THE TAUMARUNUI SEAT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 151, 2 December 1914, Page 3

THE TAUMARUNUI SEAT.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —I notice in your Tuesday's issue, an account of Mr. C. Iv. Wilson's meeting at 'XJruti. 'IA Correspondent" evidently came to the conclusion that the meeting whs a hostile one, because one excited individual, wildly gesticulating whilst hurling epithets at the speaker, chose to disturb the meeting for a few minutes. The said individual was backed up by a number of boys, who enjoyed the fun while it lasted. It is absurd to ' think tliat a noisy imported element like this could influence the election one iota, or lessen the Uruti Reform vote by a single unit. Indeed, the electors are ■more determined than ever to exercise their votes in returning the party that stands for justice, law, and order. We liave not forgotten, nor are we likely to forget, the useful work done by the Massey Government, in spite of all the childish criticism of {he Opposition, at the time of the great industrial upheaval, and also at the time of the smallpox epidemic, when Opposition members jeered at the idea of danger, and now, again, when a great war is on, they have piloted the finances of the country in a manner which is a credit to themselves and the Dominion they represent. Are we likely to support the Administration of extravagance that required special 1 1 rains, special steamers, delayed trains on the slightest pretext, the party that, to get into office again, is advocating un-heard-of expenditure and concessions in , all directions? Twenty-one years was J surely sufficient for thym to have done these things, in before. And, again, is it likely we should support a party that scatters broadcast the statement that [ the Government is increasing the na- ' tional debt by twelve millions, when ten millions is for the repayment of loans falling due. (See table of loans falling due, p. 456, Hansard.) A first-standard child would not be misled by such a statement. Is it likely we would support a party that hid themselves behind the law of libel to avoid just comment, and that has allied itself to Labor, whose nmin platform plank is increased taxation on land and property? ilf we did we should commit political suicide. When polling-day arrives, not only farmers, but a good percentage of Labor voters, too, will be found loyal, for the interests of the one and the other are practically the same, essential one to the other, depending on each other for support; Sir, I am confident, judging by opinions expressed in all directions, that there will be a great rally round the banner of Reform, much to the surprise of the noisv minority party.—l am, etc., I H. LABSEN.

"Woodlands," Uruti. [The increase in public debt during 1912-13 wan £5,706,850 (none of which was for redemption purposes). The increase in 1913-14 was £ Di66n,fifs4, of which amount £4,976,000 was for redemption of loan 9, the net increase for that period thus being £4,693,004. The borrowing proposals authorised for this year total £12,425,000. Of this sum £2,000,000 is for war purposes, and none for loans redemptions. The total net increase in the public debt for which the present Government is responsible is (providing this year's authorities are made use of) £22,824,914. For the previous three years "tlie figures are as follow.— 1909-10, £3,952,111; 1910-11, £0,187,477; 1911-12, £3,275,791. ,Total for three years, £13,415,279. The. exceptional heavy increase in 1910-11 was due primarily to the gift of the Dreadnought. The average annual increase in . the national indebtedness under the Liberal regime of 21' years was slightly over three millions; under "Keform," who came in to save the country from bankruptcy, the average increase has been practically doubled. Our figures are taken from the Official Year Boole issued by the Government, and are, therefore, indisputable. They show that our correspondent has been entirely misled by reading' some hazy partisan references regarding the subject of our finances. It is right and desirable that the actual increaso in the public debt should be generally known.—Ed.]