POLITICAL ADDRESS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 56, 7 March 1914, Page 6

POLITICAL ADDRESS

MR. WILFORD AT MASTERTON.

(ir itLsaiura—SFKiiu, to tot tost.) MASTERTON, This Day. Mr. T. M. Wilford, M.P., addressed a big audience at the Town Hall last { evening, the Mayor (Mr. J. M, Coradine) presiding. Mr. Wilford, in opening his address, said he came to Masterton as a Liberal in the interests of the Liberal Party, and hoped to enthuse new life into the adherents in this dis< trict. His address, which occupied two and a-half hours, was mainly confined to trenchant criticism of the party in power. He had a good deal to say regarding railway administration, criticismg i tho Government's action in importing Mr. Hiley to superintend to Tunning of the railways. The placing of money on the Estimates for the Featherston, Martin, borough, and Waiuku railways, while work on such an important line as the Ea&t Coast was suspended was, in. his opinion, a scandal. Ho agreed wiUi the people of the Wairarapa that the Rimu> taka deviation was an urgent necessity, and urged the people to take united action to secure theii' wants in this direction. He could assure thorn oi considerable support from tlio Opposition benches. The Massey Government had made many promisee but bad failed to practise what they preached. Taxation was to have been reduced, but this was not done. If the taxes were to be made eaeier tho big landowners would suffer, as they would necessarily have to bear tho burden. But the landowners wore the backers of the Government, which could not turn them down. Monopoly and political patronage were rampant at present, no better, example of the latter being needed than th« Appointment to a lucrative positidn of Mr. Royd Gatlick. pealing with labour troubles, Ml 1 . Wilford said he favoured arbitration as a means of settling industrial tangles. The present Arbitration Act failed hecause the men who sat with the Judges on the Bench were not sufficiently conversant with all the details of cases j which came before thorn. This they I could not be, as it was impossible for the Conciliation Commissioner to have first-hand knowledge of every dispute that came before _ him. Ho suggested that four big divisions bo made, each to be presided over by a Commissioner, who would have to deal with certain trades only. In this way the Commissioner would become conversant with every detail and would be in a position to deal with disputes as an. expert. When disputes arose the Commissioner would preside at a conferenco of cmi ployers and employees, and. after the position was fully gone into, if no decision were arrived at. the Commissioner would give up his seat to the Judge of the Arbitration Court wbo, after going into the evidence taken, would give his decision. If all pei"sons, excepting experts, had nothing to do with these disputes he was convinced that labour problems would be more easily settled. Land aggregation was referred to in scathing terms, the speaker stating that tho Government was too anxious for the welfare of the landholder to undertake tho subdividing of the large estates. He instanced the cutting up of the Poro Poro estate, in which a man ■ required a large area in order to make a living. If closer settlement were genuinely desired, why not cut up the rich properties of the Riddifords, the Buchanans., the Campbells, and other big estate holders. If New* Zealand was to make proper progress taxation must be imposed which would compel the big men to cut up their land. T6uching on the naval policy of the Government} Mr. Wilford said he was a bitter opponent of the scheme introduced by Mr. Allen, which, he considered, would lead the country to bankruptcy. He considered that New Zealand could be best safeguarded* by contributions -to tho Home navy. ■ In concluding his address, Mr. Wilford said that a^mistake was made by those who thouglit Liberalism was dead, and he could tell them that his party had a surprise in store for the Massey Party. At the conclusion of the meeting the Chairman moved a vote of thanks to tho speaker, which was carried by acclamation.