POLITICAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 August 1919, Page 7

POLITICAL.

MR. S. G. SMITH, M.P., AT NEW PLYMOUTH. Mr. S G. Smith, MP, addressed a large gathering of electors at the Empire Theatre' fast night, and was accorded an attentive hearing, his address being frequently punctuated by outbursts of applause. The chair waß occupied by Mr George Grey, who explained the absence of the Mayor by stating that Mr. Burgess made it a rule not to preside at political meetings. He expressed his pleasure at occupying the chair, and said he believed Mr. Smith had at all times expressed the same principles of democracy. He had come that night to give an account of his stewardship. Mr. Grey said he had acquitted himself weii. Even "some Of his opponents acknowledged that. He had retained his dignity, preserved his own honor, and what was.quite as important, the honor of the electorate which he represented. (Applause).

■ BY-ELECTION INCIDENTS. When Mr. Smith rose to speak, the applause was renewed and prolqnged He first referred tp a number of incidents connected with the by-election at which he was returned for the district- The contest had been one of the most important in the political realm for uome time, and he had now come to account for what he had endeavoured to do for all the people of the Taranaki electorate. It had been predicted when he was elected that he would so conduct himself as to bring disgrace and discredit on the electorate, but thosj prophecies had not been fulfilled. i. great deal had been heard about the New Plymouth Harbor Board Empowering Bill, and the fate it was likely to meH with in the event of his election. He recited the difficulties encountered in the passage of the Bill through the House, but stated a number of members had assured him of their assistance in getting the measure through, which rather knocked on the head what his opponents had said about him being without friends and influence in the House if elected. At all events the Bill passed, and was on the Statute book, notwithstanding his election.

WORK ACCOMPLISHED. Mr. Smith proceeded to recount some of the things he lilad been able to secure for the district since his return. First, he mentioned, the reinstatement of the subsidy of £IOO towards the local Plunket Society. Then a vote of £"100 to the County Council, which had never been lifted, but had been reinstated on the Estimates on his representations, and the Council had asked him to assist in getting a further sum Of £1!0. Then there were the matters of subsidies In connection with the public subscriptions towards the erection of the Boys' High School, and also additional accommodation for the boarding establishment, and laboratory, rooms, and equipment. And, further, subsidies had been secured for the Tourist League and the Fitzroy School. A promise had also been secured of a vote of £2OOO on this year's Estimates for a PO.-4 Office at Fitzroy.

In regard to what he had been requested to do, Mr. Smith said he was going to Wellington with requests for £70,800 for new school buildings and teachers' residences, £2600 as subsidies oh loans for metalling roads, and £IOO,OOO for various other matters affecting needed improvements in the district. He had been given an assurance of support in a proposal to have 20 acres of the property recently purchased by the Government at Vogcltown, set aside as a public park, and with the Borough Council, he was endeavouring to get a portion of the Prison Reserve at Motnroa set aside as a park for that end of the town, and also to luive a police station and residence ...cicted at Moturoa. These, said the speaker, were some of the things that would be occupying his attention, He mentioned them in no boastful spirit, but because he considered it due to the public that they should know what he hail done and what he had been asked to do. DUTY TO SOLDIERS. Mr. Smith then dealt with Borne war matter,s and the responsibility of the community to the returned soldiers. He expressed thanks that the Allies had secured the victory, which had been won by the bravery of the soldiers and the efforts of the workers of all the juhe.& nations. New Zealand's record of war service was one to be proud of, and the manner in which her force in the field had been so consistently maintained showed that the people were behind the effort to win the war. He gave the figures showing the number of men the Dominion mobilised and sent overseas. The men, he said, had so carried out their duty as to have earned a name that would live for ever, and if the people did their duty as well as the soldiers had done theirs, then everyone would be satisfied. "We must not ace the soldiers slighted," said Mr. Smith. He then recited a number of instances in which, in some cases, tardy justice had been done to the soldiers or their dependents, and in others where yet that had not been done, after the most urgent representations. In some cases soldiers or their dependents had made representations to the Defenco Departments on matters affecting pay or separation allowances, and had been unable to get replies to their letters, yet I when the matter was brought under li's notice, and he wrote to the Minister, a j reply would come in a day or two, aiu' lin most cases the grievances be redressed. He contended it should mis be necessary to invoke the aid of member' of Parliament in such matters, but that Departmental officers should he willing to do what the country paid them to do. Mr. Smith made a point of the action of the authorities in regard to the leave of men in camp who were allowed to come to New Plymouth to vote at the recent bye-election. In irdsr that they might attend the funeral of one of their number who was being buried at Waitara, the time of leave was extended, and a paragraph to that effect had appeared in the Daily News. One soldier who acted on the inforniaUiti contained in the paragraph and had gone back to camp on the day stated, had 1o give an account of himself for overstaying his leave, and subsequently i';?l some of his pay and also the job he had in the camp for about two years, he being too old to go overseas. On inquiries being made, Mr. Smith said the Minister of Defence had informed him that the forfeiture of pay was accordisg to Royal Warrant, and the Minister had no power to remit it as he would if it had been a fine. (Shamel) The speaker said he intended while in Wellington to see that the money of which the -man had been robbed was made up to him.

In regard to retrospective separation :i ' v.'.-anees, Mr. Smith said that by fixing the date from which payment was taade as the date of embarkation, nuin.v

soldiers' wives had been deprived of a considerable sum of money, because their husbands had been retained in camp for long periods on account of their expert knowledge in certain branches of work- This was a matter that should be remedied.

PERNICIOUS MILITARY SYSTEM. Mr. Smith thes passed on to the attempt to fasten on New Zealand an elaborated system of military training. The war, he said, had been fought to destroy Prussian militarism, and the war had been won, but the people must see to it that if militarism were destroyed in other countries it should not be allowed to rise in New Zealand. The men who went from New Zealand had fought well, and they had had no training until they went into camp. They had been described as the best soldiers in the world, which went to show there was no need of an elaborate system of military training, necessitating boys going into training camps for four months, and as far as he was concerned, no such system should be forced on the country until the people had had a say on the matter. The medical examination of men for the Expeditionary Forces' had revealed a need for some form of physical training, which would also assist in the development of character, and such a scheme of training would have his support. In regard to the presentation of a cruiser to New Zealand, he expressed the hope that she would be used as a training ship for boys desiring a sea life, and not be the nucleus of a local navy. He advocated a larger subsidy to the British Government for navy purposes, rather than the establishment of a local navy, principally on account of the very heavy expense involved.

REPATRIATION WORK. In the matter of repatriation of soldiers, a lot had been heard of the Government scheme, but when it came to light it was only a skeleton. Any Buccess that had attended the work of repatriation was duo to the efforts of the men who constitued the Repatriation Boards of the Dominion. Mr. Smith advocated a more expeditious policy in the matter of settling soldiers on the land, and that instead of buying out one man and putting a soldier on the property, while the former owner sought retirement in some the Government should acquire lands and by placing soldierß on them under suitable conditions so assist to increase production. He did not believe in putting the soldiers on the land and making serfs of them.

THE COAL CRISIS. Mr. Smith referred to what he said had become known as the coal crisis. The miners at present had his sympathy, though he had not always approved the tactics they had adop'ted 1 secure their ends. He quoted from the report of the Board of Trade inquiry, and said the miners were not responsible for the present shortage of coal, which had paralysed industries, thrown men out of employment, and greatly inconvenienced the public by the railway restrictions, and when the country should be engaged in an effort to make up the leeway lost during the war, it found itself actually in a worse position than at any time during the war The real trouble, so far as the Railway Department was concerned, was in their preference for Newcastle coal, the increased freight making it impossible to get supplies. The speaker M uoteu figures showing that between 1913 and 1918. the output of coal had actually increased, in spite of the fact that there Were less men employed in the mines. From that he contended that the talk about "going slow" was somewhat out of order. He said the whole system of distribution was and was controlled by a committee made up of coal mine owners, and the industry Was run in the interests of the owners and not the public as a whole. He also drew attention to the report on t&e conditions under whjch the men and their families lived, and urged drastic improvement. He believed the time had arrived for nationalising the mines, and also the means of transport from the mines to the distributing centres. It was time the Union Steamship Company ceased to control the the coal industry. (Applause). Mr. Smith then referred to the ivospects of the Mokau coal fields, a> i to two reports he had received in regard to them, one from a Department officer and the other from the Minister, in which there were discrepancies which showed an incomplete acquaintance with the position. He intended to support Mr. Jennings in his efforts to get the Mokau opened up. IMPERIAL SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT.

In dealing with the operations of the Imperial Supplies Department, Mr. Smith referred to many iniquities in regard to the sale and export oi \<ulow, which had resulted in the small men having to sell their product to the big men, who secured all the advantage throughout the war period. He then dealt with the recent threatened butter shortage, when the local merchants had feared they would not be able to supply the local market. Representations were made to the Minister with a view to having some of the butter in store released for the local market. in the course of the negotiations it was found that butter had been over-exported, and an effort was made to have 10,000 boxes land from a vessel about to leave Auckland, but as the price for unloading asked by the shipping company was about 10s per box, the cargo was allowed to leave the country. Subsequently an effort was made to get some Butter from the Wairoa stores, and a Government official had advised that 100 boxes could be had, ex freezer, at Is 6d per lb., notwithstanding the price paid to the producers had been fixed at Is 5d The merchants were, of course, prevented by regulations from buying at Is 6d. Mr. Smith said if the farmers Were prevented from getting more than Is nd he would sec that no Government official came the double on the New Plymouth public, while he was their representative, and tried to make a penny a pound out of them on butter in that way. Mr. Smith then passed on to the equalisation fund, which, he said, should be borne by the whole community through the Consolidated Revenue Fund. COST OF LIVING. In speaking of the cost of living, Mr. Smith said it was remarkable that the price of commodities had risen more during the last two or three months than through the war. The trouble was that the Board of Trade, in fis/mg prices, fixed only the prices of those articles used least by the people, leaving merchants free to charge what they liked for the necessaries of life.

WORKERS' DWELLINGS. Mr. Smith said it was repeatedly said that nothing was being done in Mew Plymouth in this matter. He pointed out, however, tliat tenders would be aniied lion f« tke efuitioa. ot 16 dw«U-

inga on what was known as the Prison Reserve at Moturoa. That was not enough, however, and if he had his way 50 houses would go up, and then that would not be enough. At Vcgeltown, 200 acres had been bought for rural settlement by soldiers, and 33 houses had been bought for soldiers and 10 were being erected. Other blocks of land within the Borough were also under consideration for building purposes.

MEAT AND SHIPPING TRUSTS. Mi*. Smith referred to the amalgamation of the small shipping companies with the large companies, and predicted that with the return of the control to private owners there would be trouble. In conjunction with the meat companies they would come to New Zealand and dictate to the producers how much should be paid for the Dominion's products, and if tho price was not accepted then there would be no ships to take the produce away. It was the duty of the Government to own steamships to take away the produce of the Dominion and.taing back the country's requirements. EDUCATION.

In regard to education, Mr. Smith said he believed in free, secular, and compulsory education, through which wouia come the social reforms tho people needed. The environment for the children should be improved, and trained certificated teachers should be available for every school. He referred to the forward step taken in Taranaki in appointing, organising teachers for the district,

While on the question of education, tho speaker referred to the trouble over the West End School site, and after explaining fully all the negotiations, said he hoped the Borough Council, which held the key to the position, would rise to the occasion, and place, the interests of the children paramount to everything else.

POLITICAL SITUATION. Mr. Smith referred to the present political positon, and said he did not intend to link up with any party without consulting those who elected him. He did not intend to be a "heeler up" to any leader, but was going to do the best he could for the people as a whole He hoped the routine business of the session would be done expeditiously and there would be an early appeal to the country. The country was waiting to step forward, and he trusted he would do nothing to forfeit the confidence placed in him, (Applause). The only question asked was in relation to subsidies to Roman Catholic Schools, and Mr. Smith replied that he would give no subsidy to any Church school.

On the motion of Messrs. W. Healy and E. Sole, a motion of thanks and confidence was accorded Mr. Smith, who suitably acknowledged the compliment.

A vote of thanks tc the chair con' eluded the meeting.