THE “TWISTER.”

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10733, 2 November 1928, Page 5

THE “TWISTER.”

MR CLAYTON AT CITY HALL WHY HE NOW"SUPPORTS UNITED PARTY The policy of the United Party, with particular relation to its finance platform was outlined by Mr W. Lissant Clayton, United candidate for the Gisborne seat, to .an audience of about 300 in the _ City Hall last night. The assembly listened carefully to the address and, at the conclusion, accorded him a hearty vote of thanks. The Deputy Mayor, Mr .Tas. Blair, who presided, and introduced the candidate, said New Zealand, .in common with all other countries, was experiencing trying times financially and different minds were seeking to solve the problems confronting the Dominion. 'There were several political parties with divergent views and remedies for tho present state of affairs Mr Clayton, he said, had lived hero many years and was well known, so he required little introduction. Mr Blair concluded, amidst applause, with the customary apjjeal to the audience to give the candidate their fair and impartial attention. In opening Mr Clayton said he felt complimented that," in spite of tho Inclement, -weather conditions, so large a' gathering had assembled to hear his address on the platform of the United Party as enunciated by the leader, Sir Joseph Ward. ATTACK OX MR COATES

The country, said Mr Clayton, had had 17 years of Reform Government which first entered office under the Grand Old Man, the late Air Massey. But, unfortunately, the mantle of Elijah had not fallen on Elisha. The ueople had hoped that Mr Coates would he a leader and would uplift the Dominion .to a high plane. Mr Coates had entered office in a typical manner, on a wave of sympathy for the deceased statesman and a worked-to-death perfervid wave of patriotism. Almost immediately impetuous legislation with a Socialistic tendency was enacted dealing with tho competition of private bus enterprise with local bodies, Instancing the regulations introduced to eliminate the competition with the Auckland tramways system. Another pistol held to the head of private enterprise was in connection with motor competition with the railways. He had been informed on one line three motor truck owners competing with tho railway had been advised that, if they did not sell out, the Government would put lorries on and run them off the road. If that war, true, it was an iniquitous state of affairs. People were living in a state of evolution and everything must give way to progress and, if the country was to progress and not stagnate the people must be pro pared for competition, otherwise the old methods and system must go to the wall. IF THERE "WERE NO LIBEL laws

Mr Clayton mentioned that he had been criticised for dealing with ono of the Ministers and accused of using personalities. He had np desire to use personalities, lie said. It would be a great thing if tho libel laws were not so stringent in this country. The people were asked to elect a man to a public position without knowing anything about him, whother lie was or was not the biggest rogue unhung, was or was not responsible for fraud, and should or should not have been in gaol aiul whether ho was honorablo or other* wise. No ono dared say anything against him personally A voice: “Vote for tho Air Clayton retorted that tho party fetish was not correct. Tho electors should vote'in the interests of tho country, not tho party. Afr Clayton declared he was not a party man. Ho pointed out that in all tho older countries what might be considered personal criticisrrY;.6t. parliamentarians or ministers was allowed. ORITICJSAi; OF MINISTERS Discussing the views of a Cabinet Minister, Mr. Clayton cited a passage from the Newsletter in which the Minister of Agriculture was quoted as declaring himself to ho a free trader, and that ho had no objections to tho.flour duties being reduced, hut lie-tiddcd thnt they must be kept up, otherwise they would lose half their members in the South Island, and tho party would go to pieces. Thus the Minister placed party first remarked Air Clayton. Another view was that the Government could not lake a certain line of action as the party would lose the town memberswhich comprised a third of tho party. That was the attitude of a statesman," ho remarked. Tho fact that the Government, had found £130,000 to faster the fruit industry, in which there were 3000 employed, was not such a. largo sum to pay for votes. TTo asked the gathering t.o consider the mental calibre of tho men prepared to make and publish such statements. Tho Hon. A. D. AfcLeod, Alin is ter of Lands, had described Sir Joseph Ward as Moses leading the United Party to tho Promised Land, hut he omitted to say that they reached tho Promised Land, the Treasury Benches, and wore pursued by the Egyptians, the Rotorm Ministry, who were engulfed in the Red Sea of Public Opinion. (Laughter and applause).

UNITEDS NOT EXTREMISTS

Tho United Party represented the great moderate section of the community without going to either extreme. It wished to give justice and fair play to everyone. The Dominion should be governed hy the people for the people and the United Party stood for that end and it aimed to see that none should be penalised in any way. It wanted the child born in the gutter to be given the same opportunity as the child whose parents, were in affluent circumstances, that it might be brought up to become a respectable citizen. 'Claiming that there had been too many laws in the form of regulations introduced, Air Clayton declared they were governed by Orders-in-Councii. This was developing bureaucracy and was introducing the Mussolini element. They did not want such dictatorship in a British country and lie appealed to the electors to shake off the apathy that was the curse of the country, otherwisce the time would come when they would have a dictatorship of a Mussolini, Lenin or Trotsky.—(Applause.)

THE PROJECTED RABBIT FARM

The Commissioners had reported that the Taupo railway could not possibly pay sufficient revenue to meet interest on the outlay. It had been pointed out there would be some revenue for seventeen years until the Government afforestation areas were cut out, hut there were no prospects after that. The carrying capacity of the Taupo country compared with Poverty Bay showed where a railway was more required. He again referred to what he described as the alluring prospectus submitted by a company to be formed in which Mr F. J. Lysnar was interested, for breeding rabbits in the Taupo country, for which the Government had issued a permit. “The land is very alluring for rabbits,” be added. * A voice; “Eats!”—(Laughter.) “Who is Mr F. J. Lysnar,” asked an interjector. “He’s the gentleman who used to be chairman of the Harbor Board here,” replied Mr Clayton. “The Taupo country must he a wonderful country,” added 'Mr Clayton, who said that the prospectus suggested that only 2000" does wore required to start, lyhich were estimated to produce 62,509 bucks and 62.500 does in 12 months.—(l'pronrious laughter).

A voice: “What’s the family allowance to them.’’—(Laughter.) Mr Clayton remarked that he had noticed Air W. D. Lysnar claimed the farm was for breeding Angora rabbits and that- the fur had to be groomed every day like the hair of a racehorse. “I know the Lysnar family is fairly large,” remarked Air Clayton, “but they will have to work hard to keep 120.000 rabbits groomed inside a year.”—(Laughter.) He admitted the prospectus stated that it was proposed to import Chine-ilia or grey rabbits later, but, apparently, the company intended to start off breeding the ordinary species, color being lent to this idea, by the statement in the prospectus that the skins from the common rabbits had repeatedlv tonped the market in Dunedin. He did not think that the railway would go near the rabbit farm, but it seemed to illustrate the tvpe of country through which the line would pass. Air Clayton went on to state that he had received a letter from Auckland. It would paralyse the audience if’ he read out the names of prominent Reform members and associates who lmd interests in the Taupo land along the route of the proposed railwav. Tho writer declared that one titled gentleman had swapped a good farm for 2000 acres of arid. Taupo pumice land, it might have seemed that that gentleman was mad. hut there was apnnrentlv method in his madness for the announcement of intention to start the Taupo railway came out shortly afterwards. A voice: “He must have "or the good oil.”—(Laughter.)

THAT CHEAP AIONEY SCHEAIE! Air Clayton sa.id the Government had tried to improve on Sir Joseph Ward’s State Advances scheme Inadopting the Rural Credits scheme, but the project had not been very successful. He admitted that whilst money was short farmers hod been able to obtain advances, but in normal times the accommodation would have been provided by the banks and the stock firms. The scheme was or no advantage to the country! for. when normal conditions were restored, the Government would he taking the cream and leaving the firms the second-class stuff.

The people had heard much critiism from Air Coates concerning the United Party’s financial scheme, which the Prime Minister had described as a “borrow, boom and burst” policy. Mr Coates claimed the Government was trying to evolve a scheme of making advances nr i man’s ability to work, but the can didate wondered how the Government intended to finance a man without obtaining any security. The average man would not advance money on those terms, and its adoption f>y the Government would inevitably end in Ynancial chaos. Dealing with Sir Joseph Ward’s plan to borrow £70,000,000, Mr Clayton said that many people did not grasp the idea and seemed to Ihink that the money could not ho borrowed without increased taxation, it was proposed to borrow the £70.000,000 in instalments as required over a period of ten years. It was not a police’ of drift that was proposed, but the mode of expenditure aiul on what had been definitely propounded. The sum of £60,000.00' was to. he devoted to advances to settlors and workers, on the table mortgage system. The money would he raised at 4} per cent., and the ap plieants would borrow at 4} per cent., it being estimated that \ per rent, would cover administration and there would bo 1 per cent, sinking fund The interest would thus be charged to the settler borrowing the monoand paid to the lender. Even if the money cost another \ per' cent, it would only bring the rate to 5 nor rent., which was cheaper money than they could get now or were likelv to •.-ret. fie stated that, in criticising the scheme, critics had overlooked what London investors were prepared to pay for New. Zealand loans 194 7 •vnd 1946 on the Stock Exchange. They were having stocks in these Iwryis at £4 lbs 3d per cent., inelndinir redemption, so that under Sir Joseph Ward’s loan, at £95, assuming the loan to have a 39 year currency, the return would ho £4 15s 8d per cent or 2s oil per-cent more I han London investors were paying for New' Zealand stock in London on existing loans; There would not V (id extra taxation as a result of the lean, as the settler or the worker who borrowed the money would nay for it. With the 1 per cent, sinking fund, the loan would he repaid in ;-13| years. There was no camouflage in Sir Joseph’s statement: he knew what he was talking about. The lean would ho raised by instalments of .£7,000,000 annually over ten N ears. Since Mr Coates had hcc-n in office £23,000.581 had been rwJ in loans, which averaged out at £6.7,77.000- annually—not far off what Sir .Joseph planned to borrow, let. tbc scheme was described as extravagant ! The public debt had been increased £51,030,000,. an increase of £B9 per head on the breadwinners since 1920. There was now £2lO- - 000 out on mortgage on freehold land, and £60.000.000 of the loan Sir •Joseph planned to rai.se would lelease a similar portion of the monev m mortgage, which would thus be diverted into other channels, such as the development of secondary industries and thus improve the general prosperity of the country. Tim a •- vances to settlers and workers on the table mortgage system would give men r. chance to take np land end work it and build homes, without being harrassed bv the knowledge tlycould not meet tlu-. interest on the mortgages THE PROBLEM OF LAND. Touching upon the Government’s land settlement policy he referred to the' Okawa soldier settlement in' Hawke’s Bay, which had been bought at £l6 an acre and the values had to be reduced to £6 10s to allow the men to make a living. The same applied to Ardkeen settlement, where 60 uer cent, reductions in valuations had" to be made, whilst the purchase of To Wera was another example of “intelligent” land settlement. The United Party’s policy provided for tlie purchase by negotiation of large blocks to cut up for closer settlement, reserving the right to exercise the right under the Act of compulsory purchase by arbitration. They wanted a prosperous and contented peasant population, to kill any Bolshie ideas, as the man who was a peaceful, prosperous farmer was a loyal subject. There were laws against" land aggregation, but the clauses were being evaded through loopholes. If the United Party were returned, it would see that aggregation was stopped and wonkl appoint a tribunal to work to this end, so that closer settlement could be promoted. The United Party’s plan to assist settlers and workers would also have a great bearing on the solution of the unemployment problem. The curse of the country was that it had been tauo-ht to depend on its primary products. with the result that slumps . in overseas market prices caused depression. Mr. Clavton explained that, the United Party planned to increase the technical educational facilities, so that boys leaving school would be qualified to follow some trade or occupation. There were 260.000 boys, leaving school annually and. therefore, some measures in this direction were necessary, as many went to swell the unemployed ranks at- present. Another plank" in the party’s platform was the protection of essential commodities. such as foods manufactured in New Zealand, and where siVmlnr goods were not manufactured in the Dominion the policy stated that the goods should he admitted free. For instance, the duty of £5 10s per ton on Australian flour meant 2d a loaf

on the price of tread. At the same, time, the party was out to prevent dumping, but claimed that the cost of living could be gieatly reduced by such measures. NEED FOIi IMMIGRATION. As to immigration, Mr. Clayton said it was necessary, but it should be restricted, ’the type of immigrant that had been brought out was not improving the race and many of them went to increase unemployment. They were brought out, having no previous training or capital. Ho pointed out that the Imperial Government had a fund of £37.000,0000 available for group settlement, hut the Reform Government had not applied for any of that money. Another reason for the necessity of regulated and restricted immigration was the question of defence. There was a danger from Asia, which had teeming hordes, and both New Zealand and Australia had huge vacant spaces which were very close to the Yellow countries. He declared that, under a United Government, the territorial system would he. maintained. He claimed also it was the duty of New Zealand to co-operate' with the Motherland in maintaining the freedom conferred by the Empire. RAILWAYS AND OTHER matters. Reverting to Sir Joseph’s loan proposal he said that £10,000,0000 of the loan was to he devoted to the railways. Sir Joseph proposed that all the lines now m course of construction were to be prosecuted vigorously by contracts, which, of course, would absorb many of the unemployed. It was contended the sooner the lines were productive the better. The branch lines in the Dominion had lost £489,000 last year. Before 1926, the losses on the branch lines wave shown in a separate account, but, since then, they had been charged to the Consolidated Fund. He "submitted that the loss of £489,000 on the branch lines would be sufficient to pay the interest on the £ 10,000,OOt) Sir .Joseph proposed to put into services, so that) besides paying interest, the lines would be shewing a profit (resides.

The incidence of taxation, Mr. Clayton said, would be revised by the party, the existing conditions possessing many anomalies. Taxation at present bore heavily in several directions, but once in power the A\ aid Government would make adjustments. He considered that income tax should replace the land tax. which pressed unfairly on many people. Half the revenue was raised through Customs duties hut, if the United Party were returned to power, these vrould be carefully revised and placed on a better basis. Of course, there would be an outcry, but no reform could ho made without treading on someone’s corns. The party was not going to forget humanitarian and social legislation, with particular reference to pensions. He considered it unfair that no inducement, was given to old people to No thrifty. The education system was one they could be proud of, but. improvements could he effected, he claimed. The party aimed to encourage boys to attend farm schools and to provide facilities for technical education. He considered also more local control was required in education instead of centralisation. In conclusion, the candidate appealed to the electors to think seriously in voting, and vote in the interests of the country.

QUESTION TIME. The candidate was inundated with written questions.

He announced his approval of the principle of daylight saving, but the measure would have to be so regulated as to be satisfactory to town and country and he believed this could he done.

“Are you in favor of starting a rabbit farm at Nuhaka or on the Poverty Bay flats?” was another query. “1 would shoot .anyone who tried.’ remarked Air Clayton, amidst laughter.

Answering a further inquiry, he said that the prospectus of the company who intended breeding rabbits in (he Tanpo country did not say that no other permit would he granted f(V’ this purpose. “Since it is not necessary lo obtain a permit to keep Angora rabbits can yoif give the reason that the company got the permit to breed Lvsnar rabbits?” formed another humorous inquiry. “Y’oti can draw your own inferences,” replied Air Clayton. “Are you in favor of starting a rabbit farm at To Wera?” '

“No; it’s too close to the Ray,” replied the candidate. Asked if he favored religious exercises in schools as propounded by Air Holland, of Christchurch, the candidate said that he believed that every hoy-and girl should have a religious education because it bad a tendency to make them straight and honorable citizens, lie considered that there was no right to insist that the Bible should be read in schools. It, might he argued lliai parents eon Id apply to have their children not included in the exercises, but a parent might resent it. bitterly and yet not apply- Whilst there was a secular system of education maintained by the taxpayers, he would not bo a party to obtruding religious views on any one section of the community. Replying to another question, Air Clayton said that the matter of improving ihe conditions of the incidence of taxation would be gone carefully into with a view to improvement. ....

“Are you in favor of Prohibition?” “1 am not a Prohibitionist, and would not support the party, as I do not- want to see American methods of graft and corruption introduced into this country,” replied Air Clayton. ; As to whether the settler’s child should have an equal opportunity as the rich man’s child. Air-Clayton said that every child should have the same opportunity of free and good education and should he well clothed rind cared for. and, if the parents could not provide these facilities then the State should do so. Asked ii lie favored the abolition of the Public Trust Office, Mr Clavton said there was a danger attached Lo the department, but it was .serving a great and useful purpose at the present time. Answering another inquiry, Air. Clayton said that the Government provided free medical and hospital service for people who could not afford to pay for it, and the Health Department was to be praised for its humanitarian work in this direction “Are you in favor of perpetuating the C.O.’D. system?” Mr. Clavton said that the system appeared to press harshly on tradespeople and, if they had to meet unfair competition through the lost Office acting as collectors of debts for Home firms, it should be stopped. The candidate announced lie favored applying to the Imperial Government for part- of its funds for group settlement in the Dominion “Do you approve of the abolition or borough councils and tlie replacement of them by a commission ?"’ Air Clavton said that, when they looked at the results achieved by the Borough Council here and hy the Harbor Board, perhaps the German system of electing a burgomaster would bo more profitable. It would be better than the perpetual state of muddles as m the past. “Are you in favor of having the harbor pumped out and made a tmhnre racing track?” 'Mr Clavton declared that he was in favor of the Odou flats being made available for closer settlement.

(Contd. at Foot of Next Column.)