"A SCRAP OF PAPER"

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 143, 18 June 1924, Page 17

"A SCRAP OF PAPER"

FAITH BROKEN WITH SOLDIERS ■MR. WILFOED'S.SYNONYM IN THE SOUTH. 1 (BX TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.) WAIMATE, 17th June. Mr. T. M. WOford commenced a series of South Island .meetings here to- c night, speaking to 450 persons. He had an attentive' hearing, and spoke on'the lines of his North Island addresses. He .contended ' that the Government: had broken faith with the returned soldiers, and that the Liberals were battling for a I-scrap of. paper. ' He advocated" State .banking and criticised the State Advances administration, contending that the Premier took money from the Advances Department for floating loans, which was: not the purpose for which the Department was" created. He. went on to refer to the need for trade with the East, and exhibited to the audience tins of Australian butter as sold in Singapore. iHe said that the big meat ■ trust formed in England would imperil our marketing of produce, and referred, to possible competition by Eussia in butter and cheese on the Home'market. We should therefore take advantage of all possible trading -opportunities. Speaking of the Premiers surplus of '£1,812,----000, h e stated that it meant that he had taken out of the country; by means of taxation that much more than was necessary to.run the country. He went' on'to'refer to the number of bankruptcies, which constituted a record, for the Reform Administration since 1887. He referred to" the 'petrol ring,; one way to deal with which was by the State coming in, but 'the Government had' set its face against the State .taking on anything., He spoke of high taxation, which crippled industry and caused unemployment. In conclusion, he claimed that Liberalism stood for everybody, being i between Eeform, which was» for vested interests, on the one side, and the extreme. Labour .Party led by Mr. Holland on the other. ,A motion of thanks and confidence in, the Liberal Party was carried, with only three dissentients. s '