THE BY-ELECTION

Taranaki Daily News, 17 April 1920, Page 3

THE BY-ELECTION

MR. J. B. MINE'S CAMPAIGN. MEETING AT INGLEWOOD. Mr. J. B. Hine addressed a crowded meeting in the Town Hull, Inglewood, last night. The Mayor (Mr. J. Sutherland)'' presided. When the candidate came on to the platform he was greeted with the wildest enthusiasm and was showered with bouquets and flowers from a number of ladies. During the course of his address the candidate was frequently applauded and a few interjections were made. The candidate refuted the statement made by Mr. Masters that the Government was responsible for the delay in issuing the writ, and explained the procedure which had to he adopted in Die case of vacancies occurring as a result of a member being unseated on petition. lie made no apology for the stand lie Hook in regard to the petition. Every charge made against Mr. Masters was proved up to the hilt. A voice: Never. Mr. lline said ihat not only were they proved against Mr. Masters, but Mr. Masters will pnv the whole of the costs. (Applause). Six charges against Mr. Masters had all been proved and he had io pay the whole of the costs of them. (Applause). Mr- Musters' statements t-'iiili! not lie l.elir-ved. (Applause). The candidate, stood before them as th,. champion of clean politics, and he was out to keep politics clean and prevent the wealthy man from having an advantage over other candidates. (Applause ) • The candidate proceeded to deal with the naturalisation of aliens and explained the difficulties in regard to naturali?-" incr aliens prior to last election. NATIONAL DEFENCE-

Mr. Bine said no otic wanted another war, and In; certainly did not want one, ant Uiey ted a'duty to the women and •inidrni <>i ihe country by preparing for .ufenec. (- ■: it-e 1 . Vlr- Musters had Si i* Allan's four months' training scheme would he adopted and that (Sir dames Allen would force t'it> Ministry io adopt it. but tin; (!ovevr.:iiL->!t. never inienrted to auopt it. and inn- Sir .larw Allen was not a member o{ tiie Mini-try. (Applause). ('<lll;;n.ltinp- 011 the alien question. Mr. iline .-aid thai ov.'iii;; to t!i;> near issue of the election, the aliens practically held ;he r;;s:i"g vole (A voice: Xevcr). and ho asl.rri iliora .'is Britishers if they thoi!L r i!i it right. U-.»1 the aliens should hold t!;e bnlitiuv of power in the electorate. (C:-;c< of ,; Xo" and applause). He had challenged Mr. Masters to say whether he woydil repeal the lav,' which unseated him. h:it lie would not say that he would. (Appiansc.). Mr. Iline referred to Mr. Masters' (Mr. Mine) luul said outside the Kind's Cinema, Stratford, that the' fight had been clean ami had shaken him by the hand. A voice: Of course you did. Mr liiue: Your sin lenient is as falf as Mr. Masters. A voice: Von said thov words a' Inglewoml. Mr. lline: Your statement is false (Applause!. A voice: 1 heard you say the words. Mr. lline: And your statement is fill also (Applause). H was unlike, that he was point; to tell Mr. Ma-ie: that (he ii'.'ht wa-s clean and afcovr boar when he I'.new all tlie time it wa-11 1 (Applause). The candidale proceeded to read a report of what was said outside '.he King's Cinema after the election, to the effect Ihat. Mr. Masters said that it was a clean fight. At this stage a eecion of the audience counted someone out, voices informing Mr. lline that it was Mr. Masters they were counting out. .As an assurance that it was not intended for the candidate, the audience promptly counted him in amidst laughter.

EDUCATION POLICY. Dealing with education, Mr. ITine said that the Government had voted £3,000,000 for education, to be spread uver l'our years, and Taranaki would receive its share. (Voice: You bet it will). The Government realised that their duty was towards; the education of the children of the country, and it was their intention to further education as far as possible. Mr I! related his experience of the education system under the Liberal Government, and said that about twenty-live years ago lie was in the back country, and they begged and prayed for a school, but could not get one. The only way they were able to jret a school was tO'build it themselves, and this was done. Regarding the Stratford Technical School, it was the only thing Sir. Masters was able to clafm he had done, and it was done while he (Mr. ITinc) was away, with the object of undermining! him. (Applause, and a voice: Don't be silly). Mr. Hanan had promised to look after the educational requirements of the district while he (Mr. Hine) was away at the front, and he had done so, yet Mr. Masters was now claiming kudos for getting it. (Applause). The amount.granted by Mr. Hanan was £7OOO, which was quite insufficient for the purpose, and it'was he (Mr. Hine)) wlm had sat as a. member of the Cabinet, which had voted £1;),"i00 in order that the work could be completed. (Applause.)

PROGRESS IN PUBLIC WORKS. Dealing ■vviiJi the Public Works policy, the candidate said that the Government was going to adopt a forward and progressive policy, and was going t<> 1 111 *' 1 011 with the railways mid introduce laborsaving machinery n'- the first opportunity. (Applaus?). The Government was also going (o develop the hvdro-eleclric power lyin/ idle in the country, ami also adopt a progressive immigration policy. (Applause). Referring to the butter fax, the speaker said the Government had promised to repay it. (A Voice: Promised.) Mr. Hine: Yes, promised: and the Masscy Party never break a promise. The. butter tax iiad been imprsed by the National Government with the idea of keeping hatter for the towns at a fixed price, hut the .Massey Government had seen the injustice of it, and removed the taw Also, in regard to hides, the National Government, had placed an embargo on their export, 'out the Massey Government had now removed it, and the farmers were going to have an open market, for (heir hides. THU SHIPPING QUESTION. The question of shipping was one that required to be studied carefully, and without any heat, and the idea of purchasing a shipping service wrts impossible for some time yet. (A Voice ■ W-

till Masters gets in.) (Applause, and laughter.) To buy a fleet of steamers would take ail the money that would be available for some years to come, and would hinder the internal development of the country. It was the Government's duty to develop the country, and it was impossible to think of buying ships for a very long time yet. (Applause.) He hoped that when the country was developed there would be sufficient com'peti- | tion among the shipping companies to keep freights down. (A Voice: They all belong to one company). Continuing, the candidate aaid that other companies would be attracted to New Zealand, and the competition would keep freights down. Mr. "Masters had said that New Zealand paid £2(1,000. A Voice: £2(1,000,000. Mr. Ilinc: Mr. Masters said that t-lie producers paid £2(1,000,000, but the r-ro- ! ducers didn't pay a penny of'it; the Imj perial Government paid it. (Applause.) I New Zealand had had .0150.000,000 for [produce during the war, and Great Britain took all the risk and paid for ships | which went to the bottom. (Applause). Mr. Masters had been appealing to their '■ greed in telling them they lost .1 penny a pound, or something like that. (Applause). lie believed in an open market if they were sure of their shipping, but until they were sure of their shipping it was better for them to sell .o the Imperial Government. The candidate proceeded to refer to ivhat the Masscy Government had done last, session in considerably increasing the old age and widows' pensions, and there was one piece of legislation which he hoped- to put through next session. (Loud and prolonged applause). That legislation was that nurses shou'-d get better pay and superannuation-. (Applause).

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION. Strong exception hail 'been taken to representation in Parliament, and it had been said that Mr. Masscy had more members than he was entitled to, yet what was the system which would give perfect representation ? A Voice: Bob Masters knows. Continuing, Mr. Iline said that Mr. Masters was a supporter of proportional representation, hut he warned his hearers that the adoption of proportional representation endangered the Country quota. At the present time the country electorate* had a 2.S per cent, advantage over Ihe city electorates, and if proportional representation was adopted this might be swept, away. He was not going to vote for any change from the first past the post system until there was something better, which would also protect the country quota, THE OHIIRA RAILWAY. Mr. Masters had said that last year only £:i(S,(J!!U had been spent 011 the .Stratford end of (he Stratford-Okalm-kura railway, but he did not say that r.t the Okahukura end a big tunnel had i-o be made. A Voice: There is nothing wonderful i'l-out that! Mr Fine: Xo. nothing wonderful, but .ifv .\ia its didn't consider it wonderful 1 urugh 1o mention it. Tie deliberately Jcl mentioning jl. And now Mr. S. (! s'milh was pokiiw his nose in and putting lomls in tin! newspapers ihn! he ivas (ikg.isted at the siow progress being made at tic Stratford cull. The nut" di'Vite proceeded to say that if there was slow progress, then part, of the responsibility was on these two men \vh|i ■ taye.l at home while be was awav. ' l.oud and prolonged cheers and applause). .Speaking of soldier settlers, the candidate suggested that advisors should be appointed to assist soldiers in the purchase of stock, and to have authority to sell stock on behalf of soldier settlers.

Referring to luxation, the candidate said tiiat one ta.v to be removed by the fiovernment was the taxation of debts. (Applause) He advocated taxation according to a man's wealth, and if this system was adopted it, would go a long way towards being the ideal system. (Applause). NOT AdAINST WORKERS. The candidate said that right through the electorate statements were being made assiduously, not so much from the platform as on the streets, that he was against the working man, and had voted against the railwaymen receiving a shilling a day increase in pay in 1010. The vote had been taken on the ipp«tion. and what lie had done was to say in the House that the railwaymen had disgraced themselves by demanding a shilling a day and threatening to strike if they didn't get it, ami he believed that he was justified in taking that attitude at that time. (Applause.) He was a member of the Government that had voted 3s a day increase in wages to ihe railwaymen, and consla-, ercd that the railwaymen were most unfair in not mentioning this when stating that, he lmd voted against a shilling a day increase in lft'ld (Applause.)

After the candidate had answered a number of questions, many of which were of a frivolous nature, Mr. ("!.■ Giddy moved a hearty vote of thanks to Mr. Hine for his splendid, able and forceful address, and renewed confidence In him as the candidate, anil also in the Mfisspy government. The motion was seconded by Mr. C. Mnckinder and carried, a fairly large number voting against it. The meeting broke up in disorder, cheers being given for Mr. Hine, and counter cheers for Mr. Musters, while a section of the audience sang, "For He's a .lollv flood Fellow-"