CARDS ON TABLE.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10726, 25 October 1928, Page 5

CARDS ON TABLE.

/ ' FDR PUBLIC TO SEE. s REFORM PARTY’S POLICY. , NO EXTRAVAGANT PROMISES. . PLAIN STRAIGHTFORWARD DEALlNGgovernment hopes to increase MAJORITY IN SOUTH. ■ U;i (Special to the Times.) , WELLINGTON, Oct. 24. . , That the Reform Party will not only hold its own in the South Island, but that there is every prospect of its representation in Parliament from the South being., increased, was the opinion expressed by the Prime Minister, Mr. Coates, on his return to number !,of the southern electorate's. Wellington from a brief visit to a number of the southern electorates. . In the course of a special interview'.'with. your representative. Mr. Coates said• “If Reform r supporters in the North Island are as steadfast as they; are in the South, and are gaining the. same number' of adherents, and reports indicate they •are, I have not the slightest doubt but that the Government will come Back stronger tlian ever. •' "

“The meetings -I addressed at Chnstchurcn, Dunedin, Invercargill and Otautau, and the many people I met-, proved that the. Government has acted wisely in carrying into the election campaign the same methods as it has used in conducting the affairs of the country—just plain straightforward dealing. . “We have made no extravagant promises, nor used platitudes, nor have we held out visions of a Utopia, but we have put the cards on the table for all to see. “I have never doubted that the people in. the mass are possessed of that political acumen which enables them to see all points of view, and I know from my experience in the. South that they have appreciated that the task of direct ing the affairs of the 1 country through the difficult period from which we are now emerging, was no mean one. “It was pleasing to mo to find such confidence in all the Reform camps, and the information I have is that this confidence is based on sound promises.”

Mr. Coates left, for the North this afternoon, and he will open his North Island campaign at Dargaville t.o-night. He is accompanied by Mrs Coates.

BAY OF PLENTY SEAT MR. A. F. MONCUS AT ORMOND. Mr A. F. Moncur, Labor candidate for the Bay of Plenty iseat, addressed a meeting at Ormond road last night. The hall was comfortably filled. Mr. Bennett being in the chair. The candidate was accorded a very attentive hearing throughout. He outlined the policy of the Labor Party and stressed the- necessity for the introducipn of a State banking system. Immigration and unemployment were also dealt with and the candidate explained that seeing that New Zealand was the wealthiest country in the world per head of population, there was no need for the low rate of wage that was being paid t-o relief workers. Several questions were asked at the conclusion of the address, mostly touching on land settlement and finance. The' candidate was accorded -a unonim'otis vote of thanks and confidence.

A LIVELY MEETING. WOMAN CANDIDATE AND INTERRUPT ORB (Special to the Times.) AUCKLAND, Oct. 24. A strong Labor assembly furnished frequent interjections at a largely attended meeting addressed by Mrs. C. E. Macguire, Reform candidate for Auckland East, last evening. The candidate was emphatic on the policy for encouraging land settlement. An interjector insistently complained that the lot of the farmer’s wife was most unenviable, and seemed bent on reasoning that as a woman candidate Mrs. Maguire was treading on dangerous ground. • “This is the first occasion on which I have felt my disability as a woman, and I would like to camouflage my womanhood for a tew weeks to . get into Parliament,” said Mrs. Maguire. “Women have worked in the past to assist men in Parliament, and I cannot see why men should think it infra dig to vote for a woman.” “Some of you are afraid of work,” retorted the candidate, to a member of the audience who wished to air a grievance. A voice: Woman are slaves in the country. The candidate: They do not grumble. Men do not usually look after little details. I know of a man who worked on the gumfields and earned enough to buy some land at Avondale. He.did not have the money to cultivate it, so' he'' went back to the gumfields, and returned to work the property later. To-day, that man is making £I,OOO a year out of spring cabbages.” . / This statement produced incredulous laughter from a section of the audience. ... “I can prove it, and let me tell you another thing—there is a fortune to be made out of passion fruit,” ietorted the speaker.

MID-CANTERBURY- SEAT, ipress Assooiation.) ASHBURTON, Oct. 24. Charles Morgan Williams, Labor, and Robert Wallace Wightman, Independent, have been' nominated tor the mid-Canterbury seat. UNITED LEADER ON SICK LIST. SOUTHERN TOUR TEMPORARILY POSTPONED. ' (Press Association.) WELLINGTON. Oct. 24. Sir Joseph Ward is suffering from eye trouble arid is undergoing treatmerit in Wellington.' He has heen advised that he must rest for a short period for the strenuous work in front of him. His tour south, therefore, has l>een postponed in the meantime. Sir Joseph Ward expresses the hope that the people of New Zealand will excuse, him from making politucal addresses, as He had intended doing. He states definitely, that despite ; all the criticism by his opponents, in regard to the loan proposals, if given the opportunity, he. will put them into effect.- •'

WILD OAT SCHEME

HON. R. A. WRIGHT ON “MILLIONS” POLICY (Ptcbb Assooiation.) WELLINGTON. . Oct. 24. The Hori. El. A. Wright, Minister for Education, opened his campaign last night and traversed the proposals of the Government's opponents. jl Of Sir Joserih •' he ' said: “Wild cat schemes should, find no place in the history of 'New Zealand, nor should they be adopted by the' people of any; country! ” ' ;' NNU As to Mr H. El. Holland, ho said: “That gentleihan was sent by his

party to the Australian Labor Congress, which admitted Communists to affiliation, and Mr Holland was appointed a member of its Council along with Mr Jock Garden, the Communist. Mr Holland should take a little of his own medicine before chiding Mr Coates for comparing New Zealand and Australia.” Mr Wright received a hearty vote of thanks and confidence. Sir John Luke also started his campaign for Wellington North. Ho qrged electors to have nothing to do with parties* which try to upset the good government they had had for sixteen years. He received a vote of confidence.

THE LICENSING ISSUE REFORM WHIP’S CHALLENGE (Press Association.> AUCKLAND. Oct. 24. Mr J. S. Dickson, Reform whip, at his inaugural speech in the' Parnell constituency, was challenged respecting his action in not arranging a pair for the Hon. W. Nosworthy on* the Licensing Bill. Ho repeated the statement previously published that asked if ho wished to vote on tlio third reading Mr Nosworthy replied/‘No.” „ , ' An . A voice: The-New Zealand Alliance tells a different story. : Mr Dickson: Bring the Alliance here and let them face me; not behind my back. (Applause). All my pledges on the licensing ' question have been carried out. • He denied that he was pledged to a bare and. had always stoqd. ’for three issues. ‘‘l have always given my pledges in writing, but they will not get them .again. I. will not have anyone saying that I break my pledges.” . „ A' motion of renewed _ confidence was, carried almost unanimously;

FOUR YEARS PARLIAMENT MR COATES’ PERSONAL VIEW (Special to the Times.) 1 DARGAVILLE, Oct. 24. A personal belief that an extension of the life of Parliament to four yearn wonld be a good thing for tlie country was expressed by the Prime Minister, Mr. Coates, m Teply to a question at Paparoa to-day. He said he thought it, would, iriake for greater efficiency and stability, and would perhaps help in voting on the licensing question. “That”, ’ the Prime Minister added, “is only my own personal opinion.”