PRE=SESSIONAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 11110, 6 May 1911, Page 6

PRE=SESSIONAL.

ADDRESS BY MR. BUCHANAN. SOME STRONG COMMENT, (By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.) Mastorton, May 5. Mr. W. C. niichanan, M.P., addressed' electors at the Victoria Hall, Carterton, last evening, the chair being occupied by Mr. Frank Feist, Mayor. Mr. Buchanan began his address with some reference to the work of last scs. sion. . Ho stated that, owing to the Government not being ready with tho business of. tho country, the Honso had been kept waiting till well into tho session, when Bills were brought down with a rush, and, of ISO introduced, 117 were put through. A large number of theso were amendments made necessary' by tho hasty legislation of previous sessions.

Mr, Buchanan went on to say that he had supported several of policy measures which had been introduco'd last session; these including tho Defence Bill. Having reviewed the work of the longest session in the history of tho Dominion, he proceeded to criticise the financial operations of tho Government. Ho said that the National Debt had increased enormously during recent years, until, to-day, it had reached nearly £80,000,000. Tho interest alone represented about £8000 per day fat every day in the year, ami totalled ub much in a year as our output of dajxy produce was worth. Ho did not oppose borrowing to some extent, but hj said that care should bo exercised both in., borrowing and spending. Ho Quoted' London papers to show that tho fivo' million loan had been placed upon tho market at a very awkward.period. Tho 1 credit of the country was- not nearly as good as it should be', and ho attributed this to the mismanagement of tho Government. Mr. Buchanan then traced the history of the land question, and claimed that the present Goveru■ineiit had been forced to. recognise the freehold tenure, though _ its hands were tied by the ■ Socialists, andi it was afraid to move. Ho claimed that if Crown tenants wero given tho freehold thero would ho money available with which to buy land for settlement. Ho'pointed out that tho Opposition had strongly supported tho Land Settlement Finance Act and other measures for tho betterment of tho people, including the 'Workers' Dwellings Act; Ho declared that the national provident schenio had , boon stolen from the Opposition, as it bad been introduced years befjro by tho late Sir Harry Atkinson.

The railway service—particularly the Wairarapa time-table —caine in for sevens criticism, Mr. Buchanan claiming that the district was being treated in a disgraceful manner b>; the Minister fr.r Haihvays. Ho contrasted the treatment or other districts in the rsitter of railways with that of the Wairarapa, and pointed out that tho Hutt deviation alone had cost £335,000, whereas tho Prime. Minister had stated that it would not cost more than £100,000, and .that this would bo repaid in sales of reclaimed land. Mr. Buchanan proceeded to say that ho was strongly in favour of the dofonce scheme, and wished Sir Joseph Ward well in his important mission to tho Old Country. Ho denounced those who had tried, l>y innuendo and otherwise, to saddle the Opposition with responsibility for tho "Black pamphlet," and concluded by stating that he left himself in the. hands of tho electors, and would l>o quite, satisfied with their docision. On the motion of Mr. H. R. Bunny, Mr. Buchanan was accorded a hearty void 'of'"tliii'nlcs for his address. '' !> In answer to a question ho said that he favoured tli3 retention of tho thrcofiftlis majority on 'ho licensing , queS' tion, as it mado for permanency.