HERE AND THERE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1298, 29 November 1911, Page 8

HERE AND THERE.

CAMPAIGN POINTS AND PRESS COMMENTS. Reform Demonstration. ' Tho mass meeting and Reform demonstration which has been arranged under tho auspices of tho Women's' Branch of the Political Reform League, will take place at the Town Hall 011 Mondav evening next, at 8 o'clock. This will be a meeting of quite exceptional interest, in view of the general election battle which will bo fought a few days later. Tho :andidates who are representing tho l(e----form Party in the Wellington Citv and Suburbs electorates—Jfr. I*\ M. B. Fisher Wellington Central), Mr. A. L. Herdman (Wellington ■ North), Mr. R. A. AVvW'(Wellington 'Sou(h), Dr. Newman (WeiJWf™ East), and Mr. W. It. D. Bell [Wellington Suburbs)—will be present on the platform, and will deliver speeches. Mr. C. B. Morison will preside. Even at Cheviot, Even in Cheviot (says the local paper, commenting on tho growth of the Reform movement), where a few years ago it was considered treason oven to mention tho name of Mr. Massey except in whispers behind closed doors, tho trend of opinion is changing every day. An Opposition candidate is contesting tho seat against, the present member, and is everywhere meeting with tho warmest support. The Fall in Exports. A drop of over IV millions in tho value of our exports lor 0110 half-year at a twno when we are borrowing at a rate that the late .Mr. Scddon would have considered suicidal fur the country is enough lo make thinking men and women tho Dominion over pause and ask themselves the ((Wesliou: "Are wo being well governed?" Will not a continuance.of tho present.state of affairs followed' by 1 two or more consecutive bad seasons place this country in' a state.of financial embarrassment that will not be recovered from for many years to come? It is a mistake to imagine tli.it one can continue borrowing ' large sums year, after year mid that the day will never arrive when I ho taxpayer will .resent the increasing annual drain on his purse in order to tinrl the necessary interest on the liabilities that havo been incurred.—"Patea Comity Press." Everything but Reform. In a letter to tho Auckland ".Herald," a "Woman of Parnell" states:—lt_ is an ominous e.ign in an election campaign when the bribes grow bigger as tho end draws near. Ono can imagine Sir John ■wiring to Sir Joseph: "What shall! olTer next?" J lid Sir Joseph replies: "Sparc nothing. Olfer the seat of government, with ourselves thrown in. Give thorn that old Ministerial tancli which is just breaking doivo.'' Heavens! can Auckland ever bo sufficiently gTatefnl? I 3 some violent earthquake''at'hand, and will Wellington throw out tho whole Government, as she,' threw out Sir John Findlay ? Well, •we don't want it. Tho Government is alwavs offering us things wo don't want. It offers everything but roform. For 20 yours this parental Government has been, loading if? law-abiding and industrious children with, debt,' taking their saying's ill an ovor-incrMsn? proportion, and paying' them in promises. Now tho women of the conutry, as well as tho men, aro determined thai this shall coasc. Tho Eastern. Maori Seat. Mr. Ilori Pawn, who is announced to con test, the Xasber.ll Maori scat against the lion. A. T. Ngata, conns from To 'l'uka, about fifteen miles from Whabitane, and is said to be very popular in the electorate. The Natives of Whaiatanc, Tuhoe, Kr.turua, and Opotild have prevailed on Mr. Pa-w-a to stand ior tie electorate, as it is staled tley are not satisfied with Mr. Npito. The utbar oppomait of Mt. Ngata is ilr. Parißr (Tilri Paaka), of Wangnnni. Abau'l Landlordism. Tiio Primo Miniticr. at Itptorua, iinplifiM liis audience to support the Govcr:i iii-out—of which ho is Minister for I,etuis w«U a.s Prims Minister—'Txjmtwe" it was tho landlordism of England il'at (IIIW drovo the ihoikkj'.-s to New and was driving■thansands aniiutiiv £r.'in England and causing her to bib:ml in the race against Gmnany;\nd this from the head of that Continuiius Irn-.-rnmont which bL'.= done its ut--1 ,-ut (n establish v. hereditary and immor.vbif 1 audiordiy.'.i in New /Kjaliiixl, ami h:w driven thousands of New Xea-

landors from their nativo country by its tricksomo refusals to allow them to make homes on the wasted of the land in which they wore burn. . . . We again ask him and Sir John Findlav to tell us iliuw many men, women, and children an; living on tlio millions of acres "leased" for a few y-onrs by tho Maori Boards. This "leasing" as they know well, is only a mock of tho problem. It makes (lie ,fc<jljsli public think that :the Maori blocks are being settled, whereas in the great bnlk of cases they are being practically -shelved until the national land hunger is sufficiently ltrc:it: to extract extortionate rents.—Auckland "Herald." Sir J. G. Findlay and the Farmers. A correspondent writes from Auckland to tho "I'ahintua Herald":— "Sir, —As a former settler in the l'aliiatua and Masterfon electorates, but now resident in Auckland, I I'eet quite cortniri that if the electors, and particularly the farming electors, could only hear Sir John Findlayy speeches at l'arnell not one of them'would cast a vote in favour of tho Ward Administration. This socalled Liberal Knight has clearly indicated that he is in favour of eternally binding to the Crown such tenants as it is possible to get. within the Government grasp. As far as the l.i.p. tenants aro concerned (hoy will never get the freehold from this man, who deliberately declares that the Crown has already a claim of over .£5,060,000 on these' settlers, and he, for one, will see that this claim is not overlooked. After listening to some of Sir John.'s speeches I would say briefly that the farmers who support the Government candidates al this election also favour short leases from the Crown, periodical revaluation, increased land tax on all land-oivners and occupiers, and the oppression of their own class generally. ' Tho producers of this country are not blind —indeed, December 7 next will prove beyond a doubt that they have seen very clearly through (ho fallacies of the three juggling knights." Royal Commissions. "Royal Commissions are only sot np for tho purposo of evading public opinion," observed Mr. F. M. B. Fisher at tho New Century Hall last evening.. The Wanganui Harbour Bill. Mr. G. Hutchison has received a telegram from Mr. Lang repudiating the imputation made by Mr. Hogan that Mr. Hutchison had, when in the House during the consideration of the Wanganui TTarbonr Bill debate, assisted in its defeat. Tho Wanganui "Chronicle" has received the following wire from Mr. Ed. Newman, M.P.—-"Re Harbour Board Bill —I desiro to corroborate Mr. Lang's statement that Mr. Hutchison took no part in obstruction to tho Bill." The Private Member: His Troubles. "If I wanted to move for an increase in the land taxation, I should have to move in the House that the taxation be reduced, as an indication that the tax ought to bo increased. (Laughter.) I suffered serious misrepresentation on one occasion when I moved in tho House to reduce the poll tax on Chinese as an indication that tho tax ought to bo increased by ,£IOO. Certain peoplo cut the tail off my motion—they oven cut it out of Hansard—and went round saying that I wanted to reduce the poll tax on the Chinese. A Minister can ring up on tho telephone for a Bill to be drafted for a certain purpose. Presently it comes along,. all ready. If a private, member wants to .bring down a Bill he has to go to a lawyer and pay for the draft. You can ask V Minister for certain information, but. ho can please himself whether he supplies it or not."—Mr. F. M. B. Fisher, oh tho disabilities of a private member.' Signed Testimony. It is noticeable that Sir Joseph Ward and the other authorities who liavo been trying to throw discredit 1 upon tho reports of the Southland and Otago newspapers and tho Press Association concerning Mr. Massey's meeting at Winton, liavo not been backed up—otherwise than anonymously—by anybody in Awarua—or if there has been any such testimony it has not got into the papers. On the other hii'iid. tho Christcluirch "Press" has pul>lishcd a letter signed "H. S. Sheat, Morton Mains, Southland," from which tho following is an extract:—"Sir Joseph's assertion that the Opposition representatives sent out into tho country to get a crowd of the Reform Party to tho meeting is sheer buncombe. No ono in this part of the country was aware that a special train was to run until four days before the meeting. We are a hot little corner here, and none of us knew anything about it till Sir Joseph Ward told us from Christcburch. As for some of Sir Joseph Ward's party asking" permission of him 'to bicaV up Mr. Massey's meeting,' well, it rather makes one smile. I'll guarantee there wasn't a man,- or number of m';n, in Awarua, or Southland, with pluck ei.ough to tackle tho job, no matter l ow big they felt when with Sir Joseph Ward. No one who was not present can liavo any idea of the tromendous enthusiasm which prevailed. All through the meeting. tho clieering was such as I "had never heard before, and at the close Mr. Masse,v could only point to the chairman to intimate a vote to the chair." Mr. Sheat also thinks that the Press Association representative erred on the sido of moderation when he said there was an attendance of 2000, or 500 more than nt Sir Joseph Ward's meeting. Quite a number of Winton peoplo told him emphatically that there were close on 2oUO ill tho Rink., It was full before tho train arrived, and 500 or so crushed in after that. The Oamaru Seat. A Masterton resident, who has just returned from Oamaru, told a reporter that he was present at two political meetings in that town—one addressed by Sir Joseph Ward and tho other by Mr. Massoy. He states that Mr. Massey's reception was incomparably the more cordial of the two, and probably the larger. Sir Joseph Ward was subjected to occasional hostile interruptions, whereas Mr. Massoy was given an excellent hearing. It is the general opinion in the south that the Hon. T. Y. Dunean- will be beaten, but as to which of the two other-' candidates—Mr. Ue (O.) or Mr. Milligan (Liberal)—will bo successful, there is considerable diversity of opinion.—"Daily Times." A Rumour Denied. In reference to a rumour that Mr. Buick will not go to the poll owing to the alleged unsatisfactory stale of his health tho "Mauawatu Evening Standard" states that Mr. Buick's health is j satisfactory, and that he will go to the poll notwithstanding all that is said to ■ the contrary. . National Endowments. One would think, from a perusal of tho columns of tho subsidised press of the Dominion, and of the speeches of Government candidates, that the Reform Party is a pac-k of wolves, thirsting for blood, seeking whom-it may devour (says tho "Waivarapa Ago"). Among other sacred tilings upon which it has designsare the nine million acres of Crown lands which tire Government has been ploased to designate endowment.?. Apart from the fact that the Reform Party bus no designs whatever upon these endowments, nor upon anything else iu particular other than the extravagances of tho Continuous Ministry, on-e has yet to leurn that the national endowments are a god-send to the country. If nine-tenths of (lie' Government candidates were asked why tho education system and old age pensions should bo maintained from endowments instead of from tho consolidated revenue, they would not be able to give a rational answer. The whole thing is a make-believe on the part of a Government which panders to tho land natioualisor at ono moment and to the freeholder at tho next. It is a farce from top to bottom. Pandering to the. Rich Man. "The Government of the day undoubtedly panders to tho rich man," said Mr. ft. W. Short at Petono last evening, and hfi used the exiunplo of railway fares to drive home t.h« assertion. An annual ticket from I'etone to Wellington costs £0 las., whereas a ticket, good for three months, costs .£3." As Mr. Short put it the mac who can not artord to spend J;9 15s. in a lump sum has on that account to pay a direct t.w of .£2 ss. jier annum which his wealthier fellow-oil izen escape?. Tourist, tickets were issued in New- Zealand, Mr. Short remarked, only to first-class passengers. This also was pandering to the rich man. A first-class ticket, for one month upon Hie Novth Island lines, costs .£(>. . Why should not the working man be enabled to tra-.-ei iccoinl class for the same period for J3i

Dr. Newman on Waste. A south'Tn p!i|v.T which "cannot" support the Government, but i.s iiulispoM'il to tliroii' iii it- lot »iHi the I)|>|>!-ilion, expresses the hone that the electors "will remember that it this country N plunged irretrievably in debt, tlny and tlicit children's children will have to bear its crushing weight." limiting thi>, the Christchurch "I're-s" mid.- tho tollmviie; comment:--'"hi this connection, Dr. Newman, the I'el'orni candidate, for Welliuglon East, made some intcrn-ling remarks the other night. The liisl. duty of a new Government, in his opinion, would Im to reduce taxation by half a million annually, unit it could be done easily. Kveu Sir Joseph Ward, two years ago, to Ini utile to mho a i|Uarter of a million, anil could not m'O, or would not ndniit, that his statement was a coiiler-sion al ouce'ol' the accuracy of the Opposition's criticisms and of his own lax and extravagant management. Our Itenv.v taxation, to (|iiole Dr. Newman, 'was caused by Government extravagance, on public works, on entertaining themselves, and other people, on buying Canadian battlefields. on (he electoral census, and on Boval Commissions, which produced reparts nolndv on God's earth over read.' Those aie not, of course, the only ways in which Hie money is wasted, lint they count np in the total. All the leaks will never bo found out until the public is afforded, much fuller information about the way (lie money goes than is (lie case at present." Votes in Awarue.. Whnt has been said from the platform locally in regard to Awarua votes Ims satisfied the ]>eoplo of this district that tho present method is wasteful n.ml inelticient. (says tho "Southland Times"). Members do not know when they obtain votes what they are for or where they arc to be spent. Under such circumstances abuses must creep in', and it. is not too % much to sav thai the efficient supervision of public works expenditure would result in the saving of hundreds of thousands of pounds to the country. The Usual Precaution. Even Mr. W. D. S. Mnrdonald, who was Junior Government Whip in tho late Parliament, has thought it advisable to assure a public meeting that when ho was elected he made no pledge to the Government, and that he had never been asked for any. Would There Have Been No Railways? Defending the Government in a speech at Wakefield, the Hon. li. M'Kenzie declared that "the indirect advantages of the railways had been enormous. They had been a great boon to the people of New Zealand, for without the railway system it would be impossible for the people 'of this country to compete with other parts of the world, and it would be impossible to carry the population. Instead of having oyer a million people spread all over the Dominion, they would have eight or ten sheep runs in each island." It does not appear from tlio reports of the speech whether Mr. M'lvenzie contended that if there had been no Ward Government, there would have been no railways. Mend or End. At (he present time the Legislative Council wa-s not a credit to tho Dominion, Mr.'.J. H. Escott declared at a recent meeting. Many of the members were simply political rejects, men who could if they could not get a better system not be elected to tho Lower House. Ho advocated an elective "Upper House, aiid than the present they should abolish the "Upper House altogether. (Applause.) He was, however, in favour of bi-cameral government,- and thought the Council should be elected by tho people. Like the Rooster. Says Mr. G. Hutchison, in a manifesto to the electors of Wanganui :—"lt is the tendency of those in power to imagine they deserve it. They are like the rooster that thought the sun rose every morning to hear him crow. Instead of members of Administrations remembering they are trustees for the 'public, they too often act as if the public was something designed by a special sort of providence for their particular advantage. It is necessary, therefore, to make certain persons in power understand from time to time that they must make way for others who may be able to do better." Neither a Programme Nor a Policy. The Auckland "Herald," referring to Sir Joseph Ward's visit to Waiuku, tajl: "Our only regret is that. Sir Joseph Ward was not able to spend more time in the north, and to deliver more speeches. The more ho talks the more he strengthens the Opposition. His defence of his Administration grows weaker with reiteration, whilo every speech he makes provides abundant proof that his party have neither a programme nor a policy." "Most Undemocratic." "Mr. Fowlds's Town Planning Bill contained a provision empowering the municipality to raise money for a town planning scheme without, the authority ot the ratepayers—a most undemocratic proposition," said Mr. Fisher at the New Century Hall last ovening. "Is Fowlds a democrat?" inquired a voice. Mr. Fisher paused. "No," he replied slowly. "I don't think ho is. He s a plutocrat!" (Laughter.) "A Plunging Policy." 1 Beferring to. the marked increase in j borrowing during recent years, Mr. R. A. Wright remarked at Vogeltown last night that, so long as the Government proceeded with this plunging policy, it would mean increased taxation, and consequently increased cost of living, and that wan what the country was suffering from at tho. present time. And, all tho time, huge sums of money were being wasted. He instanced the Hutt Bond improvements, which had cost about twice as much as they should have'done. It was frequently said that taxation was put on to the shoulders of those well able to bear it, but taxation, like water, finds its own level, and wherever put on it comes back again and hits the consumer. Cause of Imperialism Injured. Mr. A. S. Malcolm, in a .speech, at Balclutha, said lie believed the public of New Zealand were simply "had" over the. Dreadnought business. As far as one could discover, the Prime Minister at that time had received no official news whatever that warranted him in asking .tlio people of tho Dominion to grant, a Dreadnought. In giving the Dreadnought in the way he did the Prime Minister did a great injury to Imperialism. A cause was damaged by making sacrifices to it that were not necessary. (Applause.)