THE ELECTIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 November 1919, Page 7

THE ELECTIONS.

THE PATEA SEAT. MR. W. D. POWDRELL AT HAWERA. Mr. W. D. Powdrell, who is contesting the Patea seat in the interests of Reform, addressed a largely-attended meeting of electors in the Opera House, Hawera, on Friday evening. The Mayor (Mr. E. Dixon) presided, and bespoke for the candidate the same fair and impartial hearing as that accorded to Messrs. Morrison and Pearce. Mr. Powdrell, who was received with applause, said he had very much pleasure in meeting such a very fine audience, and in placing before them his political views. Perhaps, in coining before the electors of Hawera, he ought to explain why he was contesting the seat, as some people seemed to think that he was an interloper. Some time ago the members of the Reform Party met and discussed the matter of the Patea seat, and considered that the sitting member had very little chance of winning the ■ seat. It was decided to convene a meeting of the Reform Party in Hawera to fully consider the question of appointing a candidate. That meeting took place, ' and was a very representative one, there being about fifty present. He did not attend that meeting, as he was away in Wellington, but Mr. Pearce's organiser was present, as he had a perfect right to be. A resolution was moved that Mr. Pearce be thanked for his seri vices to the electorate, and that he (Mr. r Pearce) be the Party's candidate at the coming election. But this proposition did not meet with approval, as apparently there was a difference of opinion. It was then decided that the motion should be split in two, viz., (1) That Mr Pearce be thanked for what he had done during the period he had represented the constituency; and (2) that he be the Party's representative at the elections. The first resolution was carried, but" the second was not. A ballot was subsequently i, taken at this meeting between Mr. Pearce and Mr Hawken, and Mr. Hawken received a margin of 14 per cent. A committee was then set up to approach Mr. Pearce, and to ask him to stand down. This committee met Mr. Pearce, '• who replied: "Decidedly no," and he added that he considered his chances for winning the seat were better than ever. At the meeting in Hawera a telegram was. received, from, the Premier in reference to Mr Pearce's candidature. PARTY' SPLIT QUESTION. As he had said previously, he was not at this meeting, but at Wellington. On returning home he- received a telegram asking him to meet a deputation at Waverley, and he had no idea that it was in regard to his becoming a candidate for the Patea Beat, for he had at that time no intention of offering his services. The deputation asked him to contest the seat, and assured him that he would have strong support, and that he would win the seat. The deputation also informed him that he would have the support of practically all Mr. Pearce's committee in Waverley. He told the deputation that he would take time to consider the matter. He then wrote to Mr. Massey, telling him it was possible he would be contesting the seat, and suggesting that as Mr. Pearce was the sitting member, there should be a ballot taken between him and Mr. Pearce, and that if he (Mr Powdrell) did not obtain 25 per cent, of the votes recorded he would stand down. (Applause). That was a fair offer. Mr. Massey wrote a very nice letter in reply, and said he would like to see him (Mr. Powdrell) in Parliament, but that he did not wish to see a split in the Reform vote. No re- • ply, however, came from Mr. Massey or Mr. Pearce as to the suggested ballot, and a telegram was sent to Mr. Massey, who replied that Mr. Pearce was out of town. He (Mr. Powdrell) afterwards saw Mr. Pearce's organiser, who suggested that it was likely that Mr. Pearce's committee would meet his (Mr. Powdrell's) committee in Waverley in order to discuss the position generally. Subsequently he ascertained from one of his committee that Mr. Pearce would agree to the proposed conference, but suggested that the voting should be on the proportional basis. But time went on, and nothing was done, and he was becoming impatient, so he got into touch with Mr. Pearce's organiser, • without any further result. The next he knew about the matter was from the Patea County Press, in which was the following message to the Patea electors, signed by Mr. r Massey: "The elections are approaching, J and I trust that the electors of Patea i, will again return Mr. Pearce as their ■ Parliamentary representative, for the reason that there is no shrewder or more energetic member in the House, no man who looks more closely after the interests of his constituents, or who is more keenly anxious to promote the welfare of the district." CRITICISM OF A PAPER. "We all know Mr. Pearce to be a shrewd and energetic man" said Mr. Powdrell. Mr. Massey, he added, had three portfolios to fill in the Cabinet, and ■ although Mr. Pearce was one of the oldest followers of the Premier in the House, he was not one of the three chosen to fill the three vacant Cabinet portfolios. He (Mr. Powdrell) was going to win the election, and he was also going to demand from Mr. Massey that vacant portfolio, (Applause). Mr. Powdrell proceeded to again refer to the telegram published in the Press, and said it was the one which was read at the conference five weeks ago, and now he would ask the electors: "Who got Mr. Massey to send that wire?" A voice: Morrison! (Laughter). Mr. Powdrell: I don't think it was Mr. Morrison. It was published in the Patea fiaanty, not the Northcliffe, Press, but the Pearce Press —(laughter)—in order jto deceive the electors: that Mr. Pearce had been chosen before Mr. Powdrell. It .was nothing of the sort. A voice: Mr. Massey has put his saddle on the wrong horse. (Laughter). Mr. Powdrell: The right horse will be in at the finish all right, but it won't be the one saddled by Mr. Pearce. (Renewed laughter). Mr. Powdrell proceeded' to state that when he had been chosen by the people he was not going to stand down for Mr. Massey or anybody else. And he was going to win, notwithstanding the message sent by the Premier. (Applause). Mr. Powdrell went on to refer to his Kakaramea- meeting, a very fine one, between 90 and 100 being present. After the meeting he received a hearty vote of I thanks, which, was carried by applause and acclamation, before it was seconded, j although the editor of the "Pearce" Press Uiftde it*ppear m if the aovtr of tb» «■

solution could find no seconder. He called the Patea Press" the "Pearce" Press because one of the first actions of Mr. Pearce, on being returned to Parliament, was to purchase this paper and put a man jn, and when he says "bark!" the man barks, and "when he bites so do I." (Laughter.) A voice: Give us politics; leave your brother-in-law alone! Mr. Powdrell: You were very frightened; you soon got out when I was standing. (Renewed laughter). The candidate went on to refer to a circular letter sent out by Mr Pearce, in which he (Mr. Pearce) pointed out that it was too late for any conference, and also inferring that he (the speaker) had been rejected for an adjoining electorate, being at the bottom of the poll, and had made a similar statement at Wanganui. •When he returned from Wellington he received a wire asking if he would stand for Eginont, and later replied that he would consent to do so if the -t:ommittee could nofr find anybody else. Subsequently he found that Mr. Oswald Hawken waai standing, and he informed Mr. Owen and' Mr. Baker that he did. not wish to stood for the Egmont seat, and he also informed Mr Hawken that he would not be submitting his name to tiie-%allot. His name, however, was'vpui in, and he was told afterwards ifhat he should put it in writing, that he w*s not standing, in order to make it official Everybody knew that he was not standing, although, his .name went to *he pojl, and yet Mr. PeaJtce was using thw agaSnefr him.. But he was contesting the Patea seat, and was going to win. (Applause). LIVED IN THE DISTRICT ALL HIS LIFE. Mr.Powdneltsaid that he. had dived all his life on this coast, and pointed out that he did'not think it was necessary for him»to detail the many public positions held by him, as they were all wellknown to the electors of Hawera. He thought that, being a citizen of Hawera, this would assist him considerably, although the sitting member, in his address here, said. Hawera always seemed to like a man'who resided out of the district— the further away the better he was liked. Well, Mr. Pearce would find that would be so after the election. ((Laughter.) It might be as well for him to refer to the IMPERIAL CONTROL. So as the electors would thoroughly understand it, and because he was responsible for the saving of many thousands of pounds' to the cheese farmers in connection with the sale of cheese to the Imperial Government. He detailed at length the conference of the dairy factories in Taranaki when he proposed that they should offer their article at 9Jd per lb. This figure was ultimately agreed upon, and he was appointed one of the deputation to meet the South Island men, who agreed to the suggested price. They then went into the Cabinet room, and Mr. Massey asked what was their price. "I said 9£d without a blush," added the candidate. Mr. Massey replied that the Imperial Government's offer was Bd, and the South Island representatives said they would be satisfied with Bd. Mr. Massey, who, by the way, was always with the producer, replied that he was afraid that if the deputation did not accept the Imperial Government's offer the produce wourd be left on their hands. Eventually they succeeded in securing oy 2 d, and thus effected a saving to the producers of £2OO, 000. This was through the stubbornness of Mr- Forsyth and himself. He also showed how he was instrumental in obtaining the following year, IOJd for their cheese as against a'suggested price of lOd, thereby effecting a further saving to the producers of £IOO,OOO. Incidentally he showed that storage had been obtained for their cheese and meat. MR. MASSEY A PROGRESSIVE MAN. He had all his life been in favor of Mr. Massey, who he considered at tb,e present time was tfie most progressive man in the House. He still followed Mr. Massey, and would continue to follow him till he could find a more progressive man. Six out of the eight men in the Cabinet were farmers, and the fanner who was not satisfied with that was very hard to please. Mr. Massey had always been a staunch freeholder, and the freehold was the foundation stone of the prosperity of the country. After referring to the last general election and the victory gained by the freeholders, Mr. Powdrell said that Mr. Massey had improved upon his policy by adopting a leasehold system under which people were settled on rough land for ten years free of rent, with the right after the espiry of tha period to purchase the freehold. The old party cry had been raised against land aggregation, but just recently an Act had been passed against aggregation. Under this Act the State could take the land purchased within two years at valuation, plus 10 per cent. A voice: How much land is it a fair thing for a man to have? Mr. Powdrell: At present a man was allowed to hold 5000 acres of third-class land, and 640 acrea of first-class land. Of course this only applied to Crown ■ lands, and a man could buy from his neighbour as much as he liked. For second-class land the limit w«s 3000 ■ acres. Another drastic change had been made. In the past, a man might hold i the lease of a pastoral run of 1000 or 2000 acres, and his wife could hold a lease for a similar area, but when the present leases fall due one of these areas would have to be given up. ; SOLDIER SETTLEMENT. ' Speaking of soldier settlement, Mr. i Powdrell said that when soldiers first returned, second-class land had been pur- i chased for them. Fern and scrub land < was not suitable for returned soldiers, : who should be placed on small areas of I the best land that could be obtained. 1 If possible, farms of from 40 to 50 acres i should be grouped, so that the soldiers .' could assist each other. The Land Pur- ( chase Board had thought that they were i doing, the best for soldiers by purchasing < cheap land, but in Parihaka, he believed e that to do any good 200 acres were 1 necessary, and on that area it would ' hardly be possible to keep down the 1 blackberries. Some of the land at the < back of Stratford was absolutely worth- 1 less- when worked in small areas, and J was only fit for sheep grazing. Some i might ask how a soldier would live on i land for which £7O or £BO per acre was 1 paid, but there was no need to pay that 1 figure. He knew of good drained swamp 0 land selling at £23 per acre, and if a I soldier could get this land at anything up to £4O his fortune would be made. "A VERY SHABBY THING." s He had said that he would follow Mr. s Massey. He could not follow Sir Joseph * Ward on any account- He considered J that Sir Joseph Ward had, in withdraw- * ing from the National Government with- * in a week of Parliament assembling, I ■done a very shabby thing. Doing this l

[and throwing down his policy to the. country had not redounded to his credit. As an instance of the evils of party government they could take the soldiers' gratuity. Mr. Massey offered Is (id. This was purely as a gift. They all knew that had 10s been offered it would not have compensated for the sacrifices that had been made. Sir Joseph Ward paid: "I bid two bob," and extreme Labor wanted to make it four bob. He (lid not think the action of extreme Labor in this matter would be greatly appreciated by the soldiers when they remembered the position taken up by Labor leaders here while they were in tho trenches, one having preferred gaol to active service. FINANCE. Speaking of finance, Mr. Powdrell said that the national debt now stood at 200 millions, and was extremely heavy. Fortunately a largo amount had been bon-owed in the country. A surplus ,-of about three millions a year had remained after heavy expenditure, and now totalled £13,000,000. Of this, Mr. Massey proposed using £12,500,000 in settling soldiers. Sir Joseph. Ward was very much against this, and said they should wait till the amount had readied £20,000,000 If so, it would' have to be done by taxation. Sir Joseph Ward said they would 5 then have £1,000,000 a year coming in, but, which was better— have the money bearing a low rate 'of interest at Home, or to have it here and use it in settling soldiers? There was no question that the latter was the better course, and the soldiers ougnt to be settled as soon as they came hack. Sir Joseph Ward said they should not fpend £14,000,000 in one year, but already £8,400,000 bad been spent in >soldier settlement, and if they were only Sto spend seven millions as suggested by Sir Joseph Ward in one year, how long would the soldiers just comin? back have to wait? The proper time to help the soldier, said Mr. Powdrell with emphasis, was immediately he came back. A SIGNIFICANT ACTION. The other day he had been s-riick with a clause in a Bill dealing with coal mines, which had been brought down. The clause provided that in cases of emergency not only coal miners, but gold miners would be permitted to take charge of a face, but Sir Joseph Ward and the extreme Labor members voted against it. Yet the clause was so reasonable that a number of prominent Liberals, including Messrs. Mvers, Isitt and Craigie, voted for it. They could see what Sir Joseph Ward, who had lyoted with the extremists, was drifting I to. When an amendment was moved i by Sir Joseph Ward in the interests of the second division of the railway service, Mr. Semple and other Labor members voted against it, saying that it was camouflage, showing that thev had no confidence in him. Mr. Powdrell quoted trom a speech by Sir Joseph Ward: the men and women of this country who do not own land were not going for ong to stand the famine prices caused by the markets of England regulating the local prices for articles produced in this country." A voice: And quite right too! It was high prices that had made New .Zealand progressive to-day, continued tho speaker, and there was not a man or woman who had not benefited by there high prices. The higher the price's of our products the greater the prosperity of the people Keducin/7he ingpowTr" an m,UCing ° m ' s P elld " TAXING BORROWED MONEY. , To-day small farmers were being taxed on money they owed. A man might have a farm valued at XIO,OOO, And his equity did not exceed £IOOO vet he would have to pay land tax on the full Z 1 ™ 1 th * la Hd. This tax had been imposed in the face of opposition from ail members representing the iarmers and now Sir Joseph, Ward wanted to turn round and say. that Mr. Massey did it. .

; LNCREASED PRODUCTION. : r fCTred \° the need *« increased Production, and said he was in tavor of a vigorous immigration policy. The country had lost thousands of its kiled n,e " m th ll* tc in killed or wounded. Consequently a fo°° a ° f J heir land was «o»8 back wa, nn e f P t r be ,. Conditio!l to«»* there was not the labor to work it properly. erv and $ ° Ca *, e , d U . siD * »°™ nichi;. l 7 'r>2t < n OUM Point out that jt ™> mtroduction of labor-saving machinery aid away with employment But he mTh ed ' by f**"****, «»t instead f machinery decreasing employment of labor it increased it, besides increasing production He did not believ he ft w° a T F? cy> f nd "y™ wh ° %W Lm\ tle Short of a f °ol. What wou d happen if every one adopted the go-slow policy? Wiy, the countrv would soon become bankrupt There was no question about that. He quoted figures showing the value of productions llu 8 * T" M per F ear as f °llows: Un?teA t 810es ' United Kin s dom «", n ■* , I U * £516; eotton l? o °ds United Kingdom £230, United States £332; cutlery, United Kingdom £164, United States £323; hats md caps £4U„ ?f° m r, £540 ' United States £414; matches, United Kingdom £223 United States £625; printing and pu^ &*' ted * Ki^dom £396 - United Mates £5/2; firearms and ammunition, ut i ■*• , 6Se , flg " re9 were tak »n f:om the British and American censuses of : production, and were the latest available up to 1011. They showed that if New Zealand adopted the go-slow pol : cy ■ the country could never comnete sue- > cesafully against any other co'unt.ry : Mr. Powdrell submitted further : figures taken from the British Board ■ wTr'?""' wbM snow e<i t«at in ' 1887 British coal was 50 per cent more : than „, the States, and that in 1312, i British coal was 50 per cent, dcare,- than , m the States. So how could they as , an Empire compete with America if their production was not increased? He went on to show that in 1886, the tons of coal produced per annum per person employed m the undermentioned countries was as follows: United Kingdom \ 312, United States 400, Australia 333, ! A ew Zealand 359, Canada 341; in 1012 ' TTn- f fcl 9 / 61-61 Unite<l Kingdom 244, ' United States 660, Australia 542, New Zealand 503, Canada 472. The averaw * value of coal per ton at the pit's mouth 1 If- -im aa fol l°ws, the figure; for ,UU being given in parenthesis: United aJfiTJ* 9%d (3s ' 05d >- United Ste i 0s 6%i (6s Id). Australia 0s 2d (7s Ui), Mew Zealand 10s lOd (10s FARMER NOT A PROFITEER. « Mr Powdrell said he knew It was as- ! serted by many people that the farmers should not be getting high prices for f their produce. But he could assure * them that the farmer was not the pro- ' nteer. The farmer sent his produce ' to England and obtained the market f price ruling there. The better the price ' received for their produce the irrewr '

was the spending power of the country, and all benefited. HYDRO- ELECTRICITY. Mr. Powdrell said he approved the amount set aside for the development of hydro-electricity, for it would result in cheaper power being available to the public, while the development of this splendid scheme must. bring about many oilier benefits to the community. In the past much valuable water had been allowed to run to waste, and the sooner it was harnessed the better it would be for the country as a whole. (Applause). EDUCATION. In regard to education, he favoured the free and compulsory system, and he was a supporter of technical education. If every man was taught some trade there would be less discontent. Men unfitted for a strenuous life would be better able to earn their living, and the people generally would be better off. They should have scientific dairy schools, *o that they could learn whether a given quantity of milk would produce 2J or 2J lbs of cheese. It would pay them handsomely to have instruction relating to the dairying industry given. He was also in favor of free dentistry for children. It had been proved during the war that most of tho unfitness was due to bad teeth or drink. They could cure the drink easier than the teeth. An adult was worth £6OO a year to the country, and they should not neglect the children. SOLDIERS' GRATUITY. Returning to the question of the soldiers' gratuity, Mr. Powdrell said that £6,'500,000 had been spent in this way. To his mind they could have done better than they had with the money. He would have liked to see the money funded, and from the fund every man wishing to go into business' or on a farm assisted as far as the money would go, and after that they could guarantee any man wanting help. If a man was given a sum of £lO, £2O, or £SO, the money might easily be wasted. If sums of. (say) £SOO were lent at interest any failures would be amply covered by the amount coming in. It was a guarantee that had made him, and he was still using the guarantee. Out of 30 men he had guaranteed, only two had failed to make good, and some of them had made thousands. He would like to see the Government do the same thing with soldiers. It could be done with greater safety if. they could drive the drink out of the country. DRIVING OUT DRINK. Drink was the greatest enemy standing between their young men and opportunity. If they could do away with the drink they would be safe in putting men on the land, and could charge 7 yer cent, for the money, which would amply cover any risk. CONTROL OF PRICES. One thing that, he was very strongly against was State, control of' the price's of produce. The other day he was in Wellington, and wanted to see Mr. Massey, but was told by his secretary that 'it was impossible. Mr. Massey was very busy, and was receiving a deputation from the Agricultural and Pastoral Conference at 10.45, and had a meeting of the Cabinet at 11. Somehow he (Mr. Powdrell) got jostled into the Cabinet room, and was there when the deputation left. Mr. Massey told him that he had a Cabinet meeting, and he replied: "Yes, but I won't keep you two minutes." The Conference had represented to Mr. Massey that farmers were losing by the commandeer 15s to 20s on every firstclass hide sold. He (Mr. Powdrell) got up and told the Cabinet that it had failed in every attempt to regulate prices, and he challenged them to cite a single case in which they had succeeded. He told them that as a result of the Government fixing the price for heavy hides, rubbishy hides were selling at 20s to 30s more than the boat grades, and discovering this, some sellers, in order to bring them down under 45!bs weight, had made a practice of slashing them with a shears,,thus bringing them into the inferior class. When told of this, Mr. Mas*ey said it was a revelation to him. Down South the farmers had only been offered 5s lOd for their wheat, but later the. Government found that there was a big shortage, and had to purchase from Australia at 0s 3d to 6s 4d per bushel. Yet all that was needed could have been I grown here at a lower figure, and the shipping space, which had been so scare, could have been used to better purpose. When the Government interfered with the farmers' prices, an increase in the cost of living always followed. When the price of bacon was restricted to Is li/.d the farmers ran out of pigs, and instead of 100,000 pigs last year there were onlv 50,000. THE POSITION OF THE BUTTER PRODUCER.

Take butter. The Board of Trade set up to reduce the cost of living brought down the price of butter to Is sd. The butter producer was what he was by force of circumstances. When roads were good the farmer made cheese, and when they were bad he made butter. A Hikurangi deputation had stated that there were 100 suppliers to their factory who we're not drawing more than £IOO each for the whole year. Yet these people were asked to provide cheap butter for hotels, shipping companies, and others more fortunately situated than themselves.

Extremists had often been heard to say m town that the dairy farmers were adopting white slavery in Taranaki. He had a family milking for him, and for three years they averaged £750, in addition to which they had a free house, vegetables and milk. Divided by seven, the number who were milking, the earnings worked out at 7d per hour. Other workers made as much' as 2s and 2s 6d per hour, and was it right that these should have cheap butter at the expense of those who received so much less for their labour? From figures prepared by Mr. Singleton, to produce butter at 1/6 a herd must average 180 lbs, at Is 2d 220 lbs, and at ls.sd 190 lbs. With a medium herd a farmer could not make dairying pay at the Government price. Some people considered that thev should 7 NATIONALISE THE COAL MINES. But they could not nationalise everything, and the coal mines were one. of the industries that should not be nationalised. There were thousands of tons of coal undeveloped, and the Government should open up more mines, put men on high wages, and pay then on a profitsharing business. They should try to make the employees partners in the business, as they should in all their large industrial concerns, which would give them stanced the success of the co-operative an added interest in their work, He inmovement in the dairy business, also i

I share-milking, and declared that very few farmers to-day would care to go fiack to the old order. Mr. Powdrell also briefly referred to the scheme for the farmers securing their own ships to carry their produce away. PROHIBITION. ; Referring to prohibition, Mr. Powdrell said he stood for the bare majority, although his opponent apparently did not, intending that there should be a substantial reform to make it workable. Mr. Pearce, perhaps, wag waiting until all the electorates secured a substantial majority for prohibition, and then he would be able to say: "I did it," the same as he did in connection with the Technical High School. With regard to the school, he believed Mayor Dixon had as much to do with it as anybody, for he knew it was, time Hawera had the school, and he went to Wellington, and he got it too. (Applause.) His opponent —Mr. Pearce—also took credit for getting the district exempted from the rating area of the New Plymouth Harbor loan, but he (Mr. Powdrell) showed how he and others fought the proposal, which was ultimately defeated at Wellington. Yet Mr. Pou-ce got up and said he was responsible for the district being cut out of the rating area. Perhaps they would ask why he was a prohibitionist. Brink was destroying humanity. Their produce was worth a hundred millions a year, and it was estimated that 10 per cent, was lost through drink. Allowing only 5 per cent., it meant a tremendous loss. In 1918 there were 7295 convictions for drunkenness, but how many were not convicted? They haa an army of 70,000 young fellows getting drunk, and still they voted continuance. They should change these men from spenders to savers, anil should encourage , hem and make it easier for them to get their own homes if they only put down t-Hl. Later they might have 10 or 80 acres What they wanted to do was to give the young fellows an opportunity, and givmg them drink did not mean that.

Mr. Pearce had given them some good reasons for not splitting the vote. That was what he, himself, would advise. They should look round, and choose the man with the best public record, and he knew who that man would be. "It will be myself, continued Mr. Powdrell Concluding, he said he would'be pleased to answer any question on politics. All sorts of questions were being asked him-why he employed a foreigner, or why he sacked the soldier. Some foreigners had been in the country for many years, and were good citizens, and if a sold.er did not do his work satisfactorily he would have to be sacked the same as another man. He was not afraid of the works he was interested in, and he knew what the vote at Patea works would be He would not get all the votes, because f an old coat was a post, and t was called a Liberal, some men would ™ / i* 1 Wa9 the sajDe wi«> extreme Labor, but what was the use of sendmg men like that to Parliament? They wanted keen, able, level-headed bi smess men. They wanted to be care tl',l fIP t ? ey , SeleCted ' Ho ™ s but when a ma „ was told lhat } was not wanted, and when he (Mr. Powdrell) was told by an extremely lately•igned requisition that he was wanted he felt it his duty to offer his services to' the country. If elected, he wouM have to \ould be hundreds out of pocket. He ■oped thdy would support him on elec .twn day, and as Mr. Pearce said: »\ o 't split the vote." (Applause).

REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. ; Replying to questions, Mr. Powdrell - said he would prefer a tax ou tyre, on , wheels to a tax o n petrol, which was , w*d by many milking nien on their f a m ■ who couM not afford cars. A mor • S° r J « d a tttx ° n hk inter «t in the , land. He was not in favor of State aid , for every school. He was on the com . m. tee of a Church School with 150 , children on the roll,, and they lad not , m <? "'habitants or over Mr XdYell said that legal charges could b?7aved \ He was not in favor°of State contSof . the medical profession. He had found doctors generous and very ready to assist the poor y fly to he * a ™ei establishing a epiy No, otherwise he would have oo large a class against him But hi bought lt reasonaWe to m L 7?" S ° nS 0f land »g«"t S got'for° Wd Th = That ' 9 What J ™»* to nnlt h • The prescnt Government has only been m power sis weeks as^ro e theS eyar6as -*tob.am e more likely to «ret n ;»i,t i y of 75 tha/oS o So" 8 T f! od mett out He thought Hawera entitled to a resi JrStei 6 redUCed aS a buil deworts 1 " M? V 5 q ,f Bti ° n about PnWe works Mr. Powdrell said that a promise had been made that 15,000 solS would be put on public works, an h -wt° , think , 15 ° were e 4oyed Wait',' he said, "till I g ot my portol,o, and I'll get them in alright." (Laughter). b « he conducted his business as th« Government did the railways, he would have been bankrupt long ago. He would certainly favour the granting of loans to soldiers to purchase cattle. He favored private schools as well as State schools but was not in favour of State aid for the former. He was in favor of good salaries. The Government paid in many cases less than private concerns. The debt per head of the population was in : 1910, £4 5s Od; in 1015, £5 7s 3d: and in 1019 £l2 2s (3d. On the motion of Mr. David Smart, Mr I owdrell was accorded a vote of thanks tor his able address. This was carried by acclamation.