GENERAL ELECTION,

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 244, 15 October 1925, Page 10

GENERAL ELECTION,

A MERRY EVENING MR. OAKLEY BROWNE'S ADDRESS. LIBERALISM AND LABOUR. "A GOVERNMENT OF HUMBUG." Thorc wore many merry moments at St. Benedict's Hall last night, when Mr. H. Oakley Browne, Liberal candidate for Auckland East addressed a crowded gathering, estimated at over 600 electors. It was a rowdy start, the candidate being saluted with volleys of criticism and questions from a section of his audience the moment he stood up to speak—a fact which greatly worried the chairman (Mr. R. T. Michaels), but did not in the least perturb Mr. Oakley Browne, ■who, shouting louder than the loudest of his opponents, declaring he "rather liked it." On the whole, lie had a good reception, though interjections were frequent throughout. He was very frequently applauded, and at the conclusion •was heartily cheered. "I will support the National party in all Liberal matters and in all its Liberal policy," said the candidate. "I expect, and have no doubt I will receive, the support of all who believe in Liberal doctrines." (Applause.) Liberalism, he affirmed, was the only solution to the difficulties which were facing the country to-day. There was extreme Conservatism on the one hand, and Labour on the other—and he was not against Labour; lie did not call them "Bolshies" and Communists. (Applause.) He remembered that it was the working people of New Zealand who had put the Liberals in power. They had for a long while now been out of power. A voice: Taking a holiday. Mr. Oakley Browne: Yes, and it is a good thing to have a holiday, too. You are all the better for it. Replying to an interjection, the candidate asked why it was that Labour had 6ent a man all the way to Invercargill to fight Sir Joseph Ward. A voice: Well, why did you go down and contest the Wellington* North seat ? That is a fair question. ("Hurrahs" from the rear of the hall.) Mr. Oakley Browne replied that he had not intended to contest that seat. At that time he was Liberal organiser for New Zealand, and a Liberal candidate could not be found to contest Wellington North. Sir Joseph Ward instructed him to stand—only three weeks before the election—and despite the fact that a man who had no earthly chance of election, polled 2000 votes—taken from him —he was beaten by Sir John Luke by about 400 votes. (Applause.) Liberalism's Great Record. Liberalism, before going into tlie shade 13 years ago, said Mr. Oakley Browne, had inaugurated a good immigration policy, and it.placed the settlers on the land when they came here—it did not leave them to walk the streets out of work. Other great measures passed by Liberalism were the Shops and Offices Act, Land Settlement Act, Advances to Settlers Act, franchise for women, conciliation and arbitration, workmen's compensation, land settlement, national provident fund, workers' dwellings, old age pensions, and other reforms. The Reform party, impelled by Sir Walter Buchanan, said old age pensions would be a blot on New Zealand. The Minister of Lands. Mr. McLeod, was now the reincarnation of Sir Walter Buchanan, and this Government was the reincarnation of the old Reform Government. "I am an uncompromising opponent of Reform," declared the candidate /because it stands for wealth and 'property and vested interests. Anything this Government has given the people has had to be squeezed out of it. Just before Parliament adjourned what did it do? It increased the old-age pension by 2/6 a week—a sop to Cerberus!" In 1911 the Liberal party was not beaten. But it met in the following February, when a no-confidence motion was defeated by the casting vote of the Speaker. There were unfortunately some backsliders among the Liberals. "I am sorry for those unfortunate men who so dishonoured Liberalism as to place and keep a Conservative Government in power. (Applause.) The Reform party is a party of pretence, of promises and non-performance." (Applause.) A voice: A party of humbugs Mr Oakley Browne: Yes; I agree with you Sir Joseph Ward, he repeated, defeated the no-confidehce motion by the casting vote of the Speaker. The Reform party was so "sporting" that it refused a pair for Mr. Wilford, although Mr. Wilford was away in England undergoing an operation. Sir Joseph Ward resigned, and Sir Thomas Mackenzie was elected Prime Minister at a meeting of Caucus. When Parliament met again in June, Mr. Massey was made Prime Minister, and Sir Thomas Mackenzie—"the man who sold the Liberal party"—was made High Commissioner for New Zealand in London. Hypocrisy ana Humbug. Mr. Oakley- Browne named the Liberals who "ratted" on the memorable occasion he referred to, Messrs. J. A. Millar, Gordon Coates ("Yes, I am sorry to say Mr. Coates 'ratted'"), "Toby" Rhodes, Vernon Reed (who was disqualified from sitting in the House of Representatives for 12 months, and was later on given a seat in the Upper House), 'and Clark, of Dunedin. The Reform Government lived by giving privilegese and by Intrigue; it had never yet had a majority of the people. (Applause.) "If the Reform Government is so frightened of the alleged 'Red Feds,' 'Communists' and 'Bolshies,' why did it put up candidates against Liberals, and so give seats ,to Labour?" This was only another instance of Reform's pretence, hypocrisy and humbug." After detailed criticism of the Reform Government and its leader, the candidate declared: "I am not for the Labour party because the men on top know that their policy is one incapable of being carried into effect." "11l tell you what will stop wars," he told an interjector. "I believe we should nave conscription of wealth as well as conscription of men. That would stop all "wars." r at, T^ c! Sir Jose P h w °uldn't like that. {.Laughter.)

Mr. Oakley Browne claimed not to be a destructive, but a constructive critic. He was giving them a policy of common sense. Reform Taxes the Poor. Mr. Coates said he was not a politician. What was he going to do when questions of policy came up. When a man professing to lead the House of Representatives said he was not a politician— advertised that he knew nothing of politics—it was time the public said: "Let us have someone at the head of the Government who knows something about politics." (Hear, hear.) A voice: Harry Holland. (Cheers from the rear of the hall.) This so-called Reform Government imposed taxation on the poor through the Customs, said the candidate, but it was mighty careful how it taxed wealth. Did it try to reduce the price of building or of cement? It gave Customs protection at the rate of £1 a ton against British and £1 10/ a ton against foreign imported cement to aid a local monopoly which had an enormous output, not only for building, but for road construction. He believed in encouraging local production, but not in fostering a local monopoly. (Applause.) The freight imported cement had to pay should be quite sufficient protection. Why was it, he asked, that the price of bricks was so much cheaper in New South Wales than in New Zealand? A voice: Because New South Wales has a Labour Government. Mr. Oakley Browne: Yes, but not a Labour Government that wants to socialise everything. Both the State and private individuals are making bricks at half the price charged here in Auckland —and they are better bricks. industrial Councils Favoured. "Unemployment makes for unhappiness and unrest," declared the candidate. "If we had statesmen in office they would find a solution of the problem. I favour the Manchester idea of setting up industrial councils. If industry must have a surplus of labour to call upon, it is only logical that industry should keep the unemployed. "If the Arbitration Court has outlived its usefulness let us get something more in keeping with the requirements of the day." (Vociferous applause from the rear of the hall.) The candidate roundly slated the Government for its effrontery in reserving the Orakei block allegedly for workers homes, and then asking £500 for a section. "Yes," he said to a Labour interjector, "and they say some of your Labour friends now living in Remuera are going to Orakei to live, so that they can be more exclusive." (Laughter.) "You'd make a good Labour man," called an elector, after listening to some pronouncedly radical views expressed by the candidate. "Yes, down in Wellington I used to speak on the wharf," said the candidate, "and they carried mc off, saying 'Come and join the Labour party.'" A voice: Oh, cut that out. (Great laughter.) Another voice: I did not see you carried off the wharf, and I was down in Wellington. Still another voice (to the last interjector) : A d pity you didn't stop there. (Yells of laughter.) "I stand for Labour, and Liberalism. stands for Labour," declared the candi- ' date. "But we stand for what we know we can get—not for those things which we know we can't get." (Applause.)