THE GISBORNE SEAT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3773, 10 November 1914, Page 6

THE GISBORNE SEAT.

SIR JAS. CARROLL CONTINUES HIS REMARKABLE CAMPAIGN.

SAYS HE WAS MISUNDERSTOOD AT MANCAPAPA.

A CLUMSY BIT OF WRIGGLING

There was ail attendance of some 80 persons at the Manutuke Hall last night, when Sir James Carroll, the Opposition candidate for the Gisborne seat, delivered an address to the electors.

Mr E. Roberts, who was voted to the chair, said that Sir James Carroll required no introduction to them, as his political record was unique in the Dominion if not in Australasia. The candidate spoke much on the same lines as at Waerenga-ahika and Mangapapa. . Speaking of what the Liberals had done during their term of office, Sir James Carroll said that the party he represented had purchased large estates in the Poverty Bay district, and placed people upon them, who had become wealthy, and handed their holdings on to others. The Liberal party had introduced legislation to give cheap money to put people on the land—

Mr H. lan Simson: Which the Re form party tried to block. Sir J ames: Every time. Mr C. Greig: Bosh ! Sir James: What’s that

Mr Greig: Bosh, don’t vou -know ? The candidate: Perhaps my friend' can tell us what the Reform party has done.

Mr Greig: If you give me permission, I will very soon tell the audience a-good deal they have done. Sir James: I will give .you a chance later on.

Continuing, the candidate said that the Reform party since coming into power, had not repealed a single measure the Liberals had introduced. Mr Simson: They daren’t do it. Mr R. Mcßuff Birrell: They repealed the Second Ballot Act. Mr Greig: They amended a good deal though. Mr Simson: He has been reading the “ Gisborne 'limes.”

Continuing, Sir Janies said that the Reform party had promised the millenium when they came into . power, but they had done nothing. There had been many strikes since they took office. Mr Simson: Civil war.

Continuing, Sir James said that Mr Massey had been responsible for putting a number of Red Fed. members in at the last election.

A voice: Where ? Sir James: At Otaki for one, at Grey Lynn for another. The Reform party and*the Red! Feds, were friends then, but they were not now. They never • had been friends, but it- suited Mr. Massey to use them to help to get the Liberals out of office. He claimed that Mr Massey had settled fewer people on the land than had been placed there during any one of the past ten years. If ever there was a fraud under the guise of a drastic measure, it was the Graduated Land Tax, introduced by the Massey Government. The Reform party, which came in with a flourish of trumpets, and- which promised to write a Book of Revelations, had. he claimed, done nothing. They -had increased the national debt from £74 to £Bl per head of population during their short term. They had also increased the . cost of adminstration by two million pounds in two years and a half, and what do we get for it ? Nothing ■ they introduced nothing, and had repealed not a single Act introduced by the Liberals. The Reform party would never have got into office had it not been for the -disloyalty of some of the Liberals Themselves. But it was a good thing they had got in. as it would give the people of New Zealand a taste of what they really were. •Speaking of the Government’s reform of the Upper House, he stated that the people would never have a real chance of electing members to the Upper House until 1923. Was not this a grand thing ? Mr Simson: A square deal. The candidate : Yes ; fit to take fir r t place in any flower show of the world. He attacked the Government for having handed the Civil Service of the country over to a Board, and thus 1 taking the control out of the hands of the representatives of the people, who paid the salaries. The first thing the Liberals would do if they got hack to power would be to resume control of the Civil Service. While claiming to be the friend of the backblockers, the Government had spent practically nothing on roading, while they were spending over three millions in erecting palatial railway stations in the large centres. This was an election sop to the large centres, because they were doubtful as to how the city populations would go politically. Could anyone tell him how much had been spent by the Government in this district during the past year. “ Many of you," he said, “ are probably interested in a road, or know a friend who is. Can any one of you stand up and say so much has been spent on my road P ” A voice: That was the fault of our member (applause). Sir James: No. of the Government.

A Voice: No, the fault of our member. Sir James: Go to your fountain head; I am not the Government. Continuing, the candidate said the Government had stopped work at the Napier end of the Gisbovne-Napier railway, and Oiad eased off at this end. "instead of proceeding with this important main line, the Government (iiad started twelve small local railways, one of which ran to an ostrich farm in which some of the It-form Government were interested. _ In any case, it ran close to this farm, through unsettled country. Speaking of-the freehold, Sir James said that the present Government would sell anything so long as they could curry favor with those who desired the freehold. All Crown lands belonged to the people, who had paid for them. If it was right to give the freehold, wiiv not give Ufa freehold in the case of "national and public endowments,, and even private leases. Sir Janies said that some remarks of his made at a recent meeting had been misunderstood. He had said that if the country had to defend itself to-morrow the masses would have to hear the -brunt. , In a, moment of crisis the rich people felt- just as anyone else, and at a time like the present country was one. But when it came to a question of war they had to defend for the fighting si new upon the people. The rich could help by giving horses, and mutton, and food, and why should they not? But the real fighting strengtu l must ever come from the masses of the people. Referring to the parting with - the people’s estate, Sir Jus. -said that nothing could ,be taken from the people without something being demanded back.. The sale of. national endowments would mean an increase of taxation. Who is going to pay this ? fcte asked. ' Mr Birrell: The Reformers. Sir Jas. : Yes, perhaps my Reform friend can tell us? Mr Greig: Macduff Birrell. (Laughter-) ■ The candidate went on to say that they had received a splendid lead from that master mincT, Lloyd George, who against terrible odds, had fought and struggled to put into law and operation his national insurance scheme m England. We wanted to follow along those lines. Lloyd George was fihle greatest mind which had ever occupied the position of Chancellor of the Exchequer in England, and we wanted to carry on the principle he had so boldly inaugurated at Home. No matter what Government was in power, thev ivould have to arrange for provisions for tihle deserving in their old age.

QUESTIONS.

:; Questions were invited and. a tenge number were forthcoming, the candidate being subjected to a lively quarter of an hour’s examination. - ■' ■ ■ ' V . . v ■

Mr Greig: Would Sir James Can-oil stand down if a Red Fed. threatened to split tlio vote ? Sir James replied that he was not standing in the Red Fed. or Reform interest. He was standing in the Liberal interest, and' was independent of any party but his own. Mr* Greig asked if. the candidate could tell tlio audience by what amount tfiiie Reform Party had increased the public debt, of New Zealand.

Mr Simson: -What a silly question. Sir James: By several millions. Mr Greig: We take, it that the candidate, a member of Parliament,should know the exact amount. Sir James: The Government have increased the public debt from £74 to £Bl per head of population. A Voice: “Sir Joseph,” do you consider it right that a man iJibuld have to go back and work for a month and have to’ wait for his oay ? Sir James: How long have you been working under this new system ? Tlie Questioner: A long time, “Sir Joseph,” sir. The candidate: But how long ?

The Questioner: A long time, under. Sir Joseph’s Government and under the Massey Government, too (Laughter). Sir James: It’s a long way to Tipperary sometimes. (Laughter.) I agree with you, however, that where men work they should be paid either weekly or monthly. Mr Greig: Can you tell us the items in the 28-J millions borrowed by the Government which you voted against. The candidate said that 'lie would forward the particulars to the ques--moer or have them published. He did not question a goed many of Kale items. They could not question the war loan, for instance.. What he did question, however, was the loan to build political railway stations in ho four centres, The Government had said that the Liberals had been borrowing too heavily, and as soon as they got into power they started borrowing at twice as rapid a rate. Mr Greig: Do you not admit that the railway stations in the. principal centres are a disgrace to New Zealand? The candidate : 1 consider it a worse disgrace that men, women and children should have to wade breast high in rough mud to get in and out of tliair holdings in the backblooks, and consider that the- roads should be improved before luxuries are provided.

Mr Grieg: How comes it that the roads of New Zealand come to he in such a shocking condition? What •were the Liberals doing during their 21 years of office? Sir James replied that the Liberal Government Shad done more to settle and road tlio country than any Government which had been in office.

A questioner asked if the candidate was elected would lie continue to favor the compulsory acquiring of estates. “There is an estate near here—,” Sir James: We will not go into individual cases, but- I am strongly in favor of acquiring land for settlement wherever the price makes it practicable.

On tlie motion of Mr C. Gibson, seconded by Mr Martin Finucane, a hearty vote of thanks and confidence was passed to Sir James Carroll. When the motion was put some dozen “noes” were called. On the motion of the candidate, a vote of thanks was passed to tlie chairman. . . The meeting broke up with cheers for Sir Joseph Ward, and counter cheers for the Hon. Sir Massey.