POLITICAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 November 1919, Page 3

POLITICAL.

MR. MASTERS AT STRATFORD. Mr. Robert Masters, the Libera? and Labor candidate for the Stratford seat, HV™ wded lloUse at the T™n Y u £ J ord ' on Thursday evening. The hall began to fill a t 7.30, and the waiting crowd were entertained with musical selections by Mr. Fox's orches-prc-ii d y ° r (Mr " W ' J> MeMill « n '

Mr. Masters, who was received with cheers and applause, spoke alon» the lines of his Whangamomona address. He he had the highest regard for his opponent (Major Hine) as a citizen. He 11 r ' -Asters) was before them as ch.> 'TLTr BtiVe " f a lar 8 e class which stood between the Reform Party and ex treme Labor. The latter was seekin? to pull down capital, but the political forces he stood for sought to lift up po\ er \. He was out for progress, but no progress could be looked for irow tne orm art >' Could anyone expect progress from men like Mr. Hernes and ' ser > or to take their own lumber— was he progressive? (A voice:

hid t,i i F" Ma J° r H-n= had told them of what he had done for tie rtj. net The first thing was thai he had got a train from Whan~a- ;, rcr ? Monday mornmg ' lo r ™t r S "J a tn ' a! - (Whter.) He n_nst have used a lot of influence to get i' nt T eSS,OT ' Th . en "'we were the am! " e T bridge m Broadway, and the Technical School. in,for Hine Tecln, 'i qIT C ' 1 t0 ' lo wit)l L vir fV 00 ' 33 Bi]l Adam * lla< l do with the winning of Waterloo. What th " «*ool was the unanim.t> of the people 0 f Stratford in tm.fcmgup the committee and the FduR° ar<l ,' J Fe woul «'tell them what ,J?' n ® llad not He iin.d lost the Opunake railway. If thev had had a man like Mr. Wilkinson ie presenting them, the line would neve, have gone to Te Roti, but would havJT" * f ro "f ,'' ne to Auckland with fi? Jlf he ,mi=tion At the Strut-' ford jCharefber of Commerce recently a resolution had been moved nravins tHt .ie clerk of the court' should reside h the town Fifteen years ago thev wete asking for sittings of the Supreme Court, and now they had got down lo praying for a clerk of fhe court. Tik-< ;hfi railway leases. They had been -oin. for the past eleven vears, and *«i their member shout that time; yet, nothing had been done. . ShonM not another man be given H i' ar ' henr! > There was Z loubt that drv rot had set in. Some Reform members were now seeking reelection as Tndenendents. Sir James Allen and Mr. Guthrie had been soinc , ovo , r . 'he country advocate? coqli" -ion. which was also favored in Mr. Mp<--•ey s manifesto. Coalition was sought became the Reformers knew thev hj, 1 no chance of returning to Dower. ' p l° nS r boen round like WcwX bt Mr Mr D °™ e inpmbnr' i/j i. and another memjP! had been offered the vacant portfolios and had rejected them before thor were finally placed. It was an What had bocn done ' to "T that they were given to the present Ministers in honor of returned soldiers Mr. Masters went on to speak of Sir Sir W n r<l ' S Withdra ' val fro » tne -oalition Government, and stated that t the things said about Sir Joseph bv I* , rm Journal were true, he should have been, not in the Cabinet, but in gaol.

himoutt 11123 H ' S ° Wn Party k!ckcd

i ?f as t ers: "And lam going to help kick your party out this time." Cheers and laughter.) Mr. Masters turned to shipping, and spoke of the huge profits made by the shipping companies oiit of exports. Mr. Budge: Did not the Imperial Government pay for that?

Mr. Masters: If you pay a high price tor freight you get a lower price for your produce. (Applause.) The time had come when they should conduct the transport of their own exports and imports.

Speaking of labor, the candidate said that anyone might have supposed from Major Hine's address that he was a leader of the Labor Party. Major Hine, who admitted his criticism of the railwavmen for asking for Is a day rise, etated that he was not here when increases amounting t-o £50,000 were granted to highly-paid Government officials. The scsison closed on August B. 1916. aDd Major Hine left Stratford nn October 2in the same year.- He (Mr. Masters) would stand down from his candidature if Major Hine could prove that he was not in the country wlien that increase was sanctioned. (Applause.) Major Hine had taken him to task because he had a salary of €750 a year for a man in the position of Mr. Tyrer. headmaster of the Stratford District High School, and had asked what it would cost the country if every man in the service was to recsive a *B2-3 per cent, rise, as though he (Mr. Masters) had suggested a similar increase right up the ladder. Mr. Hiley had- been given an increase of 139 per cent, over the previous manager of railways, but the Government did not increase the salary of every man in the service.

Major Hine had said that our system of education was too classical. On technical education, which no one could say was classical, £2272 had been spe.it in 1911. £37fis in 1914, £74fto in 1917. and £11.061 last year. Taranaki led New Zealand in agricultural instruction, and the Board's system had been adopted at the recent conference a* a basis throughout New Zealand. The position was that Major Hine did not know anvthing about, it. Further, whenever Ma jor Hine had discussed reduction, he had done his best to belittle the national system, and be could not point to one thing that had been done to improve the system he was so fond of throwing off at. On August 7, Major Hine 'had said that lie was disgusted with the Reform "overnment for not reforming its public works policy, but he still looked for the time when it would be improved. He was a very patient man. He had waited eleven years, and was srtill waiting. (Laughter.) "It will he reformed after December," proceeded the speakenr"and I am going to Wellington to help." (Cheers). Speaking of the Mt. Femont railway line, Mr. Masters quoted Major Hine, who had said that it seemed ridiculous (hat, the line should remain idle The Government had spent £20,000 on it, and who kept it idle? The Reform party, and now that an election wa's coming on they were going to push on the work. In regard to railway construction he thought the proposal by Sir Joseph Ward to spand about £2.000,000 a year till the railways were completed, was sound.

Referring to Sir James Allen's military training scheme, the speaker said fh»t a» • Rtfetm Govensie&fc

was returned to power so surely would they have a highly undesirable system of military training introduced in this country. Sir James Allen's statement that the camp training was intended to have a good moral effect was mere camouflage. If they only wanted to improve the moral fibre of our youth where was the necessity to have 90 sergeantmajors in training at Trenthkm at the present time. He had not had much experience of many sergeant-majors, but he believed they were not looked upon as the best Sunday School teachers. (Laughter). Sir James Allen was also getting out equipment for two Divisions (20,000 men). He had said the Government was not paying for it, but they intended to use it.

Mr. Masters then said he, was going to make a challenge, and Mr. Sangster, chairman of Major Iline's committee, who was present, could take it up if he pleased. He (Mr. Masters) had been Recused of profiteering. He was i;"'pared to allow an approved accoun' :t to go through the books of his firn lor the four roars preceding the war. ind the four years the war was on, an;! if it was proved that the profits 4 had '-on greater for the latter period he w id withdraw from the contest. (Appla' o.) He challenged Mr. Sangster to accept that, and if what had been said was not true he would demand that an advertisement be inserted in the papers circulated in the province, withdrawing >the statements that had been made. (A voice: "Put it up him Bob") Mr. Masters (turning to Mr. Sangster): "Are you prepared to accept that?" He did not blame him for not accepting it. because he was on a bad wicket.

Mr. Sangster said he would asK some questions later.

Mr. Masters: "I am prepared to answer any questions from Mr. Hewitt, the man who is wording you!" (Laughter.) After analysing the Board of Trade and its work, Mr. Masters said that Major Hine had said in 1016, that it was no use taking the profits a man made last year, this year, or was going to make next year, what then would thev take. (Lauffhter.) To keep down the price of groceries a committee of wholesale merchants was appointed to advise the Hoard of Trade. They cmi Id imagine these men trying to convince the Board of Trade that an increase was necessary

Discussing the equalisation fund, he said Major Hine had gone to a lot of trouble to show that Mr. Massey had not been responsible for the butter tax, but Mr. Massey, addressing a deputation in Wellington, had taken credit for kec-ping the price of butter down Which was it? He could not have it both ways. Speaking of the income tax, he said that it was unfair to the man with a large family. A man w'fTi , , - 1 was S ran ted an exemption ci £_,> for pnch child, but for any over that he naid the ffill tax. It Vas a case of the more you get the more you daughter). He knew of a man A 1 1 11 ' ,vll ° received no rebate, and there was a worse case. A man 0 llad four song working for him improving his farm was not allowed to deduct a penny when making out his in-come-tax because they were his boys. If they were somebody else's boys and were paid wages a deduction would be allowed.

r - Thomas: "Who is to blame?" Mr Masters: "The men in Parliament, ana 1 want you to change them." He avored an increase in the death duties tax. Those who would find the money in such a case would be dead, and those who would receive it, apart from the Government would be those who did not earn it.

*w r 'i as ,t era alluded to the criticisms that had been levelled against the old Liberal Government. Reference had been made to the titles that had been bestowed upon Liberals, but what about .Sir William Fraser and Sir James Allen?

Mr. Young: "They are not barons " Mr. Masters: "Not as barren as vou are! (Laughter). Then there were Sir Walter Buchanan, Sir Francis Bell, Sir Wilson, and Sir C. J. Johnson. Keform nominees defeated at the poll had been called to the Upper House In the face of this he asked: Had the Reformers made good? (A voice: "No" If they had not made good what should they do with them? (A voice: "Out them!") They should give another man a chance. i Concluding, Mr. Masters said he had done his bc3t on local bodies, and if they would give the younsr men a chance he would give his best. (Applause). QUESTION TIME. • Replying to questions, Mr. Masters said that a fair day's wages should be based on the value of the sovereign in 1914, Grocery had the fourth highest award in the Dominion, and his own firm paid £3OO odd in wages above the award rate to the whole* staff. No deduction was made while a member of the staff was absent on -sick leave, and all down to the boy who swept out the shop, participated in the profits of th") business. In reply to Mr. Hewitt, lie said he had not been asked to act as chairman of the Efficiency League for ia second term. His views on the liquor question had not changed. He had always voted no license, and would have the right to express his views at the poll on this question, apart from the Parliamentary election.

Asked if he had not been profiteering by selling Big Tree benzine at 37s G'l when the price should have been 30s, Mr. Masters said this was one of the questions resulting from a special meeting of the.Reform Party. (A voice: "Nothing of the kind!")

Mr. Masters: Don't get angry. In the first place, it is not true. There was a shortage of benzine; and he had bought back from retailers at the retail priceMr. Cameron: You said, when speaking at Whangamomona, that the dry rot had set in, and as a sitrn of this you mentioned that Mr. Wilkinson was not standing. Is his withdrawal from tne Education Board a sign that the dry rot has set in there also? Mr. Masters: As far as Mr. Wilkinson is concerned he is a distinct loss to the Board. He would have stayed on the Board were it not for his sentimental reasons.

Mr. Cameron: It is not on account o' the dry rot then ? Mr. 'Masters: You have had tli3 dry rot for 20 years. (Laughter.) Asked for an explanation of his statement that the foundation stone of the Technical School had been engraved and a silver trowel purchased at the time of his Whangamomona speech, wber»as the engraving had not been done iiQr a trowel purchased at the time, Mr. Masters read a letter from the Education Board's officer showing that it was his omission to carry out instructions that was for the wistake. In the circumstances, his statement was justified.

Replying to other questions, he said he favored the three issues, continuance, State control, and jte*lu>eate In the

event of the Reform Parly going back to power and the balance of power being held by the Bolshevik he would vote with the Reform Party on a noconfidence motion in preference to the Bolsheviks.

Mr. McAllister moved: "That as the Reform Party had Tailed to make good, this meeting, irealising the urgent necessity of baing represented by an energetic and progressive member, has confidence in Mr. Masters for that position."

The motion was carried without dissent.

A vote of thanksi to the chairman tei minated the meeting.