CAMPAIGN OPENED

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume XLVI, Issue 3262, 12 October 1928, Page 7

CAMPAIGN OPENED

MID-CANTERBURY ELECTORS

REFORM CANDIDATE'S ADDRESS,

THE GOVERNMENT DEFENDED

Of the candidates who aspire to occupy the Mid-Canterbury ' seat in the next New Zealand Parliament the sitting member, Mr David Jones, who is recontesting the seat in the Government Party's interests, was first in the field with his election campaign. His initial address was delivered in St. Andrew's Hall, Ashburton, on Wednes-^ day evening, the Mayor (Mr R. Galbraith) presiding.

Both the chairman and the candidate paid tributes to the retiring member, the Hon. W.Noswprthy, the former referring to his long Parliamentary service as member for the old Ashburton electorate and to the ability with which'he had held Cabinet rank. Mr Jones spoke of Mr Nosworthy as a man- of unquestioned integrity in the House. ' ' • REFORM OR SOCIALISM? "Mid-Canterbury is the most important agricultural electorate in the l^miniony' 'said Mr Jones, <' and its future for very many years is bound iup with closer settlement and intensive farming." The present Government,had done more to assist these branches than - any previous Government.. The election could not .be fought on the old Party line„. The questions of freehold and leasehold, protection and free-trade, separating the Reform and Liberal Parties, had disappeared to-day. The Liberals, after years of useful service, were defeated, and the Reform Party took up their work and for sixteen years, first under that great Imperialist and statesman, Mr Massey, and now under Mr Coates, New Zealand had been kept in the forefront with her credit, reputation, and production.

While the Liberals had ""the Labour vote they were 'easily first, but when Labour started its own Party the Liborals, alias Nationals, alias United Party, ceased to be a factor of value and this was true in every part of the British Empire. A vote for the United Party (and there were only four of them.; in the House to go to • the elections) was a vote worse than wasted. The choice in this and. every electorate was between Reform and Labour Socialism. Lenin/ Trotsky, and Mr H. E. Holland were all disciples of the German Socialist, Marx. Their policy was the destruction of capitalism as illustrated in Russia to-day. In New Zealand they had put away the red tie, they no longer talked wild Socialistic theories, but their policy as set out in their platform had never been 'altered, viz., nationalisation of production, distribution, and exchange. Labour had its rights and must be given justice. They were as -'much entitled to representation as any other section of the community, and they were represented better by the Reform Party than by any Labour Government in the Empire. This was particularly illustrated irf the mining laws, Workers' Compensation Act, education, pensions, Customs duties, and State advances to settlers and workers. In these and many other matters the present Government had improved on workers' Governments or Labour Governments elsewhere. A' Reform Government was the only possible Government in sight, and after sixteen years of continuous ofliee in the most troublous times: of the century they would appeal again with confidence to the people. FINANCE. Sound finance was the first essential factor in good government, and the finances of the Dominion had won for New Zealand the approval of London financiers. This "was best illustrated by the las,t £5,000,000 loan which was subscribed sevenfold. The Dominion's borrowing was heavy, and the reason was not' far to seek. People demanded that the Government should own railways, hydro-electric power works, telegraphs and telephones, build workers' homes, buy land for settlement, and finance workers and farmers. These things were mainly carried out by private enterprise in other countries. The Government, however, believed in owning these great utilities, and he supported that policy. The Government must, therefore, borrow to 'satisfy the demand and develop the country. When the expenditure was interest earning and necessary, the burden on the people was not increased, and many undertakings would become increasingly valuable as population increased. I PUBLIC DEBT. Turning to the Public Debt, Mr. Jones said: "In considering our Public Debt it is important to remember that over £107,000,000 is borrowed within New Zealand, and the interest \

remains here. We must also take into consideration our assets. We have in cash investments and sinking funds bearing interest, £38,000,000, Advances Department £37,000,000, railways, telegraphs, electric power, and other public works £78,000,000, lands, forests, irrigation £72,000,000, indirectly productive work sueh as buildings, roading, etc., £38,000,000, or over £260,000)000 of assets. If we wished to sell them we could pay our debts. Although our indebtedness is increasing because of these extensions* the country is more than paying its way. Last year we had a surplus of revenue amounting to j £189,000, and redeemed and paid off £2,477,000 of our debt. Our heavy taxation is due to war burdens. The sum of £9,800,000 has been paid off our war debt alone in the last six years. Last year we spent on public works as follows:—Railway construction, additions and improvemerfts, £2,573,252; hydro-electric supply, £1,272,575; telegraphs and telephones, £625,540; public buildings, £605,747; irrigation, land, and river improvement, £273,452; other public works, £177,983; total £5,528, 549. The interest on our war debt, war sinking fund, and war pensions amounts to £5,203,945,' therefore had it not been for the burden of war we could have paid off practically the whole of the above' expenditure " on publie works out of revenue and borrowing eould eease." ■ . ' '! PRIMARY PRODUCTION Primary production was the foundation of New Zealand's prosperity, and was responsible for over 90 per cent, of its exports, therefore sound finance for farmers was indispensable. There was a cry for an agricultural bank as the solution of agricultural troubles. j There was, however, no difference deitween the Advances to Settlers and .Workers' Department and .an agricul- | tural bank exeept the name. Actually I New Zealand had its own agricultural [bank with a capital of £38,000,000. The encouragement of production was an important part of the Government's I policy. The wheat industry, so important to Canterbury, had been placed on a sound basis; adequate .protection had been given both to the farmer and to .the consumer: In regard to potatoes New Zealand had retaliated by adopting 'Australia's poliey. Subsidies and guarantees had been given to the pork industry, also to eggs and fruit, the Government's aim being to develop what the country was best able to produce economically. A striking illustration of what this guarantee had done to the' fruit industry was the fact that this year over 1,000,000 cases of fruit had been shipped. Land settle- , ment had been one of the most difficult matters during the last three years* The slump in prices and the difficult financial position of farmers stopped the demand for land., The Government did everything possible to keep settlers on the land, even at • considerable sacrifices, and an extension of land settlement on any scale was f impossible because of the dearth of applications for land. The. tide now appeared to be turning, and the Govern,ment must be ready to push, forward a vigorous system of land settlement,, and the new system of land purchase introduced last session would be a valuable aid. In tho last two years considerable areas of Crown land had been selected and settled.

The Agricultural Department's policy of agricultural education had been effective, and scientific knowledge, herd testing, and top-dressing were giving remarkable results. During last year meat export had increased by 60,000,0001b., and sheep stocks had also increased by 1,484,794 head. A record kill of about 420,000,0001b. had been regulated and shipped by the Meat Board without any glut, and bringing increased prices. The export of butter in 1918 was 316,456ewt., and in 1928 it was 1,578,299cwt r Cheese

exported in 1918 amounted to 985,170 cwt., and in 1928 1,564,449ewt. IMMIGRATION After stating that the national wealth of the Dominion stood to-day at £907,000,000, Mr Jones said that Labour Socialists blamed immigration for unemployment, but the percentage of increase in immigration had been less in the last ten years than in the last ten years of the Liberal Administration. New Zealand lost 16,696 killied in the war, and it was estimated that 5000 more were totally incapacitated. The number of adult male im- ! migrants had been 21,113, so that immigration had barely replaced the men lost. In Great Britain there was one unemployed in 38, in America one in 60, in Australia one ~in 190, and in New Zealand one in 440. The Labour Socialist Governments had not solved the unemployed problem. **' Prior to this year,'' said Mr Jones in conclusion, "New Zealand has been passing through a serious crisis, largely owing to low prices for farm produce. The Prime Minister and the Government during that period were bitterly assailed for* alleged incompetence. It was^bowever, not the fault