LIBERAL STOCKS LOW AT TAURANGA

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 157, 21 March 1923, Page 7

LIBERAL STOCKS LOW AT TAURANGA

DEPRESSED BY PRIME MINISTER MYSTERIOUS SIR JOSEPH f ’ COUNTRY’S FINANCES SOUND BIG SURPLUS LIKELY Liberal stocks have slumped in the Tauranga electorate since Mr. Massey entered the contest on behalf of the Reform candidate. The Prime Minister’s vifprous campaigning has (brought about a ' marked chango of opinion as to the probable result of the by-eieotion. By Telegraph.— Special Correspondent. Tauranga, March 20. The Prime Minister is now th© “man of the hour” throughout the Tauranga electorate, and is likely to be the man of the campaign. His vigorous service on behalf of the Reform candidate has flattened the earlier inflation of Liberalism. It is a very moderate estimate of the political feeling in Tauranga to-day to say that Liberal stocks, so to speak, have slumped heavily, and it will require a very, noteworthy effort to restore their initial Value. The marked change in district opinion as to the probable result of the poll next week is entirely du© to the capacity of Mr. Massey as a polr tical figure. His comprehensive speech at Tauranga must have secured hundreds of votes for the Government candidate.

! There is everywhere abundant confidence in the result of the Reform campaign, and the work of the district committees is being pressed forward with enthusiasm. Mr. MacMillan u named as a sure winner. REMARKABLE WELCOME . The remarkable welcome given to Mr. Massey at Katikati and Tauranga yesterday obviously represented the feeling of the district as a whole towards the Primo Minister, for to-day he visited four different localities in the eastern portion of the electorate and was received with the utmost cordiality by the settlers, and also by many workers. It looked on each occasion/as though industry in vbe country had been temporarily abandoned for the pleasure of meeting the Prime Minister. The sleek cattle by the wayside occasionally signalled greeting, for painted on the flanks of one frisky animal was the slogan “Vote for Massey.” This display of rural humour gave rather an unusual prominence to the interesting change in the aspect of the campaign. A PIQUANT DUEL Th© electors generally appear deterinmed to look upon the contest as a piquant duel be ween. Sir Joseph Ward and Mr. Massey. The liberals agreed to make their champion’s effort national in scope and importance, and the Prime Minister has accepted the challenge on the same high ground. It Heed hardly be emphasised that the Liberal candidate will now find it extraordinarily difficult to win the seat. To-day the Prime Minister addressed well-attended and enthusiastic meetings of settlers and industrialists at the Tauriko Timber Mills, at Otumoetai and Upper Papamoa, and in the evening at Greerton, in the vicinity of the historical battle-ground, Gate Pa. Great interest was displayed 'in Mr. Massey’s explanation of the political position, and at the conclusion of each address he was accorded a unanimous vote of thanks and confidence in the Massey Administration. Behind the political interest was the ready hospitality of the pleasant district of maize, poultry, citrus fruit, and dairy cattle. THE MYSTERY MAN

In traversing the ground of previous addresses, Mr. Massey elaborated a few of his main points. The mystery of Sir Joseph Ward’s attitude in tho event of his being elected and a dissolution thereupon following gained some attention from the Primo Minister, who said it was quite impossible to interpret Sir Joseph’s intentions.

"I am unable to tell you,’' ' said- Mr. Massey at Tauriko, "whether Sir Joseph Ward is going to vote for the Government or against it. He has said that ive are as wide apart as the Poles. That may be— I don’t know—but he has certainly not made it clear whether he is going to assist the present Government to carry on or to form another one, or whether he will be satisfied to remain as a sort of!n-„ dependent member extending sup- , port where support seems necessary. Sir Joseph has also said he would be no party to bringing about chaos...l do not knoiv what that means. It is a very unsatisfactory state of things." BIG SURPLUS PROBABLE Discussing the financial situation and the Government’s administration, the Prime Minister was both caustic and optimistic. “To hear some people speak,” he said, “one would imagine that New Zealand financially is going to the ‘Demnition Bow-wows.’ There is much talk of extravagance, excessive borrowing, and disruptive taxation. It is all very wide of tho actual mark. The country has got through the worst of its difficulties, expenditure has been cut down and revenue is increasing.. I am confident that the surplus at the end of this financial year, March 31, will be between £BOO,OOO and £1,000,000. // it is not I shall be both surprised and disappointed.

“Things nre good and promise to be Jjetter. There will not bn so many ■unemployed this coming winter. ’•! will not say that there will be none, but £ am certain that the number of unemployed will be very few.” (Applause.) As for the suggestion that the Government influenced the Arbitration Court, that was manifestly ridiculous. Jhe Government had nothing to do afth the Court, which was an independent tribunal. The country would never be really prosperous until the cost of living had been reduced. Ho was confident that the cost would de-

crease very much more rapidly after the substantial reduction of taxation early in the next financial year. Although £5,000,000 had. been spent during the present financial year on Public Works, it would be found that the Public Debt had not been increased by more 'than £1,000.000One of th‘o outstanding features of Mr. Massey’s district tour to-day was the manner in which the settlers took the opportunity to discuss in a homely way many of the obscurities of political and financial affairs, and particularly matters affecting the primary industries. The Primo Minister was able to give much information and created obvious satisfaction among many electors. His appeals to the electors to support the Reform candidate, as a very promising man were heartily endorsed.

POSSIBILITY OF GENERAL ELECTION POSITION PLAINLY STATED fr BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION. Tauranga, March 20. In the schoolroom at Greerton, Mr. Massey met with a hearty reception, and gave a long address, mostly on the lilies of the Tauranga speech. He stated ihat if Sir Joseph Ward was elected the Government majority would be reduced to one, which would make it quite impossible to cariw on. He could not say what would be done, but ho felt that it would be his duty to ask tho Governor-General for a dissolution. Personally, he would welcome a dissolution, but he had to think of the cost to the country. The possibility of a general election, however, had to be faced. An alternative was that Messrs. Wilford, Ward, and Holland might come to some agreement, but how could they carry on. if the Government could not carry on? If the Government lost the by-election he saw no way out of the present position, but by a general 'election. . There was some important business to be done which could not possibly be got through with a majority of three. Although he wished to avoid a general election, it might prove to be the lesser evil.

Parliament could not possibly continue wasting time. The fact that few members wanted ,to risk losing their seats might lead to some satisfactory arrangement. Sir Joseph Ward, Mr. Massey continued, had suggested ihat the date of the election had been so arranged as to prevent his getting over the district. Nothing of the kind had been done. It had been necessary to make the arrangements in such a way as to avoid the Easter holidays. He had been invited to attend an Imperial Conference in London this year, but he could not leave the country owing to the present undecided political position. Had things been different, he had anticipated attending and leaving the late Sir William Berries as Acting-Prime Minister. Unfortunately the possibility of that position had passed. A LABOUR SUGGESTION

By Telegraph.—Press Association. Dargavillo, March.2o. The Kaipara branch of the New Zealand Labour Party has sent the following telegram to Sir Joseph Ward to-day: “The Kaipara Labour Party, at its annual sitting at Dargaville, trusts you will strongly stress in your national policy addresses throughout the Tauranga electorate the absolute necessity of the Government printing primary School books and distributing stationery direct to the schools, thus saving the enormous family educational expenses now exacted by proprietary publishers throughout the Dominion, who, at determinate periods, swoop down upon the home nests and carry off the family savings, through their tocaF ill-paid hook agents, to the detriment of high education and an efficient nation.”