MR. WAKING'S CAMPAIGN

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 74, 24 September 1927, Page 10

MR. WAKING'S CAMPAIGN

"COMMONSENSE, NOT

POLITICS"

It would be hard to find better evidence of the personal popularity of Mr. A. H. Waring, the official Reform candidate for Raglan than .the hearing he received at Huntly on Wednesday evening (states the "New Zealand Herald"). A majority of the audience, numbering over 100, appeared to be eoalminers, but a vote of thanks expressing a wish, that he might be successful was carried by acclamation. Mr. Waring was well known to his hearers, who treated him.will all the consideration which the late Hon. R. p. Bollard always received when he addressed political meetings at Huntly. The chairman of the Huntly Town Board, Mr. W. C. E. George, a wellknown local supporter of Labour, who presided, introduced the candidate, although he remarked that Mr. Waring really needed no introduction. "To my mind, he is very plucky to come out in this way at his time of life," said Mr. George. "A man in local polities gets plenty of kicks and in Parliamentary life he gets still more. Mr. Waring is an old identity in the Waikato, and whatever we think of his politics we admire himi as a. man and a gentleman."

FAULT-FINDERS CONDEMNED,

. "I say that there is so country in the whole world that can equal New Zealand," declared Mr. Waring, in condemning the 'grumblers, growlers, faultfinders and Jeremiahs,' as he termed them, who blamed Mr. Coates and his Government for the unavoidable ills which New Zealand encountered. "There is no place in the world where you can live more cheaply or where there is less taxation."

Mr. Waring refused to iigrce with critics of the new income tax rates, and cited figures ,to show that those ruling in other British countries were much higher. He repeated a statement he had made at an earlier meeting that tho land tax was iniquitous, and that drastic changes were needed in the methods of Government vluation He considered that the land and the man on it had quite enough to bear without the burden imposed by present methods of taxation. As a reply to those who cried down the country's stability he cited the fact that/London financiers were prepared to lend the Government money promptly on good terms without even inquiring the purpose for which it was to be used. "Just try to borrow £100 from a banker," ho remarked. "Why, the first thing he will want to know is what you are going to do with it. Ho will j look you Up and down, and suggest that £50 is enough, and, by heavens, you will be lucky if you get it." (Laughter.) ■ COMMONSENSE NOT POLITICS. "I am not going to tell you a great deal more, because I do not know much," ho declared a little later, amid much good-humoured laughter. "I now may not bo ablo to give a reason for everything, but in Parliament wo want common-sense, not politics. There was a racehorse named All Talk, and I bolieve it has beta turned out now because it was not much good." "I can stand the test of investigation," said Mr. Waring, in conclusion. "I have made a success of a good many things, for I have had several irons in .the lire. Jf you think I am suitable, you know what to do. If not, you know what to do. Somebody naked mo tho other day if I was in favour of abolishing the Upper House. I said no, because if they throw me out of tho Lower House I can get into tho Upper. (Laughter.) And I think I would look well there, too. I am not here of my own seeking, but someone ha; to stand, and I have come forward." (Applause.) • In reply to ono questioner with a Jifonounced dialect, who asked how he would deal with unemployment and immigration, Mr. Waring said ho doubted whether tho Government really was responsible for bringing so many people into the country. So far as. he could make out, most of them had been nominated by friends who had arrived earlier.

ADVICE TO INQUIRER,

"I wish you were a banker," the candidate observod to another man who wanted to know why public works could not be carried on without borrowing. "I would come to you, and I should be all right." (Loud 1 laughter.) The candidate caused still more amusement when a questioner began a speech on tho ways of'Tooley Street. Taking a large printed leaflet from the table, Mr. Waring pressed it on the man. "Take that, read, work, loam, and digest it," ho added. The questioner did not reject tho gift. A vote of thanks was moved by" Mr. J. B. Bailey and seconded by Mr. John Watson. Tho chairman interpreted some words of the mover as making it a voto of confidence as well, and suggested that it be carried "in the usual way."- A number of hands were put up, and there was some loud applause, whereupon the motion was declared carried.

"We have differences of opinion, but I honour and respect the feelings of others, as I do my own," said Mr Waring, returning thanks, "it does not matter if you vote for mo or not, we shall be none the less friends—not a bit."