THE PRIME MINISTER.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 November 1919, Page 5

THE PRIME MINISTER.

ADDRESS ;I0 CONSTITUENTS. REFORM PARTY'S PROGRAMME. Waiuku, Last Night Mr. Massey addressed a meeting «f bis constituents here to-night. There wag a good attendance, and lie was accorded a favorable hearing. ; Explaining that it was the opening of his campaign, the Premier described.the work he had done in connection with the war and the Peace Treaty, claiming that his absence Irom the Dominion wag justified. He said it was impossible to say how much the Dominion's share of the reparation from Germany would be, but it would be some share of the first pay* ment of one thousand million, to be made next year. He said that the taking over of Samoa had been the duty of the Dominion, while the share of Nauru Would mean millions to the producers of this country. It had been necessary to take, over Samoa where Germany left off, i hence indentured labor was necessary for the present. He hoped that in the ffear future it would be possible to carry on with free labour. ; _Mr Massey said that when the National Government broke up he was not' surprised, and was not disappointed. His party had suggested the session before last that there should be a fusion of par* ties, but the other side had rejected this. Consequently, when the disruption of the. National Government came, he recon< structed his programme and carried on. He had to acknowledge the assistance of the other side in putting through much of the legislation of the past session. He criticised the action of the Opposition regarding soldiers' gratuities, railwaymen's wages, and the proposals to take post office funds for housing. He said it was putting the public affairs of the country up to auction. He also criticised Sir Joseph Ward's nationalisation proposals, which he said were nationalisation gone mad. Dealing with taxation, Mr Massey said the system needed revision, but there i had been no possibility of dealing with it during the past session. In taxation, the country had departed from the principle that every man in the community should contribute taxation in proportion to his ability to pay. This was especially so' in connection with the taxes on land. By the present system a man was very often taxed on money he owed, and the evil was accentuated in districts where. land was high priced. The graduated land tax was intended to burst up large estates, but now, with increased values of land, it applied to some comparatively small farmers, who were heavily inort-'i gaged. A remedy should be found fort this. Land taxes consisted of ordinary land tax, graduated land tax, and income tax, which a farmer paid. More should be done with regaM to i the exemption of married men with fam- 1 ilies from income tax. The principle was already affirmed, but exemption was of .' very little value. There had been an attempt to insist that accumulated surpluses should be used as sinking funds, but it had been decided to use them for soldier settlements. By this means' the necessity for either increasing taxation or raising another loan was obviated. There would be no more loans free of income tax, and no more compulsory loans. In regard to the cost of living, he believed the inflation of currency was largely responsible for this everywhere. He hoped this would disappear without any depression. He said that much had been done here to keep prices down, instancing butter. He said the payment to the equalisation fund had been made to save the producer from being taxed, when the exporter should have been. Fresh energy must be infused into development work There had been too much of the pick and shovel method in '• the past, and new methods must be de-' vised, lu regard to railways, roads and hydro-electric power, a vigorous development would be the main feature of the ! Government's programme. Mr. Massey was accorded a vote of ' thanks and renewed confidence, MR. ASTBUR* AT AUROA. Mr Astbury addressed the electors at Auroa oil Wednesday night, Mr. Bradford being in the chair. His address lasted for an hour and a half, and followed on the lines already published. He, however, quoted figures as to results of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia,, shewing marked progress in the seven yeirs of its existence, and maintained that it was the strongest evidence of the necessity of one in New Zealand. He trenchantly criticised Mr. Hawken's statements on proportional representation, freehold, mining, and his "cool as< sumption" of Liberal measures opposed by his party, of which Mr. Massey was chief. The address was listened to with interest. A number of questions were asked, and the usual votes of thanks to tlie speaker and the chairman closed the meeting, -

THE STRATFORD SEAT., Owing to other arrangements at Matau to-day, the Hon. J. B. Hine will not speak there this afternoon as intended. He will speak at Huiroa this evening. At Koliuratahi 011 Wednesday afternoon Major Hine addressed a well attended meeting of electors, Mr. Cleland - occupying the chair. Major Hine spoke 011 the lines of his Stratford and ; Whangatnomona addresses and received a very attractive hearing throughout. At the conclusion of the meeting Mr, Tr»sk piovcd a motion of confidence in the speaker, which was carried unanimous-1 ly. . In the evening Major Hine addressed a meeting of about 50 electors in the 1 Public Works hall at Tahora. Mr. W. L. Kennedy occupied the and an ' enthusiastic hearing was accorded the speaker. A hearty vote of thank* at ■ ; the conclusion of the meeting was moved by Mr. Coxhead and carried. • Major Uino speaks at Huiroa to- ■ night and at Toko to-morrow nigjit. THE CHALMERS SEAT. Dunedin, Last Night. Air. Colquhoun, Liberal candidate for Chalmers, spoke at Port Chalmers tonight. Regarding railway construction, he urged concentration on fewer lines so as to make theru reproductive. He urged Government control of the ferrv service, He advocated harnessing water power for 1 electric purposes, and contended thi> ■ main roads should be maintained by the Government, He argued the Government j was right to take over sufficient necessaries of life to ensure a supply at mora ; reasonable prices. He said that owing to ; the cost of building materials onlv the ; State could undertake big housing schemes, He claimed the pension* to di*- i atyled men were inadequate. }'Ti> stated ■ the British Navy must lie supported. He <■ favored the Territorial system with modifications. A motion exor s«;«cr t;>« opinion that the candidate \y;><i a fit ,«n;l proper person to represent i oit Chalmers 5 3W "wrieil