ELECTIONS.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19462, 8 November 1928, Page 13

ELECTIONS.

otm> POLICY.

MASTERS.

ADVANCES, AND 1 T FINANCE.

4JSOCUTIO* TK.KJSAM.)

tfo» > STBATFOBD, November 7. '■ „ itobert Masters, ch»irman of the zfpaitr delivered an address here : to the recent address [ la regard to the f WtnTborrow £7O/>OO,OOO, he sa.d ? tfZrtd mtorepresentntion had taken >\ **TL bt throughout the Dominion on both Ministers and candis* I *2 the Beforra Party, together first rf all in regard to i aaiid ia which !t was going i|* ,^T ed and loaned, and secondly of the scheme. The levelled at Sir Joseph Ward's :\£3rWM merely the criticism i-TSTby the s*me Party when the A '"*T j„ nM g Office was first insti- . #*P.rtT as the State pawnshop. - be no doubt that the "S Heed of the farming coinmun- ! CTStaf wasassured finance at the gTJlLible.rate of interest. The ' ffiSeToortgage at a high rate fiWeoatiaual dread. The Eeform , ?J«ls4 failed to meet the needs of ffiJufcj ia tßis * efl P cct > and {t ' SimpeM *»m the statement made ' for Finance in the ' £m as Jaly Mth that the P riraary • JE-B tad nothing to hope for unffiSatfae as the public works and iTjautruetions were completed. Ee- ■ s&f iff f- question asked by the mem- • fi&Bdoeraton North urging the proSjmitmote money for settlers and ' sftW Mr iownie Stewart had stated IKS trouble was that there was ' mfi> fcemeadous programme of public I jress—railway shops, irri- , hydro-electric schemes, vement schemes —that his rtrained to the utmost to I expenditure. Included in ramme of works, said Mr art, were large railway the four principal centres the hydro-electric schemes i seemed to be constantly make considerable sums , in conclusion stated that I these works it was very i all the money members I placed in the State Ad.for farmers. « apparent, said Mr Masfarming community had ipe for ia the next few ie Beforra Government in and their salvation rested laid down by Sir Joseph idej if-required, at least tr the specific purpose of Bred finance at reasonable iflilte period of 32} years. JjDOP.pJd borrowed byth/e taring the past year only Ijlg set aside for the, this included lit tte', Bural Advances 'gjnolmt loaned to settlers l -r/9/tt. fki'fimdNoaned to workers ' o'ooo 0 ' 000 less - ? i P*** to continue, ', **•> i M^i^^ffl^? nav " l K to wait u at years to get it would to wait for %r<Jftij«#ill«gW-that the promise ki, H'dbfß&mVi&M the last elec\4 if* those best ' reduced by the. last ten /■"■ i bad been in- :, 'Those best *• *• %lli^* were - being freed, tMe ttwife*F»ss to bear it had an bm*i on them. Mr wab StmtiiioMi Budget had said, IQvidoal ia New Zea-, it in the world. Yet Unite promise was fietanV that taxation i those most able to thy squatters, who supporters of Eencomes of anything fliJt'pf if interest annually, s {ought, wer not isg through incomeParty were returned' [victuals would pay e' of the taxation of onsiderations of the Id l>e an improveions of the worker attention under the ios Act. New Zea--3 itself as being in as regards humani-but,to-day BhoVwas y other' country of is the intention of )4id Mr Masters, to edical expenses and orgical aid, hospital ment, as may be Iter who meets with it his work. The 1 taaland were paying as to meet such de>rkers were not reion due to them. In i a proportion was ns, wages, salaries, and dividends. The 1 give relief to the texion at the earliest It at some length eat of Mr Sterling t of Railways. He itever with the apnor with the salary, d that Mr Sterling capable man. He 1 that Mr Sterling in the job. Howry distinct and de--1 the arrangement Minister in provid>n of £2300 per anpinion was far from view of the heavy i. During the past Government paid » the fund, and acf the Pnblic Service ad showed that it to make a subsidy rare the stability of Sent businesslike atLid Mr Masters, "the ant when the people ill rise up and prosums having to be Bonaolidated Fund, the taxation of the >viding extravagant •paid officers." wed approval of Sir 'Key as regards the «" ia which he proremain lines of the 'definite statement putting an end to f any branch lines Dominion. In spite 6445,000 had to be \

paid out of the Consolidated Fund to make up the loss on branch lines in 1926-27, and £489,000 in 1927-28, the Government continued with the construction of branch lines and the authorisation r of additional ones.

Dealing with the slogan, "More Business in Government and Less Government in Business," Mr Masters said !the principle of Parliamentary control of expenditure by means of annual appropriation was being seriously weakened, and according to the report of the Auditor-General the amount of expenditure for the year ending March, 1928, not subject to annual appropriation, exceeded £31,000,000 out of a gross total of £57,000,000, while of this amount £11,000,000 was expended without any amount having been submitted to Parliament by the Departments in their estimates. Parliament, said Mr Masters, waa fast losing control of its public expenditure, and the Ministers being weak were being controlled by the heads of their Departments. The real tragedy of the present position was that primary producing country like New Zealand the Government failed to do anything in the ntaure of land settlement. While the Reform Party boasted of its achievements during the past three years, no mention was made by the Party itself of any one thing having been done in regard to land settlement. This was a blot on the Administration of a primary producing country dependent for its wealth on the products of the land. It was regrettable that while the population had increased in the past five years by 129,000, there were 13,000 odd people less on the land. It would be the policy of the United Party to undertake a progressive land settlement' policy with a view to acquiring estates by voluntary methods, if possible, and this failing, the compulsory provisions now on the Statute Book would be amended, made more effective, and applied. The Government claimed that business principles were being applied in the Government Departments, and that economies were being effected, but the cost of administration during the three years of the Coatea Administration had increased from £23,570,000 to £24,944,000, which went to' show that the tendency was rather in the direction of extravagance rather than economy. Mr Masters was accorded a rousing reception, being greeted with prolonged applause on going on the stage. His remarks were received with the greatest cordiality, applause being frequent. Mr Masters said that Mr Polson was pledged to support the United Party against the Government on a "no confidence" motion. A motion of 'no confidence" in the Government' was carried by the meeting.

BASELESS CHARGE.

CORRUPTION ALLEGED. (PBESS ASSOCIATION MLtOBAH.) MASTERTON, Noyember 7. In the course of his address at Cross Creek to-night, the Hon. Mr McLeod, Reform candidate for Wairarapa, made further reference to the Opposition charge of corruption in connexion with the rebate of duty granted by the Customs Department' to the "Dominion" newspaper on imports of typesetting machinery. "Our opponents are so insistent in their charges in this connexion,*' said Mr McLeod, ."that I communicated with the Controller of Customs a few days ago and asked him to institute enquiries, and ascertain from indenting firms the .names of the different newspapers and printing firms who, in addition to the "Dominion," have received the benefit of the rebate. His reply received by telegram to-day is as,, follows: 'Re type-casting machinery The following have obtained'delivery of foreign type-casting machinery, upon which the concession of ten per cent, duty was granted :—The proprietors of the fDaily News," Carterton; the "Evening Post,"' Wellington; the "Walpukurau Press," the "Hutt Valley • Independent," Ferguson, and Osborne,, printers, Wellington. The,concession is granted on machines,imported by larmichael and Company, and deliver-; ed to,five newspaper proprietors, and five printers and stationers. There t3 no objection to this, being' published. ; (Signed) Craig, Controller of".-'; Customs.' " ■ REFORM CANDIDATE ' -.j |; CHEERED. '-yi;;!|. . OPEN-Am MEETING IN AVON. The compliment of a vote of thanks and,confidence, with hearty cheers and applause, was paid to Mr F. B. Hughes, Reform candidate for Avon, at an meeting last night atthe 'corner "of Fitzgerald avenue and Mr Hughes addressed two meetings the first at the corner of Armagh and Hanmer. streets, and at each meeting there was an attendance of about two hundred. .*'•-. At the first meeting there were some present who interrupted occasionally, but tie candidate received a good hearing. When he had begun to speak at the second meeting a group of men on bicvcles arrived, obviously having attended the first meeting, and began to interrupt a good deal. - But Mr Hughes had many friends in thecrowd, who were, as it seemed, ready and will--ing to give battle to the opposition, and it was only after Mr Hughes had had a quiet talk with one of the flying squad that peace was restored. Then Mr Hughes finished his address and answered a large number of questions. Be was about to leave when one of those who had previously caused some of the discord moved a vote of thanks and confidence. The resolution was received ' enthusiastically and carried, and cheers were given as Mr Hughes was driving off. THANKS AND CONFIDENCE. (PEESS ASSOOATIOB TELEGBAM.) WELLINGTON, November 7." Owing to some confusion at Mr Holland's meeting at Hutt last night it was supposed that a vote of thanks only was passed. The chairman of the meeting, however, states that a vote of thanks and confidence.was really passed without dissent. CHRISTCHURCH SOUTH. The United candidate for Christehurch South, Mr C. S. McCully, addressed two large meetings last evening. Mr F. Ellis presided over the first, which wjs at the corner of Longfellow and Southey streets. The other was at the junction of South Crescent road and Strickland street, where Mr A. H. Stone was chairman. At the conclusion of both addresses numerous' questions were answered and unanimous votes of thanks were passed. In the Somerfield school last evening Mr E. J. Howard, Labour member fofe Christehurch South, addressed a wellattended meeting. At the conclusion a vote of thanks and - confidence was passed. ____ '""■"■ : "'; "~