THE POLITICAL SITUATION

Grey River Argus, 9 May 1912, Page 5

THE POLITICAL SITUATION

■•• - — ' m :"■ - • ".'.-' i. ■ MR LATJRENSON COVERS OLD" GROUND. ; ; (Per Press Association.) . ' .. STRATFORD, May 8 Hon G; Laurenson addressed a crowded audience here' to-nig-ht. • He said he regretted to notice that many newspapers in Hawkes 1 Bay had fallen into the hands of wealthy, people. : He trenchantly crdticiced a "Wellington print and prophesied that . If all the newspapers were conducted simiiiary the press of the Dominion would degenerate to stho same level as the American papers. He said that the Opposition (blamed the Government for wasting money and putting up the national debt. In five years ; the debt) had increased iby 19 millions — five millions on advances to settler' and workers. ' He said ilia.t one of ,the ibest ways to -ensure the prosperity of any country was to see -that -every man owned hi- own home. The Opposition got, on the platform and condemned the expendiiburo, but sat in the House and never voted against iti. Such people were political" humbugs. Mr Massey said there had- been- too great an increase in the annual expenditure, 'Dh.it where had the increase gone to? Quarter of a million extra had been spent ori Education. Nobody- had votc:l against it and he thought that the expsnditurc would be still 'further increased. The expenditure on old age : pensions had. increased by ,£120,000 o\v r ing to the numiber of people coming of age. Seven hundred thousand pounds extra was spent on the railways, but the Railways produced a revenue of .£1.150,000. The same thing occurred as regards tin Govei'nment Post and Telegraph Department. All the expenditure had "been increased in such directions as no sane person would object to. Govevnmont was blamed for being-non-progressive 'but. he detailed directions .in which legislation had been *n a forward direction. '* ■ As -to corruption: No charge had been proved. The Hine charges were well-known .before the election and tlio persons changed Avere'trie^d by thuii constituents. The charges were not brought ngainsit) the > persons concerned, but were made in the- hope that the Government 'would be besmirched, but this had -not been done. ' . The party had been in power for twenty years.' ' . - ' During this time bankruptcies had been reduced one half. The average life of a man had increase from 31 to 40. The number of persons who had do pay income tax- increased iby. 56 per cent. ' . There was a press«ng necessity for moro Ministers. Since 1883 the number of Ministers had increased by only one. Either the country had too many Minister:* then or they were too few now, since the -number of departments had greatly increased. Perhaps it would be better to have Parliamentary .secretaries. Mr Myers holds a number of portfolios .including Railways, but it would take the undivided energies of the N bcst man in the Dominion to look after the Railways. "We intend," said Mr Laureixs'on "to go in for- rapid settlement of the land and we desire to put an end itK> big estates. It is improper ithat the toAvn population in <New Zealand should 'be greaiter than the country population. This- 'is' especially bad in tho rase of a' growing countay.' ' A vote of thanks to Mr Lam-enson and confidence in the Goy«t— r_;.t was c >rri c d by acclamation.