituents at Fikroy cm Thursday night. Mr F. H. Jackson presided over a moderate attendance.

Mr Okey, before dealing in general polities, explained that the holding of the elections as usual was in compliance with the request of Home authorities. Further, the Reform party had no desire to sit for any longer term of office than the vote of the people had entitled them to.

CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT. •When lie last stood for this seat, it had been as an Opposition candidate. Since then history had been made, and the party returned to put Sir Jose'.ih Ward, out had got into power. The defection of Messrs Robertson and Payne from the Liberals was due to the fact that the then Premier had 'stated that he intended to resign in any case. Then followed a most unconstitutional act—the appointment of the Mackenzie, ministry and their holding office for three months without consulting Parliament. When Parliament eventually met, the Massey Government Lad a majority, and the Makcnzie Government went out.

FINANCE. (When the Massey Government came in, the limits of loans to the advances to settlers, workers, and local bodies had been greatly reduced, and local bodies which had borrowed BOfltt, could not borrow at all. The Government was already committed to expenditure of over £700,000, aptirt from the fact that loans, falling due were not provided for. So the country's finances were bad. iStil), by the time the war broke out , the Minister of Finance had been able to lend out the full amounts to settlers, workers, and local bodies. He had successfully raised his loans, nnd the finances had, in the second year of office,, become thoroughly sound.

Tire MINISTRY EULOGISED. (Mr Massey, the present Premier, was a farmer who had worked up from the position of a farm laborer. Mr Okey was confident that the Premier was thoroughly reliable and that he alwaj-a carried out his promises. He had kept every promise he had made, charges of broken pledges notwithstanding. Mr Okey spoke nlso of the great qualities of the members of the Ministry, eulogising their ability, Mr Herdman particularly for his handling of the Wellington strike. The Government had made great endeavours to carry out his policy, and the members of the Opposition were evidently determined otherwise. They had used the forms of the House to waste time, and embarrass the Government. He referred to the stonewall on the second Ballot repeal, though both sides were anxious for this reform. Still,, the Government had carried out the bulk of the pledges given to the electors.

LAND LEGISLATION. The Government had given facilities for small men to get on "the land, and for Crown leaseholders to acquire the freehold, on an improved deferred payment systeim At Mr Okey's instance a clause had been enacted to put the small men on the same basis as the moneyed l man at auction sales of Crown lands for cash. Land revenue, under Mr Allen's safe finance scheme, was being paid into a separate account, instead of spending it as part of the Consolidated Fund. It was thus available for purchasing land for settlement. Dealing with the "Rhodes" clause which Mr Isitt suggested was peculiar, Mr Okey said the land dealt with was high land on the Coromandel Peninsula—laand which people would not touch on lease without right of renewal. Mr ithod'es brought in a clause to give the holders a "limited freehold," the Government retaining the right to all minerals. Because Mr Rhodes had clanged, from Liberal to Massey party, and because he happened to have some of this land, he was accused of "hanky-panky" business, though Mr Rhodes was a very upright man. Native Land laws had been reformed so as to make the Maori a European s» far as land ownership was concerned. Once a Etironean, lie could deal with his land as he liked. The West Coaat Settlement Reserves Act amendment, passed by the Massey Government, was in the best interests of the district. It had never been intended, when the land was confiscated,, that

it should over revert to the Maoris. In 'IBO2, the lessees 'were enabled to concert their terminating leases into leases in perpetuity, but some lessees failed to talte advantage of the Act. The liberals refused to assist tliom by another enabling act. Mr Massey, however, after seeing the land and meeting the scttlrrs, and obtaining the views of Maoris authorised to deal with the matter, amended the Act so as to extend the lea-ses for ten years, allowing them compensation for improvements, and to the land being re-submitted for re-valuation every bo many years. Mr Isitt had suggested that the natives had been but Mr Okey declared that an absolutely fair thing had been done both to the Maoris and to the men w3io had worked and improved the land, roading it, erecting dairy factories, and so on. Urfder the Native Land Bill, the native owners were allowed to sell to the Government direct—but not to the tenant —at any time, the Government selling I to the tenant. Uude.r the re-valuation. I the revenue from the land increased from faOCO to £SO<)O. Two-thirds of that money was paid to the Public Trustee, in trust for the Maoris, to pav for the improvements at the end of the ten years' extension of lease.

THE CIVIL FERVICE. Tlie Civil Service had been reformed, removed from political patronage, and iplaced under a board of commissioners. Under tlie previous regime it was quite impossible for a poor man's son to get into tlie civil service., Previously only the aons ef civil servants and of well-to-do had such opportunity. The commissioners had effected a saving of £40,000 in the first year. The Liberals wanted to re-introduce Ministerial control, which would be detrimental to the service.

THE UPPER HOUSE. The Government 'had brought about 'an elective Upper House, tinder proportional representation. He was not satisfied with the elective Upper House, but had voted for the Bill as it was a plank of the Party platform. No poor 'man would, under the new scheme, ever have a change to get in tie Upper House, which would become a "class" institution.

OLD AGE PENSIONS. The Old Age Pension scheme had' been improved by giving the pension to widows at CO instead of at 65. Another §>ledge kept.

.WIDOWS PENSIONS. Under the Widows' Pensions amendment the payments had been increased. 'Vivos of mental defectives confined iu liimhil hospitals were treated as widow?, and entitled to pensions "accordingly. MILITARY PENSIONS.

New Zealand had had to wait ley the. Massey to grant pensions to the*veterans of the Maori war. livery year he had endeavoured to get the 'liberals to thus recognitse the jnen who had sought and bled for their country in the. years gone by.

UNIVERSAL PENSIONS. Because of the war, the invalidity pensions had had to be deferred. An regard to pensions generally, the Government intended to amend the present system so that people otherwise entitled to a pension would receive that pension, even though they were possessed of a, home. The speaker believed in a universal pension at (i.) years of age, hot this would cost over a million a year, and there must be sonic methods of contribution to the scheme.

THE WAP. Mr Okey referred specifically to the '•war" legislation passed by the Government, in line with tin;, legislation throughout the Empire generally. Then, too, the members c.f the expeditionarj force had been enabled to record their votes before they left New Zcakimh whether they were twenty-one years of age, or not. Touching on the price of goods, and the effect of the war upon it, and the Government's appointment of a commission which had found ouf that the Dominion was short of flour, the speaker said that prior to this Mr Massey bought 45,000 bushels of wheat from Canada, costing probably Gs a tbushel, but it would be sold to the millers at 5s 3d, so that they could sell flour at the price fixed by the commission, and the price of bread prevented from rising unduly. The system of war risks of cargoes afloat was explained., and other measures 'dealinn- with, circumstances arising out of the war.

EDUCATION ACT. The Education Bill had been brought down to better the condition of teachers by enlarging the education districts. Under the Bill, the Taranaki Education district was to be wiped out, and the district controlled from Wanganui. This did not suit him. The matter had been referred to the Education Committee who had failed to come to any decision on district boundaries, which question was now referred to a Commission for report to next Parliament. He felt satisfied that the Taranaki Education district would not be wiped out. It would be extended northwards,, but there was little hope of getting in the whole of the southern part of the province.

RAILWAYS. Touching on the railway system, Mr Okcy eulogised the ability of the new general manager, and justified the proposed expenditure on new railway stations and facilities at Wellington and Auckland. The railway loan, to be spent in five years on existing lines, would amount to £3,200,000. This money could be borrowed in ono lump, or year by year. The Opposition had opposed this scheme of borrowing, simply because it was comprehensive. The busk of the expenditure was allotted to the North Island, and here the lines were paying far better than the South Island lines. Wouldn't he have, been wrong (had he refused to support a scheme that would help this island, as against the South Island, which had "grabbed'' all in the past

LOCAL RAILWAYS BILL. The Liberal Government had refused to construct the Opunake railway, even when the settlers offered to rate themselves to pay any deficit and to pay interest on the- cost, the reason heing that the main lines must he constructed first. The present Government, however, had legislated so that the settlers might elect a railway board to borrow the necessary money and construct the line. The Opposition had opposed that Bill tooth-and-nail, urging as a reason that the Government should construct such lines. (A voice: So they' should). But the settlers, were going to help the Government, which- still had the right to acquire the line at anv time without payment of goodwill. Why should the Opposition deny to the country settlers the rights Oia't the townspeople had in regard to construction of tramways?

IRON" INDUSTRY. Under the new legislation passed last Session, the working of ou,r iron ore and iron sand deposits was to be facilitated, the Government paying a subsidy of from 12s a ton to 24s a ton for steel produced. Even this fine legislation had been opposed by the simply beause the labor members believed the industry should be nationalised. Eut the Government had the right to otep in and take over the industry. Labor would' wait until the State would take up the industry, but lie (Mr Okey) believed that it was well to help others who were prepared to develop these resoures for us. LABOR.

The Government had had to "take over" the Waihi and Rcefton. strikes, and to deal with tlie Wellington wharf strike. When there were deeds of violence, and when steamers which could be conveying our produce to tihe world's markets were still tied to the wharves because of a laborers' strike, wasn't it 'time for someone to step in'; So. at the invitation of the Government, the farmers themselves saw that their produce iwas shipped;, and it was a very good thing for the townspeople that they did. The settlement of the strike had been good for the country. Mr. Massey was 'the working man's friend. (Cries of "Never.") Mr. Okey returned to the attack vindicating Mr. Massey as a man friendly to the worker, but with "no time for the loafer." BVMMNG UP.

Concluding, Mr. Okey retraverscd the ground of bis speech, succinctly enumicrating the reforms effected and setting out the poliey of the Government in regard to the encouragement of land settlement, facilitating the carriage of the produce of the land to the world's markets, and the development of tlie -primary r'esoiH'es of the country; betterment of the Maoris in regard to their land holdings; improved conditions for wontera. He claimed that the record of the 'Government in the face of the. unsatisfactory finances of the Dominion when they took office, the big strike in Wellington, and the great world war, was such as to warrant their again being returned to manage the affairs of the country. No questions being forthcoming, a hearty vote of thanks to the speaker was carried, on the motion of Mr. G. "Colson. Replying, Mr. Okcy said that capital was being made out of the fact that he had done nothing for New Plyouth. but at his New Plymouth meeting he intended to show what he had managed to do for the district, and it was a record of Which he had no need to he

THE, PAHIATU'A SEAT. By Telegraph.—Per Press Association. PaliHitun, Yesterday. Mr J. 11. Eeott, tile Kcforui member lor Pahiat'.w-, opened his campaign here last night. He reviewed the work of the Government in comparison with that of the, Ward Government. He was not in favour of Bible reading in schools, but was agreeable to a referendum, and a trial of the Nelson scheme. The speaker was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence.

THE JIANGITIKEi SKAT. Marton, Yesterday. Mr E, Newman, sitting Government member for Rangitikei, addressed a crowded audience at Morton Town Jlafi last night. He referred to the assistance New Zealand had obtained from the Australian navy, and expressed the opinion that, while retaining their connection with the British navy, they must have local cruisers. He clearly showed that cvory pledge by the Massey Government when taking office had been fulfilled, with two exceptions. He dealt with the question of land aggregation, and detailed the provisons the present Government had made to prevent it, also the Legislative Council legislation, the .pubiicacrviee, and concessions to workers. The speaker received a hearty vote of thanks, and confidence in the Massey Government, which was carried by acclamation and with cheers - .

A correspondent informs us that Mr P. ./. Shortland. Independent Reform candidate for the Taumarunui seat, it meeting with enthusiastic reception at the various centres in the electorate.