POLITICAL SPEECHES

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 77, 1 April 1914, Page 7

POLITICAL SPEECHES

MR. RUSSELL AT ASHBURTON. GOVERNMENT'S " ONE SHIP, NAVAL POLICY." (IT TELEGRAPH.— PRESS ASSOCIATION.; ASHBURTON, This 'Day. Mr. G. W, Russell, M.P., addressed a crowded meeting of over 800 people at the Theatre Royal last night. He was received most cordially, and his speech (which dealt with leading political questions of the day, and included a heavy denunciation of the Government) was punctuated with applause during the two and a-half hours of its duration. While speaking generally on the lines of his recent addresses, he laid special emphasis on the Liberal Party's disagreement with what he termed tho Government's "one ship naval policy," anil enlarged on the heavy cost the " ridiculous policy of a toy navy " would entail. He referred to the failure of the Government to provide cheap money, and after quoting a number of figures, said that in his last year of oflice Sir .Joseph Ward had made available £1.000,000 more cheap money than Mr. Massey had in twenty months. The cheap money the Liberal Government had provided had been the salvation of many a man. The rate of interest had gone up since Mr. Massey had taken office, and the policy of the present Government was to raise that rate. Local bodies had had to go to the banks to borrow money for public works. It was not the farmers, but rather the large capitalists, who were dictating the policy of the Massey Administration, and the rate of interest would never get down to the low rate of the Liberal regime, nor would cheap money be available, while the Massey Government remained on the Treasury Benches. Mr. Russell devoted a portion of his speech to replying to Mr. Nosworthy, who delivered a pre-sessional address here last week, seeking to show that the member for Ashburton had either misstated many facts regarding tho finance of the late and present Governments and in respect of the Massey Government's land' policy, or had stated that then only partially. He also dealt scathingly and at some length with the pledges the Reform Party had made prior to the last General Election and to the way in which these pledges had been observed or non-observed. An amendment to the effect that Mr. Russell be thanked for his address, but that the meeting had no confidence in the party he represents, was decisively defeated in favour of a motion of thanks and confidence in the Liberal Party and in Sir Joseph Ward as its leader. The mover, of the amendment, which did not secure fifty supporters at most, had a difficulty in obtaining a hearing, and the motion was carried apparently enthusiastically, the whole of the rest of the audience elevating their hands in its favour, and cheering Mr. Russell. MR. G. V. PEARCE AT HAWERA. HAWERA. This Day. Mr. G. V. Pearc.e. M.P. for Patea, addressed the electors _at Haweia, 'last night, when he explained the principal Acts of last session. A hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Peaice and a motion expressing confidence in him and also confidence in the Mas>sey Government was carried.