LIBERAL CAMPAIGN.

Auckland Star, Volume 55, Issue 112, 13 May 1924, Page 6

LIBERAL CAMPAIGN.

1 I OPENED BY MR. WILFORD. TIME TO CLEAR THE STABLES,' EXTRAVAGANCE AND ECONOMIES, (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) H NAPIER, Monday ' Mr. T. M. Wilford, M.P., opening tht Liberal-Labour political campaign in 'Waipukurau to-night, said the party had decided to visit all the electorate! represented by Reform members. H, declared his party did not stand for any' class. He characterise I the Refona party as docile servants of the wealthy The Liberals agreed with tlie remark rf' ! Mr. Massey in 1912 that it was a good thing for a Government to feel another ' coming along. The time had arrived for* a 1 clearing of the stables. When the Liberals left the National'Government in 1019, complained Mr. Wilford, the expenditure from the Consolidated Fund wae £18,673,599, but ' ' three years later it had jumped to £28.! 466,835. The economics the Prime ister claimed to have effected were forced on him by the extravagance of the I Government. The advances to settlers system was put on the .Statute Book by the Liberals, but to-day *.he Reform party walked it about as if it were its own child. From the funds of that department the Government had collared £2,000,000 f :>r investment in war loans. This money had boen taken from those' who T-'anted it and should have been ' replaced. He had charged the Prime ' Minister in the House with taking money from the department. He would like to" know whether portion of the recent loan for State advances was to repay this money or was fresh' money Continuing, Mr. Wilford said Mr" Masse.rs love of the State Advances Department was due to the fact that he saw the Liberals' proposal for an agricultural bank, the chief point about which was a long-term mortgage and the repayment of principal with interest. There would be no short-term mortgages' j They (the Liberals) advocated a "state bank to work in conjunction with the agricultural bank. Reference had been made by him to a market in the East for our produce, but" the Government was cold to his proposal."' The soldier settlers scheme had been; carried out in a wasteful -way, and newi' it was necessary to write off millions / ; of pounds and bring the value down to» reasonable figure. In reference to the Imperial Conference, the speaker said ■: Mr. Maesey on previous occasions had represented the country with dignity,' : but on the last occasion had lost both, | hie dignity and temper- Mr. Wilfordj ■who had been given a sympathetic hear-" ing, was accorded a vote of thanks.--"'4 LABOUR AND POLITICS. THE RAILWAY STRIKE. | LIBERAL PARTY'S POLICY. ... SPEECH BY MR. MASTERS, f (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) ■'■ STRATFORD, this day. Mr. R. Masters, member for Stratford, " and a member of the Liberal-Labouif.. Executive, addressed a good audience in. the" Town Hail last night, generally cri-v ticising the Maesey Government's ad"ministration and finance, and dealing especially with railways and the recent • I strike. I Mr. Masters said the Liberal party I was opposed to strike methods, and I would not tolerate direct action. They stood by their own legislation. The only proper procedure was for employer * and employee to have their differences settled in a constitutional manner by the Arbitration or Conciliation Court. Where Mr. Seddon stood in 1894 wita'. regard to strikes, the Liberal party stood in 1924. Unfortunately -both Labour party and Reform party had taken - advantage of the late strike* for political purposes, and the real issue from the outset was obscured, while claims and counter claims were clouded by political propaganda. The railway employees - 'became, merely a pawn in the game. Revr Zealand was not going to be dictated toby such irresponsible leaders as hid organised strikes in various parts. Mr. • Masters predicted that the time was not far distant when the A.S.R.S. would cut adrift from the Alliance of Labour. The railwaymen's representatives at the conference had not shown mature, judgment, and had acted in a hasty manner, ■without the serious thought that war due to the men they represented and the public of New Zealand. No self-respect-ing man could have acted otherwise than the Minister of Railways had done in rejecting the ultimatum given. Discussing the points at issue, tht : speaker contended every man was justly entitled to a wage • that would enable' mm to keep his family in comfort, that : would provide his children with good', education and make him something more .than a chattel for his employer. . In 1921, Mr. Masters said, the same general manager and the same Government, granted the second division a 44-hour . week. We found now, when the net, earnings of the railways were higher' than they were when the reduction in hours was granted, that the Minister rsr/ verses his former decision, and demands . that men shall work 48 hours. The Minister made a statement that if the men went back to 48 hours he did not.; propose to dispense with the services of,. any of them. It was therefore proposed to work four hours a -week more, not to I Io any more work, and they would be. paid £168,146 per annum for having : the F w ork spread over a longer period. , The speaker generally condemned the-: railway administration, and said tht . Liberal party represented neither the,, extreme of public or political opinion, it stood for settling all industrial trouble . in regard to wages by arbitration and conciliation, and the conduct of the railways by proper business methods without waste and extravagance. Soldier settlement was severely criticised by Mr. Masters, it being pointed out that on a fifteen thousand acre set- , tlement at Whangamomona not a soldier remained. A motion approving of the Lib- ; era! party's policy of appointing a permanent board in connection with ! railway administration was carried unanimously, and also a vote of thanksand confidence in Mr. Masters as its representative in Stratford.