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Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 36, 6 November 1928, Page 6

THE PRIME MINISTER SPEECH AT STRATFORD MR. MASTERS INVITED ON TO PLATFORM MOTION OF . THANKS AND CONFIDENCE Dominion Special Service. Stratford, November 5. The Prime Minister set himself a great test to-night when in the home town of Mr. R. Masters, chairman of the United Party, and the centre of Mr. Masters’s stronghold of support, when Mr. Masters was a Parliamentarian, he brought him out of the audience, and gave him a seat on the platform, while he replied to the speech which Mr. It. Masters made in Invercargill, in support of the United Party. It was a mixed audience that-Mr. Coates had to face. ’Every doorway was crowded, and there were large numbers who listened to him outside the windows. Mr. Coates was given a very attentive hearing, while he dealt with the Government’s activities and policy, but he was subjected to interjections, which he took up and used effectively, when he was criticising the United Party’s policy. That he received such a good hearing was a tribute to his personality, and to the concise manner in which he presented the Government case. Even the mterjectors laughed when he scored off them. Mr. Coates was introduced by the Mayor (Mr. J. W. Macmillan), who congratulated him on having brought the country through a difficult period, and paid him the compliment of stating uiat he was a worthy successor to New Zealand’s greatest statesman. Mr. Massey. (Applause.) Mr. Coates led off by taking up some interjections indicative of local rivalry between the twins of Eltham and. Stratford, and then proceeded on the lines of previous addresses. ‘‘What about dairy control and sterling?” called a high-pitehed voice from the darkness outside. “Come inside and get light, the Prune Minister replied. “I never did care much for the sniper’s job.’’ The voice: It is almost as bad as catching votes. The Prime Minister: Well, I do not want to catch any votes that cannot be given conscientiously. The £70,000,000 Loan. The Prime Minister was given an attentive and uninterrupted hearing while he discussed the Government’s deeds and dealt with criticisms' levelled at the administration, but interruptions came when he proceeded to deal with the United Party’s proposal to borrow £70,000,000. “They say they are going to do that without adding a penny piece in taxation,” the Prime Minister said. A voice: That is the way to get it. The Prime Minister: I agree; but when the rates of interest and the relending rate are considered as well as the flotation charges, there will be a loss of about £3,000,000. The Prime Minister again made reference to Sir Joseph Ward’s illness, stating thatno one, sympathised with him more than he did. He knew. Sir Joseph as a great old war horse; he would like to be-in the fight. Mr . Masters Invited on to Platform. Mr. Coates said that in the absence of Sir Joseph Ward he would have to take notice of the next one in the United Party. The chairman: Mr. Masters is down there,’ standing at the ■ back. - Mr. Coates: I don’t like to see a chairman standing. Come along up here. “Want me?” asked Mr. Masters. “Yes, com on up here and sit down.” There was loud applause as Mr. Masters came up to the stage and the Prime Minister shook hands with' him. “It is much more pleasant ,to have him up here.” he snid.

Mr. Coates then took Mr. Masters’s speech in Invercargill and went through it point by point. “You will see Gordon Coates and his team back after the elections all right,” the Prime Minister told an interjector who had a gloomy view of the election prospects. “If I were you I would not get worried about it; just take it calmly and nicely and you will be all right.” (Laughter and applause.) ‘‘Mr. Masters said he was an admirer of my war record,” Mr. Coates said. “I don’t want him to be, for there are thousands who have a better one, and that is riot forgetting those fellows who tried their hardest to get away and could not. Mr. Masters said that he is a judge of men, and that what is wrong with me is my incapacity. (Laughter.) Well, he is only one man expresssing one man’s opinion. Would it not be fair to suggest that be was judged by .more than one map in 1925?” (Laughter and applause.) i Railway Matters.

Mr. Coates referred to Mr. Masters’s statement with regard to the construction of the railway station and terminal at Auckland. “I wonder if he .had been talking to an Auckland audience would he have suggested that these works are not justified?” Mr. Coates asked. “What he really means is that the Government is not justified in operating the railway improvement account. A voice: He does not say that.

The Prime Minister: He infers that. He might as well say that we should not build a new station at Wellington. We are going to build it, and we are going on improving the grades and curves, and the signals, and we are finishing our workshops reorganisation.” The Prime Minister referred to the report of the FayRaven Commission, and said that the commission had hardly altered the proposals he had macle in regard to railway improvements, and which had been demanded by the railwaymen for years. The scheme which had been adopted was not extravagant, and the money had been well invested.

Mr. Coates diverted for a few moments to deal with a statement of a United Party candidate in Taranaki, that railwaymen could not act without authority from Wellington, and that initiative was discouraged.

“Nothing of the sort,” Mr. Coates said : “Every man is keen on the job, and he is encouraged to take the business in his hands. He won’t be rapped over the knuckles if he makes an honest mistake.” Mr. Masters and Taxation.

Mr. Coates then dealt with the criticism of Mr. Masters, concerning taxation, quoting returns to show-that Customs taxation per head had decreased, while income tax had gone up, instead of the reverse, as had been suggested by Mr. Masters.

After dealing with the land settlement policy, Mr. Coates said the Government, in its record, was entitled to a return to office. A motion of thanks and confidence was seconded by a lady, who said that after the last election, two navvies had discussed the situation. One said: “We have had a Dick, a Joey, and a Bill, but what the Hell are we going to do with a Gordon? He has shown us what he enn do,” the lady said, “and I think we should keep him in power.” The motion was carried with a large majority, although the chairman appeared to be a little too quick for some of tlie audience at the back, who voiced their disapproval. Early in the day, the Prime Minister addressed an enthusiastic meeting at Inglewood, where lie was given a unanimous vote of thanks and confidence. Mr. Coates will speak in Wanganui to-mor-row night.

WELLINGTON SOUTH ADDRESS BY MR. LUCKIE ( The Government’s administration during the 'oast three years was defended by the lieform candidate for Wellington faouth, Mr. Martin Luckie, in an address he delivered in the Congregational Hall at Constable Street last night. "The candidate,” said the chairman, Mr. A. It. Hornblow, when. introducing Mr. Luckie, ‘‘has done valuable work for this city and its citizens, and if you do him the honour of electing him to Parliament he will worthily represent you.” Mr. Luckie said that in the present struggle there were issues of grave importance that, had previously been put before the people of New- Zealand. On the other hand there was the sound administration of the present Government, with its sober finance, with every inducement for . the development of primary and secondary industries, with every encouragement to private and public initiative, thrift, self-reliance, and restraint. No country in the world gave such opportunities as the Dominion. On the other hand the Labour Party was pledged to straight-out Socialism. The Reform Party stood for individual effort againts the Socialism of Labour. Whatever the Labour candidates .night profess, there was no doubt that every one of them was tied to the doctrine of Socialism —the socialisation of the means of production, distribution and exchange. The electors had to choose between two classes of Government —that of the Reform Party or that of the Labour Party. The candidate said that Sir Joseph Ward’s manifesto set forward principles similar to those in the Reform Party’s platform, except for their pure extravagance in some respects. Sir Joseph Ward proposed to borrow £70,000,000 in eight years, but in speeches in the House of Representatives in 1926, he had done nothing but condemn the Government for its borrowing. The policy of the United Party was a replica of that of the Reform Party, and- had no right to a separate existence. With three parties going to the country, a vote-for the United Party was one for the Labour Party. Mr. Luckie contended that during the past three years, Mr. Coates and his party had done nothing that should not warrant a continuance of the confidence shown them at the ballot box in 1925. (Applause.) Referring to unemployment, the candidate said the question was one that was above all politics. In the House the Labour Party had claimed they had a panacea for unemployment, but they would not say what it was. If they had a remedy, he considered they should have let New Zealand have the benefit of it. Mr. Luckie remarked that in the immediate past the country had been up against two of its worst years, but yet New Zealand had always balanced its Budget, and at the same time had increased the amount of pensions, and increased the expenditure on education, besides having to make an outlay on unemployment relief. This was also a tribute to the prudent administration of the Government. “If I have the honour to be elected,” said Mr. Luckie, in conclusion, “my performance in the House will be in accordance with my convictions.” (Applause.) , , , Many questions were asked, almost an hour being thus occupied. All of them, it seemed, were asked by supporters of the Labour Party, and were the same old stock queries that have been heard at ’almost every political meeting throughout the campaign. At one -sta- a woman in the hall rose and suggested that the questions might be asked at Labour meetings. “Would it not be quicker,” she said, “to ask some of these gentlemen to go to Mr. -McKeen’s meeting and ask these questions there?” Her remark was greeted with applause. The closure was ultimately applied by another woman, who proposed'a' Vote Of thanks and confidence, which‘was. seconded, and carried with enthusiasm. MR. R. McKEEN AT HAPPY VALLEY Mr. R. McKeen, official Labour candidate for Wellington South, continued his campaign last night, when he addressed a meeting of electors at Happy Valley. The candidate declared that the present Government’s administration must be classed amongst the worst failures in New ■Zealand political history. Even the most obstinate Reform Party supporters must have difficulty in reconciling the actual condition of the country with the debauch of glittering and seductive promises made at the elections three years ago. On the facts, he contended, it was simply impossible to justify the Government’s record. The time had now come to pass judgment, and no doubt on November 14 the Government would be weighed in the balance and found wanting. Dealing with old age, widows’, and Other pensions, Mr. McKeen stated that the Labour Party proposed to raise the amount so that it was sufficient to maintain a reasonable standard, of living. A vote of thanks and confidence was passed. WELLINGTON SUBURBS MR. BRINDLE AT MORNINGTON Mr. T. Brindle, the Labour candidate, addressed a good attendance of electors in the Baptist Church last night. Mr. Hadley occupied the chair. Mr. Brindle said it was never . more necessary than it was to-day to remember the old adage that “eternal vigilance was the price of liberty.” They had at the present time in this country a secret society calling itself the “1928 committee,” whose aim was to cripple their fine public institutions. In effect, its action was a conspiracy against the State, and should be treated accordingly. But what did they find? The Reform Government, he declared, had l actually bowed the knee to some of its requests, and he was afraid had given sympathetic assurances regarding many other demands. It was entirely wrong for the people to look upon the State as something apart from themselves. They were the-State. and they could, by their indifference or alert interest, make or mar the mutual aid efforts reflected in the social services already functioning in New Zealand. He had a greater faith in the public spirit of its electors than that they would tamely submit to outside dominance of the nation’s best assets. This election could, and he believed, would, be made the “Swan Song” of the Reform Government. Questions were answered, and the meeting concluded with a vote of thanks and confidence. SIR JOSEPH WARD The Leader of the United Party (Right Hon. Sir Joseph Ward) left Wellington for the South last night, in continuation of his election campaign. His next speech will be delivered at Invercargill on Thursday night. Sir Joseph Ward is reported to have completely recovered from his eye trouble. MR. COATES AT WANGANUI The Prime Minister (Right Hon. J. G. Coates) will speak at the Majestic Theatre, Wanganui, to-night, at 8 o'clock. The Mayor will preside.