HOMES FOR WORKERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 1, 30 November 1914, Page 7

HOMES FOR WORKERS.

In regard to the assertion that the Government was not doing enough for the workers, lie pointed out that during liis term of 2% years 345 of these holies had been erected, at a coat of £IOO,OOO, whereas the previous Government, ' in six arid a quarter years had only erected 209 homes. Moreover, he had extended the system, so that it applied not only to towns and cities, but to rural districts as well, and a man, by paying a small deposit to show his bona fides, could get five acres of first-class land, or 20 aeres of second-class, and have erected thereon a good home, which he could pay off in weekly instalments over a term of years'. .The rural workers' settle-1 ments were doing well. The Government did not want to keep the men on these all their lives, but provision was made for sale to bona fide men. These homes were for the benefit of good workers, sucli as shearers, etc., who earn good wages at certain seasons of the year. It was the duty of the Government to give the industrious and deserving man the opportunity of improving his position.

To an 'lnterjector. "You'll never have a home of your own!" Interjector: "Not while you're alive!"

TAXATION. It was cunningly inferred by the Opposition that the taxation had been increased by the present Government on the rank and file by 13s Id per head. That was not so. In 1910 the taxation per head was .£4 5s fid; in 1911, £4 16a lid; 1912, £5 3s lOd; 1913, £5 7s 4d; and in 1914, £5 10s. So that in their two years it had gone up 6s 2d, and in the previous two years, under the Ward Administration, it had gone up 18s 4d. He challenged anyone in the audience to mention a single article on which th' taxation had been increased since they were in office.

A Voice: Wheat, flour, everything! Mr. Massey: What a silly statement! I did not think there was a man in Hawera so wanting in intelligence. A Voice: Don't make it too hot! Mr. Massey (continuing) said that they had taken the duty off flour. There had been no increases in the Customs duty on any single article. He did not say that there had not been any increased taxation. They had increased the graduated land tax to the extent of £43,000, and had also altered the incidence of income tax, which affected incomes of over £2OOO per annum. They had not increased taxation on the rank and file by one-hundredth part of a farthing. A Voice. Indirectly you have. Mr. Massey: Indirect is by the Customs. Direct is bv land and income tax. It would take a lot to satisfy some of my Red Fed. friends.

This caused an uproar at the back of the hall, and also above the stage.

They had, continued the Premier, reduced the Customs taxation, and had intended to reduce it still further, but the industrial disturbance of 1913 had prevented this, and now with the present war it would be unwise to do so, as they knew that every penny would be required to assist in keeping the business, industries and public works going. Some had suggested the imposition of a war tax, but it was impossible to say at present how much money would be required. He thought at one time that two millions would have been sufficient, lmt he knew- now that it would require, four millions or more. If he attempted to collect a million and a half in one year it would cause the most serious depression that we had ever had.

A Voice: Just like a farmer —always frightened! 'Mr. Jklasscy said that the farmers had done their duty. Continuing, he stated that lie had made arrangements for the money to be got from the Home Country at a. low rate, and when the war was over there could he a financial deaning-up. In 'New South Wales 8000 or 10.000 .men on the public works haft been put on half-time. New Zealand had been properly managed during the last few years, and so their ftvi traces, though far from satisfactory when they took office, were able to stand the strain, and they got through. They had not disinissed one man from the Public Service, and he contrasted this with the action of the. previous Government some four years ago, when there was a drop in tlie price of wool. No country, lie added, would recover so rapidly from the effects of the. war as our little one. I (lApplaiise.) To an intnrjcctor he said that the giv- | ing of the Dreadnought was all right, : but the method of giving it was wrong.

LOAN MONEY. He dealt at length with the question of loan money. Everyone, he said, knew how much depended on loan money. He compared the various loans raised, and condemned the raising of- short-dated debentures. 'When they took office they found the finances of the country "in a very unsatisfactory condition. A settler could only borrow £SOO, though' the limit was £3OOO, and there was practically no money available for* local bodies. The Government had improved the position, and had raised the amount available for settlers to £2OOO, and had lent £BO,OOO to local bodies. Interjector: Who gave the" Dreadnought? Mr. 'Masscv: We did better. We sent 10,000 of the pick of the Dominion. A Voice: They were not sent; they volunteered. (Applause.) Continuing, Mr. Massey said that when the history of what had taken place during the. past three months, and what was taking place now, came to be written up, New Zealand would take a prominent place. At this stage there was considerable uproar. The Mayor appealed for order, amidst cries of "Sit down!" and laughter. When the noise had subsided, the Premier said that it did not say much for that handful of young fellows at the back, when they would not pay any respect to their chief magistrate.

Continuing, Mr. Massey said that since tlio, war they liacl lent from tlic. various Government departments £708,308, and if the finances had not been satisfactory tliey could not have done anything li|co that. (Applause.) Regarding the charge that they had increased the national debt, he said that, in two years they hud increased it £-1 9s per head, as against £5 7s 4d in their predecessors' two years. TTe was proud of the country's prosperity, which was evidenced by the fact that in ten months of this year the deposits at the Post Office exceeded tlie withdrawals by £1,0U),502, a record,This was a striking tribute to the productiveness of the country and the energy and industry of the people.

THE PLEDGES. The Government had, he said, been accused of not keeping its pledges. This was not true. They had instituted reforms in finance, in the land system, also in regard to Native land legislation, where they had donfe their: duty to the Natives, andgiyenthem'to understand that they could only hold their lands pa.

the same conditions as Europeans. He liad promised tb reform the Legislative Council, members of which had always been appointed, irrespective of qualification, but on account of political power. He did not believe in Tammanyism, and had appointed good men to the Council, irrespective of politics. He. had democratised the Council, which w6'uld be elected by the people in 1917.

A Voice: What about the second ballot!

Mr. Massey: It has gone, never to return. (Applause.) Not one of the 100 candidates now standing would have the hardihood to say that lie would replace it on the Statute Book. A substitute for it was no part of th e platform. The whole bitterness of the election was thrown into the period between the first, and second ballots. Business was neglected. (Voice: "Twaddle! The second ballot put you in!"). ,

Mr. Massey said that the people gave him a majority at the first ballot. The majority of those elected were pledged to support him. At the first division ho was only beaten on the casting vote of the Speaker. A Voice: AVlierc was Tommy Wilford?

Mr. Massey: Where he ought to be now. Two members voted the other way. Their names were well known, and would be engraved for ever on the political history of the country. They had reformed the Public Service, and there was no : Such thing as political infiueneo there now. The son of the poor man now had the same right of promotion, and the same opportunities of promotion and advancement as the son of the rich man.

In. reply to an interjector, he defended the appointment of Mr. Hiley, for which he would take full responsibility, although the suggestion that they should "0 to England had been made by his predecessor. Mr. Hiley knew his business from A to Z, and knew how to treat the railway men, with whom lie was popvi".; l .! - .

PENSIONS. He had effected reforms in pensions by j reducing the age in the case of women,} and by amending the provisions of the | ■widows' pensions, so that it applied to i all the children, and did not limit the number to four. Moreover, after the! widow, died the money would be paid to a guardian for the education of the |. children. (Hear, hear.) Moreover, the; pension also applied Kb women whose - husbands were confined in mental hospitals. The veterans had been recognised, granted a pension of £3O per year. ,'The veterans did not value the actual pension so much as they did that even at this late day the Government had recognised the work they had done. It was, however, impossible to keep all ! the pledges in the time at their dis- j posal. J

TITE HUNTLY DISASTER. | I Ho dealt with the attempt to make J capital out of the Huntly disaster, whifch had resulted in the loss of 43 lives. He j had represented Huntly at one time for j six years, and had never heard a hint that the mine was dangerous. There j had been an agitation for another shaft,; as the mine was under the Waikato j River, and this shaft had been sunk. The question was: Was the law in force up to last session, adequate to safeguard the mine? He read considerable correspondence on the subject, and also excerpts from the Commission's report, which, he said, did not make a single suggestion that the Government was in any way to blame, or was negligent in connection with the Huntly disaster. 'He had no intention of reflecting on any individual, or of anticipating any action in the Supreme Court. A well-known mine manager had informed him that the law was so despotic that a mining inspector or manager could do what he liked to ensure the safety of the miners. The Minister of Mines had been notified in August of breaches of the Act, and, after legal opinion had been taken, had given instructions to prosecute. The inspector, however, on the strength of a ; legal opinion from a well-known legal firm at the Thames, who said that the evidence, was not strong enough, did not prosecute. So far as the Minister of Mines was concerned, there was no man more conscientious or more anxious to do his duty. The accident might have been averted had proper precautions been taken, and if the character of coaldust had been known earlier, but the attempt to make political capital out of the disaster was one of . the meanest tilings in the political history of the country. They might as well make the Government responsible for the White Island disaster, or the loss of the Penguin in Cook Strait because a light had not been placed. He hoped, however, that the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, would come out at the Supreme Court trial.

THE INDUSTRIAL TROUBLE. He denied that there had been no attempt made to settle the strike prior to it assuming the dimensions it had. On the other hand, everything possible had been done. Conferences had been held between the union and,the shipping companies, at which he presided. The, watersiders would not agree to the suggestion that Sir Joshua Williams should arbitrate. In reply to an interjection about shares in the Union Company, Mr. Massey said that anyone, who suggested that a Judge would be influenced was not fit to associate with decent.men, and if anyone said that he held shares in the company it was a falsehood. The strike started over a small matter. .-Mr. Massey said that he had some time previously averted a serious engineers' strike by arbitrating, and after both sides had agreed to abide by his decision, he gave a decision in favor of "the engineers, Returning to the strike, he said that the, wharves were* in the possession of the strikers. There was no loading or unloading; dairy produce was deteriorating. He here read a quotation about the strike —not from the Times. A Voice: You sant no decent man would read the Times.

Mr. Massey: I want the Times to repeat what they have inferred, and I will give them an opportunity in the Supreme Court. j A Voice: Mr. Wilford accepted your i challenge, j . Mr. Masscv: There is nothing wrong. Read the letter. I'm right; he's wrong.' Mr. Massey said that Sir Joseph Ward's remedy for the striko was the, Riot Act, which would have meant ball cartridges. Personally, he was pleased there was no loss of life over the strike, although plenty of shots were fired. There was only one way to enforce law, and they got men willing, to act as specials, opened the wharves, and loaded the ships. Three-fourths' 'of the union men were glad to get back to work. The law now provided that there should be no strike without a secret ballot. He took full responsibility . for everything that had been'dqne' in connection with the settlement of' the.' strike, 'and would do it again ifnecessary. ; (Applause, and crjesv of "Alone I did it!" and "You're a hero!") r . ; In conclusion;, he sa|d that the big question was. Is--the' Government to be

majority of the country would say: "These men did their duty, and we are going to send them back." He believed that he had two-thirds or three-fourths of this representative meeting with him, and it was the same all over New Zealand. The people could not trust those anxious to take their places. There was an unholy alliance existing between the Wardites and the Red Feds, to oust the Government, but the people would never give them the opportunity of repeating the 1913 strike, and of mismanaging it. Jle hoped they would be guided by what he said when they went to record their votes. (Applause.) In reply to a question re 'West Coast leases, the Premier said that he would answer any question submitted in writing, but not on that platform. A candi- • date answered questions, but a Minister gave an address, and dealt with subjects in which the audience were interested. Mr. E. Le (Barton then rose to make a speech, amidst great din and counting out. He mounted a form, and could not, be heard. Sticking to his guns, he mounted the stage. He had been a Lib- j era! for twenty years, he said, and it was a most discreditable thing that when the Premier came to give an address he should be interrupted as he had I been, that evening. From the policy of the Government, he felt they were not going to have a repetition of what,they had had in the past. Amidst a great din, above which his voice could be hardly heard, he moved a vote of thanks for the address, and confidence in Mr. Massey as Premier. This was seconded by Mr. J. T. Quinn, and carried amidst applause, and dissent from a large section at the back, an amendment of thanks only having been previously declared lost.

THE WANGANUI CONGEST. Wanganui, November 28. Mr. .T. T. Hogan, Liberal candidate for Wanganui, opened his campaign before a crowded audience in the Opera House last niglit. The candidate vindicated the policy of the Liberal party, and criticised the Reform Administration. He was given a capital lieayng, and accorded a vote of thanks and appreciation of his services during his six years in Parliament, and confidence was expressed in him as the Liberal candidate. The meeting concmded with cheers for Mr. Hogan and Sir Joseph Ward.

THE ASHBURTON SBAT. Ashburton, November 28. Mr. W. Nosworthy (Government) has been nominated for the Ashburton seat. THE OTAKI CONTEST. Levin, November 28. Last night, at the Century Hall, Mr W, H. Field, Government candidate for Otaki, addressed a crowded meeting. He had a good hearing, though there was some interruption. He spoke in favor of Mr. Massey's programme, and said it was moderate and Liberal. The Massey Government had done well, and redeemed a number of pledges in spite of difficulties. He defended its action in connection with the strike. He declared himself in favor of the nationalisation of hospitals. He was not in favor of local option or the 55 per cci'.i. for national prohibition. A vote of thanks was carried. The candidate declined a vote of confidence. The meeting, closed with cheers, and counter-cheers for Mr. Robertson.

NOMINATIONS. Napier, November 28. Messrs. J. Vigor Brown (Opposition) and G. W. Venables (Government) have been nominated for the Napier seat. Aahburton, November 28. ■Mr. W. S. Maslin (Opposition) was nominated for the Ashburton seat this morning. Woodville, November 28. Messrs. J. 11. Escott (Government) and .T. D. Matthews (Opposition) have been nominated for the Paliiatua seat. Dannevirke, November 28. Messrs George Hunter (Government) ans Albert Edward Jull (Opposition) have been nominated for the Waipawa seat. Dunedin, November 28. The, following nominations have been received.—Dunedin North, Mr. G. (M. Thomson (Government); Dunedin Central, Mr. J. W. Munro (labor); Dunedin i West, Mr. Downie Stewart (GovernI ment).

OROUA NOMINATIONS. Feilding, November 28. Mr. D. ,H. Guthrie (Reform) and Mr. J. Morrison (Liberal): have keen nominated for the Oroi-ia seat.