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Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 147, 16 November 1914, Page 4

MR. OKKY'S CANDIDATURE. We extend our congratulations to the member for Taranaki upon the tone of his speech at Fitzroy the other evening. It was all in good taste, and obviously sincere. This must be acknowledged oven by those who do not share his political opinions and convictions. Of course, the speech was a party one—an endeavor to justify the actions of the Government, and likewise to condemn the work and policy of the Opposition. That much was to be expected. Whilst we have the party system, it could perhaps scarcely be otherwise. Mr. Okey has developed into a strong party man. He was not always so, for it was not long ago that 'be unfurled bis flag as an Independent. Then be swung over to the Conservative party, and has been a staunch adherent ever since. As a strong party man, all the Reform geese to him are swans, and the Opposition geese very ordinary barnyard fowls. Tu perusing the report of bis speech this fact has to be borne in mind. In regard to financial matters, he gave utterance to the ancient and exploded charge that Sir Joseph Ward bad got the finances of the country into a tangle, leaving the present Government to straighten them, and to find the money to lend to: settlers, workers, and. local bodies. Now, thanks to the-avon-

ied. But this is only nominally so, aa vould-bo borrowers wanting Government idvances have found out to their cost. '•The fact that the loan of £4,500,000 had been subscribed five times over was a clear proof that the finances of the Dominion were now thoroughly sound, L and that the Home authorities had every confidence in the party now in power." ' [Thus spoke Mr. Okey. Has Mr. Okey I ever read Mr. Allen's prospectus in connection with this loan? He cannot, surely, or he would have known that the Liberal surpluses of the past and the reproductive use to which previous loans had been put by the liberal Governments were strongly emphasised, in order to convinec the British investor of the safety and worth of the security offered by New Zealand. The loan was a success for one reason only—that New Zealand's credit was, and always has been, high. Sir Joseph Ward was able to boTrow more cheaply than any other Dominion, Why? For tho same reason. Tho British moneylender looks to S& curity, not to the particular hue of the party that may be in power. It is quite futile for Mr. Okey or anyono else to contend that the Government isresponsible for the success of the £4,500,000 loan. If that were so, Sir Joseph Ward would stand higher in the confidence of the financial people at Home than any colonial Treasurer.

On the subject of electoral reform, •Mr. Okey said the Opposition had stonewalled the repeal of the second ballet though the abolition of this system was favoured by both parties. The Opposition opposed it, added the speaker, fitst to embarrass the Government. This otatement is not in consonance with the facts. The riawn. why the stonewall was set up \va.» because the Government rifused to bring forward the ■promised substitute. The substitute was either to be preferential voting or proportional representation. The latter the Prime Minister applied to the Upper House, but in connection with this so-called reform the Premier haa also broken faith with the country. He promised the people, before he reached office that he intended to provide an Upper House (hat was truly representative of the nesple, that was free from patronage I and corruption, land other evils associated with a nominated chamber. ! The. Council was to be replaced' (we (|iioto from his great policy speech in the Wellington Town Hall in July, 1»11), "with one elected on the same franchise as the House of Kspreseatatives, on the proportional system.of voting by larger clictorates not lass than twenty returning two members each." To anyme who has given thought to the proportional system of voting this is somewhat involved, but that can pass. The point is that he promised to make tlie Upper House elective and democratic, hit he has taken care to postpone the operation of the elective principle for ten years—it will not ba fully effective until iu the Parliament of I*24—and in the'mcantiii'C has stuffed the Legislative Council with gentlemen of strong Conservative bias. Tiiii bias was strikingly shown when tiny refused towardi the end of the session a small measure of relief to women workers in woollen factories, who arc, and always havii been, shamefully treated iu the matter of hours and wages by the prosperous woollen companies. Mr Okey did not approve of t'.io alteration, to the constitution of the Upper M.iu.«, but voted for it—like an obedient, consistent party follower. Had it been a Liberal, he would have been accused of being a '•dumb dog," "a blind and obedient follower," and so on. The candidate extolled the Government for its action in extending the pension to Maori war veterans. We believe no man has done more to secure this modicum of justice for these deserving, but gradually dwindling, brave men than the member for Taranaki, and he deserves every credit. In regard to pensions generally, he, gave the impression that the present Government is entitled to credit for placing this beneficent measure on the .Statute Book. The truth is that every member of the Cabinet, with the exception of the younger element, opposed the measures at every point. They could not find words strong enough to condemn the Bills. In 1897 Mr. Massey said: "I am afraid, by doing what is proposed, we shall greatly increase the number of improvident people in the community. We shall increase the number of those who will require to be dealt with under the oldage pensions sefteme." Both the Hoij. James Allen and Mr. Herries declared "there is no necessity for old-age pen- ' sions," whilst Sir Walter Buchanan went! as far as to predict "that in every way it will prove a much greater curse than the Charitable Aid Act. I go further, and assert that if wo pass the Old-age Pensions Bill in its present form, it will be the blackest piece of work ever carried through in this Chamber." These excerpts speak for themselves. Mr. Okey declared himself in favor of improving the system by removing the penalty on the thrifty who had secured homes for themselves. Tlie alteration is needed, and should be made. Of the Education Bill he sptjke strongly in favor. This was a non-party measure, both sides of the •House striving to improve the system, and giving teachers the measure of relief they had so long been awaiting. Mr. Okey defended tlie action of the Government in its proposal to raise a loan of £3,200,000 for the improvement of the railways, and mentioned that it was not intended to spend huge sums in railway stations. "It was proposed to spend £45,000 in providing a new station at Wellington, whilst the previous Govern ment spent £IOO,OOO on the railway station at Dunedin." Mr. Okey forgot to mention that in the case of Dunedin the money was not all spent on the station buildings: much of it was spent on land, fittings, and terminals. Tlie present Gov-

eminent opposed tin's expenditure, quite justifiably, in our opinion. But three years Inter, when in power, they go the whole lion', and propose to raise over three millions on works which admittedly won't produce a cent more revenue. Duplication of suburban lines and tho erection of new ornate station buildings | can well wait until the country districts are given decent meAiis of communication. It Ims always been, the same, we must confess; the interests of the country districts arc ever subordinated to those of the oilies. The latter have the. 'pull'' that the country cannot exert, '<' nd the country suffers.' The "Keform'' party were to alter all this, but they have proved wor*e in this respect than .

!thc Liberals m their most indifferent ; 'mood. Mr Qkcy touched on a variety 'of other subjects, mentioning the part he had taken in r-.omncctiou with the 'Local Railways Bill and iron and steel j

industry, the' oil industry. West Coast leases, the grant for 'the New Ply-

mouth Girls' High School, etc., for ■whir* he. deserves tho thanks of his

constituents, and promised to go further I

into his custodianship at his New Ply-1 .iimnHi ma .»-.„„ ir,:,.. u, n nrMUtn{ , , w '„ |