THE FIRST SHOTS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XX, Issue 191, 2 August 1930, Page 3

THE FIRST SHOTS

INVERCARGILL BY-ELECTION CAMPAIGN OPENED CANDIDATES’ SPEECHES Invercargill, Aug, 1. Mr. Vincent Ward opened his campaign in tho United interest in the Invercargill by-cleetion to-night, addressing two meeting on the outskirts of the electorate. He said he did not seek a sympathy vote, but regretted the cause of his facing tho electors as much as anyone else. It bad been his late father’s wish that he should fulfil Sir Joseph’s obligation for the rest of the present term. Traversing the railway difficulties tho candidate said that losses during the past fixe years had exhausted reserves and last year the Government had found it necessary to advance £150,000. This year a loss of £1,200,000 was anticipated and it had been decided to reduce expenses by cutting the service, which would save £360,000, while £90,000 would bo produced by increased rates. Unemployment was a serious problem facing tho Government and last year £1,500,000 had been spent in providing relief works. The Government had investigated the position carefully and at present a bill was before the House aimed at placing a tax on males in order that a fund to provide sustenance allowances might be established.

A great deal had been done by tho United Government since it came into office to assist settlers and workeis, he said. Bcform had practically ceased operations in State advances. Since the present Government had come in to office 8,756 applications for financial assistance had been dealt with and loans of £8,930,000 had been granted. In 1912, said Mr. Ward, the national debt had amounted to £84,000,000. To-day this had increased to £267,383,343 which meant that during 16 years the Reform Government had borrowed £100,000,000 for ordinary purposes, excluding £70,000.000 cost to the country by the war. When Sir Joseph Ward was in the National Government in 1918, he left a surplus of £15,000,000 with tho idea that it should be applied to repaying the war debt. Instead the Reform Government had spent £13,500,000 in tho purchase of land for soldier settlement. Mr. Ward said he regretted tha* tho Government had instituted now taxation, but this had 'becn necessary in order io run the country. Tbe Government had experienced a deficit left by Reform in the year of office. Prior to this surpluses bad been experienced every rear. The United Government had been unfortunate in meeting a difficult time, but it was tackling its problems in a businesslike manner. Mr. Ward said the United Party admitted that it was a minority Government and was not socking popularity, but it was anxious to make the country’s condition sound and prosperous. The candidate was accorded votes of confidence at both centres. THE REFORM CANDIDATE Mr. Janies Hargest, Reform candidate, addressed a well attended meeting in the Civic Theatre this evening. Mr. Hargest referred to the record of the Reform party, and said its eclipse in the 1928 election was duo to its refusal to lead the country away in a wild orgy of spending and speculation. Since tho United party took over office it had borrowed about £16,000,000, tho major portion of I in this country. Instead of bringing cheap money in it had gone to the Post Office, where money was lying at four per cent., and had paid five and a-half per cent, for it over the counter in every Post Office in New Zealand, and it had lent this money out, not at four and thice-quartcrs per cent., 1 but at six and a half per cent., with one per cent, sinking fund added.

Referring to taxation; the speakci said that to get money to carry on the country's affairs the Government proposed going in for an orgy of taxation. Ho pointed out that the customs tax was increased during the last two years by nearly £1,000,000. Mr. Forbes admitted that this year he was going out to get somewhere about £BOO,OOO additional from customs, and that from a party which was to reduce and eventually abolish customs taxation. Taxation was inevitable end the people of the country would accept it provided they felt that economics wore being effected. After referring to the feeling throughout the country against tho proposed increase in the petrol tax, the candidate said: “I think tho time has come when the country should take over the handling of supplies of petrol. Nearly everything brought to our doors is brought by means of the consumption of petrol gas arid it is a dreadful reflection on the business ability of the people of this country that wc are entirely in

the hands of three or four companies who charge us what they will. I have a suggestion to make, that the Railway Department import the supplies necessary for the Dominion and that a lair tax bo imposed against private importers. The Railway Department could sell in bulk to distributors, who in their turn would put it into bowsers. Instead of exorbitant profits to overseas firms, tho country would get what profit there is. Instead of half a dozen wagons pushing round supplying petrol of various brands, one or two lorries could do the work. .

Tho speaker put forward two schqnes for tho assistance of unemployed. He called one, for the want of a better namo t ’’Farm Betterment Scheme.” He suggested that a body like tho land board should undertake tho work of supervising the betterment of farms. In Southland if a man in tho country wished to carry ont, say, draining, bush-felling or fencing ho should bo able to go to a body like tho land board and put a proposition ■ before them. Say he found tho materials, the board could then send its ranger out to inspect tho work, and if ho approved of it authorise tho advance of a loan purely for labour. This loan could bo made" at 5 per cent., repayable over, say, ten years. It would mean that the country was being developed and that unemployed mon would find employment at standard wages on productive work. It would be essential that this work be carried out in the off season when unemployment was rife. Another scheme ho suggested was that in all provinces of New Zealand public works be undertaken with tho idea of developing waste lands.

Mr. Hargest said he stood for sane ggvernfncnt with no special favours to any class of the community, development works of a productive nature to relievo tho unemployment question, current wages on these developmental works, a graduated poll tax and integrity in government. The candidate was accorded a vote of confidence.