HURUNUI.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19460, 6 November 1928, Page 15

HURUNUI.

MR F. L. TURLEY AT AMBERLEY,

About 90 people attended a meeting at Amberley last evening, when Mr P. L. Turley, Labour candidate, gave an address in furtherance of his campaign for the Hurunui seat. I Mr Turley conducted his meeting without a chairman. He said some i hard things had been said about his candidature. It had been alleged his expenses were being paid by the Reform Party, and also that they were being provided by the United Party. Neither statement was true. When the numbers went up on November 14th Reform and United supporters would get a surprise. It was said he was not a genuine Labour man. He had been associated with the Labour movement all his life, and with the Labour Party since its inception, and had been a worker on the election committees of Messrs H. B. Holland and J. O'Brien. Positions held by him had included chairman and secretary of the Grey Labour Party, and for eleven years he had been secretary of the Westland Timber Workers' Union, a very large organisation. Mr Turley said he had been asked to go on the Labour Party's approved list of candidates, but had always refused to do so—that was the reason why it could not be said he was endorsed.

The candidate went on to explain the initiative, referendum, and recall, as contained in the Labour Party's platform. Had the recall been in operation, Mr G. W. Forbes, M.P. for Hurunui, would have been recalled long ago. A voice: Never on your life. Mr Turley:" Well, we shall see. He has broken almost every pledge. The interjectors He's a good man, is George Forbes.

Labour's Land Policy.

There never had been a policy worse misconstrued by the Press than the land policy of the Labour Party, said Mr Turley. He proceeded to explain it. The farms were drifting into the hands of the big squatters, he said. Hundreds of ex-soldiers had walked off their farms penniless, leaving behind their repatriation grants, gratuities, and other capital. There was only one solution—a Labour Government.

A voice: Put Joey Ward in. Mr Turley: "We had Ward in and we know just where he finished up." The candidate quoted figures at length, contending that they proved that the agriculture of the country was going back fast under Reform.

Mr Turley silenced an. interjector by the admonition that any person aspiring to be the comedian of the audience would have an opportunity from the platform after he had finished. It was absurd, he said, that a country like New Zealand could not produce enough wheat for the people's requirements. Wealthy squatters were holding more than a third of the land.

A voice: Well, I suppose they paid for it.

Mr Field, addressing the electors at Otaki, had made ■ an inaccurate and misleading statement about the holdings of the squatters, said Mr Turley. Land that should be cut up into thousands of farms was held by squatters, while some of the land the returned soldiers were on would not feed a sheep to 10,000 acres. (Laughter.) There were 80,000 farmers in New Zealand. Of these, $5,000 had never paid land or income tax, and less than 5000 were obliged to pay income tax. These 5000 were the farmers the Government'had relieved with its reduction of income tax. The Reform Government was deliberately endeavouring"? to create an army of unemployed, y In four "years, 47,000 immigrants, had been brought in,, while 13,500 : farmers' were being driven off the land. Something was go ing to happen if the present unemployment became permanent. He had struck men on the relief works at Waiau who were among the most hierh-' lj skilled tunnellers in New Zealand, and some of them were in debt on their month's pay. Nine shillings a day would result in a race of weaklings. Record-Breaking. "Kingsford Smith never caught up to Mr Cbates in the matter of records," said Mr Turley, ''hut they are not the»kind we should be proud of. They are records in wealth production and at the same time in the number of people he has driven off the land." The mercantile firms had a solid grip on the farmers-7-such a grip that many could not buy a fencing post without permission. Mr Turley said he wanted to give the He direct to the story that the State Departments were not paying taxation. ; "While farmers who have walked off the land are padding the hoof with their swags up," said Mr Turley, of the insurance companies made £250,000 in a year—l7o per cent, on the actual capital, that's all. What's wrong with the State getting hold of some of that?" A voice: Give us your policy. Mr Turley: "Well, friend, if you haven't heard of the policy of the Labour Party, I'm not responsible for your mentality." He criticised Sir Joseph Ward's borrowing policy. "But the Reformers borrowed more than Joey Ward could ever hope to borrow," he said. "He'll have to go some to catch them up " A former general manager of railways received £BOO a year in superannuation, and sat in a palatial office in Palmerston North or-' ganising motor transport which would almost paralyse the rail service to Wellington. Mr Turley said Mr Forbes, one of his opponents, changed his political coat almost daily now. (Laughter.) He had definitely said he would vote to keep Reform in power, if Labour votes were needed to put the Government out. There would be very few United Party men returned. A voice: You won't be among the Labour members elected. "Who is backing youP" Mr Turley was asked. He said Mr Archer had told him before his nomination went in that he believed the Labour Party should contest every seat in New Zealand. In reply to further questions, he said the Labour Party had not dropped its usehold land polioy. He was against the Bible-in-Schools movement. He did not stand for the Arbitration Court, but would not favour doing away with it until,a substitute was found. Daylight.saving should be left to the people's decision. There should be no substitute for the Upper House if it was abolished. Mr Turley was accorded a hearty vote of thanks by acclamation. On Friday evening, Mr Turley addressed meetings at Rotherham and Cnlverden. the latter being the largest held there for some vears. On Saturday night he sioke at Hammer Snrinss the nnd'ence was a large one He was {riven a vote of thanlcs, the mover claiming that t.hev could not do Wter nn suwnrt. Labour. On Sundav Mr Turlev visited the Oijbli" Wot-Vs i"h nt Ws»i«n i<l. dressing fho worV»rs there nnd in the nffrnoon ho held a meeting in the Waian township.

I On Saturday night, Mr G. W. Forbes addressed a well-attended meeting in the Amberlev Hall. The candidate outlined the policy of the United Party, and received an attentive burins?. Questions were answered and a vote of j thanks was carried.