THE CONTEST IN KAIAPOI.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 243, 17 November 1914, Page 3

THE CONTEST IN KAIAPOI.

VIGOROUS SPEECH BY MR DAVID JONES. , Mr David Jones addressed a- big 4neeting in the Institute Hall, Eangiora, last night. Cr ■ McGruer presided and introduced the speaker. The meeting throughout was orderly, save for a few interjections from the rear of the building. These came from a little group which made demonstrations of approval at the mention of Mr P. C. Webb's name. Mr Jones opened with a sympathetic reference to,,the absence of the Mayor, owing to a family bereavement, and then proceeded to review Sir Joseph Ward's policy speech. He took it item by item, and subjected it to a merciless analysis, literally tearing it to pieces. The speech was a vigorous and incisive political criticism, and made a great impression on the audience. Mr Jones opened by referring to the announcement that Sir Joseph Ward and other leading Liberals intended speaking in the district, and he took it as a compliment that they were preparing to discharge their biggest broadside at him. Sir Joseph Ward had put forward an extraordinary production that he called his policy. It was a paste and scissors arrangement that appeared to have been compiled after much study of "Hansard," the Statute Book, and his opponents' speeches, and it actually included things that the Government had already brought into operations. THE NAVAL QUESTION.

One of Sir Joseph Ward's strongest points was that he favoured one great Imperial Navy. "We are all in favour of that," said Mr Jones, "and in 1909 an agreement was made with the Imperial authorities under which we were to have two Bristol cruisers, three destroyers, and two submarines. When Mr Allen went Home last year, he asked the British Government to carry out that agreement, and offered £150,000 a year if they would do so." They refused, continued the speaker, and when Sir Joseph talked about one Imperial Navy and a subsidy to the Home Government he was simply indulging in bluff "and insincerity. *Mr Churchill, speaking on behalf of the Admiralty, said: "The Dominions should locally maintain the light cruisers "necessary for commerce protection in their own waters. These cruisers will also combine with the Imperial Navy when the time arises, and make the fleet complete in all respects." Yet Sir Joseph Ward set up his own opinion against that! Speaking in the House of Representatives he said the idea was unreasonable that a sectional navy could be of any use to the Empire, and he hoped the Dominion would not begin to tinker with a tin-pot navy. He had also said: "Just fancy the defence of the Pacific relying on an Australian and a New Zealand squadron." "But," added Mr Jones, "the Australian Navy had actually saved the situation in the Pacific, and it was H.M.A.S. Sydney that destroyed the Emden, which did so much damage to British shipping." (Applause.) The truth was that Sir Joseph Ward did not understand the position. The Reform Party was prepared to work hand in hand with the Admiralty, and Sir Joseph Ward's naval policy merely consisted of something that tlie Home Government would not agree to.

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTA TION.

Sir Joseph Ward next went to the Social-Democratic platform, and had taken from it proportional representation and put it in his own. Some of the Social-Democrats were rejoicing, because Sir Joseph was going to give them proportional representation. Ye,t he had publicly stated that proportional representation could not be established while the country quota remained. On another occasion he said: "I am in favour of continuing the country quota." (Laughter.) See the position Sir Joseph was in? He was evidently going to devise some new kind of proportional representation. It was a case of "shut your eyes, open your mouth, and see what I'll give you." (Renewed laughter.) It looked as if Sir Joseph Ward was prepared to give proportional representation to the cities and allow the old system to prevail in the country. Yet he said at Winton last year, "I will not allow one system of representation in the coiintry and another system in the towns." THE LAND. The Liberal Party had been converted to the freehold and Sir Joseph Ward now declared himself in favour of "occupying owners." He was going

i to increase graduated tax, distinguish ing between highly improved land and i land not being so well farmed. But Mi Massey anticipated him, by announcing that the next development of his land policy would be along these very lines, Sir Joseph Ward came along six months afterwards with his scissors and paste , pot and quietly put Mr Massey's proposal into his own platform. (Laughter.) Prom 1906 to 1911, under Sir Joseph Ward, estates of between 10,000 and 20,000 acres were increased by 27; from 5000 to 10,000 acres, by 118; and from 1000 to 5000 acres by 1283; but there was no suggestion of any increase in the graduated tax in the manifesto ho put out before the election of 1911. But immediately the Reform Party came in, the Liberals started talking about the big estates in Hawke *s Bay. Why Were there any big estates left in Hawke's Bay after twenty years of Liberalism ? The Reform Party had increased ;the graduated tax very materially, with the result that there had been 337 sub-" divisions .in Hawke's Bay, averaging 111 acres each since the present Government came in. (Applause.) Between July 1912 and September 1914, 4559 settlers had been placed on Crown lands, and the area open for sale and selection was 1,447,894 acres. The private subdivisions amounted to 1,125,678 acres. The land acquired for settlement by the Government in 191314 was 141,062 acres, as against 13,399 acres in 1910-11, the last year of the Ward Government. (Applause.) ABOUT BORROWING, Sir Joseph 'Ward had said he was astounded at the borrowing proposals of the present Government.: He said the borrowing proposals this year amounted to £12,430,000. Sir Joseph Ward had taken the War Loan of two millions that any Government would have had to raise, and he had taken the £3,250,000 which it was proposed to spend on the railways over five years, although Mr Massey had said it would probably be eight years, and had added these to the authorities to borrow for advances to settlers and local bodies — authorities which existed, and in Acts passed by previous Governments. * All these huge sums were added together, and the public were led to believe that the Government intended to borrow the whole of it. Sir Joseph Ward knew it was not so, and there could be only one reason why ho made the statement, viz., for the purpose of getting a misleading statement before the people that would stick in their minds, and could only be removed with difficulty. Mr Jones added that the audience had probably heard the old saying, "A lie gets half way round the world before truth gets his boots on." Mr Allen had publicly stated that all the Government proposed to borrow this year was two millions and part of another million for back-blocks roads, ; the total amounting to £2,30,0,000. During the last two years of Sir Joseph Ward's Administration the public debt increased by £5 7/4 pei' head; and for the same period under the present Government the increase was £4 5/-. In the 27 months they had been in office they had borrowed two millions less than their predecessors had in the same time. Further, the taxation under Mr Massey had only gdfle up 6/2 per head, whereas in the last two years of the Ward Government it went up by 18/4. The increases under Mr Massey mainly came from the graduated land and income taxes, and from death levies, and did not affect the workers. (Applause.) A COMPARISON. Sir Joseph Ward, continued Mr Jones, proposes to borrow £2,300,000 for railway construction, and £700,000 for other public works. On the eve of last election he said at Lawrence, "One million a year is as much as this country could expect to borrow for railway construction." To-day Sir Joseph was prepared to borrow between two and three millions

A voice: The country has gone ahead. Mr Jones: Yes, it has gone on under the Massey Government. (Laughter and applause.) Mr Hiley's proposals were to borrow £.1,200,000 for railway improvements. These were A r ery important, particularly in Canterbury. Yet not one of the Liberal members in Canterbury lifted up his voice in support of those proposals. They adversely criticised them instead. Sir Joseph Ward said Mr Hiley's report was "electioneering." That was equivalent to charging Mr Hiley with sitting with Cabinet Ministers and concocting this report for political purposes. It. was a serious charge. The report was one of the best ever presented to Parliament. .The Liberals took exception to the suggestion to import locomotives, although they had done so themselves, and it was due to their neglect that the facilities were not provided for manufacturing them in New Zealand, and the Government, with 70 engines fit for the

- scrap heap, had no option in the-matter. 1 But Sir Joseph Ward, having condemned ' Mr Hiley's report, made -his , policy I speech three weeks later, and declared I that he was prepared to borrow * £500,000 a year for'the very improveJ ments Mr Hiley recommended. The s Government only proposed to spend, ■ £434,000. in their, first year, 4 ,Sir Joseph " had turned a complete somersault; and * swallowed Mr Hiley's whole scheme for * duplications and- other improvements. J Was the man who did this sort of thing \ the man to lead the country., during a ; critical time such as it was. passing through at present.' ; In 1911 Sir Joseph Ward criticised : . Mr Massey for saying th at the c ountry 1 could safely borrow three or four, millions a year. Sir Joseph said: "I am : dead against borrowing three or four millions a year. New Zealand would bp carried off its' feet if we borrowed the amount Mr Massey is prepared to bor-. row." Yet. Sir Joseph Ward now said he was in favour of borrowing three millions for public works alone. -

ADVANCES TO SETTLERS. Mr Jones then went on to make what he considered a serious disclosure in regard to Sir Joseph Ward and the Advances Department. In 1911 the Department, in a communication to Sii Josepl\ Ward, sent about a month before the elections, said it could only grant in future small "loans for local "bodies, They would have to cut down advances on country freeholds to £IOOO, and town freeholds to £SOO. They would also be unable to lend money for the redemption of mortgages. That was a month before the election, and the applications for loans came teeming in. The position should have been put before the people so they could have made other arrangements. On December 2 he said at Stirling that there were 14,000 applications for loans, and that they would be granted after the elections. But Sir Joseph Ward withheld the true position from the public, being more concerned about the of the elecjtions. .

THE DEPBESSION OF 1908. Mr Jones went on to recall the financial depression of 1908, and the way it was dealt with by the Ward Government. The first thing they did was to turn 1014 Civil Servants out on to the street, and it was very different at the present time. Although there was a great war raging, and the Government had three millions ■> of the Liberal Party's loans to redeem, the Government had not dismissed anyone. In addition, they were' finding employment for those who wanted it. (Applause.) PUBLIC BUILDINGS. Dealing with public buildings, Mr Jones said that Sir Joseph Ward had declared his intention of cutting the buildings vote in half. If the buildings vote was large during the past two years it was because the Eeform Party had been compelled to pay for the buildings (including £57,000 for the Government offices in Christchurch) of which Sir Josex>h had laid the foundation stones before he went o\it of office. Speaking at Winton in 1911, Sir Joseph said, ''The dullest intellect will realise that we must pay rent if we have not buildings of our own." Now he was evidently prepared to give up building and go back to paying rent. Yet in Hokitika, a languishing town, he spent £16,600 on buildings that are still only partially occupied. In Sydenham he built an expensive post office, half of which was still unoccupied. Let the audience compare this with the fact that fifteen years ago some Eangiora residents took up land in the Puhi district, Kaikoura. But they had to go without a road while money was lavished on public buildings in Hokitika. A voice: What has Massey done? Mr Jones: Our party put a vote on the Estimates for the road, and it will be completed this year.

THE TEBEMAKAU PIPE LINE. In the nineties some men went to the late Mr Seddon and wanted a pipe line over the Teremakau River. He refused, and would not waste money on it. After the 3908 election the Hon. E. McKenzio was approached on the same matter, and gave a decided refusal. He said he had worked there 40 years ago, and the field was a duffer. When the election of 1911 was approaching', the local people waited on Mr McKen/.ie again, and he agi-eed to give them their pipe line. It cost £26,000. Three shifts of men worked on it day and night, all through the elections, but the money might as well have been thrown into the Hokitika Harbour, because there had not only been a waste of public mono}', but there was the cost of upkeep in connection with a useless public work. MONOPOLIES. Dealing with monopolies, Mr Jones fcaid that his election circular contained an undertaking that he would support legislation empowering the Government to review prices fixed by trade com-

binations. Sir Joseph ;Ward had used his scissors again, arid liadput a similar plank in his own platform. i (Daughter.) The'reform' of the fiscal systeia would have: been carried out. by th«i ; present G overuirient Jbut for the special circumstances that had occurred to prevent it. •. The pubiie would not forget, > however, that Sir Joseph -'Ward had taken the ..tax off motor cars arid-put it on perambulators. " , OTHER .MATTERS. ;,: 1 Dealing with the allegations that the';• Government ha'd starved the Public Trust and had injured the State Fire Office, Mr Jones quoted figures to show that there- had been large increases fa the net profits of both under the present Government. He made an amusing reference to the only original proposal in Sir ; Joseph Ward's policy—-the. baby bonus—and touched on various pther topics, ..concluding a two-houi- speech amidst loud applause. • After a "number df questions had been! answered, Mr Jones' was unanimously accorded a hearty, vote of thanks. Cheers were given in the back of the -hall for Sir Joseph Ward, and reechoed with louder cheers for Mr Massey. ; . ■ /■•'':':■'''!; Y ./'./ '■■.•■■'■•,■