GREAT OPPOSITION "RALLY"

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10501, 13 December 1911, Page 5

GREAT OPPOSITION "RALLY"

IN MASTERTON TOWN HALL. SPEECH BY MR*A. L. HERD- . MAN. AN ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING. A monster "Reform" rally was held in. the Masterton Towan HaOl last night. Long before 8 o'clock the hail was crowded, and many had to be' turned away. The stage of the hall was* filled, as well as/ the body of the building, przd the meeting was most enthusiastic. The appearance' upon the platform of Messrs G. R. Sykes, A. H. Herbert auud A. L. Herdon.an was the stiignal far a great outburst of applause, which lasted for several minutes.

The chair was occupied by Mr Jas. Pauling;, who bespoke for the speakers of the evening a fair hearing. (Applause.) y MR SYKES. Mr G. R. SyW was tlie first speaker, and he was received with tumultuous cheering. He congratulated Mr Herdmam upon has splendlid victory at Wellington. It had been, said that hie (Mr Sykes) had' to get Mr Herdman to Masterton to speak for ham. Thisi was not the case.. He was quite prepare: to'fight'.the) battile from start to finish,, and he had not asked Mir Herdimaim to come to' his assistance. Mr Herdiman had generously volunteered: to help, and he (Mr Sykes), had not refused it. There was on the platform that night his former opponent, Mr Herbert (lov.d applause), who hod acted most goaerouisly, aj:d was doing his best to secure a victory for the Bjeforari Party. (Applause'.) Mr Sykes them dealt with a naimiher of rumours that had been, circulated to damage his candidature. One of these was that he was opposed to the Old Age Pensionsl. Siuch a suggestion 'was absurd. He folad always favoured the extension- of the Old Age Pensions scheme. It had also beeni said that hie favoured a reduction in. the wages of working mesa.. Thisi he also emphatically denned. Other base rumours had been circulated about him whiSth he did nob care to repeat. Hfts character, he thought, would stand scrutiny with that of any man. (Applause.) In conolbsdon,' Mr Sykes ventured the. opiniom that on Thursday next a grebt victory -woruld be achieved for Rieforinf, and that the! whole of the electorateis between. Wellington, and Napier would be represented' by mem opposed to the present effete Government. (Applause.)

:"-:. MR HERBERT. ■ Mr A. H. Herbert, who wau re--qetojed wdlth loud applause,' was the" next speaker. He said the people of Masterton had "turtied! him down." Evidently fee diki not fill the specificatftbins. (Laughter.) He did not live in, Masterton.. (Laughter.) He had com© out to contest the seat in. tlhe' interests of Reform, and he liad fought tlhe.haittQle off hfe own bat. He' thought the time had come; tlhe preteent Government should be ousted, andi replaced with .something more vigorous and wholesome. (LpufcT ;.,;. i .. w ,MB_A^L v .": ' ' iMr Herdamaitt, whip ,wasi : received with immense cheeriaig, said he was in Mastertoin itai the interests of Reform. After he hlad woni his .seat in. Wellington-, he. had nothing else to do, and he had thought he would come to the country to do whiat he could for the cause of Reform, and to expound Mr Miasisey's platform. (Appjiauso.) The present fight, said Mir H«?ir>d3iain, was not a personial. oine, but a- fight for principles.. He warmly; commended Mr Herbert, for the fine spirit' he had displayed! tWrotighoiit.' thel contset. ,(Appljaii.se, and "We'll put him in next time.) Mr Herdman proceeded toi say that thte present Admdin.'isitiratnlo.n was not "of the people, for the people," but "of the Government^ior the Government."' (Laugh'ter;.)'. -.<•• ' " . GOV3EIRiNMENT DiESPOTISdL

Mi* Herdtanan poinfted out thai* he had'.a&ked f6r a <e*um of passes issnied on the raiO:wiay&, but althbugh' this had been, promised, it had never been granted. He referred to the attitude of the jMme Minister ito going to thie Imperiali Conference* and isaihmittiilng a radictulLous scheme of his own, without constilfting Parliament. Then, in. referenoe to the Government advertising, the Ministry had given, thus in an improper manner. The Government, in) flact, w)as despotic, and tM& despotism was what the [Reform Party was out to destroy. (Applause.) Returns had been aisiked for in regard to the Civil Service, and these had been refused. In. fact, the Government" dSd just- as it pleased, how it pleased'. SIR J. Jb'INDLAY.'

Mr Herdmaii refeiTed to the statement of Sia* • JcLn FindTay that there was not match difference between; the policies of the Government and' the Reform Party. This had onJy been discovered by Sir John FirndHay sine© lie found himseltF in difficulties l at Parueill. As a matter of fact was as much difference between the Government and the Reform. Party as there was between night and day. CONSTRUCTION.

It had been, said that tlie Reform Party was alright in destructive critibism,, but that it had no leoinstaietive ability. Mr Herdman claimed thiat the turning mit of the Govemtmlent wo mid in itseM be ivie. The reform of the Civid' Service would be constructive. "The placing of the railways* on ai better footing would be con.stTucti.ve. The opening up of tlie Native 'liandis to speedy settlement would be constructive. Tlie wiping out of the system of patronage in. puiblic. appointments* would be constructive. (Applause.) ■ CANDID ORiLTTCS. Mr Herdmian quoted Messrs Boole, Graham, Rbs®, Isi.tt, -and other Government supporter® to sdibw that the present Government was thoroughly incompetent. It did not require Mir Ma&sey or Mm self to rtef er to tihe in-.

competence of the Administration j wlieo iits own. supporters condemned i*. » THE PUBLIC SERVICE. .The speaker then, referred to has own. attempts to remove the system of patronage from the Civil, Service by the appointment of a Public Syr-' vice Beard. 'iLo Cvcvcirnineait would not accept hdis Bill, because it wanted to stack to patronage and refused to take advice from the Opposition. I Mr fferdman quoted numeatus cases of political influence and patronage ' which had resulted from the present autocratic system. He claimed that under his- Bill public patronage and aiuitocr&cy would be exterminated. ! (Applause.) * j

PUBLIC WORKS. The Reform Party, if returned to power, would place the expendiit-re of public money on a more saiisfictory footing than at present. The speaker pointed ct:t that Mr LOoydGeorge had appointed a Coniirriinifion to recommend how . public money should be expended. Either a 'sarnie lar Com mission should be set up in New. Zealand, or t(he powers of local bodies should be extended*. THE RAILWAYS.

Mr Herdman referred to the complete change of administration of the railways brought about by Mr Millar, after Sir Joseph Ward had declared, that they were paying. There was seething discontent at present in. the railways. The 1 raiilhvay system in ' Ne^v'^Sioufh''Wales was. 'managed much hetter than in' New Zealand, because it was controlled by a DUisinesß expert.' The railways would never be worked successfully tuiitttfl they were removed from political patronage. (Applhnise.) COST OF GOVERNMENT. Mr Herdanan then referred to the huge increase iin tih-z cost of govern-j ment. It was £2,700,000 higher today than it was smc years ago. The Prime Minister had said, they wished to make the country , self-oieldant. With it!he object of dooig this, they h'ad borrowed £18,686,000 in six yeiar®. (Laughter.) NATIVE LANDS. ; The speaker dealt at some length with' tihe Native land question. He claimed that there were mallfio!n.& of acres living idle, which should have been thrown open, for BefcfcLetmetn.t years ago. The money spent an raiß'ways, and roads, and bridges had put value on these Naiive lands, and made them more difficult to acquire by the Government. He stated tfoat h 5» opinion was> that tlhey should - put upon' ttiie land an. army df small) Hreefcol&eris, for, after all, the best tenure was that which gave the occupiers of the land an. incentive to cultivate ilb,e soil. (Applause.) ' x THE GOVERNMENT. Describing the present Government, Mri Herdman. saoti iit heQaeved in. opening up Native • lands' and keeping, them locked up; in the and the f-eeholcl; in' single tax and other forms of taxatrilon. It believed in everything tihat would catch votes..

: . ' OONiOLIjSION. ;> Herdman- urged upon Ms hearers to endeavour to raise tflie Sitaiidardi of' public IXife in .tie:Dom'jniion., so,that the'• 6pfaidl:d ■jpountry rand become, ji, jplace iini wbMt people "wAula be pleas-' red to live. '"Let U6 eaideavour to.' raise our public life, and get rid of the unwholesome state of things which* exfistls a.t the present time." •Mr Kerdman. peunied liis seat amidst immense cheering. QUESTIONS. In answer to questions,. Mr Herdman, stated that a iease-in-perpetufity could not be broken without special legislation. He was. periSonaKy in favour of the three-fit'ths majority in regard to the licensing question, though the Reform Party was divided on the point.

THANKS. The following miotiion, proposed by Mr W. Morris and seconded by Mr J. B. McKenzie, was carried unanimously, amidst entiliuisiastie cheering: "That - Mr A; L. Herdtman. be tthanked for has* address, and that in tlhje-opiiink'n of this meeting the time, has •■awived wlien' the Ward Government should be turned out of office." ;Mr HerdimJan briefly -acknowledged the compliment-. ■;..;.