POLITICAL CAMPAIGN.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 November 1922, Page 6

POLITICAL CAMPAIGN.

THE STRATFORD SEAT. MR. MASTERS SPEAKS. AN ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING. A crowded audience at the Stratford Town Hall on Tuesday night gave Mr. R. Masters, M.P. (the Liberal-Labor candidate), a warm reception when he delivered his political address. The Mayor (Mr. J. W. McMillan) presided. Mrs. Masters, who was among those on the stage, Was presented with two beautiful bouquets. Mr. Masters, who was greeted with loud and prolonged applause, spoke very forcefully for over two hours. He said that as far as he was concerned he was not going to enter into any personalities with his opponent, although he might have to refer to him. He regretted to read the statement by Mr. Hine that if he (Mr Hine) had remained in power the east railway would not have stopped at Tahora, or he would have resigned his seat. Mr. Masters thought the .Minister of Public Works was the best authority to quote on this subject. Tn the House the speaker had asked Mr. Coates if it was the policy of the Government to penalise the Opposition electorates in regard to public works, and Mr. Coates gave the suggestion an emphatic denial. The policy was that the railway should stop at Tahora, and this policy was formulated years ago before Mr. Masters went into Parliament. Could those present imagine Mr. Hine resigning from the Ministry? He could not have been disgusted because the railway had stpoped at Tahora. or he would not be standing as a candidate for private membership. The Stratfoid electorate had not suffered by being an Opposition district. The man who would get the most money expended was tnc man who had “ginger.” and the worst man who could represent them was the meek and mild man without “ginger.” He went on to quote figures showing that the district had spent an increased amount on public works during his term, in spite of the fact that public works were being curtailed everywhere. In the last year of his term, Mr. Hine had £5430 spent, while last year Mr. Masters had £84,933 spent, and £178,473 was placed on the Estimates for expenditure in the district next year. The speaker then referred to the loan of £15,000 he had secured for the Stratford County Council, which had saved a very serious position. He had also secured a loan of £lO.OOO for the borough council for the erection of the town bridge, and now they would at last have the new post office. The vote for the post office was put on the Esimates, in 1914, but it remained for the Opposition’ to get it expended. The TatuTahora telephone was now an accomplished fact after 15 years. This was an answer to the propaganda which alleged that to get money expended it was necessary to have a Government member. THE LABOR BOGEY.

Of late, continued Mr. Masters, they had heard a areat deal about loyalty and Labor. The chief planks in the Reform platform were going to be the Labor “bogey” and flag-waving. Tins was political humbug and hypocrisy. These were strong words to use. but he had a right to use them when his party was accused of being disloyal. The partv had proved as loyal on every occasion as the Reform Partv. What right had Mr. Massey to challenge the loyalty of Mr. W. T. Jennings, who had lost two of the brightest of sons in the war. and whose wife had died of grief at their loss’ What right had he to challenge the loyalty of Mr. Isitt. who had lost a son and who was one of the greatest of patriots’ And it was the same with many others. This was dragging the Union Jack in the mud. Referring to the allegations that the party was coouetting with Labor, Mr. Masters said he stood where he stood at the last election. He did not care who it was that brought up a resolution in the House. If it was in the interests of the country "as a whole he would vote for it. If the electors did not want a man with this spirit of independence they did not want him. He declared that 'the Reform Party had connived with Labor to exclude Liberal members. Mr. Massey had admitted in the House that Mr. Holland was the best political friend and political asset he had in the world. The Labor Party was used as a bogey to frighten the public into voting Reform. If the Liberal Partv got into the benches it would challenge Mr. Massey to combine with Labor to put it out. FINANCIAL POSITION.

Turning to finance, Mr. Masters said the position was desperate, and called for the most serious consideration. Every Reformer in the House admitted it was desperate. At Te Puke Mr. Massev had said that every glass ot whiskey drunk, every pipe of tooaeco smoked, and every sovereign put on the totalisator helped the Government. When the Prime Minister made a statement like that the position called ior serious consideration. In 1911 Mr. Massey said the cost of government was out of all proportion to the population. In the first year of Mr. Massey’s administration the cost of government increased by £1.429,819, the cost then beinv £10.340,368. in 1922 it had increased to £28.466.818. The war expenditure only amounted to £6.380,362 so that of the total increase in the cost ot government of over 18 millions this left £11.728.108 still to be accounted tor. This' meant that the country was. paying £4,740.710 per annum more in interest, without counting war interest, than was the case in 1912. Was tins to be wondered at when the railways were test year run at a loss of £1,021.000 which loss was due to mismanagement I A man with a training as a schoolteacher was of no use in running a railway system. . The ’ speaker drew a comparison ot the figures fol 1 taxation in New Zealand and Australia. In 1»U the taxation per head of population in Australia was £4 13s 9d as compared with £5 in New Zealand. In 1921 Australia was taxed to the extent of £l3 Is par head, while in New Zealand the amount had reached £lB 6s per head. New Zealand was nsarly on tty> financial ro.oks, and / she

was not the best little country in the world she could not stand it. The state of affairs was due to absolutely incompetent administration, and the position was hopeless in the hands of the , present Government. Brief reference was made to the housing policy, which Mr. Masters characterised as a hopeless failure, only 340 houses having been built in the whole of the Dominion. THE CEMENT QUESTION. Turning to the cement question, he said that he had been accused of having a personal reason for bringing the matter up in the House. He quoted letters, which, he said, had not previously been made public, and which went to show that he had not a farthing to gain when he demanded the inquiry. In justification of his statements, he said that in spite of the fact that its works were closed down, the Golden Bay Company was still paying a dividend. Other companies were paying £15,000 a year to the Golden Bay Company to keep it closed down and out of competition. This meant that the users of cement were paying 4s per ton on their cement to keep the Golden Bay Company closed. The Government was paying the cement combine £6 6s per ton. while it could obtain English cement for £4 7s. He had exposed this position in the House, and Mr. Coates had admitted the facts. The speaker instanced savings which had been made by using English cement. Every time he opened his mouth in the House, about cement there I had been a drop in prices. What was the reason that the combine was supported? Sitting opposite to him in the House were four members, who, with their families, owned 124,080 shares in cement concerns. CO-OPERATIVE SHIPPING. With regard to shipping, Mr. Masters said the country was never in greater need for a co-operative line of shipping between New Zealand and England than it was to-day. The big meat men had received reductions in shipping freights, and were now paying only 40 per cent, more than before the war, while the small dairy farmer was paying 161 per cent. more. The interests of the Reform Government were wrapped up in shipping, and the interests of shipping were wrapped up in the Reform Government. To-day the country was .paying £2.9’24 126 more to the shipping combines than in 1914 on the same quantity of produce. Tn Australia, which owned a State line of stupa, freights on wheat were only 2s Gd per ton more than pre-war rates. The Union Shipping Company was absolutely immune from competitions, but if the Liberal Party got into power they would put legislation on the books which would make competition with the octopus which gripped the country to-day. OTHER MATTERS. The soldier settlement was treated at length, and was characterised as a monument to the Reform Party. The position was desperate, and there must be a revaluation of the land to gi\ e the soldier settlers a sporting chance. He commented scathingly on the department’s methods in selling up the cattle of a returned soldier who had been placed on a farm near Eltham. The cattle had been bought by the dej partment for £1394, and were sold by auction for £lBl. Speaking of the Dairy Produce Control Bill, Mr. Masters said he had never been in favor of' the compulsory system. While the large proprietary concerns. which handled a large proportion of the output, were exempted from compulsion, he would never force the small factories into compulsion. Reference was made, in speaking on railway matters, to the fact that Sir Duncan Elliot received last year oyer £30.000 in commission fees while acting as consulting engineer to the Government in the purchase of rolling stock at Home. The High Commissioner's office was condemned as a rank failure in the hands of Sir James Allen, who received a salary of £2OOO a year, £5OO for entertaining, £’2oo for donations to institutions, £3OO for a motor car, and £5OO for travelling expenses. Referring to the salaries cut, he said the method adopted was most inequitable, and he believe 1 that the reduction on the lower-paid men should be reduced and increased on the higher salaries. He was prepared to admit that he voted against Mr. Holland on every noconfidence motion he moved, and he would continue to do so. He had voted with Mr. Holland that the blind should have a pension. Every Reform memvoted against this proposal for party reasons. He voted with Mr. Holland against the proposed rebate of 5 per cent, on income tax. He voted witn Mr. Holland that there should be a greater duty on precious stones. The Reform Party voted against this, but they voted for increases on tea and infants’ food. The system of indentured Chinese labor in Samoa was roundly condemned. Tn conclusion, he said he had done his very best for the district, and no one, friend or foe, could say otherwise. Stratford had been as prominently before the country as ever before, and he asked for a renewal of confidence at the forthcoming election. (Prolonged applause). QUESTIONS ANSWERED. Tn answer to a question, Mr. Masters said Mr. Hine had told only a half truth when he said that Mr. Masters had voted for the abolition of scholarships. He had voted that everyone should receive the benefits of scholarships and university education, provided they had the brains. He was in favor of State banking, which was the clear-cut line ’ between the Reform and Liberal Parties. ; After further questions had been i asked and satisfactorily answered. Mr. H. A. Hunt moved a motion of thanks to Mr. Masters and of confidence in him ari a member for the district, and the motion was enthusiastically carried. ) The meeting concluded with long applause, and cheers for Mr. Masters.