EGMONT ELECTORATE

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 18 June 1928, Page 5

EGMONT ELECTORATE

meeting at eltham.

SOLID SUPPORT FOR HON. 0. J HAWKEN.

“That this meeting of Reform supporters in the Egmont electorate expresses its satisfaction with the services rendered by the Hon. O. J. Hawken as Parliamentary representative of the district and as Minister ol Agriculture, and reaffirms its loyalty to the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates and the Reform Government.” The foregoing is the text of a resolution which was carried unanimously at the conclusion of an enthusiastic gathering of Reform Party supporters, addressed at Eltham on Saturday last by the Hon. Mr. Hawken. Despite unpleasant weather the meeting was a thoroughly representative one, some of those present having travelled from centres as fax* distant as Oaonui in order to attend. Apologies and assurances of continued support for the Hon. Mr. Hawken and the Reform party wei’e sent by about seventy others. The tone of the meetintr and of the communications received from those unable to attend was one of whole-hearted support for the present member. “Loyal to a man ’ were the words of a telegram from a number o Manaia. supporters; and Mr. A. V. Tate, of Kaponga, who conveyed apologies from about fifty electors in his district, said that they had told him in plain words that they weie solidly behind Mr. Hawken. Mr. T. B. Crump, convenor or the meeting, was elected to the chair. “It is sixteen years next month, said the Minister, “since the Reform Party, led by the Rt. Hon. U. F. Massey came into office in this country. There was a National Government formed during the war, certainly, but it is fair to say that the Reform Party has lasted almost sixteen years. The- * war ceased ton years ago this year and no other Government- in the British Empire has retained office or survived to overcome the many complicated problems which arose as the aftermath of the war. A Government that has remained in power so long must surely have in its policy something virile, something progressive, something sound, and, indeed, that which makes for the good Government of the people, or it could not have lasted so many years and established the record which it has done.” We have three parties in New Zea :i land to-day, as we -had at the general election of 1925; hut there are only two distinct lines of policy, and the people of British stock have always objected to a multiplicity of parties and have consistently eliminated third parties in the political arena. The results of the 1925 general election furnished proof of the preference for only two parties in New Zealand. At that election Iboth the Liberals (or the Aationalists, as they then called themselves) and the Socialistic Labour Parties lost heavily in numbers. An analysis of the voting discloses a swing if the public choice from the Liberal Party to the Reform -Party, showing that a great many electors took the stand that the best means of conserving the interests of the country was their support to the party m the strongest position to carry out the policy they favoured; or, to put it another way, they . took steps to strengthen the opposition to the Socialistic Labour policy which they disapproved of. But while this is so, anu the fight will be continued during the coming election campaign, there remain many supporters of the now practically defunct Liberal Party who are not prepared to accept the inevitable. They are those who are prepared to go on fighting, not for a policy, but only a name, actuated perhaps by a mistaken idea of the value of party management and party tradition.

THE LIBERAL MEETING AT ELTHAM. The views of some of those present at. the l Liberal .Party meeting at Eltham on June 11, as reported in the Press, seem to suggest that old party rancour and spite held more siway than any question of policy. They were apparently prepared to accept any candidate, be he Liberal or Reform, so long as the present member were defeated. Such a meeting illustrates the weakness ol the United Party. We are told by those in authority, that the Liberal P|arty (or the United, or the Nationalist Party) have at the present time neither policy nor leader; and that later on the former will be evolved and the latter elected. But, surely, if a policy differing in any material respect from that of the Reform Party were contemplated, it would be. clear and distinct in the minds of the Liberals. As to the leader, how- could a party hope to exist without a leader? The truth of the matter is that without a clearly defined policy, it is impossible for them to secure an effective leader. No one worth his salt will accept the leadership of a party unless that party has a policy worth fighting, for. lie suggested that it was time that the Liberals considered the position and asked themselves whether it was worth while keeping up okl feuds and jealousies the occasion for which has long ceased to exist.

THE SOCIALISTIC-LABOUR PARTY “Now let us consider the real opposition —the Socialistic-Labour Party/’ lie said. “It has ideals, and a policy which are quite distinct, and which. I believe are quite unacceptable to the large majority of the people of this country; font it is an organised party and has a leader and a policy; and the Soiciialistiic-Liabour Party in New Zealand to-day is dangerous on that account. It is represented in the House by only a. lew members, but they are controlled from outside the House by a large group of professional politicians most of whom are paid by the unions. These' men make a thorough study of politics and political tactics. They and theiir unions dictate to. the Parliamentary members of their party the* policy which the latter must adopt. It is quite evident that the Socialistic-Lab-our Party is deriving its strength from organised unions in New Zealand and not from the. goodwill of the working people themselves. Country labour and other forms' of unorganised labour do not support the policy of Social istieLafoour; but organised union ism jn the cities in Nbw Zealand is of quite sufficient strength to. make ns beware of the consequences if, through lack of cohesion and care on our part, they gain an opportunity of assuming the reins- of Government. Let mo emphasise that the leaders of the Socialistic-Labour in Now' Zealand are professional politicians, whose one object is to further the aims of organised unionism. “I believe that the views I have expressed regarding the political situar tion in the Dominion are endorsed bv the majority who have watched and studied the question. The bulk of the electors are opposed to the SociaiisticLabour policy and ideals; and the results of Socialistic-Labour Governments in Australia and other countries have not allayed in any way the misgivings with which rational people view their I methods .and policies. i

REFORM POLICY IN RELATION TO FARMERS. The Minister proceeded to draw attention to some of the things the Government had done for the country people, and said that its policy had been to strengthen the farmer’s position, and to relieve him as far as possible from the disabilities under which lie- has laboured. The farmer’s finance for many years was on a most unsound basis; the short-term mortgage, without any right of annual repayments was undoubtedly unsound irom the farmer’s point of view, and in the hectic years which followed the war a climax 1 occurred which reduced rural finance to a state of chaos. The Government did its utmost to bring about better methods and facilities. By the Rural Advances Act of 1926, the Rural Intermediate Credit Act of 1927, and by the strengthening of the Advances to Settlers scheme, it has shown that it was aware of the position; and by these means has placed in the hands of the farmers the facilities for assuring themselves of a far better method of securing finance for their undertakings. Another big question with which the Reform Government lias grappled successfully is the dead-weight of local taxation. And it is a singular compliment to'the soundness of the policy adopted that the British Chancellor of the Exchequer incorporated practically identical provisions in his last Budget. The speaker ventured to say that had the maintenance and improvement of our roads, made necessary by modern methods of transport, been left as before as the sole charge of the rural landowner, it would have added to the burden of the farmer a weight that would by this time have become insupportable'. Mr Coates foresaw the danoer six years ago when he was Minister of Public Works, and brought about the introduction of the Main Highways Bill. This measure furnished the means of obtaining funds from the users of the roads, and helped to secure a permanent source of funds for the upkeep of roads. It must be appreciated bv the rural community that great relief has been given to them by these means.

HOUSING. The housing shortage was one of the great problems which the Reform Party had to deal with after the war. When lie first became the member for Eg-m-ont electorate nine years ago, and tor some years afterwards, he was besieged with requests for loans to enable the erection of dwellings. That undesirable state of affairs is now enfcirely changed. He did not pretend that farmers’ loans are not still required. But as time goes on the facilities which the Government have provided should give relief to all those whose position is reasonably sound.

PRODUCTION. Credit must be given to the Government for its efforts to encourage the farmer towards greater production. Concessions have -been given on carriage of fertilisers by rail, amounting last year to £125,000, most of which was provided by the Department of Agriculture. It is expected that this amount will still further increase this year. \\ 0. have- given the farmers a bonus on the export of pork and bacon, with the object of encouraging the pig industry. We have assisted the fruitgrower and the tobacco grower by guaranteeing them a minimum price on their exported products. The poultry-keeper has been helped by customs protection. The wheat-grower and the maize-grow-er -have been assisted, enabling them to o-row sufficient for tlie needs of the Dominion. As Minister of Agriculture it has always been his contention’that the primary producer should he assisted equally as much as the manufacturer, in order to provide the means of employing more labour, to keep money in the country, to build up our industries on a permanent basis. He contended that the assistance that had been given to- the primary producer has had gratifying results m these directions, and giat the policy pursued has been most successful. Iho maintenance of a favourable trade balanee, however, lies largely in the nan els of the people. If they keep down their individual expenditure and continue their present efiorts to increase Ploelection, then all will he well; and within a comparatively- -short period, this country should be in a position to supply industry with money at a reasonable price/ This will have a twofold effect: it will improve the position of the employer; and it will enable him to emnlov more labour, and that, or course is" the -best cure for unemploymen. The outlook is undoubtedly very ■rood’ at the present time. Not only are prices satisfactory and production S 1 i u li, but out products are going into immediate consumption, and that is a factor that is very important. It, a-s seems likely, next season s markets open at reasonable prices and production -continues to be high, the oount-ry will have definitely turned the corner towards the stable condition, which has not been obtained- since the beginning of the war.