COUNTRY FIRST.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20250, 30 May 1931, Page 19

COUNTR Y FIRST.

G. Livingstone, chairman Executive of the M,h,C., Messrs D. Jones, ■STp, Aeland, Norton Francis, BMBhWw t<>llfl P resent Qov * Hp|p>«« of fenritftlmngj but the ■Kspr beginning to see that « Hh|»W been made, it was a for a Government* ■Bp** two-thirds of its sspprt; II fe«4 happened in HpM»m i»d lit# t9 remain jßSf'tfoM **»'• It ha 4 given HEpjf>Ml «lu»ee, and there Jbt4 HEgjfr pe eiitteUm of the Govern* HBpit Mom ?»rt7- Tie ■£|p fa * elwwgei *ttjitudfi M 4 HESt **tfd he prepared fp* an »W* he don't to secure SKpro|Hii«nt in» to 4nd tl»e beet **t° Parliament, »pd then jjEraMhHMl paid the meeting gave MjjjßjpftsW »l the Party an opporHB»MM9g Mr Wd Jtiff Coates. ■Bap* feia privilege and joy . to for six years, and Kft 9 m«n in thp Houap whp HHrnrpiß of wM&ribj&u HHffipiapart and esteem him. Mr the absolute confidence jHHNpjpiisy «* the P*rty HHn|i the closest scrutiny, and Hnpyti Interests of everybody. ■Hfefr In. prepared for sny amergHHRr*uui fawnr how long the HBtf iwJ# Jw* Th* 9&9 m HfflWp&es new impetus froip the by-election, and HHndl PPPpqrting Gi>vern■■Brpjiiff wJtrtJm* an ffeetion HK|f|si A atnnbev of |«tople HHggtiM Mr Gpatef d©wn*hut *&• aw fait.. jtr Hi f*f» i? jafowtng k# fraud «a ptigoHbfi #*?OT*»bk i 9 ft* ■jHg||: It «M pat s»stt -tht HflHnr forsook the tovftvantpnt ■. :^". T . BHIHHHHBi <? nowhere, w) he? crelit'wuß ■ MacM ■ V.e/Ai>m

had endeavoured to put the brake m, lmment aV It bo " owin g the Gov tS L l T?°i receivo much £» a team m Party workiß4 Seara ' an 4 there was no 'splitting ißaued l tn°n l « n « fcber warnin 5 tad been ißSueft to the. Government, but the re.. mLt tL° 0t ® ncoura eing. The Govern. ?hlnl t™™ p P rßntly ho ? il} g some- £? «P. Again in January, Iff, ' Reform P?irty had met and were , T tho Ejects * J y economic. It bad drawn up a Statement of the measures required by the county. Did the Reform Party d«Berv9 the condemnation it had re» wived from many when it had placed country flf»t?' He had no quarrel with big husinjgs, for Eeferm held the scales evenly- Certain big business interests had endeavoured to force Reform in a ce ftain direction, and it had been the Party's duty to pay "No.", Reform had a policy, and it waß a definite one. Successful government was carried on under the Party system, which was the only oho a British community understood* When economic conditions were grim that was not necessarily the time for a Party to loße its identity. Had they a mandate from tho Party's supporter that it should be done? "Voices: No. , Mr Coates said the Reform Party wanted to know the principles of a National Party, and the men who would carry them out, Government must be by men of determination, for there was more than balancing a Budget' to bo done. The reply made lo the Prime Minister required no defence, but they would be able to understand some of the thoughts ruwiug through his mind. , The B§fprm Party's platform and principles contained the policy for carrying the eountry through Its difficulties, of»efHiJ jetton JTecapsasy. The #BlU?§ required very saim and Mwfil? action on the part of public man. The difficulties to be faced were being felt all ever the world. The policy, actions, and administration of the United Government had aggraTfttei the position, (Applause.) If say of it* aetiens had. been careless §id thoughtigsß. Thousands of people were realising for the first time what the causes of their diifieulties were. The Governmept )|»d aggravated unemployment, for it had fold the workers thai it Would 4ad employment for everybody, yet tho number o£ unemployed wus ateadily increasing. The offeet pf the Government's poliey was to draw men from the country into the cities. It had let down th# men to whom it had promised standard rates. Thousands pf the coutnry"# %«(M< citiaens were 'or work, and many were short i>f fppS. ®hp fpuntry hi»d been w tM WV *? gUtter. of promises. A voice: Seventy millions. 3is pbject was not to pnll down altogether, said Mr Ooates, and he wanted them tq get everything in its proper pijTippistivfl. In the street it was said M tft# Government' Its poUcy wa« the opposite of borrow, boom, and *" . " la «aid Mr Coates, the increase to the tipt pnblie debt was ilWOoSeof in 1926-27, «7,000,000; to mm j!S,WOO; in 1928-29, It,SB'S,9OP, only «5,180,000 of which ■u the Befprm Party's responsibility, |n I§3o, £8,i8d6,000; and in 1030-31, , ; 50Q,0p0, Pff to Borrowing. The Befprm Party'« pplioy showed a CTadual tapering o# W borrowing, whole that of the United Party was just the. opposite. The figures he had quoted WW pfß«a|, apd might b® a« ot P d wth ' 'tiiU yPft» 0? ft? Beform Gov-1 i*£smrdvr™ en eominff VW? dKlt. primary producer had nt#ftrp4 » eus in his inpome of 40 t° SS>r mh Wthef ft® country miiffmy »n & ! s »® I ' i ß h le / o e i of eTOe«BHu«? ineome J; a^ ViQMQflo vm'tne tfiat lp b0 I Nth - . .. . The Labour Patty itcould/^id MrCoate,.| had been built, up on lnitia tive ' bat there was an inclination of lntd'tp tnsh to the Government for at I tifltanee. ' Now people must come Sf earth agaitt, and if the country | !o »«U rowd, it had to remember tM 4 i taxation was the Bure ß t W«y l!» ftidnff about more disturbance an# SiSSloJment. The surest way tg rtt SSthe wemployeS was to Mi See to the. man with money. WfiSJ*, pver -Dalliatives were provided for un ; em was the pruj--fi C Twm L of S Everybody should g tQ asnst him in getting on ] -SSw *Sltße 1 &sh»World'smarM at a competitive .ip worw m iether t he pr?« realised the diffcult** faejfg prodncer. -Pr°4 uc Hß^ A'T wh S fv Cb Snfc Si l» « difficulties. "iast Wfc 7M" »^ a Mr h' will follow f nt -° W oi* \J&tS e l^i T t0 ?ntr« i O, SC™ ftm. ™ »°« p™ wd r hfk 8? passing thMßgfi § FZtiFvJtlt3U» the-policy of Mwtji SSI/J incßeaae rajlw^ per cent. J»f Govo rnment to . The propyl fertilisers had ' f " tSv iPftdSquate. It might reas-- - been tptel y . Commissioners and ofe Islands to extend eSs levied on fortiUsers to meet OYPF ft pester number of : HoM ftla sP bring tfo p^® o •?2SV<ap® of l«b«" a JMlß9gjF' S , S^©Oi'l" tion Was not acceptable., i

Support for the Empire. "We have nothing to be ashamed of in our Empire," said Mr Coates. It had great potentialities. He had not heard of any cables being sent to the British Government by the New Zealand Government protesting against the dumping of Russian butter, to compete with that from this country. Mr Baldwin had told Russia to go about her business. (Applause.) Mr H. E. Holland should be asked what he thought about the action of the British Government, and if his reply was that he stood solidly in with the Empire, the speaker would be one of the first to congratulate him. The Reform Party was still prepared to assist-the Government, but it was not, going to sink its identity. It could serve the interests of the country better without being absorbed. (Sustained applause.) Mr H. D. A eland moved the following motion: —"That this meeting of Reform supporters congratulates the Rt, Hon. J. G. Coates and his Party on their actions during the present Parliament, in placing at all times the interests of New Zealand before Party advantage, and desires to reaffirm its confidence in the policy and principles of the Party." He said\ he had been a supporter of the Reform Party for §5 years, and he felt that one of tho reasons why it had not been returned at the last election was that a large number of people had been fooled by promises. He had no doubt as to who would fill the Treasury benched after the next election. Miss B. L. Sanders seconded the motion, whieh was carried Unanimously amid applause. FUSION, WHERE REFORM STANDS. MR COATES DISCUSSES THE SITUATION. A reiteration of the offer of the Reform Party to assist the Government in solving the present problems pf the Dominion was made yesterday by the Leader of the 'Opposition, the Right Hon. J. G. Coates, at p. luncheon ten' dered to him and Mrs Ooates by the North Canterbury Divisional Executive of the Political Reform League. Mr Coates also dealt with a number of other political matters. Among those present were the president of the Executive (Mr H. G. Livingstone), who was in the chair, Sir Heaton Rhodes, M.L.C., the Hon. B, Moore, M.L.0., and Messrs D. Jones, M.P., H. S. 3. Kyle, M.P., and H. Holland, _M.P. The chairman said" that they had assembled for two purposes. The first was to welcome Mr and Mrs Coates, and the second to congratulate him on the victory gained at the Hauraki byelection. Those in the South Island, continued Mr Livingstone, suffered from the disadvantage of not, seeing enough of" the Leader o£ the Opposition. If lie were to pay more" frequent visits to the South Island there would be a better understanding of his personal worth and value to the Dominion. Wherever he went on the present visit he would be met by friends and. supporters and he would be able to gauge public opin l ion in ■: Canterbury. The speaker eintended to Mr snd Mrs Coates a very i cordial welcome. It might bo thought that, living as he did, in the far north of the Dominion, he was out of tduch with tho southern portion of New Zealand, said' t Mr Coates, but such was not the case, as a large amount of information reached him by post frpm the Canterbury i (supporters of the Beform Party,- and kept him conversant with the feelings of the rank and file whg were working for the principles and policy of the Reform party in the present trying circumstances. He believed thptt the work done by the Party had had the pffect Qjt bringing hope to the public the principles it stood for. A Big Decision. Referring to the offer made by Mr Forbes to the Reform Party, Mr Coates said that in refusing to accept it the Party had made „ a big decision- In 1928 Reform told the country that it was unable to give something for nothing, The Reform Government set a course by the changes that had 4aken ptyqg in Australia and in Great Britain, where the alteration in the gold 4tasdsr4 had indicated that there must -be period of deflatidn, in consequenco pf fjrhicji the position; of New Zealand must* be' affected. The Party saw that ft Vfi.fl UP time "tq make extravagant promises- wl}ich, cpiuc| not be kept.. It tw that if extravagant promises were ha kept t&ey, have to be met by th« tftspaypirs s? at reason degreats# jjrowittg?* 1 In 1886. tfcp net 3g]?l l»# *he Dominion increased py £1|,000,000 and i? W* I?? «g,li3o,QOp. Yet the GovernWPUt T?l»li?h' succeeded the Reforiji GqVprpmpnii built up tj?e net debt by roughly »B?SOP.P9& It be admitted that tig Sefum P»F*y l»»d stood, on both ieet and hftd ngt moved its position. It, WSS tfl- the Govfirnment of t|i(B pnsja i but its warnings weye grg#tsd "with derision. . In 1931 the Party »g*ia warned the Prime Minister apd that if necessary to ibke iqewupeß to meet the position iw in 4ging so were not thinking of, sepuriug- Pm c e, for it placed the interests of Dpminion before fhp«e of the P«rty. In 1928 the Party . offered it# gUPPPTt and yet today tljere were pepp}e;whP paid: Why do'you not get tpgethert'- •* Intergßts of New Zealand First. The position was to-day the Reform ParVy sti}] New Zealand 4rft was anxious to take its sh»re P# the problem of carrying out a readjustment, which would have tp fall pa sections of the comJt said that the Party represented the of the b g business men and big land-owners, but the truth was |;Jjat it stood in the interests of all sections of the community. If the big men were looking for security for the future, the Party not give them something for nothing, but would do its pest to see that the interests concerned carried only a fair -sharo of tho Gentry's burden. His Party did not felfime the Government, for the present depression as wmilar conditions obtained throughout the world, but it did blame the Government for having agg«vated the position and having done so unnecessaniy. tit was the speaker's opinion that had the Government taken timeby the forelock the position ? n hicl i land stood to-day Woald n. -Sibm's so severely felt' by great numbers of 1 1 . Tiif* Paitv wfts prepared still r&P-SS with the GoVe/nment in Se direction -of brjnging about an imnroved state of 'affairs. That offer had boel scoffed at by some people, but ho thorfght that the great majority of the publfe realised that the position could P • i,i«ri Aniv bv the voter himself. ■ ■"jE'aLs?™ »».' ""Hf? Government was doing aU it could to deal with the present situation. It could make a number of cuts' m many of the, smaller services, but it would be, necest sS to see that no further burdens were put on those who were already carry, ine » load " Expenditure could be tnfueed in some Government Depart-r niffis With advantage to the Dominion, Srlould like to know what the Govcrnment'a proposals wer. in this re- 1

spect, Mr Forbes was credited with being a straightforward, man and here was an opportunity for him to state just what steps he intended to take with a view to making up leeway this would enable the public to judge if his proposals were fair and equitable. A Seduced Income. Mr Coates asked what were the causes of the depression that was affecting the Dominion to-day. He had, he went on, recently had a discussion with a number of big businessmen and the conclusion reached was that the depression was due to the position of the primary industries. It had to be realised that in this res\pect New Zealand had about £20,000,000 less to work on than was the case eighteen months ago, and be asked bow the shortage was to be made up. Until -it was possible for the primary producer to carry on with advantage to himself, he maintained, matters would not improve. It had taken a long time to realise the position. New Zealand depended for its prosperity on its primary products. Of all the wool produced 95 per cent, was sent abroad and only 5 per cent, was consumed locally. Of the butter produced 77 per cent, was exported and only 23 per cent, was consumed in the Dominion and 93 per cent, of all lambs was exported, 7 per cent, remaining in New Zealand. The pominiofy was in reality a big fftrm and it was essential that primary costs bo reduced if the farmer was to prosper. Labour Party Criticised. The policy of the Labour Party was to keep costs high, but such a policy wap impossible and if it was attempted the results would be extra taxation and increased unemployment. It was absolutely essential to assist the primary pypdueer and reduce the cost of Gov? ernment. No other solution was possible. Mr Coates drew attention to the action of the Labour Government in Great Britain in allowing foreign countries to dump their products into the country, particularly mentioning BuSf sian products, whieh, he said, were sold at prices equal to .from 20 to 25 per cent, below cost or below what other countries could produce them for. It was the duty of the Labour Party, he asserted, to see that their own countermen were not betrayed. Mr Baldwin had dealt with Russia in a very different manner. The Party System. Mr Coates said that the history of Great Britain and Australia showed that Government had always been carried out on a Party system. This was as it should be, for the public had every right to know where the Party stood for whieh they voted. A Party which endeavoured to gain offiee by a short cut 'could not last. In Australia, proposals those made' » little time ago in New Zealand had been put forward and what 'the result had peen was well known. The Reform Party had a long tradition and high principles to live up to and members of the Party believed that they could live up to better than Socialism. The Party had been criticised for faults, buthad always followed a set course. It ivas essential to keep the credit of the Dominion high and the Party was frilling to do all possible towards this end, but it would not consider any proposal to smash itself to pieees, be? lieving that before a thing was do» stroyed there shpuld be something better to* take its place. „ . NEW PLYMOUTH MEETING. (PSZSS ASSOCIATION .VUMftUO.-'' NEW PLYMOUTH, #9. ' A well-attended meeting o£ Befojrnji .last night unanimously approved the Bt. Hon. J. 6. Coates's refusal to accept fusion. Congratulations Were sent to Mr W. W. Massey on victory in the Hauraki by-election.

COUNTRY WELCOME

MR COATES MEETS FARMERS SUPPORT FOR REFORM. Farmers from near and far gathered at the home of ,Mr and Mrs H. A. Knight, Racecourse Bill,' yesterday to meet the Bt. Hon.. J. G. Cciatep, Leader o£ the Beform Party. The .weleoma took the form of ft garden party, f|ie visitors being eatertinned at afternoon iea, and a large 'number of women were present. Mr Coates wsb accompanied 'by Messrs P. Jones, H. S. S. Kyle, and H. Holland, M.P.'s. Mr Knight, ,in expressing the district's welcome, §aid Mr Coates's visit >fflo sll too brief. Had lopger notice been received'the ground? would hardly fiavo been,spacious epough to hold the crowdi The personal touch was better tlie newspapers. Mr Knight said he hoped Mr/Coates had been able on his way up to take notice of the number of real hon»es in the district. From the early dsys B°PP l 0 had stppk to their homes, attiS in'the present time of depression the district in. consequence had «e# iU *£&*>«* el?e. " "Wlien Mr Coates gets back into be very long—" Voices: Hear, hear. f'l hope," continued sfr Knight, "that tho Government valuers 40 their >vork on a sounder basis tjjsp at present. That is a grievance in the district." Mr X>. Gillwders, deputy-chairman of the Malvern County Council and cbW" man of thd Malvern branch of the Beform Party, said that it was only rarely that the district was visited by mm in'Wis*'iwslMgsf *!&,? f political Partes, He congratulated Mr Coates on the result of the Hauraki byelectiop. |Ff> v delig}ited- to see the Government hold ft/ I 'he saifi. ''although it did not gain in numbers. A voices Fifty vqtes. J&urjg4 B^wlt. Mr Coatpa said he completely by giirprisp by being given . the opportunity to njeet them. He had received' an invitation to fi'efore tlie Hauraki byrelection. "Wo left before tho result,'?" he continued, ffbut you may conclude that we had no £[oiibts( as to. what the feply would be. Mr Massey headed the poll in a manner which left: no uncertainty, apd the result must have some further significance." yery many people knew Mr Knight, but a great many more knew Limerick. Mr Coates said that he had flown over the district, and he had had pleasure in looking at the homesteads. The. days the country was passing through and the problems ahead were causing anxiety. The Beform Party had repeatedly pointed out that Government must be controlled, and t.hat borrowing was only increasing thp liabilities of the future. . ita'ny of the- Government's projects were-simply piling pp the load 09 % taxpayers, and hw no ehapce of paying interest. ?ha Reform Party when in o<&pe had . reduced railway expenditure from £1,200,000 pdr apiiqm to £BOO,OOO, but tho Forbes Government lm& immediately iqcrpiised it again. Last yw l the Goyprpmenfc had been i}sing up reperye3, apd Beform. had ppipted out that ' an qverhaul

tional position of an Opposition, and if suable measure? were tskpp to ?ei#edy the situation would continue to support the Government. "We have offered the Government our co-operation if it will bring down measures for readjustment)" # said Mr Obates, "and wo won't go back on it. Our attitude is not to make t'uo position' more difficult for the Government < We are out tp help rather than binder. That is what we say and mean, and we will stiok to it. If anyone doubts our word, lot him look to the actions of the Reform Party in the recent session." It had objected to certain legislation, and lot & goQd leaaon, added Mr Coates. Decline in Income. I Ha had heard many reason* given for the present trouble, {mt t° get *}°Ws to tin-tacks it it as the , drpp of £20,000,000 in the national i»epme. The Labour {Party had bqdn saying, beI causo readjustment was being insisted i on, that such measures were' not neces-. sary, but side-step as Labqur might try to, the money to maintain the present high costs was not in the country. Ninety-five ppr cent, of JjTetf Zealand's wppl. 93 per cent, of the lftmb, 94 per cent, of the pheese, and 73 per cent, of the butter was so|d overseas, and the country *yatf npt dependent oft the sales here. , ~ "the Gpvqrnment was inevitably nhutting out enterprise by keeping tipthq rq.t)3 pf interest, and sts action -copid not bp justified. It-had fafleii asked by the Bef orm Party to face the position, hut up. to the present had given nq reply. The Refprm Party hSfl noj pt»t«l that it was going to fix the ratoof interest. . ' i ■ Wages were assisting in keeping up costsj. If tjip producer had a 40 per cent, cut in his income, tho wages man should'come in apd accept a little less i tq help tyim through,, wit£ the fenow-1 'fjhat when the depression was i ovpr he would share in increased prosperity. • > i 1A despite move Bhould he made to reduce transport costs. It waft curious that when the people werp least able to pay these, the."Governjnept should v increase them. Its poliGy in ooppexion with rating alsp was not consistent with the needs of the times. The Highways Act had been eroaqcplatefl. Thpy niwst clear the road and reduce the of the primary producer, so thkt he could Carry on. Until they were given that opportunity, it. would not be possible for the country to turn the corner. "Prepared to Assist." ""We are prepared to do more than criticise; we are prepared to design and assist in preparing a policy in the best interests of the country,'* said JVCr Coates. f, Our Party will place the country's interests in advance of Party in the present peculiar situation." The Labour Party. Some people were misguided enough .to look to the labour Party/ said Mr Coates, but wherever it carried on tho administration of a country it difl not show any methods by v-hich its policy could improve the position." In Austraalia the Labour Parties had jtad aipplo opportunities in both the Federal and State Bphprpfi, l)ut had they kept the credit up, or improved thp position? The same was true of Britain. . It plight also be whether Labour wa strengthening the Empire. The British Government was allowing butter to-come in fronj a foreign country at a mupli lower price that from New Zealand, and it had been produced undec conditions which this countryovoiild not-tolerate for five minutes.. Mr Baldwin's creed was a much sounder' one. He believed that the Empire much the same family, and that all should work 'fervently to'make the one pconomic pait. The Empire I£ust exert itsejf. The Labour Party at liome had missed its opportunity, and had pot increased • the prestige fif the Empire. 1 P' Multolland moved a vote of thanks to Mr and Mrs Knight for their J?9 B pitsljty, and it was carried by acclamation. " PiiJwidors moved vote of thanks to,Mr "The pddress has been very interesting, and I feel, quite different remarked. inis Was carried unanimously.