POLITICAL PROBLEMS.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 April 1921, Page 6

POLITICAL PROBLEMS.

ADDRESS BY MR. R. MASTERS, M.P. CRITICISM OF THE GOVERNMENT. A post-sessional address was delivered by Mr. R. Masters, M.P., at the Town Hall, Stratford, on Wednesday evening. The Mayor of Stratford (Mr. J. W. McMillan) occupied the chair, and the hall was crowded, Mr. Masters being accorded a very attentive hearing throughout. The chairman, in introducing Mr. Masters, remarked that it was the first opportunity they had had of hearing his views on political matters since the byelection, and Mr. Masters deserved to be congratulated on having decided to address the electors after such a short term in Parliament. Mr. Masters, who was received with applause, expressed his pleasure at the large attendance, and of having the opportunity of giving an account of his stewardship to them. He desired to explain particularly his attitude in connection with certain of the legislation passed during the two sessions held since he was elected. According to his opponents Me had been put into Parliament by liars, liberals, loafers and lamp-post orators. (Laughter). He was not going to place them in any of the categories mentioned, but whether they were liars, lamp-post orators, or anything else he was very proud to be their representative and he hoped that before next election they would be as proud of him as he was of them. (Applause). IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

Turning to general politics, Mr. Masters said he had supported the visit of Mr. Massey to the Imperial Conference because he believed that New Zealand sh'ou.d be represented by the Prime Minister. It was an important conference, and Mr. Massey, as the mouthpiece of the Government and of the people of New Zealand, was the "right man to represent the Dominion. But what he disagreed with was that Parliament should be prorogued during Mr. Massey’s absence. Mr. Massey had, by proroguing Parliament, set such a low value on his own Ministers, and cast such a reflection on them, that they ought to feel thoroughly ashamed of themselves. He had said in effect that not one of them was capable of taking charge of the affairs of the country during his absence, and if that was the case it was a poor look-out for the country. Mr. Masters also objected to any man not elected by the people of the country being placed in the responsible position of acting Prime Minister during Mr. Massey’s absence. He was very sorry that tne health of Mr. Massey was not what it should be, and expressed the hope that his health would improve as a result of his trip. However, the cause of Mr. Massey’s illhealth was because he had surrounded himself with the weakest lot of men who ever stood in any Cabinet, in the country. (Applause). Mr. Massey, in consequence, was doing the work of eight men, and wss killing himself with overwork.

THE LABOR EXTREMISTS. Mr. Masters remarked that there had been some criticism of the first vote he had given in Parliament because that vote had been given with the extreme Labor Party, and he had pledged himself to vote against that party on a noconhdence motion. The division in question was, however, not accepted as a noconfidence vote, and he had broken no pledge in voting as he did, and if the same issues came up again he would not deviate one inch from the first vote. The resolution moved by the Labor Party protested against the failure of the Government to make adequate provision for the representation of the people by a system of proportional representation, also against the failure of the Government to effectively combat the high cost of living, the failure to deal adequately with the housing problem, and the failure to push on important public works, and had he voted for the Government against the Labor Party on that ui vision he would have stultified himself by voting against the very matters which he had advocated from the platform. THE LIBERAL PARTY. There was a determined effort being made by the Labor Party to prove that tl/e Liberal Party was dead, and doubtless his hearers had seen references in the papers to the Liberal Party as consisting of seven members. He was a member of that party, and as proving that the party did not consist of onlyseven members, he desired to give them the names of the men composing it. They were: Messrs Wilford, Myers, Ngata. Sidey, .beddon, Forbes. Isitt, Masters, Horn, Jennings, Thacker, Smith, and Edie, and he fully expected that next week Mr. Morrison’s name would be added to that list. (Applause). Mr.] Wilford, furthermore, enjoyed the confidence of his party, inasmuch as he had been elected by four-fifths of the members comprising it. He wished to remind his hearers, in view of the criticism that Mr. Wilford was at present being subjected to, that when Mr. Massey was elected leader of his party he was elected by a majority of only one vote over Sir William Retries, and, further, that Mr. Holland had been elected leader of the r Labor Party by a majority of only one vote. The present attacks on Mr. Wilford were being made for the sole purpose of discrediting him as a leader, and Mr. Wilford was going through the same form of criticism as other leaders had gone through when they were elected, including Mr Massey, and even Mr Seddon. the greatest statesman New Zealand had ever produced. (Applause.) The same criticism had also been levelled against that wonderful little Welshman, Mr. Lloyd George. He was prepared to admit that three members had left him, and their action could be explained by the fact that when a leader had to be chosen there were usually several who thought they ought to get the honor, and were disappointed when they were not selected. He particularly objected to the Labor Party saying that the Liberal Party was dead, especially as four Labor members —Messrs. Savage, Parry, McCombs, and Bartram —were sitting in Parliament on minority votes. Mr. Masters next dealt with the unjust allocation of the parties in Parliament according to the number of votes, polled by each, and strongly urged that a system of proportional representation be adopted. THE SHIPPING QUESTION. i As regards the shipping question, Mr. | Masters said that when he had advocated I during his election campaigns that the [State should own vessels, he was de- | scribed by his opponents as the “Cinqui[walli of Finance,” and as the “great shipping expert,” but his views Were now being endorsed by some of the most prominent men in the country, who had been looking in vain for some solution (of the great problem. They had appealMr. Massey, askiaft &»* J**

something for them, and he had replied that he hoped to make better arrangements in regard to freight charges While the Government had been considering what should be done the produce of the country had paid out thirty million pounds in excels freights, and everybody had to suffer in consequence—the wage earners as well as the farmers. The Government policy was to give assistance by making the best arrangements possible, either by means of Stateowned ships or otherwise, but the Government was still doing the “otherwise’ 1 business. What was wanted was a State shipping service. The value of produce was going down, and it was a serious matter for the country, but the cost of freights was not going down, and they were now placed in the position of meat being a good price in London, hut a glut in New Zealand, there being five million carcases in the works at the present time, which could not be got away. The same applied also to cheese, and'if they had State-owned ships they would be free of the great shipping trusts, and both the producers and the consumers would benefit in consequence. Mr. Masters quoted facts and figure? showing the wonderful success of State shipping in Australia and Canada, in marked contrast to the unfortunate po* sition of New Zealand in this respect. FINANCE. Speaking on financial matters, Mr. Masters s'aid that the financial situation of New Zealand to-day called for very grave concern. This was brought about to a certain extent by the reduction in the value of the primary products, and in this connection Taranaki was'more fortunate than the rest of New Zealand on account of the dairy industry. The dairy industry, he remarked, was the thin thread that was holding New Zealand together to-day, and they in Taranaki had very ‘much to feel thankful for. He said that Sir Joseph Ward was the greatest financier New Zealand had ever had, and was ever likely toy see for some time. (Applause). If hifc advice had been taken much of the present financial straaa pould have been avoided,

’ because he had had the foresight to set aside thirteen and a half millions of sur1 plus money in London at short call I The MasSey Government had, however 1 used up that surplus instead of borrow- : Jng when money was chea.p, and now i the whole country was suffering. Men ; were being put off the public works, and , from the civil service, owing to the shortage of money caused through the ■ deviation from the financial policy laid 1 down by Sir Joseph Ward. Mr. Massey ■ had stated thnt the Government must provide . against unemployment, and advised every man in a job to hold it down, yet he was at the same time courting unemployment by putting men off the public works and from the civil service. A BAD WINTER. Mr. Masfers expressed it as his opinidn that the financial bungling of the Massey Government was going to have a very detrimental effect on the country this winter. He paid a warm tribute to Sir Joseph Ward for his action in introducing the State Advances Office, and said that if it were not for the amateur finance of the present Government it would still be possible for local bodies to borrow money at a low rate of interest. Mr. Masters severely criticised Mr. Massey’s proposals to reduce the income tax by 10 per cent., which he said was not going to help the people who most needed help. He advocated increasing the old age pensions and the widows’ pensions, and . maintained strongly that every blind person should receive a pension. He believed that any reduction in taxation should be made through the Customs, so that everyone could benefit by it. PUBLIC WORKS POLICY. Mr. Masters strongly criticised the Public Works policy of the government, particularly in regard to construction of railways, and expressed the opinion that a power was operating in Auckland for obtaining expenditure of public money, which the whole of the rest of the Dominion would have to fight if they were to receive fair treatment In oaxmec*

tion with the Government’s 1 policy of repatriating the soldiers, he considered that men who had money of their own to put into farms should receive some consideration as well as those who had He also deplored the apathy of the Government in regard to housing, ’ remarking that, according to a return [ furnished last session, £l5-1,000 had been | spent on materials and labor, and only I 21 houses had been completed for the i whole of New Zealand. There had been some criticism of the 1 way he had voted on the recent Gaming ' Act to increase the number of totalisa- ; tor permits, but he saw no reason to 1 alter his opinions. He had made his 1 position clear during the election that , he was opposed to any increase in the ; number of permits until a re-distribu- , tion was made, and he was going to ad- I here to that view. PENALISING THE DISTRICT. ' Some Jeremiahs had stated before the i election that the district would be pen- j alised in the matter of public expenditure if an Opposition man was re- ; turned, but that had not proved to be ■ the case. Every .Minister he had approached in connection with requirements of the district had met hipi fairly : and squarely, and given him fair treatment, and instead of the grants for roads • and brides suffering they had actually j been increased by £lO,OOO. The Eg- . mont quarries, which had bee/i closed i down fox the past eleven or twelve years, h« was very hopeful of seeing opgned next year. Some had said that the fact of (he railway being stopped at Tahora was due to his presence in Parliament, but they overlooked the fact that districts not represented by Opposition members were also suffering similarly. In conclusion, Mr. Masters thanked his audience for the attentive hearing they had give him, and said it was a ’ healthy sign to see the. people taking such a live interest in politics. In reply to a question by Mr. J. Thomas (Ngaere) as to whether he would oppose the lowering of the land ( tax. Mr. MißAi-Arß tifl.id. that, ha halieved J

in lowering the land tax, but would not go the length that Mr. Dixon had gone to in saying that he would exempt the farmers from income tax, thus making them a free gift of £1,500,000. Mr. C. Jackson moved a hearty vote of thanks to Mr. Masters, and renewed confidence in him as their representative in Parliament. He stated that Mr. Masters had shown himself to be the right man in the right place, and no matter what side of politics a man might be on. if he needed help he could go him. Mr. Masters was recognised as one of the coming members of the House. (Applause). The resolution was seconded by Mr. IV. R. Toley and carried by acclamation.