POLITICAL

Press, Volume L, Issue 14909, 6 March 1914, Page 9

POLITICAL

MR G. XV. RUSSELL, MP., AT PHILLIPSTOW}*. Mr G. XV. Russell, M.P. for Avon, delivered a political address in tho Phillipstovrn School last night. Thero was a good attendance, over which Mr J. M. Taylor presided. Amongst those present were Messrs L. M. Isitt, M.P., Mr Geo. Witty, M.P., Mr Jas. McCombs, M.P., Mr T. K. Sidey, M.P., and Mr H. G. Ell, M.P. Mr Russell was received with applause, and in tho course of his opening remarks he paid a tribute to the lato Mr Laurenson, M.P. Referring to last session, he said that owing to the incompetence and unpreparedness of tho Government, it was the longest on record. He' explained tho action of tho Opposition in regard to the stonewalls, and claimed that the stonewalls had been justified. Respecting the Opposition's fight against tho repeal of tho Second Ballot Act, he said the Liberals had fought for a clean election in opposition to minority representation. They were beaten, but not by ability or brain or by the Standing Orders, but by the Speaker exercising the closure and the guillotine. Tho Liberal Party stood for the transferable vote as the means of securing the expression of the views of tho country. It was being rumoured that the Government intended to propose proportionate representation for the four cit<'es, retaining the first past the post system for the country electorates. He considered that it would bo impracticable to have two different jnethods of election in operation iv tue same country at the same time. Dealing with tho position of tho Opposition, Mr Russoll said that Sir Josenh "Ward had declined to announce his policy, considering it imprudent to announce a policy that might be stolen. On the other hand, the Leader of the Opposition wanted to concentrate rmblic attention to the failures of the Government. He (the* - speaker) there ought to bo a clear definition of tho principles for which the Liberal Party stood. When Sir Joseph declared tho pokey of the' OpDosition, he honed it would be "so clear-cut «in its Liberalism that no Conservative Party would appropriate it. Liberalism must be founded on principles. They wero now engaged in re-creating the Liberal Party, and its foundations must be laid deep and true —more opportunism was useless. Ho did not believe that the present Government was prepared to call on the party it repre-, sented to make any sacrifices to make tho lifo of the people easier and brighter. All tho problems of poverty had not been solved by the Liberalsonly the fringe had been touched. It was the duty of Liberalism to tackle sickness, unemployment, incompetence, prostitution and immorality, and gambling and drinking, with the who.o force and machinery of the State. He contended that the fundamentals ot Liberalism were government by the people for the people, and not lor any class or section, and arising out of this was the right of the people to use the national credit to defeat monopoly an;d reduce the cost of living. Other fundamentals were:—Compelling the subdivision of the land to tne utmost limits of profitable occupation; setting a stan- ! dard of payment in the Public Service that would're-act on the wages paid by other employers; the development of the national" estate by means of public works; to retain the undeveloped mineral wealth of the Dominion and work it; the establishment of State farms and workshops to provide employment for the delicate and infirm and those who have passed the meridian of lifo; the right of every child to good health and the highest education pro- j curable —(applause) —tho right of every person to medical and legal assistance; the duty and responsibility of the State to assist parents in rearing families; the proper provision for the old age ot those who have raised families: and the j right ef every honourable and rightlivinn- man and woman to a reasonable share of tho comforts and hnppiness of life. (Applause.) These were his ideas, and were not intended to commit the Leader of the LiDerai Party or tho party itself. Ho dealt at some" extent with tho finances of th«* Dominion, asserting that tho present Government had increased taxation and expenditure. Comparing the results with the undertakings of.the Government orior to assuming power/Tie contended that it had not delivered tho goods. Referring to the latest loan raised he said that he believed that Mr Allen could have gone o« the market for a loan at 34 per cent., instead of 4 per cent. He did not think it likely that he would attempt to raise a loan at Z_ per cent, to renew Mr Mvers's loan, aa that would he an admission of the advantages of short-dated loans. There had been much hurrahing in the Conservative Press on account of the fact that Mr Allen's latest loan was subscribed twice over, but at the same time that New Zealand floated its loan, the Prussian Government nad raised Is*> millions and got it subscribed 75 times over. He protested against the new deoarture made in the State's borrowing on the -London market—in the direction of borrowing for Treasury bills and for local l-odies. In doing this. To quote the words of John Ballance, they

were placing tho country iv a stato of servilo dependence on the London money market. Within three years the national debt would total £100,000.000, and he knew of no more pressing problem than that of self-reliance, and tho weaning of the country from servile reliance on tho London market. Dealing with the land question, he said that in his opinion the question of tenure had been settled. In order to satisfy the earth huncer. to turn city dwellers into producers, and to give tho youth of the country opportunity to get on tho land he advocated State Socialism. Speaking of the Government's naval defence policy he said that one cruiser ot tho Bristol typo would bo useless to protect the trade routes of the. Dominion. He advocated* the :*eestablishment of naval brigades and the providing of four torpedo boat destroyers, at a cost of £5G2 (*OO. and four submarines at a cost of £488,000, one of to be stationed nt each of the four principal ports. The annual cost would bo £123,000, and this should bo taken off the cost of land defence. He advocated the reduction of the age up to which men should be compulsorily tr&ined from 25 years to 21 yeans. Though tho present syste v was compulsory, the obligation was not universal. There were more men available, and the Government had admitted that it could not provide the funds to train every youth that was available. It was unfair that some young men should be compelled under severe penalties to serve under the flag whilst others were not asked to mako any such sacrifice. (A voice: "You jre climbing down": and laughter). If tlio age were reduced to twenty-one it would tend to remove a great deal of the discontent that at present existed. He did not identify the Liberal Party with these views, which expressed his own personal opinions. Referring to tho proposed reduction of tho majority for National Prohibition, he said that the problem was a fiscal one as well as a moral one, and those who advocated the reduction of the majority ought to explain how the loss of revenue was to De made good. He urged the greater development of the industries of the Dominion. He was a State (Socialist, and believed that there ought to be moro State coal mines, the State should own its own colliers and ferry steamers, ar.d there should bo State ironworks. Ho referred to the Royd Garlick enquiry, tiie Pubiic Trust legal bureau discussions and the Westport Harbour appointment. ... He contended that exoenditure had been increased by the Public Service Commissioners, and, referring to tho recent re-cla»3sification of the Government Printing Ofliee, be said that he intended to ask for an enquiry in order to ascertain if possible from the Public Service Commissioners and from the Government Printer on oath on whose responsibility the re-classifi-cation was made. The Legislative Council should be reformed by the abolition of tho nominative system. There should be an advisory and revisory body elected by the House. Referring to the recent labour troubles ho said that their extent was largely duo to tho fact that a Conservative Government was in nower and that tha employers felt that they had friends at court. Sir Joseph Ward and other leading Liberals had done everything possible to secure the settlement of the trouble. He had received a letter stating that ono of two Wellington ladies who addressed a meeting in Christchurch last week had stated that Sir Joseph Ward and himself had aided and abetted the strike and were responsible for a riot that took placo on Waterloo Quay. That statement was quite without foundation, and ho would be «orry to believe tliat any lady would mako such a statement. The Government had been determined to let the strike settle itself, with the result that it lasted as many weeks as it ought to have lasted days. He estimated that the loss of revenue owing to the strike was about £250.000, the cash expenditure on it would bo about £150.000. and small traders' and tho workers' losses would be about £500,000. There was no need for the huge array of armed forces at the principal ports (Hear hear)—that was largely a political demonstration, quito unnecessary, and intended to affect tho election this year. He disclaimed sympathy with a Socialistic body like the Federation of Labour, but said that he had sympathy with the aspirations of the workers. Co-partnership and pro-fit-sharing was one of tho roads Io securing industrial peace. Concluding, he urged that the Liberal and Labour forces should unite; their aims wero identical—the good of all. (Applause.) Mr Russell replied to a number of questions. At Mr Russell's invitation. Messrs Sidey, Witty, Isitt, and Ell briefly addressed the meeting, and congratulated Mr Russell on his speech. There were cries from the back of the hall: "What about Mr McCombs?" "What about Jimmy?" Mr J. Walker proposed a vote of thanks and confidence in Mr Russell. Before the motion was seconded the chairman asked Mr McCombs to speak. JVlr Russell said thnt though Mr McCombs and ho belonged to different parties, he would bo glad if he spoke. Mr McCombs said that a speech from him, if honest and straight, would be a criticism from start to finish. Mr A. M. Loasby seconded the motion. Mr E. Howard moved, and it was seconded, that tho vote should be ono of thanks only. Fifteen hands were held up in favour of the amendment, and a very much larger number against it. The motion was declared carried. A vote of thanks to tho chairman closed the meeting.