COST OF LIVING INCREASED.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 1, 30 November 1914, Page 6

COST OF LIVING INCREASED.

Mr. Massey had said in tlie same speech that the cost of living was too high, yet his Government had not only failed to reduce it but had increased it enormously.

THE LENDING DEPARTMENTS. Sir Joseph proceeded to quote from figures issued in Reform pamphlets in regard to the Advances to Settlers. He claimed that on their showing the present Government had advanced to settlers in two years £1,823,000, which was, however, £1,600,000 less than the Ward Government had advanced in the two preceding years. To local public bodies the present Government had advanced £250,430, whereas in a similar period the Liberal Government had advanced £1,270,000, mostly at 4 per cent, and some at 3'/ 2 per cent. The borrowings of the Massey -Government came t« £lfi,ofi7,Bßo in two years and twu months. The Dreadnought loan, however, they had the

AMAZING IMPERTINENCE to include in his term of office, but had failed to point out that that money had not been borrowed for internal works. Why was it necessary for any party to attempt to delude the public?

REFORM LAND LEGISLATION FAILS. Sir Joseph asserted that outside their legislation in connection with the freehold, every other bit of legislation of the present Government had been taken from the Liberals. (Applause). The Government land policy had been no good to men and women of slender means. They had passed two (Acts. Not a soul bad gone on the land, and not an estate had been settled under the first, and not a single settler had been placed on the. land under, the second. There was the sequel to all the Reform Party's boasting —that every settler placed on the land during their term had been placed there under the Acts of the Liberal Government. (Applause). Sir Joseph denied that the' Government had improved land settlement conditions. In the last two years of the Ward Government 875.QM acres had been Opened and 2397 settlers placed on the- land, and in the Massey .Government's two years CSH.fIOO acres had been opened, and 2750 settlers placed on the land. Poor lands were being acquired, and the land of wealthy squatters was being left alone. The Government had opened up 140,000 acres of native land less than his Government had done in its last two years of office. (Applause).

NO "RED FED." ALLIANCE. Referring to the "Red Feds.," Sir Joseph reiterated his previous denial that there was an alliance between them and the Liberals. It was a bogey that his opponents were holding up to the public. There were more Red Feds, standing against the Liberals in the present contest in the South than at the last election.

HUNTLY DISASTER. Referring to the Hnntly disaster, he said that every Government must recognise its responsibilities, and there was no use in the members of the present Government taking exception to the criticism in regard to the. regrettable calamity which had resulted in the death of 43 unfortunate men. If the legislation recommended by a commission set up by the Ward Gorumment had gone 011 the Statute Book, it would have, provided for the use of protected lights in coal mines, aiul the report of the re-

cent commission attributed the disaster to the use of unprotected lights. After

the general elections, a lot more would be heard of the disaster. THE OPPOSITION POLICY.

An enunciation of the Opposition's policy followed. The planks were. — Extended facilities for the teaching of scientific agriculture; an up-to-date afforestation department; encouragement of raining, including adequate assistance to prospectors and relief to mining companies in the shape of advanced taxation; extension of the primary education system; proper grading of teachers and tlia abolition of the present system; a £5 baby bonus, to be paid into the savings bank at birth, and earn compound interest for fourteen years; extension of the national system of utilisation of the water power of the Dominion; internal defence on lines laid down by Earl Kitchener; the establishment and extension of preferential trade with the Motherland, 'which would be wanted more than ever when the war was over; free nurses in backbloeks; free travelling on railways for children up to five years, r-:! half fures lip to fourteen years; a: mce to cripples and invalids, all <-r an invalidity system; reduction . duties on necessities; removal fron. the Statute Books of legislation enabled the existence of the system of bogus trade unions; reduction of the hours of tile women working in factories; further extension of State functions in combating food monopolies; establishment of commercial banks to assist settlers, -workers, and local bodies; proportional representation for the House of Representatives; a special graduated land tax, to ensure closer cultivation and settlement; prevention of aggregation of large estates; 1 small areas of land for men of small capital; workers' homes near the cities; completion of all main trunk railways within four years, all of which could be carried out for £8,000,000.

I' NAVAL DEFENCE. In connection witU naval defence, Sir Joseph said Now Zealand should stand by the British Navy. (At the end of this war, the British Navy would have conquered or acquired the German Navy. 'What would the Imperial Government do with the surplus of ships? In liis opinion they would send a number of fully equipped warships to Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the Pacific, for they would no longer require to watch the Germans in the North 'Sea. The present Government had never divulged why the agreement made by him (Sir Joseph) with the Admiralty for two British cruisers had not been carried out. This should not bo a secret. All that Mr Allen had done was to arrange for the coming out of the Philomel, and the withdrawal of the subsidy to the British Navy. A local navy would mean an amount of .taxation that he did not think this young country should be called upon to pay.