GENERAL ELECTIONS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XII, Issue 245, 29 September 1922, Page 2

GENERAL ELECTIONS.

THE NAPIER SEAT. MR. A. E. JULL’S POLITICAL VIEWS. Mr. A. E. .lull, in his reply to the ■ deputation which waited upon him on Wednesday with reference to standing for the Napier seat, said he was gratified to meet the deputation, but his modesty prevented him from accepting the whole of the flattering remarks made, yet it was. he felt, needful to secure effective representation. He wished to make his position "lain with regard to his candidature. He mentioned he had unsuccessfully stood for Waipawa in the Liberal in- ! terests. Although defeated, he had nothing to be ashamed of. considering the strong opposition. He had. refused to again contest the seat in the Liberal interests in Waipawa, and contemplated having a little leisure to go travelling, but the apceptance of such an invitation would postpone his private interests. It might mean changing his location to Napier. He contended that Hawke’s Bay needed effective representation. His vision, as a public man, did not end with Napier. The whole district needed greater unanimity of purpose to secure the benefits all felt to be their rights from the Government. Parties should have some satisfying object to contend for. At present “they were too close to the bush to see the trees.” DECENTRALISED ADMINISTRATION. Mr. Jull advocated the decentralisation of general administration, and more powers given to local bodies, which would encourage live men of business, industry, and working capacity. thus obtaining better results. At present they are practically placing in the hands of departmental officers the government of the country. Speaking of their own district, the most necessary Work was that of reclamation. which was of very great interest to the whole district, and also of national importance in bringing up the land to its utmost productivity. RECLAMATION, RAILWAYS. AND HYDRO-ELECTRICITY. In the matter of railways and hydroelectricity they had allowed themselves to be quietly pushed in the background with most of these works. It was no use having a representative in the House who just tapped gently upon the Minister’s door. That was not the way to get things done. It was all the more needful to grant representatives- some reasonable latitude with respect to party allegiance. ECONOM V IN ADM INISTRATION. They were all getting alarmed at the power of departmental control and the whittling away of the power of public bodies. The only way of reducing taxation in the country was by reducing the cost of government. Making remissions in one direction at the cost if another section of the community was not the way. The aim should be to produce an efficient service at adequate pay and where overstaffed to reduce and also weed out inefficients, lhe men reduced should be assisted to become producers as much as possible. CONTROL OF WORKING RAILWAYS. Mr. Jull touched upon the railway management and advocated a Board a Directors to carry on the work, ihe greatest State enterprise in New z.caiand was .the railways. We have die Minister’s statement that he regretted that promotion was by seniority and not merit, and we have now a Board of Control consisting of three of the eldest (officers to assist the General .Manager. This is farcical, fhe railways are a business underbaking, and closely touch every section of tlie community, and should be operated on business lines. As the Gov•rnmcnt appoints its members on the Board of Directors of the Bank of New Zealand to watch the country’s interests which are under two millions in that bank, is it not more necessary to appoint a board of directors io control tile policy of the State railways, wrere forty millions are involved? Such a board recruited from the commercial industrial, and farming sections of the country, with one member directly Sleeted by the railway employees, and appointed tor limited periods, would be the best board to assist the technical officers of the railway, and could always be kept abreast with the demands of the country. Ji this method is successful with Jie railways, the same thing ought to be done with the Post and Telegraph. EDUCATION. With regard to education Mr. Jull advocated an Educational Council, embracing all branches oi education, from the primary school to the university, one for each oi the four university centres, so as to avoid the present severe centralisation tendencies. PUBLIC HOSPITAL FINANCE. Referring to the great increase in the cost oi running the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, Air. Jull considers the Department was largely responsible for this increase. He said this after 21 years’ experience on the Hospital Board. Owing to the geographical isolation of New Zealand there is a great tendency to become smug and self-satisfied, because -of the absence of easy comparisons of administration and results. CO-OPERATE EFFORTS. It is most desirable to secure the co-operative eifeorts of the great body of commercial industrial, and farming interests for our legislation, recognising tne due claims of each rather than create class distinction, and he was anxious to do what he could to bring about such a result. He would give consideration to the deputation’s request that he should allow himself co be nominated as a candidate for the Napier seat, and wculd announce his decision in a few days. Mr. G. Nelson, in thanking Mr. Jull for his remarks, said he admired greatly the constructive tone of Mr. Jull’s policy, which appealed to him immensely. LABOUR CANDIDATE FOR DUNEDIN CENTRAL. Mr W. Brown, who was recently selected by the Otago Labour Representation Committee to contest the Dunedin Central seat in the interests oi the Labour Party, has withdrawn, Mr J. Gilchrist being selected in his stead. Mr C. M. Moss, president of the 0.L.R.C., has been chosen to contest the Dunedin West electorate