THE COMING ELECTIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 October 1919, Page 3

THE COMING ELECTIONS.

THE EGNIONT SEAT. , MR. ASTBTJRT AT ELTHAM Mr. Astbury, Liberal candidate for Egmont, addressed the Eltham electors last evening. Having referred to his reasons for standing and to the war, he dealt with military training. sir James Allen apparently was desirous of perpetuating the. war system by Ills proposals to keep a large staff of highly Paid officers, put every fit boy of age into camp for three or four months of tho year for a period of years, and graft on to them an off-shoot of that militarism that was responsible for the war. Side by side with these proposals came the urgent advice that we must labor to produce, must increase production to pay our heavy interest charges, etc. Yet Sir James Allen was prepared to make it still harder for the worker and producer to meet these charges. "The experience of my own and other lads that had passed through Territorial training," he continued, "was that theirs and my time had been wasted for all the good It was to them when they entered the Expeditionary Forces. That the waste that exised In camps together with tho loss of time and the cossaion from productive occupations that of necessity took place was not compensated by any discipline obtained, and. that lads who had had no Territorial training (other things being equal) were as fit as the ones who had had previous training when they embarked for the seat of war. This leads me to believe that what disciplinary training our boys should get ought to be confined for the time being at least to our schools, and that every ounce of energy our manhood has should be concentrated upon production." "We certainly should contribute liberally towards the navy, that being our first line of defence, but if I am returned as your member my efforts shall be on the lines I have indicated." THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT. Referring to the manner tho National Government was brought into existence, he said that he felt certain that it was nothing else but a deep patriotic sense that caused both sides to agree to sink any differences and work for what was looked upon, and rightly so, as a great national effort. SECESSION OF THE LIBERAL LEADER. Sir Joseph Ward and his colleagues had been blamed by supporters of the Government for their retirement from tho National Cabinet, but he felt assured that considerable exercise of will and forbearance was necessary carry on, and he was at one with their action in retiring after having fulfilled what they united for, vi;:., to win tho war. That being over it was necessary for good Government to take up their positions as critics of Government proposals. They had yet to create a system of Government that would prove superior to Iho present form of party government witu an opposition whose duties were to criticise, amend and improve legislation, ever keeping a watchful eye upon the administrative acts and legislation of those who for the time being occupied the Government benches.

SUPPORTER OF THE LIBERAL TARTY. The speaker said tho last two elections had been contested by him, a chosen supporter of the Llb'eral party. He saw no reason to change his opinion. The history of (he' Liberal party had been one of progression ' along democratic lines, had been one of sympathy with the worker and producer, yet standing by law and order. Its policy was one of "Evolution not Revolution." Tho legislation that had been placed on the Statute Book by tho New Zealand Liberal I party proved the sincerity of his statement, yet more had to be done, and they could be assured that his sympathy would guide his efforts to welcome and support any legislative effort that would give to the worker, whotber he abided in city, town, or country, tho full returns of his labor, using the term In its widest sense. LABOR AND CAPITAL. The candidate continued: Prominent in our press and in the mouths of our public men is the statement that capital and labor are antagonistic to one another, and gradually, but nevertheless surely, there has grown up in the minds of many that capital is detrimental to labor. Now capital is stored up labor. How then can capital be detrimental to labor, the author of its being? There is a certain form of wealth-in our community which is called capital, hut is not capital at all. It Is tho prico of monopoly, and we should be and are out against the monopolist. Wo don't want capital exterminated. We want more and more capital. Moro live stock, more manufactured articles, more railways, more ships, more roads, more Improvements of all descriptions in the shape of conveniences for production, distribution, and the general welfare of the people, and with this increase in capital side by side wo want more people to produce and useMt. What we should he out against, is the monopolist, and where individual competition' lias no effect or is powerless to break this monopoly, then the whole nation, as represented by its Government, should use tho nation's strength to break or control it.

NATIONALISATION OF COAL MINES. On this Question Uio Liberal, party had announced ft clear policy. l'resuuiably it went as far as nationalising all coal deposits, and rightly so, in his opinion. lie criticised "Mr. Massey's attitude on this question, statins, that tho Premier stood where he was years ago, when the Liberal Government of tha' period was advancing alone lines of these State enterprises, and Sir. .Massoy was prophesying untold dangers to New Zealand as the results of the actions of those who were termed tho "seven devils of Socialism." He believed in undertakings tint effect the nation. As a whole Stats control was superior to socalled private enterprise. EDUCATION. "I am a firm believer in our system of free undenominational and S'ate system of education, and as one who has served a long time on school committees, £ realise to the full that there has not been the liberality shown as regards payment for work done that should obtain in such an important branch of our national life. The pressing demands that our Education Boards, Teachers' Institutes, and School Committees' Associations have "agreed upon and are urging upon the Government have my warmest sympathy. PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION. There existed throughout the Dominion a belief that our present system of election on the principle of "first past the post," did not give that true representation that should obtain in a democratic community, and one of the reasons proposed both by the Labor party (as we know it), and tho Liberal party, was a change to the system known as proportional representation. Sir Joseph Ward iroposed to make it applicable to towns and suburban areas as a modification, and by testing its success or otherwise by the light of experience extend it if successful. The present system practically disfranchised a great proportion of the electors, and ideas that were in a minority had no representation at all, Political writers agreed that Parliament should be a. reflex of all shades of opinion, and this system not only secured to the majority opinion a majority of members but gavo the minority the right to bo represented though still in a minority. Mr. Massoy placed an Act on tho Statute Book electing the Legislative Council by these means, but has allowed it to become a dead letter. INDUSTRIES COMMITTEE. In most of the Industries Committee's findings he was in accord. It travelled over a nide range of subjects, dealt with them succinctly and comprehensively, and, with few exceptions, boldly declared what in the Cc,»:imiStec's opinion was nocessary to further existing industries, encourage declining ones, establish new ones, and point out in many directions possibilities that lay to our hand as a nation if we adopt a bold progressive policy. Some of the conclusions in reference to protecting industries that tho report said were getting a precarious existence at the present time did not meet with his approval, viz, the proposals to add further duties on agricultural machinery made in the Dominion. To his way of thinking the report was on sounder ground when it proposed to deal with trusts, combinations, etc., which fixed and held up prices and by these means eliminated healthy competition. The other weakness, In his opinion, Was the committee made no suggestion to amend in any shape or form legislation against "land aggregation, and what it terms the speculative gamble that is at present going on in rural lands." The evil wan recognised by the committee, yet it mado no practical suggestions to remedy it. This was noticeable, inasmuch as tlujy wenli fully Into ather matters, making recommendations, otc., but with' this evil a few linos closed that part of iM repent. TAXATION. Studying the various sources from which the Government obtained its revenue one could not help but be struck with the large Increases that appeared under the headings that represented the labor of the community, viz, customs and income taxation. These two sources showed increases of £466,373 through customs, due no doubt, to .the increased cost of goods, and £599,775 through income-tax. Tho last-named was extremely difficult to analyse, for unquestlonaly much that is obtained from this source was passed on, as in the case of customs' duties, and the consumer paid eventually. '< ' Ifi. (be drh. of l»ad t**, th« ia«ma* WM

£126,985, and the Minister of Finance stated It was due to increased valuations made In certain districts. This method' was unf r. Why one district should bo valued independent of others and say extra taxation It was hard to say. The Government should adopt the policy of periodical valuations, and have the valuations taken contemporaneously, thereby bringing all payers of land tax on an equal footing. In reference to the payment of graduated land tax which called upon the mortgagee to pay on his indebtedness the system was unjust. To ask a man who paid Interest on mortgages to pay taxation on mortgages was the height of unjust taxation. It was burdening the farmer, or business man with a double load, and should be abolished, a- tho same time putting It on tho shoulders of those better abls to bear it. He submitted a proposal to the Farmers' Union Conference that for two years now had beea carried unanimously at the provincial conference and forwarded to the Wellington Dominion Conference, but for some reason or other tliey placed it amongst the "slaugh'ered innocents." As a farmer he was naturally Interested In the welfare of the farming community, and to see them prospering, to see facilities given to them to improve and, Increase production, by aiding efforts to secure choaper fertilisers, cheaper carrlago of goods, better education, agricultural and otherwise, and to assist towards lightening the burden of taxation upon those fanners who were struggling under heavy indebtedness In many forms. All these would have his earnest consideration.

OUR SOLDIER CITIZENS. The efforts that were and had been put forth to settle our soldier citizens and once more -absorb them into civil life met with his approval, and these efforts must be sustained No Government worthy the name would do ought' but care for those who had fought, and those who had suffered by doing so In this war. In some directions the Government had not* been drastic enough where land •is -held in large areas suitable for subdivision for sojdior statement. Greater •jfforts should have been made to secure It, and in the caso of iads who sold their farms and now would have to pay very much Increased values, legislation should be passed enabling them to get them returned. The National Government were lax in that legislation did not protect these lads on either farm or business at the time of enlistment • THE PROGRESS OF ELTHAM. Efforts to make the town attractive should meot with the co-oporation of every citizen, and, as member they would And hint ready to advance the town's interest in all that made for the betterment of Its people. In the near future railway communication would be shortened to Auckland by the Stratford-Ongaruo line. If the Liberal leader's programme were adopted of Increased railway facilities, Eltham had claims to be connected by a route that was surveyed connecting up with Douglas, a grade which was easy, arid would shorten and lighten haulage mat under I.resent conditions would have to go via Stratford. His endeavours would go in the direction of having this connection made. THE LIBERAL LEADER'S PROGRAMME. Concluding Mr. Astbury gave hearty support to Sir Joseph Ward's manifesto, and commended it as a policy which every elector should support who believed in the fture destiny of New Zealand, who realised that we were capable of growing into a great country and that the policy of good Government was the greatest good for the greatest number of people. This is what he auuon for, had always stood for, and in supporting this programme and In asking them to return him as .representative ho felt that on these lilies prosperity and advansement would follow their application. At the conclusion, in reply to a question the candidate stated that he favored Sir Joseph Ward's view in regard to a State Bank, and State control of the ferry service. He also said ho favored New Zealand having control of trade between the Dominion and the Old Country. The candidate was accorded a vote of thanks t.n the motion of the chairman (Mr. G. W. 'f ayler).