THE ELECTIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 December 1919, Page 7

THE ELECTIONS.

SIR JOSEPH WARD. BIG MEETING AT HAWERA. THE COUNTRY'S DEVELOPMENT. A SPECIFIC POLICY. (By Wire.—Special Reporter.) (Published by Arrangement.) Hawera, Last Night, Sir Joseph Ward addressed a large gathering of electors at the Opera House here to-night. About 400 people had to be accommodated on the stage and many could not gain admission. Mr. Pacey, president of the Liberal League, presided, and Mr. Morrison occupied a seat on the platform. The meeting was first briefly addressed by Mr. Morrison. Sir Joseph Ward, who was received with applause, said that in this country any man had a perfect right to place his views before the people, and one of the greatest bulwarks of this liberty was the right of free speech. They should hear both sides and form their own judgment. He had been all over New Zealand since the House rose and he had never yet found a building large enough to contain those who wished to hear him. He had everywhere been given the utmost consideration and courtesy and he was giving those present an. opportunity of judging between a generalised policy and a specific one. (Hear! Hear).

THE PROBLEMS AHEAD. He would place before them a policy whjch to his mind was absolutely necessary to ensure the reconstruction o£ this country. This country at the present moment was a very prosperous one, but they were facing the most difficult period in its history. There bad been no time during the war from the point of view of the problems to be faced to compare with the present. He asked them to realise what was raised by his opponents at this juncture. He could put his hand on advertisements which for insulting abuse would be a discredit to the worst Bolshevik or I.W.W. man they could find, and were used. by the people unfairly against him. If some of the thingi were true, he could not have held office for a week. THE COALITION BARGAIN. He was before them as the leader of his party for four consecutive sessionsHe was before them as a tried man. The measures his Party had pjissed were still on the Statute Book, and had not been replaced by those who predicted that they would lead to disaster.

He dealt with the allegations they had made about his withdrawal from the National Government. He had never been a supporter of Mr. Massey. He had been a Liberal right throughout his history. The Reform Party went to the country with a majority of oifint It came back with a majority of two, which was reduced" to one when the Speaker was elected. They could not have lived a fortnight had the Liberals chosen to oppose them. ' After he explained the circumstances which' led to the coalition, Sir Joseph said he had carried out the compact faithfully from beginning to end. \\MU he was pledged as a Liberal to his constituency and to his Party, he could not remain in the Coalition Cabinet when peace was concluded, and he did the only honorable tiling he could do, and Mr. Massey knew of his intention when lie was in Paris. THANKS INSTEAD OP ABUSE. Let them look at the whole thing from a practical point of view. "What wefe 'the Reform people telling the world—that they can do without me? (Applause). If not, why are they proclaiming from the hills and valleys that I should not have Jeft the National Cabinet?" (Applause).- If they did their duty the Reformers would have carried a -motion of thanks to him for the way in which he and his Party had assisted them. The Reformers were proclaiming the value of work done by them during the last session. He had promised that he would do nothing during the =cssion to harass t! e Government. Without the assistance of the Liberal Party it was impossible to carry on with a majority of one. When Sir James Allen followed him in office in the first instance lie had a surplus of £854,000. "When I went out of office with the National Government gathered as a surplus £72,000." This was increased at the time he (Sir Joseph) left the National Government to over £15,000,000. THE POSITION OP THE DOMINION. What was the position of New Zealand at the present moment? They had a burden similar to the Motherland, due to the war, They had an indebtedness which probably before the middle of next year would be £200,000,000. This country had to provide £10,000,000 a year more than before the war as a result of the war. He wished to ask whether war taxes were to be increased during the times of peace. He had said he was satisfied that they coan reduce taxation, and bo had shown a method by which this could lie dune, and what did he get from his opponents who had not taken the trouble to consider the question without a careful analysis of new proposals? Men were referring to him as a wild nationaliscr. (Laughter). Did anyone suppose in such a serious crisis that he would propose some insane thing for the purpose of catching votes? He would give them the reason for the faith that was in him, and if his opponents could propose something better he was prepared to give way.

NATIONALISATION PEOPOSALS. New Zealand was the greatest nationalising country in the world, unci twothirds of these national schemes, whicn the people would not be prepared to let go on any consideration, had been brought into existence by the Liberal Party. Would anyone hi the audience stand up and say they would agree to the selling of the railways, the post and telegraph offices, the Stade Advances office, or the State Insurance office? Every one of these proposals were opposed tooth and nail by the very parly which was now opposing him. THE MINES. What was he asking in connection with the nationalising of mines? They had not been told that the State mine earned last year a profit of £30,000. Had they beard of any department going on strike when they had the superajmuai tion? He would reduce the cast rf wwtl

by 50 per cent., and give the miners the benefits of the superannuation scheme and better homes. He was suggesting this in the interests of the mass of tho people and the Treasury. A STATE BANK. Sir Joseph Ward then dealt with a State Bank. This country, he said, raised during the war £47,000,000. No one would have thought this possible. They could take it from him that this country would not respond to war loans in time of peace as they did during the v/ar. They had to provide the money for completing railways, roads, and settling soldiers on the land, and they would not got it in England. They might get some of it in America. The remedy was a State Bank. If they wanted an instance of the value of State banks, let them look at France or Germany. With a State Bank they would reflect very little of the troubles of other countries. LIED LIKE A GAS METES. He had been referred to as a shareholder in the Bank of New Zealand. It was a lie. His opponents lied like a gas meter. (Laughter). He had always refused to take any shares in this bank or any other bank. ELECTRIC RAILWAYS. He was proposing that the country should nationalise the whole of the water-courses in New Zealand. If this j were done, a revenue would be yielded the first year after they were opened up of from £OOO,OOO to £.8u0,000. They would not have a railway league in New Zealand in fifteen years' time. Railways had been electrified in America, and worked at a cost of 18 per cent, less than steam. THE FERRY SERVICES. He was also supporting that they should own the ferry services between the two islands, so as to make them part of the railway system. This would not only be an advantage, to the people, but to the Treasury, which would benefit by a substantial sum. STATE COLLIERS. He also wanted to have some State colliers with the object of keeping freights down to the people. Those were the whole of the nationalising proposals he was submitting to tho people. Every nationalisation scheme brought forward by the Liberal Party, some of which he himself had been responsible for, was a huge success. LAND AGGREGATION. It had been said by his opponents that the laws placed on the Statute Book last session would stop land aggregation, but they were no good, and would not stop aggregation to the extent of an acre. Aggregation was going on to an alarming extent, and there was only one way to stop small men selling out to men of large holdings, to the detriment of the country. There was only one way—an independent tribunal must be set up, and when a man wanted to sell land to another who already had a holding, they would go before that tribunal and explain why the sale was to take place, and, if the reasons were not satisfactory,, the sale would not be permitted. He would put that into operation if he went back to power, as sure as his name was Ward. SETTLEMENT OF SOLDIERS. They had to-day 7000 soldiers, and probably an equal number of civilians looking for land. Which party could they look to for a ablution of the land settlement problem? The party backed by large landowners, or the Liberal Party? The Government that would have to deal with reconstruction would have to see that the soldiers and civilians were not mulcted in inflated prices. He cited a case in which a soldier had sold his farm and was asked £4O per acre more for it on his return.' Provision should be made by the State for taking back that farm at the figure at which it was purchased, plus improvements, and handed back to the soldier. MORE LAND SETTLEMENT. This country during the next five years has got to have more new land settlement. He did not mean one farmer selling his land to another. During the next five years they would have to deal with land settlement. ROADS AND RAILWAYS. They had to spend £4,000,000 in roads during the next four years. His opponents were not looking far enough ahead, and this year there was only £371,000 on the Estimates for all roads, in New Zealand. Their railways must be finished without delay, and with a State Bank they would be enaK.-d to carry on a continuous policy of public works. PIECEMEAL RAILWAY BUILDINGS Sir Joseph Ward referred to the large number of railway lines under construction. The vote for one line would build about a quarter of a mile, and the largest vote, which was for a line north of Auckland, would build about five miles of line. The Reform Government had more money down for public buildings than for railway construction this year Was that sound businessV The South Island Trunk' Railway would take seventy years to complete at the present rate of progress. THE DEFENCE QUESTION. Speaking of defence, he said his opponents wanted to perpetuate a system of militarism in this country. He was dead against it.

Under this proposal of the Defence Minister, a man was to be taken away for two months a year. That was not only unnecessary, but was going to dislocate business. AGAINST DIRECT ACTION. He was against "direct action" and force, which was against constitutional law. Every section had a. right to put up a candidate if they thought he had a chance of winning, but it was very for.'.ish to put a man up if there was no chaneo, A LABOR MINISTER. If returned to power, he would take .1 man like Mr. Veitch into the Cabinet in the interests of the workers and the country as a whole. AGAINST A LOCAL NAVY. Sir -Joseph also said he was against the to have ti local navy. He had strong reasons for tbl» opposition. How old was this country? Why, the Dominion had net yet celebrated its can-

tenary, and it was proposed to emulate other big countries who had powerful navies. That one of the youngest countries in the world should follow in the train of other Powers with millions of people was absurd. If we were to set up a navy to meet our requirements it would break us financially. (Applause) In the big war it was the grand old British Navy that had driven the German Navy heltcr skelter into the Kiel Canal. (Cheers). The British Navy kept the Germans in the Kiel Canal throughout the war. They came out on three occasions, but were driven back. Then when the Armistice was signed they came out, but it was not under thei German eagle, but under the flag of the vanquished that they were taken to Scapa Plow. When peace was signed they released the sea-cocks, and I say the finest thing in the world occurred when they did so. (Applause). Sir Joseph Ward said that the scuttling of the ships saved an embarrassing situation. France was wanting some of the ships, Belgium others, Italy others, the Japanese others—even America, it was said, wanted a share. The result ot the scuttle now was, however, that Germany had to pay to the Allies the whole cost of the ships sent to. the bottom Was not this very much better? (Loud applause). What Lord Jellicoe had given forth in his report was the wisdom of a man of experience. The speaker was with him. He stood, not for a local navy, but the grand old powerful British Navy. (Applause).

BOLD PROGRESSIVE POLICY NEEDED. In New Zealand the country had to meet the new conditions which war had brought on us. We had to do a great deal more than, the Reform Government proposed to do. Tiie country had to increase its manhood, which was 17,000 short through war losses. The country required over 20,000 men beyond the numbers now available. Thousands of men were wanted for public works, and the land must be opened by more than the 7000 soldiers who wanted to settle. Great activity must be put into roadmaking. He proposed spending £4,000,000 on roads within the next four years. (Applause:) He proposed that the country should maintain all arterial roads, and allow the public bodies to do the .actual work in connection with maintenance. Roads as connecting links were urgently needed. What was going to happen to the soldier farmers if roads were not provided for them? They might aB well be placed in the middle of the Atlantic. There was too much general talk in this respect by the Reform Government, and little actual work. In the last Public Works Estimates roading was provided for by £460,000. What did this mean? A policy of stagnation. BETTER RAILWAYS.

Better railways were needed. They were the spinal marrow which must be completed so that the ribs might be put in. He instanced the 70 miles of uncompleted railway on the South Island Main Trunk route. Wellington was vitally , concerned, as the completion of this por- ■ tion of the line near Picton would mean big things for the province. Wellington must be asleep. There was not a protest from business people against the neglect to complete this work. The sum of £15,000 was placed on the estimates for the work, and at this rate of progress completion would be reached in about 70 years. As a matter of fact, the line should be completed in two years. It would not cost a penny to the public When he was Prime Minister he had pushed forward the completion of the Main Trunk railway in two years. This had enabled many settlers to" go'on the land. The main lines in the Dominion must be completed speedily, and a vigorous policy in this respect was essential. "REFORM" BUNCH OF CARROTS POLICY. It was not war now, it was peace, declared Sir Joseph Ward. Yet there were votes on the Estimates for railways that in many cases would only make" a mile or two of progress in the year. (Laughter and applause.) They were muchly so many bunches of carrots dangled before the noses of the peopfe (Laughter and applause.) LAND SETTLEMENT. j They had got, he added, to make provision to enable the settlers to wo/k the land, and they could, not wait for ten or twelve years to do it. (Applause.) liiey must have roads and railways to carry their produce to market. (Aniplause). In connection with the Public Service, too, we must lay down the deli inte rule of retirement at 05 years of age so as to open up the path of promotion to the younger men in the service Better provision must also be made fo- : reared public servants and for their widows and children. More generous provision should be made in regard to soldiers, and consideration must bo given to the men known as home-service men, though he was opposed in Parliament when he said so. Free education, too, must be given from the kindergarten to the university; and free school books must be provided. (Applause). DUE CREDIT WITHHELD. Then we had got to put down profiteering and reduce the cost of livin" (Applause). And here he wanted to point out that honor where honor was due was withheld by their opponents. The other day up North the Prime Minister boasted that our anti-profiteering Act was the finest in the world, and he was applauded for having said it. But the A ?} ,T 3 that of tlle Hon - Mr. Mac Donald (Applause), and he got no credit for it. But he .deserved credit for it. (Applause.) The Act would not prevent the trader or the business man making a fair profit; but it must be so administered as to stop men and the companies who were going for extortionate profits trom imposing on the people in that wav (Applause.) The Liberal partv would see to that, and it would also take steps to increase the outward trade of the Dominion, so that when hydro-electricitv made us the cheapest manufacturing country in the world the markets would be open to us. We must see, also, that enemy countries were not given equal facilities with the Mother Country and our Allies to intertwine their trade with ours.

GREAT LIBERAL PROJECTS. He asked them, in the best interests of the country as a whole, to remember the great things that the Liberafparty proposed to carry out for their advantage, and on a basis that could be put into operation. Liberal projects had been criticised and opposed iu the past, but many of them had been twenty-five years in opera had proved a great success (|A W i«n,.» xh» Btforn hratiaj

scheme contemplated rents that were far too high. We must have, he contended, and the Liberal policy would provide, 6000 homes at 10s 6d a week for a fivoroomed house, and lis Cd for a sixroomed house. (Loud applause.)

CHEAP POWER, CHEAP MONEY AND CHEAP LAND. He said that we had got to complete the hydro-electric development of the country in three years, not in twelve, so as to stimulate production as much as possible; we must, to the same end, provide the people with cheap money and cheap land. We must not allow the appreciation of land values to kill the men #oing on the land. (Applause.) And we had got to maintain at the highest pitch the loyalty of the Empire on a true basis, with the object- of ensuring that' when the time came the trust we have as this grand outpost of the Empire shall remain as a great part and parcel of a great British Commonwealth, of which the whole world might be proud. (Loud an* long-continued applause and cheers.) A VOTE OP THANKS AND CONFIDENCE. On the motion of Mr. J. R. Corrigan, seconded by Mr. J, Grant, V.C., a vote of thanks and confidence in the Liberal Party was carried, only two votes being recorded against it. After Sir Joseph Ward's meeting, Mr. P. B. Fitzherbert attempted to address a meeting in the street, but the crowd would not give him a hearing. The meeting was a complete fiasco.

A PINAL APPEAL. (Special to Daily Newsf Palraerston N., Dec. 18. The campaign of misrepresentation of the Liberal Party and its leader' that ha 9 been conducted by the Tory Prtsss in connection witb the general election has called forth from Sir Joseph Ward a dignified protest, for which the majority of the electors of the Dominion have been looking for no little time. This was uttered while the Liberal leader was addressing a crowded audience at the Town Hall.

Sir ,T. Ward prefaced his remarks by Baying that when the election was o*ct the members of his party would he able to say they had fought eleanlv and had not insulted anyone. Nevertheless, he felt constrained to draw attention to the fact that in their desperate attempts to create a false atmosphere around his party the conservative press bad indulged in misrepresentation of the most violent possible kind. Some of the newspapers controlled by conservative interests and large landowners had set out to distort the utterances of responsible members of the Liberal Party in the most low-down, contemptible and blackguardly way. News had been suppressed and in their efforts at orlillcation a lip did not stop them, but he was satisfied that the people were not poing to bo misled, and he was confident that on December 17th the Liberal Parti- would he returned to power with a substantial majority. From'information in his possession ho felt justified in expressing the opinion flint at least two ot the present Reform Ministers would be defeated in their own electorates Referring to Moderate Labor, Sir Joseph nsrnin stressed the fact that it was entitled to representation' aJid thev would get it from the Liberal Party but workers should see that their interests were conserved at the polls. This could only be done by casting a vote for those men whose chances of success appeared to be bright and in practical!? every instance they would be 'found to he Liberals. By voting for men whose chances of success were hopeless or even for those who would out up a good fight the electors -would be acting asainst their own interests, in that by splitting the vote badly Reformers would be allowed to slip in. The Reform Partv was at present conducting the affairs of the country on a minority vote. Unless voter* made sure that thev did not cast their rights aside :to ensure that a partv that would do the most good for the greatest number of neonle was returned to power thev would have to vote for the Liberal Party He had no doubt that the electa W ere seized of the importance of f'ia and the result would be the niacin" f>f the Liberal Party at the top of the poll. SPEECH AT EASTOWN. ■ t By Telegraph —Press Assojtation. Wanganui, Dec. 18. Sir J. Ward, while pasisng through Wanganui to-day, to speak at Patea and Hawera, was invited to address an openair meeting at E„sttown, which he did. There was a large gathering. He gave an outline of the Liberal policy and declared that the Liberals were coming into their own on Wednesday. He urged moderates of all sections." that if they wanted peace, progress and prosperity, not to throw their vote.s away by voting for impossible candidates'who had no chance of success, as by so doing the split-vote difficulty would be accentuated, and the conservative Reform Party might gain office on a minority rote, which they had already done at two previous elections. He'therefore urged them to remember thev wanted a majority rule and so to ensure the greatest good to the greatest member. He was enthusiastically cheered at the. conc/usion. PATEA SEAT. MR. POWDRELL.

Mr. Powdrell, Government' candidate, addressed a well-attended meeting at the Grand Theatre, Bawera, on Monday night, the Mayor (Mr. E. Dixon) presiding. The candidate dealt at some length with Mr. Wilford's statements. After referring to several matters contained in his previous address, the candidate said they wanted in the House good men, business men, young men with plenty of energy, men with tact and a little fellow feeling for their fellow workers. He concluded by stating he would support prohibition, and at the close of hia address was accorded a vote of thanks.

MR. FITZHKEBERT. Mr. Fitzhefhert spoke at the Whakamara Dairy Factory on Monday morning to suppliers, "in the afternoon he addressed an outdoor meeting at Patea. In the evening he addressed a crowded meeting at the Town Hall, Waverley, Mr. Hart (chairman of the Town Board) presiding. At the conclusion of hfe address the candidate was accorded three heart; dMiri.*«pi*r, . .