TAKEN TO TASK.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 251, 23 October 1928, Page 5

TAKEN TO TASK.

"GARDEN OF THE EMPIRE"

NEW ZEALAND'S DESTINY.

UIfITED'S POLICY AND LEADER

MR. ST ALL WORTHY'S CAMPAIGN.

"New Zealand is destined to be the garden of the British Empire," declared Air. A. J. Stallworthy, the United party's candidate for Eden seat, in opening his campaign at the Epsom Library last evening. Mr. Stallworthy went to considerable pains to convince his audience that the United party, following in the steps of the old Liberals, would do all that they claimed they would do; that deeds rather than words would be their aim.

In introducing the candidate to the audience, the'ehairman, Mr. G. H. White, J.P., said that Mr. Stallworthy, -whose father had been one of the straightest members of the Seddon Government, had been largely responsible, as a member of the City Council, in bringing about considerable improvement in the roads and playing areas in the Eden district.

"Eden is a new electorate, and no candidate has the right to say that he expects to be re-elected for this particular district," said Mr. Stallworthy. The candidate was not thdre to ask any man or woman for a vote, but to offer his services as his or her representative in Parliament. If elected he would be able to give all his time to'his representative duties. "There is a great deal a member of Parliament can do for his constituents, both in a social way and in a business way," said the speaker. Reference was next made to the great uplift of the Dominion by the Liberal Government towards the end of the last century. The country had been in dire straits, and the Reformers had said that nothing could be done, and that conditions were so bad that there was no remedy. Mr. Seddon had said that something must be done, and it had been done. Sir Joseph Ward had said that it could be done again. Surely such a man was the one wanted to lead the new party? (Applause.) "A Dismal Pessimism." "Where there is no vision the people perish; our leaders must be men of j vision," continued the candidate. "Sir Joseph conceived and inaugurated the Advances to Settlers Scheme, and a new interest and a new hope came to our people. This is no extravagant picture; lit is all in the Year Book. The Reformers said, 'It can't be done,' and they are saying the same thing again now. A more dismal pessimism was never preached in this country. "You were told that the United party had no policy and no leader, but those statements were falsified. To-day the Government admit we have a leader and a policy that, in the words of Mr. Williams, is 'a perfect bombshell,' and one which may wake up some of those on the Treasury, Benches." Mr. Stallworthy next replied to recent criticisms of the United party and its leader. It had been saiil that the party was barren of leadership. Was that a fair criticism of Sir Joseph Ward? Sir Joseph was a statesman of no mean standing. He had been called to the Old and politicians there had been glad to hear his opinions. Sir Joseph had proved himself through the troublous times from 1914 to 1918. He had been called into the Coalition Governr ment after his defeat by Mr. Massey at the polls, and at the end of the war he had been able to hand over f7,000,000 which had allowed the country to face the after-war period. Electors were also being told that the United party, had no standing. Such talk was deliberate election propaganda on the part of the Government and Labour candidates. The latter were attempting to throw sawdust into the eyes of the voters and to put up a smoke screen. One Labour party candidate had referred to the United party as a lot of ne'er-do-wells. Personally he felt proud to be associated with such men as constituted the United party. Yet another Labour candidate had said that the United party was not a' serious force in the country. He believed that it was.so tremendous a force that it was going to give the Reform Government the first serious challenge of its history. In the speaker's opinion the United party was going to the Treasury I Benches, but .if it did not it certainly would be the official Opposition. No Apology. The candidate then stressed the difficulties of building up a party to oppose the Government. The conference at Wellington, where the party's policy was formed, had been unique in New Zealand political history. Members had not. been told by their leader that if they did not like the policy they could go home. They had not been treated like Mr. Harris had been by Mr. Coates. Instead of the party's poJ/cy dictated, members had met together, evolved a policy, and submitted it to the .party leader. "We chose our policy and our leader, and we make no apology for either," said Mr. Stallworthy.

"I put it to you that we can't afford unemployment," said the candidate in mentioning that last year the Auckland Hospital Board paid out £34,000 for charitable rtlief, and that this year the figure would be £40,000, while the Government last year paid £510,000 for relief works. Even in the Eden constituency there were people who were sorely pressed, and it could not be denied that' unemployment existed on quite a large scale throughout the Dominion. He did not think i$ right to say that the unemployment in New Zealand was due to the conditions overseas. The Dominion was able to sell every ounce of the primary products she exported, and could secure very satisfactory prices for them.

One of the great causes of the present unhappy condition of affairs, continued the candidate, was the mistaken policy of the soldier settlement scheme, which had cost the country more than £17,000,000. He criticised the Dairy Control Act as a bloomer which had cost the country £20,000,000. In the matter of over immigration, the Government had deliberately pursued its policy, despite warnings. Another factor which had contributed towards the present conditions was the. Government's interfer-. ence in business. Lastly there was over taxation.

Reverting to the unemployment question, Mr. Stallwortby, after quoting from a prisons board report, said that a number of boys who were unable to find employment were drifting into crime, a fact that was a disgrace to the Government; In conclusion, Mr. Stallworthy summarised the intentions and policy of the United .party. The candidate was accorded a unanimous* vote of thanks and connuenee.