THE PREMIER.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 April 1921, Page 5

THE PREMIER.

SPEECH AT HAWERA. PROSPECTS OF LESS TAXATION. SETTLEMENT OF EX-SOLDIERS. IMPORTANT TASKS IN LONDON. (By Telegraph.—Special Reporters.) e Hawera, Last Night. The Prime Minister addressed the largest political gathering ever held in Hawera at the Opera House to-night, in furtherance of the candidature of Mr. E. Dixon, the Refoi’m candidate for the Patea seat. The Hon. W. Nosworthy (Minister of Agriculture) was also present at the meeting. Mr. J. B. Murdoch (chairman of the Hawera County Council) occupied the chair. The arrival of Mr. Massey on the platform shortly after eight o’clock was the signal for an outburst of applause, mingled with a few groans and interruptions. The chairman briefly introduced Mr. Massey, and wished him a pleasant trip to the Old Country and a safe return.

■Mr. Massey said it was a great pleasure for him to be present, and he was glad to have the opportunity of visiting Taranaki before his departure, and meeting his personal and political friends. The only reason why he was able to come to Hawera was because his boat was delayed a couple of days. He had nothing to hide, and wished to give them information on points of the policies concerned. He was not present to slang the other fellow; if they wished to slang him they could do it, but he was not going to be drawn in. (Applause.) He was not going to deal in personalities or the usual party warfare. He was a loyal party man, but he always put the interest of the country to which he belonged before the party interest. (Applause.) There was too much policy and not enough patriotism. (Applause.) If they were to put out the present Government they would either get a party with Mr. Holland at the head and Mr. Wilford at the tail, or vice versa. (Laughter.) THE NEW PARTY. A voice: “What’s wrong with Tommy, anyhow ?” Mr. Massey: “I didn’t say anything was wrong with him; but he’s on the wrong side of politics. What was wrong with the present Government, anyhow?” A voice: “Nothing”. (Laughter.) Mr. Massey referred in lighter vein to the formation of a new party, and reminded his audience that since he had been in Parliament about five and thirty new parties had been formed, and nothing heard of them again. The latest new party was calling itself the Young New Zealand Party, but he pointed out that practically all the members of the present Government were born in New Zealand.

During the election there was a great deal of talk about extravagance on the part of the Government, but when he asked in the House for members to state instances of extravagance none of them came forward with anything. Taking increases in expenditure, he stated that the following increases of expenditure had had to be met, owing to increases in salaries and wages: Post and Telei graph, £844,000; Railways, £1,336,000; Justice (including increases to the police), £132,000; and Education, £331,095. These indreases had to be made in order that the public servants could cope with the increased cost of luring, and he asked his hearers to test the sincerity of the people who were criticising the Government’s expenditure by asking them if they would reduce the salaries of the civil servants. FINANCE MATTERS. It was his firm conviction that the question of reducing taxation would have to be considered at the earliest possible opportunity. He had already tried to reduce taxation, and he would make greater reductions as early as he could. At the present time they were practising economy, and the Treasury Department had informed him that a saving of £600,000 was made to the taxpayers last year. In the Defence Department a saving of £150,000 had been made last year. Regarding the subsidies they were paying in connection with flour and but- i ter, which were amounting to £1,000,000 per annum, the first subsidy had been practically cut out, and he expected to save not less and probably more than £700,000. If these savings were effected he was prepared to reduce taxation by that amount. He proposed to commence by making a slight reduction in income tax, and he hoped eventually to reach the position under which farmers who at present pay land and income tax would pay land tax only, and the commercial man would pay inepme tax only. Mr. Massey warned his hearers not to he led astray by the talk of establishing a State Banls. To him the idea of a bank run by politicians was an impossible thing/ and he strongly believed that the country should stick to the present arrangement under which the Government was a big partner in th; Bank of New Zealand.

'Speaking of the Moratorium Act, he said that this measure had saved hundreds of people from ruin (applause), and although he did not like having to extend the Act to include deposits at call, he had had to do so in order to save many important financial concerns from bankruptcy. There might be individual cases of hardship caused by the extension to deposits at call, but he believed in the end it would be the best, and if they had not done it a hundred would have suffered hardship where only one suffers now. (Applause.) IMPERIAL CONFERENCE. 1 Touching on his visit to England, the Premier said that if they asked him, and if he was desirous of telling them, what the business of the Imperial Conference was going to be he could not disclose the information. It was certainly a conference for great Imperial purposes. Giving reasons for leaving New Zealand, • he pointed out that he had arranged with Sir Francis Bell to represent the Dominion at the conference, but the people at the head of affairs believed that the proper representatives were the Prime Ministers of the various countries. He quoted telegrams from Mr. Lloyd George extending an earnest invitation to proceed to England, and stating that the conference would have to discuss and decide vital matters affecting the future of the Empire, including the policy in regard to defence and foreign relations. In. view of this, Sir Francis Bell had stood down from the projected trip, and had urged the ’speaker to go

Mr. Massey said he knew that there were problems facing the Dominion, though he did not think the difficulties would be as great as some people thought. He had felt that in the period of reconstruction his -business was to remain in the country, and he had intended to do so, but Mr. Lloyd George’s telegram had altered his opinion. ‘ Whatever may happen to me, and whatever I am doing,” said Mr. Massey, “I won’t forget the country to which I belong. There may be trouble and friction, but, personally, I believe that if anything occurs my colleagues are quite competent to deal with affairs. Just at present New Zealand is under a financial cloud, but the time will come when the sun of prosperity will shine out on this country, and on all the other civilised nations of the earth. May it come soon.”

Mr. Massey said one of the subjects to be dealt with at the conference would be the bringing of the different countries of the Empire more closely together. He stood for a strong and united Empire every time. He believed the conference would be the most important in the history of the Empire. They knew how important the League of Nations was. They may have been disappointed in connection with it; it may not have done so well as expected; ffut he hoped and believed that the League would yet do all expected of it. Much as he thought of the League, however, he thought more of the league of British nations. It was of far more importance that they should be brought together constitutionally in a way that had never happened up to the present time, and it would not only be for the interest* of the citizens of the Empire itself, but of humanity. It would do more to keep the peace of the earth than anything that could happen. Up to the present the Empire had been kept together by sentiment. By this he meant loyalty to King, to country, and to Empire. Speaking of the Sovereign, he desired to say that no Sovereign who had ever sat upon the British Throne was more entitled to the respect and admiration of the people of their own country and the Empire than the present Sovereign and his consort. IMPERIAL EXECUTIVE. Reverting to Imperial Conference matters, the Premier touched on the business of importance carried out by the War Cabinet, and carried on later by the British delegation. They did very successful work, and while they did not now want a War Cabinet, an Imperial organisation of some sort was needed in the form of an executive. It was not necessary or desirable that the executive should have power to legislate, because every country must govern itself and look after its own affairs; but a modification of the War Council, or even of the Privy Council, was wanted to deal with any emergencies that might arise. He did not believe the Empire would ever make war on another nation; but, at the same time, he was not of ? opinion that war was for ever at an end, though it might be as far as the present generation was concerned. Some organisation would still be needed to deal with foreign affairs, treaties and. other matters of importance affecting the Empire, which were certain to rise. Dealing with the settlement of soldiers, the Premier said a .large amount of money had been expended on this work, but they had made a promise, and they had to keep it. With Government capital 17.987 soldiers had been placed in homes which they had the opportunity of making their own. The Repatriation Department, to whom the thanks of the Government and the people were due, bad placed 22,900 men in employment, and 6858 were in training, while many were financially assisted to re-establish themselves, the aggregate dealt with being 68.068 men. He had seen what was being done in England, Canada and the United States, and he did not believe that any country in the world had done as much for its soldiers as New Zealand. He intended to have figures in regard to this work published in England, and they would be a revelation to the people there. EX-SOLDIERS DOING WELL. The Premier said some men were going round for party or political purposes doing their beet to discourage the splendid young men who had gone on the land. It was not a right practice, and everyone should do all possible to encourage the men. The Government was not gojng to let a single industrious man down. If a man found himself not suited to farm work, it was best he should retire, but there was no need to discourage settlers. The returned men on the land could be said to be ’doing well. Statistics showed that of the men in Canterbury not one per cent, was in arrears at December 31 last, and at the middle of February this percentage had been reduced. The repatriated men were going to pull through, and would be some of our most useful and prosperous settlers in years to come. He hoped the present depression would not last long. All who were having difficulties should call up their British, pluck and see it through. It was all a question of tenacity. Mr. Massey combated the statements that were being made to the effect that the Government was allowing re-aggre-gation of land to go on, and he stated that the men who were most persistent in criticing the Government were men who hardly knew a Corriedale from a Clydesdale. (Laughter.) What aggre-

gation meant was when men bought block after block of land, and introduced a system of landlordism which was objectionable. Reverting to soldiers’ settlement, Mr. Massey said that as soon as the soldier settler proved himself a good farmer he would be able to get the freehold, and Taranaki farmers knew the advantage of the freehold. (Applause.) It had been said that the Government should take the land for soldiers’ settlement compulsorily, but this was a very difficult. process, and if they had waited to take the land compulsorily they would never have been able to get the land for the 9000 or 10,000 soldiers settled on the land. (Applause.) PUBLIC EXPENDITURE. Some of the things which were being said during the election under the name of politics, said Mr. Massey, were hardly worth the name of politics, as to him they were nothing but sheer nonsense. ’(Applause.) Statements had been made repeatedly that Auckland was getting more than its fair share of public expenditure. They would no doubt be surprised to hear that one of the South Island provinces was having more money spend in it per head of population than Auckland —namely, Westland. Westland was at present isolated, and in order that communication could be made with Canterbury the Government was spending a large amount of money in completing the Otira tunnel. But, coming to Auckland, they would all know that Auckland was the last province in New Zealand to be dei veloped, and to-day it needed the greatest amount of expenditure. Since the Completion of the Main Trunk railway people had been pouring into, the Auok*

land province, and as instances of this he referred to the rapid growth of TaiI hape, Ohakune, Taumarunui and Te iKuiti—-the last-named, he believed, was ' going to become a city—Otorohanga and Whakatane (which he also, believed would grow into a city), and\all these cases proved that a tremendous amount of settlement had been going on. This new settlement made it necessary to make railways and build new roads, and for this reason the expenditure of public money was perfectly justified. He knew that many towns wanted new railway stations, but they would surely not say that these were more important than providing railways and roads for settlers in the backblocks. (Applause.) NAURU PHOSPHATES. One matter of importance to country settlers was that of obtaining fertilisers. During the years of the war the cost of fertilisers had gone up very considerably, and he admitted it was too high. After detailing the negotiations which led up to the purchase of the German company with interests at Nauru, Mr. Massey said the first cargo was in Aurkland at the present time, and he expected that 79,000 tons would be landed this year. He also expected to land the phosphate at a cost of £4 5s per ton, and the farmers would be able to get it at a very low price compared with what they had been paying before. He believed that the phosphates were going to be worth millions of pounds to the country, and it would not take many years before it would get back the money paid out for its share of the island. (Applause.)

Touching on immigration, Mr. Massey said we should take advantage of emigrants for other countries by offering them inducements to stay within the Empire. During the last few months a number of Imperial ex-service men had been coming to New Zealand, and he believed they would be doing good for the country. The expense of bringing out these immigrants had been borne by the Home Government, with the idea of keeping the men within the Empire. Mr. Massey said the sea was the Empire’s highway, and. a Maritime Board was being set up in England so that the means of communication between the different parts of the Empire would be as perfect as possible, and it might be necessary to have a subsidy in order that citizens might get their goods to the heart of the Empire before other competitors. These matters, and the possibility of bringing into operation an Imperial Cabinet, as already dealt with by the speaker, would all tend to help the Empire. NAVAL DEFENCE. With regard to naval defence, there had been a tremendous difference of opinion, but in New Zealand they had an authority on the subject—namely, Lord Jellicoe, who had expressed himself in favor of what -Was called the capital ship system. It had been said that the submarine would beat the capital ship, but this had not been proved in the recent war. The submarine was no match for the destroyer. In representing New Zealand at the conference, the Premier said, he would feel that he was there on behalf of a thoroughly loyal community—one of the most loyal in the British Empire. New Zealand would do as much for the Southern Hemisphere as Great Britain had done for the Northern Hemisphere in the days gone by. Mr. Massey spoke for o\er two hours, and was given a most patient and attentive hearing, there being few interjections, and many of these were of a friendly nature. At the conclusion of the address the following resolution was carried unanimously: “In congratulating the Prime Minister on his invitation to attend the very important Imperial Conference in London this year, this meeting desires to place on record its high appreciation of the services rendered to the Dominion and the Empire by Mr. Massey while occupying the responsible position of head of the Reform Government; furthermore, to express its continued confidence in the Prime Minister and his colleagues; this meeting also wishes Mr., Mrs. and Miss Massey bon voyage and a safe return to New Zealand.”

In returning thanks, the Premier said that if the people of the electorate believed the Government had done the right thing they should return their fellow citizen (Mr. Dixon) as their representative. In urging that the electors should support the Government nominee, Mr. Massey said Mr. Dixon had done splendid work for the district. Th* l proceedings terminated with for the Premier, followed by the singing of “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow.”