GENERAL ELECTIONS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 148, 17 November 1914, Page 8

GENERAL ELECTIONS

SIR JOSEPH WARD AT WINTON. LIBERAL POLICY EXPOUNDED. GOVERNMENT'S ADMINISTRATION CRITICISED. By Telegraph.—Per Press Association. Winton, Last Night. Wartl addressed a meeting of about fifteen hundred people to-night. In his introductory remarks the Mayor said that Lady Ward had just handed him a cheque for '£loo for the Liverpool fund, an announcement which was received with loud applause.

RAILWAY POLICY. Sir Joseph Ward complained that the Government had not commenced small, but important lines of railway such as the \v inton-Hoddon Bush line, yet no less tnan live new railways had been commenced in the constituencies of four Minuter*, including that of the Prime Minister.

"GOOD OLD BRITISH NAVY." Referring to the War, Sir Joseph VV iit'd said that there should be no two opinions that the present unparalleled war v.'as just, so far ag Britain was concerned. The most effective course for hew Zealand to follow was to support the good old British "-navy. (Applause) . Without the British navy, New Zealand and Australia would have been unable to do what they had done in the Pacific. (Applause).' If the Liberal party was returned, their policy would be to strengthen tlic Great Imperial navy. It was idle to talk of a Loch, navy, and he had no hesitation in expressing his strong conviction in saying that even were it the best system the financial burden would be absolutely ruinous. (Applause). PREI ? EIUSNTiAXTTAI?U' i K^"^ He argued in connection with foreign trade that New Zealand should institute a 10 per cent, preferential tariff.

INTERNAL DEFENCE. ~ I \ ci . c , r] '"'' internal defence, lie said that it was cool impudence on the part of his opponents in the attempt to depri\e liim of what was his due iu connection with universal training. He had prepared the wliole scheme? but lie did not think that the cost of universal training should he more than £400,000 because they did not want a military caste m the country. (Applause).

FINANCE. Oil the point of finance, he said that he had left the largest surplus of any finance Minister in this country's his-tory-,£807,000. As a matter of fact lie had arranged in writing a clear million of an advance for his successor not one shilling of which was pledged. '

FINANCES UNSATISFACTORY. After criticising the Government's borrowing policy, Sir Joseph said the present position of the finances was unsatisfactory. The surplus revenue fell £*07,000 in lUia to of nava"'subsidy 50 ' 000 ,10I '« me!lt The real subsidy was £370,000. The expenditure out of ordinary revenue had increased by £1,585,000, and last year's expenditure, included in that sum increased by £744,000, as against an increase of revenue for the same period Qf only £494,000.

_ADVA'NCES. Dealing with the advanceFto settiers, workers, and local bodies, he said tlnvt during the Liberals' term of oflice this department had lent yearly ;E 10,000,000 and in his last two years of office £3,439,80") was advanced to settlers as compared to £1,915.850 advanced duriii" -Mr. Massey's two years. ° LAND LEGISLATION. The land legislation of the present Government had proved a rank failure and had given the poor man, or tlio man of slender means, little chance to compete against his more wealthy opponent. (Applause.) ISENEWTS GIVEN THE PUBLIC. Sir Joseph showed that under the Liberal Government the total benefits to users of railways and employees up to the present was £3,095,000, (Applause.) PENSIONS. He quoted the results of divisions, showing the strenuous opposition of the Government to the old-age pensions scheme, 'Mr, 'Massey himself having voted 87 times against and nine times for the Bill, THE HUN.TLY DISASTER. He said responsibility for the lluntly disaster could not vot be definitely placed, but it would not have occurred if the recommendations of the Royal Commission set up by the Ward Government had been carried into law. LIBERAL PROGRESSIVE MEASURES. No country in the world could show so many progressive measures as New Zealand, and the Liberal party were wholly responsible. NATIVE LEGISLATION. lie said the Government's Native land legislation had caused distrust in the minds of natives, and promised, if returned, to make stringent provision for preventing aggregation, and to secure more rapid settlement, and to assist the Maoris themselves. THE COST OF LIVING.

The esot of liviiif; question should be dealt with, and an increase could easily l)e (prevented by organisation. POLICY OF THE LIBEHALS.

He detailed many broken promises of

the Massey Government, and outlined the policy of the Liberal party, including an Empire Navy, proportional representation, increase in the graduated land tax, workers' homes, cheap money, action against monopolists, cheap and pure milk, abolition of duties on necessaries of life, the removal of trades union anomalioß, assistance to cripples and invalids, free nurses for back-blocks, assistance to fruit, gum, and timber interests, expenditure of £500,000 a year for the extension and additions to open lines, the completion of Main lines in four years, the limitation of borrowing for railways, and public works to three millions a year, special assistance to back-blocks roads, ferry services from Wellington to Picton, development of trade within the Empire, redaction by one-half of public building votes, internal defence not to cost more than £450,000 a year, Lake power scheine, Public Service under Parliamentary control, £5 in Savings Bank for every child born, preservation of present education system, with free access to University or Technical Schools, grading of teachers and salaries, encouragement of mining extension, agricultural education and afforestation, and concluded by forecasting the return of the Liberal party under the motto of "Progress, more progress, and still more progress." A most cordial and enthusiastic meeting closed with a vote of thanks and confidence.

TIIE MODERATE LEAGUE. DOMINION CONFERENCE TO,BE HELD. Wellington, Last Night. The first Dominion conference of delegates of branches of the New Zealand Moderate League is to be held in Wellington on Friday, 27th November. Mr. A. A, S. Menteath (president) states that the policy of the league in connection with the forthcoming elections, and itsubsequent activities, will then be decided upon. Many suggestions for amendment of legislation, etc., are coming to hand, and it is the intention to set up a legislative committee to deal exhaustively with them before the new Parliament assembles. It is also the intention of the-League to promote a code of temperance throughout the Dominion.

A PECULIAR POSITION. ' TV.'O CANDIDATES TURN UP AT LI'PPER TON. A peculiar position occurred in conncct'on wifih- Mr. Hughes' meeting at Ltpperton last night owing to Mr. Wilson, the Government candidate, being hilled to speak at Sentry Hill, and Mr. Hughes at Lcppcrton Hall. About f ft" electors were present at the hall and .jresumably none at Sentry Hill. The result was that Mr. Wilson and his supporters came to Mr Hughes r.nd aslci d him if he would agree to each candidate having three-quarters of an hour, and Mr. Hughes, in a sportsmanlike . Each candidate then laid his particular joints before the electors (present. Mr. Hughes speaking first on similar lines to those already reported. Tn the course, of his address the speaker dwelt upon the want of something in the nature of a scientific establishment for instructing our dairv factory managers. At present, he said, our best factory managers are from time to time taken by the. Dairy Department, and then become dairy instructors. To graduate from factory manager to instructor there is really no local institution where a manager can. if he is ambitious, improve his scientific knowledge. He claimed that there ought to be a Taranaki laboratory, where skilled instruction could be imparted, such as is done at Hawkcsbury College in Nev South Wales, and in Canada and Denmark. He had met several factory managers who were anxious to improve themselves in their vocation, but had to ston half-way in their search for practical ■ scientific knowledge, because they, had 110 instructors or place to be taught in. The. Riverdale watering case made, manv factory managers dip their noses into things scientific as regards water, tests. ; and milk, etc. As one who had been in- , timately connected with dairying and i its branches, the speaker said if he was returned as their representative he would do what he could in this respect to advance the wishes of factory managers. Mr. Wilson spoke mainly on the defence question and the Red Feds., In ■ addition t> giving a general commeiii (lation of the Government's legislation.

Mr. Ackland presided for .both speakers, who at the cIo»p received tie usual vole of thanks, that for iMr Hughes l>ejirr proposed bv Mr Blackhall and seconded by Mr. Brown, while the chairman and Mr Wheatiev junr., performed the s srvice for Mr Wilson. MR. HUGHES AT MOTURCIA. iMr. D. ,T. Hughes addressed a large open-air meeting of men at the New Plymouth port on (Monday at lunchtime. There, were between 00 and 95 present, and the speaker was listened to attentively. Ilis criticisms at the expense, of the present Government and their Tory ways evoked constant applause . Several questions were asked and answered satisfactorily, and a hearty vote of thanks was proposed and seconded in several places. Mr. Arms was in the chair. PALMERSTON NORTH SEAT. Palmerston North, Last Night. Air ,T. A. Nash (Mayor), the Reform enndidate. addressed a this evening. He dealt exhaustively with the reforms instituted by the Mas- | soy Government. He was opposed to j [ the referendum on the Bible-in-Sehools question: favoured a three-fifths majority on the licensing question; was a strong supporter of closer settlement, and an opponent of land aggregation. He favoured a more speedy settlement of Native Lands, opposod an mirc.Ki; in the Customs tariff; to settlers and workers being utilised to the fullest extent; favoured further - amendments to the Education Act; would support a defence system to enable the Dominion to protect itself against Invasion; favoured raising the necessary loan for public works, also steadily pushing on railways to develop the country; and

? a B y atem valuations oeing placed on a more equitable basis values PrCVCnt UndUo inflation ill DATE TO BE FIXED AT WEEK END. n,„ n Wellington, Last Night, "e,government hag now definitely tfan nf Pr the datCß f ° r tIIU <l'SSolution of Parliament and the issue of the I? r J e g ? neral ele ction shall be fixed at the end of this week. JIR. W. T. JENNINGS AT WAITARA ,«r lß !' se at the Af w -nr VV&ltal 'a. la-it night, when . ■ " • "• Jennings, the Liberal candidate and foriucriy representative of I >e laiiimnuniii JoasMiieniy, addressed at orH - " u mayor of Waitam 'Mr W. I'\ Jenkins) presided, and dispensing with the usual "introduction," as bting quite unnecessarily 111 the rav of a mun so well-known m Waitara ai .Vlr. Jennings, mked him to i.r,l witl: h.s aldregs, which he did >n a vigorous manner At the conclusion lie answered number of questions, and, on the motion of Mr. Jus Kitttmburv, was a 'corded a vote of thank* and confidence in himself and the Liberal Party.

THE S'IKATFOED SEAr The warmth and enthusiasm which characterise the meetings of Mr. W. H. Hawkins, -the 'Liberal candidate for Stratford, must be pleasing to the leaders of the P.hi tv The ci.ncl'.uing meeting for laßt week was held on Saturday evening at Katapiko, There was a splendid attcn■lance an-' tV '■>*■> spoke for nearly two hours, dealing with a variety of political subjects, and oen th«n the audience was net Batisf;(d. and the shaker wa3 urged to cont'nue his address at 10.15. A number of question? were asked and rhwored. As Mr. Hawkins has made a rule not to allow votes of coulid'onoe of any kind to 1» proposed at his n eet:ngs. a vot'! ci thar.ks was accorded him for his able and interesting address. A vote of thanks to the chair ended a meeting which m'.nt have pleased the ct.ndiclate.—Contributed .