GENERAL ELECTION

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10736, 6 November 1928, Page 5

GENERAL ELECTION

GISBORNE SEAT. MR CLAYTON AT TE HA PARA ENTERED CONTEST UNWILLINGLY. WON’T BE SORE IF AT BOTTOAI OF POLL i Mr AY. L, Clayton, United candidate for the Gisborne seat, had an audience of 31 people , in the Te Hapara schoolroom last ; evening, Mr J. Alouat presiding. The candidate opened with his usual attack on Air W. D. Lysnar’s position in politics, and the speaker’s split with the Reform Party. He worked out to his own satisfaction that. Labor cannot hope to get representation for the Gisborne seat, and he wondered why they had put forward a candidate. “The silly idiot who talked (in a letter in the Times that morning), about the Gentle Annie train and Mr Lysnar,” he said, “is either talking through sheer ignorance or drawing a red herring across the trail. Mr Lysfnar insisted on it and carried it through. He proposed to get a fleet ol : Ktraker waggons. Carting by Straker waggons cost 12s 7£d a yard but carting on the Gentle Annie tramway would have cost only 2s ltd, which would have included the cost of a sinking fund to pay off the tramways. That’s one illustration of Air Lysnar’s finance.” , They all had recollections of the Waipaoa freezing works and the Admiral Codrington, which put him in mind of the opera Pinafore when the Ruler of the Queen’s'Navee paraded the Admiral’s quarterdeck. Before the Admiral Codringtoii came to Gisborne the speaker had figured out in his office that she couldn’t pay even with the high rates then ruling. ' The candidate attacked the Reform Government on the familiar old lines and deplored the limitations in the libel law. He criticised speeches of the Afinister of Agriculture in regard to the flour duties, and the Minister of Lands in connection with his. reference to Sir Joseph Ward bringing the United Party to the Promised Land. Reference was made to Government by Order,s-in-Council, and to the Government’s interference with private enterprise. He had been told that a meeting was held in town that day to ascertain tho views of all candidates on private enterprise. That meeting included a large number of Reformers and the sitting member had to trim his sails and say he wasl opposed to interference with private enterprise. The speaker had said so from the first minute be started his campaign.. .Mr Clayton repeated his insinuations that the trial .survey of tho East Coast lino was made many years ago and went on to reiterate his innuendoes in connection with the Waiouru Fur Trading Company and the Taupo railway. He was not interested whether there was a railway line near Waiouru or not. It was an illegal action to breed rabbits in this country and yet this company had got a. permit to breed rabbits. If one wanted to introduce Angoras, one did not need a permit. By some means, this company had managed to. get a permit to do that which was illegal and which no one else had got. State advances, unemployment;, the rural credits scheme. Sir Joseph Ward’s “borrow, boom and burst” policy, and the liquor question, on which he favored State, control, and Sir Joseph Ward’s age, were each dealt with on tho same old lines and the candidate delivered his usual eulogy of the United Party, and his advice to the electors to vote for “a man who will be a model example and whom you can with pride point out to your children.” “Don’t think I am asking for your vote”, said the candidate in conclusion. . “I am net. I entered this campaign against my will. I have no ambition to go* into the House, It‘s a duty. Someone had to face it to get rid of a member who Is objectionable. I am indifferent as to ■ the result. If vou want; to efface me, well and! good. I shall not feel the slightest soreness if I am at the bottom of the poll. But, think of vour - country bet ore you cast your vote.”

In reply to Mr F. Haughie, Air Clayton said he hadn’t considered the question of State dental clinics for private schools, but he thought the State activities should be extended that far.

In reply to another question he said it would take 384 years to pay off loans to workers under Sir Joseph Ward's borrowing policy. On the motion of Mr Sutton, the speaker was accorded a. hearty vote of thanks.

MR COLEMAN AT MANUTTJKE

OPPOSED TO HEAVY BORROWING TO INCREASE PRODUCTION

Continuing his election campaign Mr D. W. Coleman addressed just ou 30 electors at Manutuke last night. Mr Coleman reiterated that his party was responsible only for what its printed platform contained, despite what the editors of the papers and Mi* Lysnar said. Mr Clayton also, had- been quite offended that Labor should dare to contest this electorate, since it- was not a manufacturing district, but the speaker wished, to emphasise that L&bor’s policy would prove of as much bene fit to the working farmer as to the workers in other lines. It had beer, alleged, went on Mr Coleman, that Labor’s policy embraced the confiscation of land, but that was entirely itrong. “In four years”, he added, “one thousand farmers have gone bankrupt and there are hundreds _ of others who have been forced to give up their farms. Who was responsible? Not the Labor Party, for they were not in power. To hear editors of the Press and our opponents”, continued l Mr Coleman, ‘You would think , a State hank was merely an experiment but, in Australia, we have an excellent example of one in practical working. Mr K. u. Williams asks where we would get the money to start one; in answer to that, i would ask where did the present banka in New Zealand get their money from ? The Government assists the banks, but it is the private shareholders who get all the profits.” Turning to the recent efforts by the Reform Government to relieve taxation, Mr Coleman,. remarked that the exemption of landowners from income tax had solely beneditted the wealthy men. Two Cabinet Ministers and five other Reform members, including Mr Lysnar, were aiming those who had benefited by the Government’s action. Big companies had also gained benefits, the speaker instancing the Pukemiro Coalmining Co. as an . outstanding example, this body having obtained remission of approximately £BOOO a year. Regarding Prohibition, Mi Coleman said 1 that Labor would never settle such a matter by voting in Parliament; it would he left entirely to the people, to decide. fairly and squarely, on the preferential voting system. He defended Labor’s ability to' govern the "country soundly . and well, quoting recent remarks by the Hon. L. S. Amery, wherein the latter had said that the best settled : portions of Australia were Western - Australia, Victoria and Queensland, dl of which . Mr Coleman pointed r out. were under Labor Governments: Questioned by Mr H, Callaghan as to whether, he would favor, if elected, the borrowing of large sfctas to increaso rapidly the production and exports of the Dominion. Mr Coleman replied that such ■ a policy was

not sound and would create .prosper-, ity for a short time only. It would be particularly _ unsuitable lor a young country like New Zealand. ■ The candidate was warmly thanked! foivhis address). MR LYSNAR AT MANGAPAPA REFUSAL TO GIVE LICENSING PLEDGES WANTS TO GO BACK TO, HOUSE with free hands Fifty electors of Mangapapa listened: to Air W. D. Lysnar’s exposition of his platform as Independent Reform candidate for the Gisborne seat, and his| defence of the Reform Government’s administration, in St. Mary's Hall, last night. f Mr R). Robb presided and introduced Air LysnrF as a representative of the district who for nibe years had been strong .and fearless and l had served, the constituency faithfully and l well. Asked how he would vote in the House in the event of Prohibition being carried. Air Lysnar said! that, there would not be any occasion for a vote in The House, If carried, Prohibition came into force automatically. Ho had received a series of questions from the N.Z. Alliance which lie was not £repared to answer, as he was not prepared 1 to give any pledges. He wanted to enter the House with a free hand to act in. the best interests of tho country^, Asked for his views on the Public Trust, Mr Lysnar said that ■ he did not think that the institution was in danger, and claimed that it was for the benefit of the community. He - claimed, however, the basis of ownership of the buildings) should be placed! on a more satisfactory footing. “Do you consider the Upper House fairly constituted?” was another question. “It is the only way you can form on Upper’ Houste”, replied Air Lysnar. " f . A voice: “Is it democratic?” Mr Lysnar: “I think it is. All parties are represented there. Laboi has three or four representatives. A voice: “Tell me one. There are none. It seems to me that if Reform is in its elects its own member there.” On the motion of Air W. Young, seconded by Air S. Smith, a vote of thanks' was accorded the candidate for his address. FRED LYSNAR AND HIS POLICY FAVORS STATE ISSUE OF NOTES (Special to the Times.! , AUCKLAND, Nov. 5. About 503 electors attended an address on Saturday evening by Air F. ■>. Lysnar, Reform candidate for Avjckland Central. The candidate’s speech made against continual interruptions, was short, and question time was eagerly welcomed by his opponents. Tile mam feature of the candidate’s platform was a proposal to solve unemployment and .many other problems by an immediate State note issue, which, lie said, would provide abundant cheap money. Tlie chairman explained that Air Lysnar had been born in Auckland Central; that he had had long experience of local politics, and that hie had a brother in Parliament. “I am not tied; I am not bound; and I have a free hand,” Mr Lysnaf declared at the. outset. He had only to uphold the Government on a vote of confidence and in everything else lie had a free hand. He mentioned unemployment as the first and. most important question to be dealt with. Money was too tight and scarce and clear "and that prevented employers from extending iheir enterprises and opening avenues of employment. The cure was for tho Government to issue State notes, not State bonds. This money esuki then be lent to people who required it for farms and factories. One per cent, would bo needed for a sinking fund. Two pei cent, at the outside would be charged for administration and A per cent;-, was ample to allow for losses- That would bring in money at 34 per cent. That ought to be made available at once and all classes of work could bo set going immediately. Amid continued interruptions a voice could he heard saying: “You are a Labor man; that’s what you are.”

Mr Lysnar’s emphatic announcement that lie was not m lavor of Prohibition was received with mingled cheers and laughter. „He had lived seven years under Prohibition in the King Country and he volunteered to take any member of the audience there and ‘bath them in itevery morning of their lives.” Something very like groans burst out when Air Lysnar said: “Drink is one of the greatest curses and evils,” but he explained that. be meant drunkenness, A vote of thanks and confidence was carried. " .. 3 .

WRKCTJUN OIF PRIVATE STOPBANKS. GO V KUNM JfiNT’S ATT ITEDE. (Press Association. j MASTERTON, Nov. 5. Hon. A. D. McLeod, in his capacity as Minister of Lands, made an inspection of Lower Wairarapa Valley! to form an idea of the damage done by the recent floods. The Crown areas most seriously affected comprise Tawha and P.ahautca settlements and, at the Minister s direction, Commissibner .of Crown Lands Mackintosh,- visited the seC tlements and discussed matters with the settlers concerned. At his Pahautea meeting, Mr McLeod denied emphatically *a rumoi circulated throughout the district that the .Government had power to prevent the erection of certain private stop banks and that they could not have been erected- without the authority of an Order-in-Council, Speakifig as Minister, Mr McLeod said, definitely, that the Government had nothing to do with, the matter and that .it could, not prevent, any-, body endeavoring to protect his own lands from inundation by flood waters. The Government had no .authority to interfere m such cases. AU that the legislation did was to provide facilities for action m lav where an individual or a; group of individuals considered they had suffered dfimaae as .a result of-pyotectiy^ works. The Minister stated that the question of stop-talks in tlic lw« reaches of the Runmnhangn -ly ™* avero now more or less involved HV b; comprehensive scheme affecting whole district and. m -that connection, tho* opinions of Government exerts would be at the disposal of ,settlers. They woulcl also advise in individual eases whore. the settlors dcfriTccl,.