MR JAS. ALLEN, M.P.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 57, 22 June 1908, Page 2

MR JAS. ALLEN, M.P.

MEETING AT STIRLING. There was ft good average attendance |t Mi«" Alleirs meeting at Stirling the hall being aboutijhalf fulliv Included in tho number wffce a dozen ladies, and about":;fthe sass number of electDrs from Balolutha to hear the member for Bruce.

Mr T. A. Johnston, who was voted to the chair, said Mr Allen was tbare to give them -an account' of his stewardship, and at the rame time to deal with other public questions of interest at the present time. Two important measures had become law since Mr Allen had last addro«»ed them, the Land Bill and the Dominion Bill. Under the latter New Zealand was no longer a colony but a Dominion, and the members wore ro longer M.H.R's, but M.P'b. No doubt the members vould be better known all over the world itfl M.P'b than as M.H.R's. He felt sure it was quite unnecessary to «ek it Stirling audience to give Mr Allen a patient hearing.—(Applause.) Mr Allen, who was well received, said that no doubt, as tht chairman had said, the title M.P. would be better known throughout thi world than M.H.R., and he hoped the higher title would lead to "higher idealf. He had "written to Mr Job. Mosley, the councillor for the district, asking him to take the ehair that evening, and had received a reply, stating that he could not be present, as he lad promised to speak at a social to Mr Jai. Bell. Mr Allen was vary tsorry indeed {hat he had „fixed his meeting for the same night as a fl «eial to Mr Bell, but ha did not knogr t.f it in time; Mr Mosley's letter wa« th* first he had heard of it. However, einee arriving there he had hoard thai the Social had been postponed. Proceeding, Mr Allen »atd he was very pleaeed to fee bo many ladies present* TBI NEW ELECTORATES, deferring to the alteration in the electoral boundaries, Mr Allen wid he had raised his roiee against it. Ther* should be community of intercut and natural boundaries, but neithts of these had been regarded in ike new electorates. The T&ieri rivor was a natural boundary at the one side. Instead of that, however,, the laieri electorate now came up past Waihola to Milburn, and took in Taieri Beach, places whose interest were in Bruce and not in Taieri, and.in the fiiiße of Taieri Beach the lnterestfl were conflicting. He believed it was possible last session to have left things as they were. That was to say, the same number of electorates for the South Island though their boundaries would be readjusted as necessity existed. It was said it-might be done yet. He doubted it; he was afraid it was now too late, but if it could, be done he would do his best for it. If re-elected, he could only soy he would do his best for the new part of Bruce the same as he had done for the old. It was said he was to have strong opposition this ter.) "Well, I don't mind. I'll play it straight, and 1 asU everybody els© to play it straight. I want no undttrhafid work, but a fair, straight-out fight." NATIONAL ANNUITIES. 1 have not always been in opposition. I was elected to support Sir Harry Atkinson in 1887. Jn ISBB Sir Harry brought down a National Annuities scheme. It was scoll'ed ut. Now it is the policy of the present Government. We often talk rwuout the Government doing this and that. It's not the Government, it's the Parliament—the people themselves who are responsible. It was the duty of every Government to assist the poor and needy, and it was the desire of every Government to do that. There were three conditions that Mr Allen judged every scheme of National Annuities by : 1. It must be financially sound; 2. Provision must be made to encourage those who are willing to help themselves. One is almost afraid to mention the word "thrift' now-a-days, but thrift is etill ft virtue ; 3. That those who are tolo poor to help themselves should be assisted by the State. "On these three principles I stand firm." The men who are now in power opposed Sir Harry Atkinson's scheme, yet they are now adopting it as a policy measure. Certainly the approach towards ths Opposition has been most marked. National Annuities is a liberal scheme. 1 claim to be a Liberal, and I have always supported it. SUGGESTED COALITION. The Government P»rts wa» not ft homogenous party ; there were men in it who would be with tho Opposition if they had their own way. Then there was "the tail." He agreed with Mr Kerr Hardie that the time was not yet ready for it 4to strike, but it was organising fos 1911. If Sir Joseph Ward did Hot wan* the Socialistic and Hadieal tail low him say so. It is suggested tho Opposition should wipe itself out. It yould do nothing of the kind, 31 Sir Joseph wants to get rid of the tail referred to, let him «ay to the eountry "I'll clear my ofl the Socialistic and Radical clement*." And if he does that, continued Mr Allen, and wante us, we will com© in on fair terms. We must be represented in tha Ministry in proportion to our strength in the country. But it was not the Government or Opposition who were talking of coalition. It was outsiders. If there was to be coalition it must be on fair lines. LAND, We urged limitation of area five or six years ago. They told us it was impossible. To-day it is on the Statute Book. I believe in a man being allowed the option of acquiring the freehold of his land. I believe in a man getting a reward for his la*oour, and being given the option of making his home his own.—(Loud applause.) It was the Opposition that first suggested the Graduated Tax in preference to a forced sale and a limited market, and I can tell you we have received no thanks from tho large landowners for it. No one would dream of commuting his 999 years'

lease unless the new valuation would be cheaper than that on which ha is now paying rent> therefore, the Slate is thi loser every time. No one objects to endowments, but nine million acres of poor land—hill tops—is a mere drop ia,.the bucket, and they wore only set • aside to kill the freehold. The land is of no use unless people go on to it and make it revenue, producing. ;• Give the people every inducement to go on the land; give them the option of the freehold if they . want it.—(Applause.) . LEGISLATIVEI COUNCIL. ~,-...., There is not a man in the country who can say he is satisfied with the Legislative Council as it is now. Tho members of 'it are nearly all from the towns. As it is, it is a useful piece of patronage in the hands of the Government. It should be elected by the people, and the country people should bo adequately represented. GOVERNMENT VOTES. The present system of voting moneys on the Estimates was a farce. We are asked to vote a million or more of money, two or three hundrtd thousand of which is for roads and bridges, _ of which we know absolutely nothing. There must be some other system. Not only are tho Estimates unsatisfactory, but the expenditure is equally Unsatisfactory. The expenditure on Otago rail way s last year was only 66 per cent of the moaey voted by Parliament, whereas on the West Coast it was 109 pe» cent. In many cases the expenditure exceeded what Parliament authorised. Tha Tourist vote, for instance, wae exceeded, whereas the vote for loads and Bridge* was £170,008 lew than what Parliament roted. The Goldfields vote had been underspent by £39,000, and the vote for Landß Improvement by £15,000. If ike moaey votod by Parliament was not to be spent, then the voting of it was a faree, He directed attention to heavy increase of expenditure ua certain avenue*. The expenditure on Pablie Building* had increased from £70,000 per annam to £227,000 per annum in the laet twelvo years.HA Voice: "Balclutha Post paiee. )—You should have eaid Wellington post oihee.—(Laughter.) The expenditure on the Bunedin railway station was far nhead of the tijnes. The Public tyorks expenditure had increased by over one million in ten years. The Tourist vote was also increasing at an unjustifiable rate. THE TARIF.

In a glteat many cases in the Tariff Bill the Government and the Opposition were in accord. But we differed from the Government in some things. The Government reduced the duty on lace and laces, and increased it on dairy and mining machinery. We would not have done the latter. I believe the breakfast table should be as free as possible.—(Applause.) For that reason I voted against the flour duty. 1 have been criticised for doing so, but I have a strong conviction that no unnecessary restriction should be placed on articles of. food.(Applause.) The duty on hoisery and boots were also increased. I opposed *hat,-(Hear, hear.) Incidentally, Mr Allen mentioned that he approved of the reduction of the interest on loans to local bodies, and had opposed the increaso put on a few years ago, as he saw no necessity for it, SOCIALISM. Mr Allen then dealt with the constitution of the Ministry and Single Tax. Under the Single Tax, all the cost of Government would be taken out of the land; everything else would be free. The single-taxer would raise the tax on the land till he gets the full rental value out of it. In this way the single-taxer would take the freehold fro,m the man on the land, and leave him in the position of a tenant. There were Socialists and Socialists. There are Socialists who want to pay for what they want to nationalise, but the single-taxer would not do that; he r would simply tax the man out of It ' Now, as he put it to Mr Eowlds, if the State was to seize the land by means of taxation, why should they not do the same in regard to a merchant or draper ? He had not got Mr Fowld's reply yet» The Socialist is the man who would do away with capital, with private ownership, and with hard work and thrift. And whese does he find himself. He takes away all the incentive that makes life possible, that makes for the uplifting and perfection of the race. The Continental Socialist would do away with the family tie, and the Church, and shere are men in New Zealand to-day who! would do the same thing. CONSTRUCTIVE POLICY.

He had, eo far, indicated some of the points of difference bQfcween the Government oad the ©pposition. But no politiciaa was Vozth hio malt unless ha could form c, ©ofistmetive policy. H« vould support a National' Annuities scheme, bocauite you encourage the, people to provide for themselves. Thi State hop also to improve She surroundings erf ike children, end to look after the ahildrcr. of tender years where the misrountßogß are not good, &t tha aged from loir to six years. The Free Kindergartens are doing oxc&llent wo*k. OUE EDUCATION SYSTEM, is good, but it has nmny faults and weaknesses. Much of our technical education is designed for the cities, because we in the country are not organised. The requirements of the town and the country are so different that the country interests require organising. Education is a great means of bringing equality to all. Fate has put it in my hands-to be mor« closely in touch with higher education than with primary education. I don't think our University is in close enough touch with the industries of the country, and I want it to be closer in touch with them. We have done the best possible with the money, and we have now got a Veternary School granted. We want to train men at the University who will benefit the farming community. We want to send out men who will go out as inspectors for the Agricultural Department, in the country districts, not as onemiea of the former, but as

friends and advisers of the farmers. We hope, too, that the day is not far distant when the farmer will get practical benefit from the scientific training at the University. % I would like to see the country districts brought more in touch with our University. DEFENCE. On this subject, Mr Allen spoke shortly, urging the need for. greater attention to it, *• You have, he said, seen the rise of Japan, and you will soon see the rise of China. PROPOSED MOLYNEUX HARBOUR BOARD. There were soma local questions to which he would refer. There was the Molyneux Harbour Board question. There was a proposal to form a Harbour District to Keep out of Duntxlin; but some wanted a harbour at the riven mouth. He knew the feeling of the electorate generally on the question—one part favoured it, the other did not. If the electorate was divided on the question, he must represent that it was so in Parliament. He would not • be doing his duty if he did not. When a member's eonstituents were divided on a question, as they were on this one, the member was placed in a very awkward position. A HOT CORNER. It was said they, were going to make it hot for him there at next election.—(Laughter.) It wa« said that they were going te> bring out a strong man to oppose him. It was a hot eorner thits.—(Laughter.) Well, he did not mind. He would make it as warm at they liked. He understood some of those who were not his friends -ycre going round asking "What has Jimmy Allen done for Bruce ?" Well, a maa could not represent a distriet lor 17 yeais without making some enemies. The suggestion is put that I have not got enough rotes for the distriet. I hate parading the votes I got. I sever I did such a thing, and I don't want credit on the votes I got. He trae content with having dona his duty and the people knowing he bed done it. Some men based their daius-for election on the votes that they *ewre able to bring back with them. He did not ask them to return him as their member on those lines. But I while he claimed ihat he had done his duty as a member of Parliament to his constituents, and to the country as a whole, yet he claimed also that although he had never paraded what he had done, he had attended well to the material wants of the district.—(Applause.) He had not got all he asked for ; no member ever got ail he asked for, for the simple reason that the Treasurer could not give everybody all they asked for. But Mr Allen thought that Bruce had got a fair share. He read a few of the votes for that corner, and referred to the Estimates for the votes for the electorate generally. 1 think it a pretty tidy sum, said Mr Allen, and someone interjected "Better tham Clutha," whereat Mr Allen remarked that he thought' it wan pretty fair anyway, which statement was greeted with applause. STRONG OPPOSITION, It was reported that there wai to be strong opposition to him at the next election; that they were to bring out a strong man against him. He took it as a high compliment that they were trying to get a strong man to oppose him.—(Hear, hear.). But it will need to be a strong Man. (Loud applause.) I take it as a very high compliment to the member for Bruce that the Premier should devote so much attention to his speeches. He took it that the Premier took it that he (Mr Allen) was a pretty strong man.—(Applause.) I invite the strong man to eome along. I promise him a good clean fight. I don't object to a fight, and let it be as strong as they like. I promise you it will be clean and straightr-and above; board on my part, and as hot as they like it. I hope it will be the same on the other side. lam not afraid of a fight. I don't know where the opposition comes in here. They were in our party once, and I think I am representing the district very much as they would probably do it if they were in my place—only that perhaps I do it a little better.—(Applause.) WORD OF ADVICE. If. there are men trying to discredit me by telling you that I am neglecting the material wants of Bruce, send them along to me. I want you to know that evil stories are being eirculated for a purpose. Come to me and tell me about tkem. If they are true I'll admit it; if they are not true I'll go straight to tho man and see about it.—(Applause.) They eaa have a clean fight, I assure you, but I want it clean. lam going to ask you for a renewal of the confidence you have reposed in me fo* the last seventeen years, and, what is more, I believe I shall get it from you. During that time I have endeavoured to do my duty to the people ot Bruce and to the people of the Dominion as a whole. Mr Allen resumed hifl sufct at the close of an hour and a-half'i telling and spirited address amid loud and hearty applause. THANKS AND CONFIDENCE. Mr J. C. Bishop moved a hearty vote of thanks to Mr Allen for his address, and also a vote of eonfidence in him as their member. It was a great pity there were not more men of Mr Allen's stamp in the House. Mr Joseph Smith seconded the motion. Mr Allen had done vary well during the last 17 years. An regards the coming election, there were wars and rumours of wars, but he thought Mr Allen had still a good chance of coming out on top.—(Applause.) The vote, on a show of. hands, was carried unanimously. i Mr Allen briefly thanked them for their hearty vote, and moved a vote of thanks to the chair, which closed j a very good meeting.