WAIKATO ELECTORATE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 215, 11 September 1925, Page 3

WAIKATO ELECTORATE.

REFORM FIRES FIRST SHOT. STUART REID AT NGAHINEPOURI. (From Our Own Correspondent.) HAMILTON, Thursday. The official candidate (Mr. Stuart <Reid) for the Reform party in the Waikato electorate, opened fire at NgahineIpouri last evening before a very fair audience. Mr. P.yburn (chairman) detailed events that led up to the selection of Mr. Reid, and also gave an outline of Mr. Reid's public life. Mr. Reid, who spoke fluently, dealt largely on the benefits that the Reform party had bestowed on New Zealanders, and what the Liberals had neglected to do or even could do. In speaking of the late Mr. Massey as Minister of Finance, i the speaker said it was ridiculous to compare Sir Joseph Ward or the late t Richard Seddon with Mr. Massey. A ! I child could have financed Avith the | I opportunities the latter gentlemen had j compared with the strenuous times of JMr. Massey. They got money for 3$ ' per cent, against 5 and 6 per cent that 'Mr. Massey had to pay. There was not a man on the Opposition side that could touch Mr. Massey or hold a candle to him. Now they had selected Mr. Coates to follow that great man, and lie (the speaker) was going to follow him, for jhe was a strong man, and that class of man was needed to fight the "Red jFeds." j Pealing with the public debt, Mr. ' [Reid said that although this Avas still ! large, chiefly on account of war expen- '. 'diture, it was not so serious as it first ! appeared. Much of the money had been ' j raised in New Zealand, the amount being £104,000,000, and the interest of this was being circulated in the Dominion.' Also the large sums raised for advances to settlers and workers were beneficial to the parties borrowing. The Government, contended Mr. Reid, ; had done right in reAaluing the soldiers' lands, and so placing them on a sound footing. Tiie result was that, instead of disgruntled and dissatisfied men, they had now contented, satisfied settlers. No part of the British Empire had done so much for the soldiers. The speaker said there had never been a more liberal and humane Government I than the present one. I Mr. Reid pointed out that the trade of the Dominion had more than doubled !in the last 11 years. In 1914 the export trade amounted to £48,177,543, and in "i 1925 the figures had risen "to £108,348,----464. The people's credit in the banks in 1914 was £27,640,507. and in 1925 it was £53,019.000. The P.O. Savings Bank vas an index of prosperity. The number of depositors was 852,148, showing an average of £04 per head. Much was I made by the Opposition that Customs i taxation had nearly doubled since 1918.! This was wrong, for, although the! amount was nearly double, this Avas owing to the prosperity of New Zealand. Imports in 1925 were more than double j that of 1918, and Gl per cent of this increase was on luxuries. Therefore it ! did not come heavy on the working man. i Mr. Reid said he was against duties on ; |the necessities of life. Mr. Reid enlarged on the pensions J given by the present Government, which, jhe said, were the most liberal of any, country. Mr. Reid gave his strong support to' the land policy of the Reform party, at the same time condemning the Labour party's policy on this question, which, said the speaker, 'if carried out, would i land the country in national insolvency i | very soon. As far as Labour was con-1 ! cerned, he wished to make it clear, very (clear in fact, that he AA-as criticising the j"Red Fed" element in the House at the j present time, the soap-box crowd, who I are never satisfied unless stirring up • strife in the British Empire. No one JAvas deserving of more respect and conI sideration than the genuine Avorking iman. He (the speaker) believed in good jmen being paid well,, but had no time I for wasters.