POLITICAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3044, 14 November 1908, Page 5

POLITICAL.

A MANIFESTO TO THE PEOPLE, ISSUED BY THE PREMIER.

By Te]egraph-~PreBB Association, WELLINGTON, November 13.

The ft'ifiii Minister has issued a manifesto to the people of the Dominion dealing with the period during which the Liberals have been in office.

| He enumerates the legislative ! progress that has been made, and reminds the electors how the Liberal legislation was opposed by the Opposition throughout. ! "Conservatism," he says, "has had its day in New Zealand. We know what it did; we know what it sought to do; arid we know what it weald do again if it could." Progressive Liberalism gave the land for settlement legislation, advances to settlers, and workers remission of rents and other concessions in times of stress. Labour laws to secure fair wages, better treatment of the weak, the injured, the aged, infant life protection, compensation for accidents, old-age pensions. Progressive Liberalism had clung to the policy of adjusting the burden to the back by abolishing Customs duties on the necessaries of life and imposing a graduated land tax. Progressive Liberalism would do much more if encouraged by the electors confidence. It would enable willing settlers to obtain freehold farms of limited &r6as by the land finance system, provide a universal annuity scheme based on sound financial lines, help Workers' wives with medical aid and skilled nursing in maternity C£S3S, jrash'onwith settlement of surplus native land, and administer measures on tfe SSatute Book for the promotion of progress and the advancement of every class of the community. Sir Joseph Ward concludes as follows—"The vital importance to all classes in the Dominion of having our country's business prospected so as to assist the maintenance of that prosperity it has enjoyed must be self - evident, and a strong and courageous Government is no unimportant factor in helping this on. "I feel that the active employment of our people and the opening up of additional avenues for work and investment, and the extension of our commercial boundaries is a goal that is worthy o f our best efforts. "It is to be regretted that while the Government has steadfastly pursued such a policy, there Ime been so many sinister efforts made to damage the country's financial fabric, I would again repeat for your assurance that all our public financial engagements have been provided for for many months ahead, and the moneys required for carrying on our public works have been arranged for on most satisfactory terms.

" What we require is faith in ourselves and our country, and having this I am certain that our future is bright with hope."

DR FINDLAY AT DANNEVIRKE,

DANNEVIRKE, November 13

Dr findlay addressed a crowded and cordial meeting in the Drill Hall this evening.

The Mayor presided, and many prominent Liberals were on the stage with the speaker. The Minister delivered a speech lasting about an hour and forty minutes. His speech consisted principally of reviews of the work of the Liberal Government since taking office, and he appealed to the audience to judge them by their past actions and take their work as an indication of what would be done in the future. What had the Liberal Government done to forfeit the confidence of the people? What had they done since 1890, and how did their work compare with that of the Conservatives preceding them? He pointed to the land for settlement policy, and illustrated the benefits derived from the closer settlement brought about by the Government, and showed how the land monopoly had operated in the past, and how Liberal laws had broken up that monopoly and made the land available for the people,. The Government was the enemy of land monopoly, and was determined to provide facility for settlement. He condemned the old property tax, and contrasted it with the present land tax. He referred especially to the benefit the I&nd for settlement policy of the late Sir John McKenzie had been to the Waipawa electorate. He illustrated the persistent opposition of Mr Massey's party to the closer settlement movement, and touched on the Special Settlement Finance Bill, and claiwied that it would operate with benefit to many, The Advances to Settlers Act had benefited farmers to an enormous extent, and to show what was being done he stated that the Department lent £600,000 in ten days. Mr Massey had opposed the Act, ahd called it pawnbroking. Could they trust the Opposition to carry out t'hese Acts? asked Dr Findlay. The speaker emphasised the good work done for labour, and'gave figures to show that the statement that taxation had increased was incorrect. He justified the administration of the railways, which were not now run for profit-making, but to serve the people. The timber industry would be inquired into if necessary. The dairy regulations were to benefit farmers, and the objections would be carefully considered before they were brought into operation. At the conclusion of the address a vote of thanks and confidence was carried with applause.