DUNEDIN WEST

Evening Star, Issue 17226, 16 December 1919, Page 8

DUNEDIN WEST

MR W. DOWNIE STEWART'S FINAL RALLY, Mr W. Downie Stewart, Independent Candidate for Dunedin West, deliverod his final election address in Burns Hall last evening. There was a very large attendance, including a great many ladies, and the candidate, who dealt trenchantly with a number of present-day public .and political nroblems, and who forcibly criticised the Labor Party's platform, received a cord'al and most favorable hearing. Mr T. gcott, who occupied the chair, briefly introduced the speaker. In the opening stages of his address Mr Stewart touched briefly upon the more or less artificial system of party government which has obtained in New Zealand for some years past, serving no useful purpose, and acting as & hindrance rather than a help to beneficial legislation. He hoped the day would soon come when all classes of politicians, including the Labor Party, would recognise tho growing public demand for the elimination of the party system, thus enabling every question to be dealt with on its merits. (Applause.) LABOR PARTY'S PLATFORM. Proceeding, Mr Stewart dealt fully with the position of the Labor Party in regard to the present election. Ho had noticed that one of the Official Labor candidates had been complaining that the platform of the partv had not been criticised. He (the speaker) had felt a little hurt at this compliment, because he contended that none of the Labor men had answered his criticism of their platform. He. had realised all alongthat it was not sufficient to "hoist" the Labor Party over their action during the. war, because they would in time live down that stigma, and it was upon their actual programme which they had to be judged. If one rend the Labor platform from beginning to end, soma admirable planks were to be found, dealing with constitutional reform, but so far as social reform was concerned the keynote and basis was Stat© ownership. Their platform on this occasion was a modification of previous platforms, and those who had read the proceedings of the annual conference of the Labor Party would know that it had been reconstructed' again and again.

In certain cases it had been found advantageous for the State to take over and operate certain undertakings, or to compete along certain lines with private ownership, but it had yet to be shown that it would be to the advantage of the community as a whole to take over a great many other enterprises which were at present being carried on, fairly satisfactorily at any rate, by means of private capital. It was a wise thing, for instance, that the State should own the railways, and that municipalities should have their own train services and gasworks, because all these things were natural monopolies. The experience of the past had shown that competing companies could not maintain effective opposition, with the result that they agreed upon a fixed tariff, and the_ public was exploited. It was right also iu some cases that the Sate should compete with private enterprise, and this had been proved in connection with State insurance, and to some extent in connection with the State coal mines. Competition of this kind also had the effect of acting as a test upon the efficiency of the management of the State concerns. It might also he found neessary for the State to enter into a trading concern for the purpose of protecting private enterprise, and that seemed likely to occur in connection with some of our primary products which were exported to Great Britain. It was possible that a serious threat might ;uise from the Meat Trust, and if it secured a lodgment to operate in this country, as it had done in other parts of the world, the farmers of the Dominion could be protected against its operations by the institution of a State service of steamers to Great Britain, so that the trust could not obtain control of the shipping space and prevent the farmers from exporting their meat direct to England. Apart from the instances which he had quoted, ha would ask them to consider the merits of nationalisation in a more general way. The proposition was made to appear a very attractive one in some instances when it was asserted that the huge profits which were being made by privata concerns would under a system of State socialism go into the coffers of the State, where they would have an important effect in reducing the burdens of taxation. But it was a fact proved by experience that too often these profits somehow disappeared altogether when an industry passed into the hands of the State, and the more we nationalised the higher became the taxes. Hi at was what had occurred in connection with the assumption of State control over the telegraph and telephone systems in Great Britain, and the expedience of tho various Australian States had been no more fortunate, with perhaps the exception of the Commonwealth line of steamer?. Many Australian industries, such as fishing, brick-making, and cement-making, had been nationalised on the same lines as th« Labor Party -was asking for here, and yet the Auditor-General spoke in condemnation of the management of these concerns, and criticised l their operations generally. Mr Pa/u.l had recently quoted some figure? purporting to shew that certain large State-owned runs in Queensland had shown a profit, but the State Auditor had prepared his figures under certain anomalous regulations which were laid down respecting the matter, and they failed to rev-eat the true position. The speaker had looked into tho matter for himself, and he had fo-nnd that a large number of the cattle raised on these inns had either been sold to the British Government or* at the highest local market pries', and had not boon used at all for the State meat .shops, which were supplied with cattle at" 2d per lb less than the owners could get on the local market. If the balance-sheet's of these concerns were examined, and allowances were made for a proper rate of Interest and for the rates taxes which would have been derived from private owners, then these stations would' have, produced far more revenue than if they had been owned by the State. (Applause.)

ELIMINATION OF THE CAPITALIST. Another aim of the Labor Party in ita desire for nationalisation was to get rid of tho capitalists. It was clear, however, that if the capitalist was got rid of on fair terms, he was merely placed, in a better position than ever, because he became the possessor of Government debentures payUK" a fixed l rate of interest- Leading Socialists in England recognised 1 this difficulty, and they knew it -would only make it harder to get rid of the capitalist -when tho fight cams. STATE AS EMPLOYER. Tt was also contended that State ownership would Improve the lot of the wageearner and secure for him better wages and conditions, but the speaker could not agree with that belief. Jf a man quarrelled with the tSate ho would find himself in a, hopeless and difficult position, and by the very fact that he was a servant of tho State 3io could not vso the strike as a means to redre&s his grievances, because -it was held) to be illegal to strike against the community. With, the State a* the sole employer, it would also be difficult to secure opportunities, except within a limited sphere, for the development of Individual creative faculty, and a further difficulty was presented; by the fact that other avenues of employment such as the land were being gradually closed!. In this connection the speaker mentioned in passing that there was great need for tho State enterprises in New Zealand to be put on a, proper footing. so that we should know exactly what they were costing in comparison with private enterprises. LABOR AND MILITARISM. Dealing with the Labor platform in relation to the question of defence, Mr Stewart, so to speak, turnedi the guns of the Labor Party on itself. The defence of the State was, he eaid, the primary function of any Government. (Applause.) In New Zealand the Labor Party was anxious to flee from militarism, and they spoke of a voluntary oystem with payment for the services of the soldiers. The voluntary system had never l>een a success, and ;t was recognised that every citizen, no flatter what his coiidaUo-njo^^JgtgfJiad

a duty resting -upon him to take a ahare in the defence of hie country. (Applause*.) it seemed to him that the. proposal of the Labor Paaty with its paid army would involve a muich greater degree of wilttarisni than the present democratic! Terri* torial system, for the former would undoubtedly create a professional class of soldiers, just as Germany had done. Further than that, he did not think they would obtain a sufficiently large army by such a means. CONCLUDING REMARKS. After criticising several; of the other pJanka of the Labor Party's platform, Mr Stewart _ devoted some time to a brief enunciation of his own platform- The vast Imperial problems which were awaiting solution wero also touched upon, and these the speaker stated were of the greatest moment to this conntrr, 'because upon tlicir solution depended the welfare of the Dominion, which he had more closely at heart than anything else. (Loud applause.) TRIBUTE FROM SOLDIERS. As soon as Mr Stewart concluded his address Mrs Macfie ascended the platform and presented him with a floral tribute from the soldiers in hospital, at the same time reading the following message from the men :—" Good luck. Bast- wishes for Wednesday's success. Majority of I OGO assured, but will try to make" it 2.000." (Loud applause.) Mr Stewart said he accepted the tribute as an emblem of good luck, and ho hoped that if he were returned he -would be able to bo of service to the soldiers in the Hospital and elsewhere. QUESTIONS. A member of the audience asked the candidate if he was in favor of enemy aliens holding Government positions in oamoa, as wa3 the" case at present. Mr Stewart : If that is a. fact it should certainly be remedied at once. In reply to a further question, the candidate said he was not in favor of the present .system of taking over large estates; tho valuation system should Le reverted to. In reply to a question respecting naval defence, lie said the policy of paying a subsidy was not so effective as personal service. Of course, New Zealand could not have a navy of its own nt the present time, but he believed we were, working towards a Pacific fleet, which would he contributed to by Australia* Canada, and New Zealand. Are you in favor of keeping down the pressure of undue militarism in the schools? asked another questioner.—Yes. If it is being found oppressive I should ■ try to remedy it. Replying to another questioner, the can- j didate said he was in favor of the publication of the names of financial "shirkers " if it was found that t<bey bud evaded their obligations and escaped the ; penalties. VOTE OF THANKS AND CONFIDENCE. | On the motion of Mr E. Cameron, seconded by Mr W r . Crawford, the candidate w;i> accorded a hearty vote (if thanks and confidence. The meetim: closed with cheers for Mr Stewart.—(Extended report published by arrangement.) I