POLITICAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 August 1919, Page 5

POLITICAL.

Mfi. S. 0. SMITH, M.R.*EL TATABAIMAKA.

Mr. S. G. Smith, M.P, addraaaai a well-atteuded meeting of his Cowtttah ents at Tataraimaka last mgiit, Mr. W* Honeyfield presiding. " ~ Amongst the matters discussed by Mr. • I Smith ,were questions relating to the ,' ■work of Reconstruction after the war. ,i the New Plymouth-Opunake railway, the V work' of the Department of ImMtiai , f Ssuppliea, i n the course of which he dealt ,? with the equalisation fund. Mr. Smith ■ ■'■' also discussed the development of hraro. '•'• electrical power, and expreajed an opinion that the scheme proposed by the .'- Government would not be available for ''. laranaki within ton reare, and for that ■'* reason he «rgcd that the surrounding : V districts requiring such power should ■<', endeavor to assist the developmentof * the scheme adopt.nl by the Kew PI?. 3 mouth Borough Council'. v '■, Jlr. Smith spent some time in dealing , ; with the coal crisis, giving the New * Zealand fl .,tput from the year IMS to xhjs. Ho ako showed that the export ' »°L C Tn, ?, XeW Zea,and bciwee n »» ■ and 1917 had increased, untwlthstandiM ■! that, the local stocks had been diminish!' ' ! mr during that period. He thought the '■ present shortage was due to the method ' adopted by the Government in handina ' over tuo conhol to a coal committ*. " He advocated improved conditions for the mmers and that the whole matter . 3 should be dealt with in a comprehensive ■''

In a reference to (lie cruiser presented ''• ,-ta tho Now Zealand Government, Mr. V hmith said he hoped the vessel was S meant to lm used men-lv as a training/ ''« snip, mid not for th« purpose of com-' ' mertemg the establishment of a local ■ navy. He thought thut New Zealand should give an increased contribution to •' tlie Imperial Roveramept towards the Navr, and on n basis different from tint on which contribution* were Hi based. - '. i At the conduMor of tlw address, I*;Jsl replr to a question, Mr. Smith, raid he'*«» the present undue amount of '•«<! speculation in land should be tackle* . ■ iS and. arrested at once. ■ fl Mr. Smith was piven a verr attentive «' hearing throughout, and at the end was accorded a very hearty vote of thanks. •. ■! for his address! :. • %

Mr. Smith addresses meetings of «lfce. tors at Oakura Hall to-night and at Koru Hall to-morrow night.