ELECTION CAMPAIGN.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 December 1922, Page 5

ELECTION CAMPAIGN.

VOTE-SPLITTING DANGERS. GOVERNMENT MAY LOSE SEATS. PRIME MINISTER’S ADVICE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. “With the amount of vote-splitting threatened,” says Mr. Massey in a statement to-day, “it is almost a certainty that seats will be lost to the Government. While any elector has a perfect right to offer his services as a candidate there are such things as loyalty to party and country. “I take the liberty of suggesting, therefore, that those electors, by whatever political names they call themselves, should not allow their votes to be jeopardised by a candidate with little chance of election, but who, by taking votes frqjn the stronger candidate jeopardise the chances of the latter and weaken the Government’s position. Risks should not be taken by those who admit the Government has done wonderfully well.”

THE HON. W. NOSWORTHY.

SPEECH AT INVERCARGILL.

Invercargill, Last Night. The Hon. W. Nosworthy spoke here tonight before a large meeting, and his speech for a great part was devoted to criticism of the Liberal Party, quoting from the 1919 manifesto and from statements made by the party to-day to show that, in spite of the criticism on the question of reduced borrowing, their programme would result ip increases in greater than under the Massey Government. Mr. Nosworthy said that in 1919 the Liberals h’ad urged a decrease in taxation, and yet Mr. Wilford and Mr. Forbes in the House a year later told the Government to pile on taxation, as the country could stand it- He said that at that time the Liberals had no vision, and were unable to see what was before the country. Mr. Mosworthy said that in the Liberal manifesto for this campaign reference wag made ( to the past leaders, Grey, Ballance and Seddon, but there was no mention of Sir Joseph Ward, who had done such fine service for the country during the war. The leader of the party, in Auckland later, suggested that Sir Joseph Ward would contest either Invercargill on Wellington, and Mr. Wilford said, in reply to an interjector: “If he contests a seat we will not shriek ” It was not until Sir Joseph Ward had announced that he would pot stand that Mr. Wilford began to eulogise his late leader.

The Minister dealt at length with the public debt and soldier settlement, con-. tending that the Government record was misrepresented by Liberal critics, and that in spite of everything the Government was sticking to the soldiers and would see them through their troubles. A vote of thanks and confidence in the Massey Government, was carried. LIBERAL-LABOR PARTY. LEADER’S CHEERFUL REPORT. Wellington, Last Night. Mr. T. M. Wilford (leader of the Lib-eral-Labor Party) has returned to Wel- | Sington after a very active campaign in the Dominion. He left Ohakune at 4.30 on Saturday morning, having driven through from Hastings by car, leaving at 1 o’clock in the morning and driving all night. He spoke at Epuni on Saturday evening. Mr. Wilford says he had a wonderful trip and splendid receptions. He addressed big meetings at Dunedin, 'Christchurch, and Auckland, and was well received everywhere. “I am not going to boast what the result will be.” said Mr. Wilford. “No one caji predict that with certainty, but I never believed there was such strength of support for our side throughout the Dominion. Many resolutions were passed that the time was ripe for a change in the Government.”

TARANAKI SEAT. MR. S. G. SMITH’S CAMPAIGN. (Contributed). Mr. S. G. Smith addressed the electors at Waitara Road factory yesterday morning. Mr. de Launey presided. At the conclusion of his address Mr. Smith was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence. At midday on Monday Mr. Smith discussed with the harbor employees matters of general interest, and at the conclusion of his remarks was accorded a hearty vote of thanks, carried by acclamation.

THE STRATFORD SEAT. MR. MASTERS. (Contributed.) The schoolroom at Dudley Road was crowded on Saturday night, extra seating accommodation having to be provided to accommodate the crowd. Mr. Baldwin occupied the chair, and stated, in introducing the candidate, that he. was one who had acted throughout his political career without fear or favour to any particular party. Mr. Masters dealt particularly with the extravagance of the Government in administration and expending money on works that would for ever be a drag on the country. “Never in the history of this country has there been such an orgy of extravagant expenditure of the people’s money,” said Mr. Masters. "It tne Government go on on the lines they have during the last four years, then It means nothing but the financial rocks for the Dominion.” Mr. Masters gave instances of waste of public money, and said a halt had to be called. A resolution of thanks and confidence in Mr. Masters was carried unanimously. MR. HINE ON CEMENT. Speaking at Whangamomona on Saturday night, Mr. Bine made some comments upon cement, and in regard to Mr. Masters’ continual tirade against, the Government in connection with, cement. Mr. Hine said: “Is it not a fact that at the very time that Mr. Masters was crying out that the agreement between the various cement companies was an immoral commercial agreement, his firm was making application to Wilson’s Cement Company for a distributing agency of their cement? No doubt he was prepared to condone and overlook what ho termed an. im- , moral agreement, inimical to public in*'

terest, and a restraint to trade, if he had been successful in obtaining from Wilsons the distributing agency upon the same lucrative terms that the ageney of the Golden Bay Company had been held by his firm. But he failed to satisfy hjs private interests, because Wilsons did not give him the agency, and in spite of the flourish of a letter in the Stratford hall when speaking there (which letter Mr. Masters stated had never been exhibited before), and in spite of his statement that he could obtain cement elsewhere on the same terms and conditions as under the old agreement with the Golden Bay Company, I challenge him to prove the statement. I have here a copy of the correspondence between Wilson’s Cement Company and Mr. Masters on this very subject which absolutely disproves such a statement. “Now, ladies and gentlemen,” added Mr. Hine, “let me say, as a last word, that the very worst feature of the whole business was Mr. Masters’ refusal to accept the verdict of Mr. Justice Sim, acting-Chief Justice of New Zealand, and in refusing to accept the decision of the Chief Justice, Mr. Masters lowers the dignity of his position as member of Parliament and a maker of laws.” (Published by Arrangement.)

“WE LIVE AND LEARN.” The seconder of the motion of “thanks and confidence,” which was accorded to Mr. W. S. Glenn, M.P., at Taylorville, did more than merely “second the motion” in the customary formal way. Speaking with obj vious sincerity, he said that at the last : election he had been an opponent of Mr. Glenn’s, and an ardent supporter i of Mr. Brady’s. “I did all in my power,” I he said, “to keep Mr. Glenn out and put Mr. Brady in. But we live and learn. Since that fight I have had occasion to spend some considerable time in Wellington, and 1 made it iny business to see all that I could of the working of Parliament. I had my eyes opened, and to-day I say, without hesitation, that there is only one man and only one party that is any good to the people — Mr. Maasey aud the Refoxa Party.”