REFORM’S POLICY.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 July 1922, Page 5

REFORM’S POLICY.

SPEECH BY THE PREMIER. RESULTS FROM ECONOMY. IMMIGRATION DEFENDED By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. Brief reference to political topics, and a reply to criticism of the Government’s policy, was made by the Prime Minister iu the course of a speech in the House tonight. Mr. Massey said personally he was not ashamed to say he had changed his mind on the question of proportional representation. When he promised to substitute it for the second ballot, the Government was honestly of opinion that they could devise some system by which members could be elected on that basis and preserve the country quota. After demonstration by an expert from Home, he (Mr. Massey) came to the conclusion that proportional representation was no use to New Zealand. How would members feel if they had to face an election in five electorates rolled into one? The position was unthinkable. Nor would proportional representation avoid minority governments, and he quoted New South Wales failures to prove his contention. It had been urged against his Government that they did not possess the confidence of the majority of the people, but in many cases Reformers were at the last election advised to vote for Liberal candidates, and in the calculation of the Opposition l these Reform votes were counted against the Reform Party. Mr. Forbes: That counts both ways. Mr. Massey: No, it does not. In not a single electorate were Liberal voters advised to vote for Reform candidates. Mr. Wilford said that in Palmerston North, Manawatu and Otaki, the Liberal electors had been so advised. Continuing, Mr. Massey said he believed he possessed the confidence of an absolute majority of the people, and he was prepared to go to the country at any time on a clear-cut issue. He then proceeded to point out what he considered the weaknesses of proportional representation so far as the House of Representatives was concerned, but there was not the same objection to the system being applied to the Legislative Council. A MILLION SAVED. The Government, he said, had been accused of departmental extravagance, but the critics had not been candid enough to admit that much of this expenditure was due to the war and to the bonuses giveu to civil servants. That economies had been effected was true, and when the public ' accounts appeared it would be found that , public expenditure for the last quarter ' would be £1,000,000 less than for the prei vious quarter. That surely was economy, and it was going on every day. He defended his refusal to lay on the table the report of the Economy Committee, on the ground that he had given his word that It would be regarded as confidential, and to make the report public after that promise had been given would be dishonorable, and he was not going to do it. The Government was doing’ their best to meet unemployment. At present they had 7000 men employed on public works, and that was not a bad record when rigid economy was absolutely necessary, for we would never get round the corner until we brought expenditure within the limits | of revenue. He justified the rebate on income tax, | because, the high income tax was being j pasesd on to the consumers by merchants, and was keeping up the cost of living. There were also a number of other concessions, and he would like to reduce it further, but, unfortunately, he was not able to do all in this direction that he would like. Immigration was justified, because what New Zealand wanted was more population. Mr. R. McCallum: With means. Mr. Massey: The best thing the immigrant can bring to the country is health, strength and industry. We should encourage people of our own kith and kin to fill up our blank spaces and so strengthen the Empire. INVITATION TO LIBERALS. Coming to financial questions, the Premier quoted figures to show that items totalling approximately £6,000,000 in the prospectuses of the last two loans, which were questioned by the Leader of the Opposition, had in fact been or would be used for railway rolling-stock and hydro-electric plant. The utilisation of accumulated surpluses for soldier settlements was justified, because the necessary money could not be otherwise obtained. Of that he had absolute proof, and he read a cablegram to support this statement. Continuing, the Premier quoted from remits sent to the recent Labor conference at Auckland, and from a speech by Mr. H. Holland at Westport, to show that the Liberals were dependent on Labor for their . existence. From this and the result of the North Dunedin election, he deduced < that the party Reform had to fight at the next election was Labor, and he gave the . Liberals a cordial.invitation to “come over and help us” in tfcc coming contest. < He hoped nothing would be said or done to damage the credit of the country. They ■ must strive to get the country back into a sound financial position, and when that ; was done and prosperity was restored tu ] the Dominion, he would be able to look back on the position and believe his life’s i work had not been altogether in v ain. j