GENERAL ELECTION

Gisborne Times, Volume LXIII, Issue 10139, 27 October 1925, Page 5

GENERAL ELECTION

AIR COATES IN .TARANAKI. ; v. ■/ mm p • AN ENTHUSIASTIC WELCOME . I—-vMMy ' r -/. ■ NO THIRD CUT - FOR CIVIL • SERVANTS. - ‘ NEW Oct. 26. In continuation of his North Island tour the Prime Minister arrived at New ■■ Plymouth last night from To Ivuiti. This afternoon ho addressed a meeting iat Inglewood, where he received a splendid reception, being accorded a 'Ot-e of thanks and confidence 1 0-night Air Coates addressed a big meeting hero, receiving an enthusiastic welcome with thanks and confidence at the conclusion, a vote of no confidence being overwhelmingly defeated. ‘ The speech of the Prime Minister covered the‘'main planks of the Government’s policy. Mr Coates said that there had recently een a statement issued from the machine v of the party opposite him in which it said the railways were not paying and that last year the return for-,the capital expenditure was only 3.81 per cent, while the money for tho railways, was borrowed at 5 per cent. Mr Coates said the capital of the railways was £’4-5,000,000. The cost of the borrowed money averaged-slightly over 4 per cent. Tlie policy of tlie Government in';the past had_been to earn 3f per cent, on the railways. It was intended in.: future to earn just slightly over 4| per cent. ~ Air Coates went on to refer to the loss in railway revenue last year as already announced and then outlined the Department’s progressive policy. He .was emphatic that the Department had to advance to meet the requirements of progress and, though some were saying that it was time to call a halt the Government would not call a halt, but would develop tlie services to meet the needs. Regarding the civil service, lie said that, though the legislation provided for a third “cut” in salaries, that “cut” would not lie made. Air Coates emphasised the necessity to keep taxation dowii. Regarding Customs lie showed that the growth in revenue tvas due to tho expansion of imports. The general reduction in taxation during the last four ..years was £5 16s 5d per head. To-morrow Air Coates opens the Opunake railway and delivers political speeches at other centres in Taranaki.—P.A.

AN INSPIRING INTERVIEW. N ATION. AT IST’S CANDID TRIBUTE TO AIR COATES. Dismissing Reform negotiations with h"m, tliis is what Air McGrath, the IN. Wellington North candidate said,:. The Prime Alinister asked me to see him at Parl ament Build’ngs, and I had with h’m an interview lasting nearly an hour, which I will always remember with gratitude for the noble words spoken by him to me with regard to liis views on. •toleration of different sect ons in the community and how the war had brought heme to s him the real brotherhood of British manhood, irrespective ;of what' branch of the Christian faith they practised. .(Applause) I explained, my political position to Air Coates, and told him the circumstances under which I would support him.. He said, this ivas quite satisfactory to him, and I could have the Reform Party’s support for e ther Wellington Central or Wellington South, the party representatives for the. other two e.cctorates having already been chosen.. I declined the Prime M.nister s otter, but I felt a happier man for the inspiring interview rl Imd .with. him.

MR GIRLING’S ROUGH ADGESTURE. ' “:'.v • '? BLENHEIM, Oct. 20. A full, share of the difficulties of campaigning was experienced by Miv W. J. Girling, Government candidate for Wairau, on Saturday. Mr. Girlino- and a party set out in a launc-lf on an electioneering tour to Port Underwood, but, shortly after starting, a fierce southerly gale sprang up and the party had a rough experience, being soused' with se<i~ water, while some were sea-sick until a landing was effected at Ocean Baj. From this point, as there was not a hone of the launch facing the storm, the party had to tramp sixteen miles over steep mountain tracks until they reached Rarangi at the end of Cloudy Bay, whore a cr.r returned them to Blenheim, The tracks were in execrable condition owing to slips : _ard over-growth and, though Mr. Girlino- himself and the other members of”the party accomplished the jonrnfv well, some members of the party were in the last stages of exhaustion when Rarangi was sighted and had to he assisted over the steep zig-zag track that finds its way to the beach at Rarangi.—P-A.