HON. G. LAURENSON

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10631, 9 May 1912, Page 5

HON. G. LAURENSON

I SPEECH AT,STRATFORD. (By Telegraph — Press Association.) STRATFORD, Last Night. The Eton. George 'Laurenson addressed a crowded audience here tonight. He said he regretted to notice that many newspapers in Haiwke's Bay had fallen into the hand® of nveialithy peopfe. Be trenchantly criticised a Wellington print, and prophesied tHiat if all newspapers were conducted si'imiTiarly, the Press of the Dominion wouOd degenerate-. to the■' isaime ''level as the ; American Piress. The Oppasitioii'lliad Hlamed the Gov-

ern.ment for Wasting antoney and putjting up fttbe nation ad debt. In five years the debt had (increased by nineteen millions. (Five millions had been iispent on railwayis, atnd four and a llhalf rmiilllions en Advances to Set t[ilers and Workers. He said that one [ of; tibe ibest Avays to ensure the prosperity of jmy country was to see that every man owned ks own home. ' The Opposition got (on the platform; and condemned expenditure, but sat in the House iarid never voted against art. Such people were political humhugs. Mr Massey had said there had ibeen too great an increase in the annual expenditure, 'but where had the increase .gome; to ? A. qn/arter of a milllion extra had been spent on educai iion, and nobody haid voted . against it, sitid he thought .tliat the expend iture wouSd bo still further increased. The expenditurei rAd age pensions had increased by £120.000, owing to the number cf people coming of age. A • sum of £700,000 extra was spent on, .trailways, but the railways produced a (revenue of £1,150,000. The same rolling occurred as regards the Post ■and Telegraph Department. Ail expenditure 'had (been increased in such direcrtior.s a's no s&m'e person would object to. The 'Government was blamed with being non-progressive, ■but he dctEi'T-id directibnsi in which iegisßation had (been in a Forward direction. As to corruption, no charge had been, proved. Mr Bine's charges were well, known before the election, ■and the persons charged were tried by their constitoents. The charges ■were not brought (against the- persons concerned, bait were aroald'e in" ' the Sop'e that the Gove raiment 'would be (besmirched; but this had not been done. The party had [been, in power ffior twenty years. During this" time the number cf bankruptcies had been (reduced (by haJlf. The average life of .man bad increased from thirty-one to 'forty. The number of persons "who paid incotmte tax (had inoreasetl by 56 per cent. There was a pressing (necessity for more Ministers. Since 1873 the numlber of 'Ministers had increased by only one. Either the" country flirJi tc-o many Minivers then, or there Ave*:*© tpo feAV noAV. Since then the numlber of Departments had greatly ifnoreased. Perhaps l it would be .'better td bav<e Un-cler-JSeeretaries. Mr Myers 'held a numlber of portfolios, .including that of Railways, but it AA-,ould taiS*f"" the individual energies of the best roan in the Dominic';! to look after railways. In conclusion, Mr Laurenson siaid: — "We intend to go in for rapid (settlement of the land. Wie desire to put an end to big estates." It was, he said, improper that the toAvn population in NeAV Zeaiam 1 should be greater tih'an that cf the country. This Avas especially bad in the case of a growing country. A vote of thanks to the Hon. Mr Laurenson ,and confidence in the Government, Ava.s carried by acclamation.