THE MASTERTON SEAT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10408, 31 August 1911, Page 5

THE MASTERTON SEAT.

MR A. H. HERBERT !N MASTERTON.

Mr A. H. Herbert, one of the Opposition candidates for the Masterton iseat, addressed a. fairly wellattendied meeting in.' the Masfcarton Town Hall last evening. Im .the unavoidable absence of His Worship tiro Mayor, tt'he oliair was occupied by Mil- C. E. DandeE, who briefly introduced the candidate, and bespoke for him a fair hearing. Mr A. H. Herbert, who was ireceivied with applause, stated that he was exceedingly sorry to hear that Mr Hogg was 'indisposed, and he expressed tlse hope that he> would speedily recover. (Applause.) AN AGREEMENT. Mr Herbert proceeded !to state .that he wasi out against the psresanifc Government. He was pleased to read that Mr Sykes, speaking at Konini, had expressed tiie intention' of eupportin.g the other Opposition oandidatla should he snot get into the second ballot. He (Mr Herbert) had made an. agreement with Mr Sytoes ion this' subject, and he would say tthat he would loyally stick to that agreement. Referring to certain oorTespandieaice suggesting thait he was (an interloper, Mr Herbert stated •that im an. interview in May, 1910, he Shad expressed hi® intieintion of contesting the Mastertoa seat. A CONTINUOUS MINISTRY. The candidate stated' that he was I a. Liberal and ia democrat in politics, but it had beani borne din uponi him, for isome years that the ipfesent Governiment lhad exhausted its usefulness.. He (the speaker) was opposed to a Continuous Ministry, Twhether it be a, Liberal Ministry or any other. (Applause.) THE NATIONAL BEST. Mr Herbeirt proceeded to.refer to the phenomenal growth in, the national debt, isltating that this had moreasied by .twenty-one millions, in five years. While he admittied that a certain amount of borrowing was necessary, he stated that they were living extravagantly at .the present 'time. The present' Governmenlfe, he claimed, was retaining office by patronage amd corruption, amd by the expenditure of borrowed money. THAT DREADNOUGHT. Mr Herbert claimed that tin© Dreadnought which had been; given to England had not been asked for. It had been offered by an autocratic Prime Minister, without consulting Parliament, and without the slightest excuse. The country would have to pay about £150,000 a year for isome years after the vessel had been scrapped. OTHER EXTRAVAGANCES. The •candidate referred to other ajcts-of extravagance on. the part o£ the Government. He' strongly critioised the provision of the new Government House w.\ New Zealand. He pointed out .that it had cost New Zealand £6OO to send Lord Rattfurly to Canada with > gift of £IOOO. (Laughter.) The Prime 'Minister had offered (to pledge New Zealand ax* connection with a wireless' telegra/ph. station, 'whiile the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth had stated tlhaifc ' "he would consult his Ministry" about the other ,ha!£. (Hear, hear.) Why did Sir Joseph Ward pledge this . OTuntry in tfche_ way he did?_ Simply ifbr (self-g&lfJoaiioii,-''- <said Mr Herbert, "and dif we allow Kim .to otmtiiiiuie' to do it, well—w» eme a lot of mugs!" (Laughter and applause.)

TAXATION. .Mr Herbert (referred at soatf© Length to the taxation per head of the ipopulation. of New Zealand, which hie claimed was higher than thiaifc of any other self-governing colony of the Empire. He maintainred that l the increase in taxatSon pressed moire heavily upon the working man <fchan upon, any other section) of the comimiunity. The late Mr Saddon had abjured them to keep the cradle fuU,„and yet the pnesem* Primp Minister taxed ©very article ■whiicth wasi required for ithie occsupamib of the cradle. Mr Herbert dealt at cionsdderaible length with: the Custom® duties, giving illustiraitionß to Ishow that it pressed more' heavily oipjosn the working man and the man with a. family (than upon, thie other iseotoete of the comimminity. THE RAILWAYS. The candidate maintained that this district wais being punished, in Itibe (matter of railway services, and he wouild lite to ; fcnow the reason why. (A voice: Broihaibiitio-n.!) Mr Herbert dad mot lanow whether it wasi the re-. isiult of Prohibition, or what it was. Bait the fact remained. He said that £300,000 could be expended in isitraightentbg the Hutt line; but not a .penny wiais aivaiiaibilla for deviating the ORimutaika. railway, whioh was Sam—.portant in, opening .up the country, upon which the future of (the iDomasiiom .depended. Thiej candidate criticised the 1 expenditure uponi a line between the townships of Seddoni and Ward. He lurged the claim© of the district Ihetween MaistertKHii and Wai.puikuraiUi, and stated that a railway was badly required for the developament of the country. He maintained that the Government was.expending an insufficient sum of money in, opening up the country. . -AGRICULTURE. Mr "HieVbert expressed the opinion thiat ! the Government was mot doing siuffioient to encourage the agricultural industry. What they wanted was suitable agricultural colleges, and dairy schools, so that people could he educated concerning the industries •uip&n. which the future of the Dominiioni depended. He admitted that the Agricultural Department was doing ia certain, amount of good, but the money expended was not yielding a sufficient return. THE LAND QUESTION. The speaker agreed with the late Mr Taylor that the present Goveraiment had had mo land policy for the pa;st twenty y.eans. He contended ■that the Government ©hould have settled most of the .unoccupied lands during the period it 'had been in> pow•er. The (settlement of the land, Mr Herbert miain.ta.ined, would be the malcing of the Masterton district. 'He applauded the Land for Settlement Act, hut pointed out'that the ■money available under this 1 Act was not bc.iimg expended. No money at all had been expended in tlie' Mastsrton da strict for many years in. acquiring land for settlement. (Hear, hear.) NATIVE LANDS. Mr Herbert dealt at ssome length

with, .tire Nadav© land question. He stated itihait there were iive miUiion mores of Native lands in the North Island. ' He malntainied. that this land 'should be profitably occupied, at all costs. If the Natives did not work the' land, it islnould be leased to Europeans who would do so, and the. .money should he. placed in trust for tire 'benefit of the Natives.

MOKAU LANDS. The candidate oriticiseia at some length the transaction over itihe Mokau, lands. He pointed out rhhat ■the Natives got 10s 4id' per. acre for this land, while the isymdioate, lie was credibly informed, was likely to make quarter of a million out of it'll© transaction. Mr Herbert mentioned the fact that tlie member for Mastertoiii had voted against the proposal to 'submit! the M'okau transaction! to an. independent tribunal.

OTHER .MATTERS. Mir Herbert urged the importance of Civil Service reform, and claimed .that the. time had arrived when a Local Govemniient Bill should be put through. The powers of local bodies should, in. Iris opinion., he extended. The policy of the present Goverarniien't' was (to centralise everything in Wellington. The iLeigisiaitive Council, h'e (maintained, should be elected. by tile people. (Applause.) Ho contended that it was. utterly wrong that a araam like Dr Findlay, who was never elected to the House, should be isenrt Home to represent a XJiemiocratic icountry.

THE TIME HAS ARRIVED. In conclusion!, Mr Herbert started thai the .time had .-arrived when the country wanted a change. It was absurd to «ay that there was no man in 'New Zealand wlio was competent to lead, the Legislature except Sir J'os&phi Ward. There wiei-.e- .scores who ioo.uld lead the country equally well. (Applause.) He • imaintaimed •that rthe time had come' whan, 'tihey •should look into ,-the pigeon holes at the Ibig buildings. The Continuous Ministry should go. He had eviery ■respect for the sitting member, but hie tllloughfti that the time had airrived when a change was necessary. He ivas mot ia meisiident of Masierton-, but ho belonged to the Masitiertcr, district, iand believied (that he could worthily •repreis.'Eint the whole district. He was finst of all a New Zealander, and would fight far the good of New Zealand. After that he would dio bi® very utmost for the Masteirton electorate. Mr Herbert resumed his. seat I a-midisil/ .sustainied applause.

QUESTIONS. fa. answer to 'Mr Her•karfc stated that he favoured the bare majority in. respect to the licensing question.; he could not isay that he was altogether oppoised to the totailisatoir, although he favoured: tine abolition of the bookmiaikier; hie wais in favour iof compulsory military training, .hut he- did not lain© the way iiai which itho Governmeat 'were going to work; he 'believed that Civil Sleirviantisi should :he giveni full political pj-ivifeges.; hie was strongly in. favour of the abolition' of the duty on foodstuffs; he did not' think the High Oomtmissiioner's office was being properly conducted; b& was- strongly in favour' of the cutting up of the kirge estates in this electorate for closier settlement.

THANKS. On the motion of the chairman, seconded by Mr .Edgar Williams., a hearty vote of thanks- was patesed'to Mir Herbert- for his address, with applafuse. • . .. A vote' of thanks to the chairman tienniinated the proceedings.