BATTLE BEGINS.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 November 1922, Page 5

BATTLE BEGINS.

PREMIER OPENS CAMPAIGN. FINANCE AND PUBLIC WORKS. CHOICE FOR THE ELECTORS. THE MENACE OF LABOR. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Pukekohe, Last Night. Mr. W. F. Massey was given an enthusiastic reception at Pukekohe to-night by a crowded meeting of his constituents. He reviewed the work of the last three years, and emphasised . s? op '.d’ legislation during last session pro* id1 -'* for strengthening the Advances to .SeUier; Department by £2,000,000, with an additional £3,000,000 next year. He also referred to the provision for advancing up to £5OO to industrious applicants on chattel security. Conditions generally were rapidly improving, and he believed that cheaper money would be available in the near future. It would be necessary to raise another loan next March or April, but he desired to sound a warning that Uhe country could not go on increasing indefinitely its load of indebtedness. During the past seven months the revenue was £11,642>610, compared with .£11,413,499 for a similar period last year. This was the first occasion for some time that an increase in revenue had been shown. The departmental expenditure for the seven months showed a saving of £1,890,217, while expenditure under special Acts, etc., showed a reduction of £401,549. This gave a total reduction in expenditure, due to economies and savings, of £2,291,766. As regards public works, the Government during the last ten years had spent £18,178,422, not including additions to open lines, telegraph extension, immigration, workers’ dwellings, or school buildings. Two hundred and thirty-five miles of railways had been completed and handed over to the department, and a further 50 miles constructed and operated by the Public Works Department. Assistance had been given to 82,500 returned soldiers through the Land and Repatriation Departments, and nearly £6,000,000 had been expended on the purchase of blocks of land.

The Government proposed to carry on the sugar control for another six months. There had been a reduction in the price of flour, enabling bread to be reduced by one penny. With reduced taxation in sight, he believed we would soon have a very rapid reduction of the cost of living. Regarding the issues of the election, Mr. Massey declared that the Government could only be ousted by a combine of Liberals and Labor. The leader of the latter had asserted that if Labor joined up with the Liberals, Labor would dominate the policy, and it was clear that Labor’s policy was confiscation in the form of the socialisation of the means of production, exchange and distribution. The issue was thus between a stable and strong Government and chaos. In conclusion, his message to certain members in the Liberal Party was: “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” (Laughter and applause.) The Prime Minister was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence, and a rousing demonstration of goodwill, the crowded audience singing “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow.” MR. PARR AT HENDERSON. SOUND EDUCATIONAL POLICY. A WARNING TO ELECTORS. Auckland, Last Night. The Hon. C. J. Parr (Minister of Education) addressed the electors at Henderson to-night, a considerable portion of his speech being devoted to his education policy, which the Ministr claimed was one of progress along sound lines. No Government in the Empire had done as much as New Zealand in the last three years. Regarding the contention that the Government, in its “cuts” in the Civil Service salaries, should have spared the man getting less than £3OO to £350 a year, he said that out of 51,000 oncers only 1010 received over £5OO, and only 5500 over £320. The “cut” on the higher salaries only would have saved only £205,000, while the Government had to save £1,250,000 or increase taxation.

As regards the Government’s opponents and policy, Mr. Parr said three hard and anxious years lay ahead. Was it wise to change a Government in the middle of the difficult work of post-war reconstruction. There was only one sound policy. It was strict economy, more production, land settlement, reproductive public works, and a reduction of the crushing taxation, which was crippling industry and so producing unemployment. The country must have strong leaders, and Mr. Massey was the only possible leader. Mr. Parr asked what did Mr. Walford’s party offer the country in the hour of its need? Their panacea for our ills was proportional representation and a State Bank. Mr. Seddon and Sir Joseph Ward had condemned both these planks, which had been lifted from the Labor programme to catch the Labor vote. Mr. Parr warned the electors that if Mr. Massey were not returned with a majority they would have the turmoil and expense of another election next March. By the combination of Wilfordites and Hollandses, the Labor Party’s policy was simply half-baked socialism, as crude and grotesque as it was impracticable. Labor’s policy meant death to the freehold. The Government's policy was the freehold for everyone. Extreme Labor was out to abolish Parliament. Mr. Parr quoted figure* to show that the increase in expenditure since 1914 was directly due to the war and to circumstances which no Government could control. A vote of thanks and confidence was carried. CHRISTCHURCH SOUTH. Christchurch, Last Night. Mr. H. C. Lane, secretary of the Canterbury Education Board, has been approved by the Reform Party executive as a candidate for Christchurch South at the general election against Mr. E. J. Howard. M.P.. and Mr. H. Ell, exM.P. Mr. Lane has arranged with the Education Board to take his annual leave a month earlier this year to devote himself to the campaign. TARANAKI SEAT. MR. BI'LLR ING E R’S <' AMPAI < ; N - (Contributed) Mr. C. E. Bellringer had a most successful meeting a’. Tataraimaka, over seventy being present, including a large numhar p£ ladies. Mr. Qwea Penwar- j

den presided. Mr. Bellringer had a hearty reception and carried the meeting with him, his address being much on the lines of his Saturday’s address at Mangorei. Several questions -were asked and answered. On the motion of Mr. W. Honeyfield, seconded by Mr. Longley, a hearty vote of thanks to the candidate and confidence in the Government was unanimously carried with acclamation. Mr. Bellringer will speak at Hurford Road to-night and at Koru to-morrow. THE PATEA SEAT. MR. J. R. CORRIGAN’S CANDIDATURE. Mr. J. R. Corrigan, the Liberal-Labor candidate for the Patea electorate, is having a very good reception in the southern part of the electorate. At Maxweltown on Friday evening he addressed a very large meeting, Mr. T. Alexander preaiding. The candidate, who was in excellent form, gave an address on the lines of his Hawera speech, and at the conclusion answered ft, number of questions. The meeting was enthusiastic throughout, and prior to its close a vote of thanks, proposed by Mr. Billinghurst and seconded by Mr. Smith, was carried without a dissentient voice. On Saturday morning Mr. Corrigan paid a visit to Paparangi, a back country settlement, twenty miles iback of Kai Iwr, where lie met a number of settlers and had an interesting talk on the political questions of the day. Mr. Corrigan i* suffering from a severe cold and in consequence will be unable to address the electors for two or three days. The meetings advertised for Tawhiti to-night and Mokoia tomorrow night have therefore been post--s&apd.