PATEA ELECTORATE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 28 October 1922, Page 6

PATEA ELECTORATE.

+ LIBIRAL-LABOUR CANDIDATE.

ADDRESS BY MR. CORRIGAN.

Mr. J." R. Corrigan, the LiberalLabour candidate for the Patea seat, addressed one of the largest political gatherings that has yet been held in Hawera in the Grand Theatre last evening. Every seat was occupied, and many were unable to gain admission. Mr. E. Morrissey presided, and Mr. Corrigan, who was in excellent form, delivered a speech that would have been highly creditable to an old campaigner. The meeting was not lacking in humour, and Mr. Corrigan seldom failed to score off hecklers or those who sought to discomfort torn with awkward

questions. Mr. Corrigan, who was received with applause, said he had tackled a few hard jobs, but the toughest was that before him that night. However, he

had always been a trier, and he was going to do his best. (Applause.) "A great many," he said, "do not know me ,and I do not know them. Well, I'm Jim Corrigan." (Laughter.) He had been born in New Zealand, about 16 miles from Christchurch, and his parents had been very early settlers in the country. His father had been a bit inclined to gamble, so they would quite understand where he (the speaker) got his instincts from. (Laughter and applause.) He had started to earn his living when he was ten years old, herding pigs at us a week, and, he added, "here I am trying to get into Parliament. So you will agree that my ambition is pretty big—from pigstye to Parliament." (Laughter and applause.) He would like to say a word about,his opponents. He wished his own supporters, if they went to hear any of his opponents speak, to give them a fair hearing. (Hear, hear!j No doubt someVere inclined, because they were on oiie'side, to belittle the other side, but they could not all be of the same opinion. If their opponents did not play the game that was their business. Many people had asked him why he was for Liberal-Labour. His answer was .-that everything he possessed in this world he owed to the Liberal administration, and he was not so ungrateful that he was going to bite the hand that had fed him. Those who had lived in the earlier days when the Conservatives were in power knew what they had to put up with. Things had got so bad in 1890 in New Zealand that they had to provide soup kitchens. Then the Liberal Party got into power, and from that time on humanitarian Acts were placed upon the Statute Book. Tn UI years 93 humanitarian measures, were passed. After mentioning some of these measures, Mr. Corrigan said they would understand whj he associated himself with the Liberalj Labour Party. A Government of thai j kind was well worth sticking to. Thej j were up against new conditions due tc j the war, which had been responsible ; for the diversion of capital from th* usual channels and putting the wheels of iiiuustry out of action. They wantec to bring the country back to where ii should be, but the Government in powei was not doing anything to rectify th< j present unsatisfactory state of affairs It was the duty of the Government t< legislate for the masses, not for a class as the present Government were doing They were all cogs in tlie huge whee of industry, and they wanted to keej j the wheel revolving with as little friction - tion as possible. They could not- al be street sweepers or tradesmen and it was the duty of whoeve: was in power to legislate with a vievi to the greatest good to the greatesi number. The only Government thai had done this was the Liberal-Labou] Government, which went out of offic* Tn 1912. There were two* importam forces at work in the country at th< present time—extreme Capital and ex treme Lbaour—and the Governmeni was using these forces so as to jnain r tain its position on the Ministeria i benches. While these two forces wen opposed to each other they would nevei have prosperity and contentment among , the workers. It had been the aim ol the Reform Party to keep the frictior between the two sections going. Thi*: was done for one purpose only—thai they might have an excuse to legislate in the interests_,of the monopolists oi the country. In doing this the Government was grasping at a shadow and missing the substance. He was prepared to deal with a few matters vital to the restoration of the prosperity- of New Zealand. In criticising the Government he would have to speak of the sitting member for Patea, but he hoped they would not take anything he said as derogatory to Mr. Dixon personally. Mr. Dixon was a man he had a lot of respect for, and if he thought Mr. Dixon had the ability to help New Zealand out of its present position he did not think he would have been before them that evening. There were great" prdßtems which had to be faced, and it was the duty of every elector to look these problems in the face and try to solve them. They should hear the. speeches of all the candidates and then vote in the best interests of the country. If they did that they would succeed in exterminating class legislation, which had been a menace to New Zealand. Mr. Massey's cry had Tbeen, and rightly so, "More production!" He (Mr. Corrigan) would ask any supporter of Mr. Massey to say in what direction any of Mr. Massey's legislation had heen in the interests of production. He had done nothing. To

solve the problem of more production, j more population, and cheap money was needed. The financial stringency was detrimental to production and Mr. Massey, instead of easing the position, was making it worse. He legislated in the interests of capitalists to the detri-

ment of the producing interests. In 1904 it had been necessary for the Government to prop up the Bank of New Zealand, and it had also become necessary during the war for tlie Government te come behind the financial institutions of the country with the Moratorium Act, so as to protect them against the lifting of deposits. He did not blame Mr. Massey for that, but he should have said: "I will do it providing the rate of interest does not I go up." The rate at that time was 6 \ per cent., but no sooner had protection been giventhan it went up to 7£ per cent. That was Mr. Massey's idea of helping to increase production. What Mr. Massey did do was to help those who were responsible for bringing him into power. He believed that it was Mr. Massey's first intention to make some such stipulation as he had suggested, but the Bill was referred to the Statutes Revision Committee, and when it returned all the safety clauses had ! been cut out. That only went to show tfiat Mr. Massey legislated for one class ' only. Last year Mr. Massey had pass-' ed the Meat Producers' Act, in which ] the big men of the country were con-' cerned. The Bill was put through because of the nine Knights who helped to keep Mr. Massey in power. He was not saying that the- Bill was not neces-1 sary, but when the cow cockies asked for the same lepisl""''-"' ; ) th. i industry without th- " .fi--!-I Tr " ~-i-v vouchsafed the me- *■ ■-, ~"v' **?-.._ Massey said that the "Bill had lecMi

talked out," although he admitted that, six to one of the farmers were in favour • of it. The dairy industry was one of the most vital to the sountry. It represented £19,000,000 a year, and yet Mr. Massey could not assist the dairy producers as he did the nine Knights that kept him in power. It was the climate and the fertility of the soil that made New Zealand the country it is ,and every person residing in the country ! was entitled to a share in its benefits, I More people, contended Mr. Corrigan, i were needed on the land. In the old * days the land was held in big blocks, j and when the Liberals got into power oKey introduced a graduated land tax. This did not have the effect expected, ' as large landowners were able to transfer considerable portions of their land to relatives, securing themselves by \ mortgage. That brought about the ! mortgage tax. He thought they could solve the probhn of increased production in a better way. His idea was I that all land should be classified. There : were at least twenty different classes iof land in New Zealand, and the best ! lands should carry at least two male . adults to every 100 acres. If the -people holding the land did not feel i disposed to employ that much labour they should be obliged to get rid of the i land. JEf they had more people on the i land they would have better farming j methods, which would put New Zealand . into a more prosperous state. After j the Franco-Prussian war France had I to pay an indemnity of two hundred j millions. -.It was thought that she I could never pay it, but she paid it in j a few years with her peasantry. In ! New Zealand they had a tremendous national debt, and if they increased the population and production they would, .in time, be able to pay ft off. To go I ahead with their land policy they niiist ' have a cheap money scheme. Mr. Massey had told them that the Government owned one-third of the Bank of New Zealand, but the sooner they ownI ed the other two-thirds the better it i not suggest confiscation. They should would be for the country. He would i take over from the shareholders at the real, and not an inflated, value. Then they woutd have a State bank, and if , this was supplemented by rural banks they would have not only cheap money for commercial purposes, but for : primary production as well. I Mr. Corrigan quoted extensively from a report by Mr. J. R. Cahill in 1913 on rural banks on the Continent. Similar, institutions were needed in this country. Under this system a farmer who had the deeds of his property and wished to borrow 60 per cent, of its value could obtain the money at 4 per cent, interest, with a 1 to l£ per cent, sinking fund. No farmer was refused help. If the bank ran short of money debentures would be issued, and if the people did not take them up the Government would do so. He could not see wny they should not have such an institution in this country. Mr. Massey had thrown out a feeler in the last Governor's Speech. He had said that ;he was an advocate of agricultural banks, but he (Mr. Corrigan) was as • sure as he was standing there that Mr. - Massey had no more idea of giving them an agricultural bank than he had »of jumping over the Opera House. If ! Mr. Massey wanted to give them an i, agricultural bank he should have done i it in 19-20, and should noj; have waited l for an election. ■r Continuing, Mr. Corrigan said that • unusued. native lands should be i opened up, but should be road.cd before being offered for selec- ► ■ tion. At the present rate the native , land problem was not going to be . solved for many years. Native lands [ should be taken over by the Govern- ► ment and the money paid into the Pub- - lie Trust Office. As the Native Land [ ( Board individualised the titles the , ■ money could be paid to the natives. ■ Dealing with soldier settlement, Mr. i* Corrigan said that land had been pur- ; chased for this pur-pose at too high a ; figure for any settler to make a living • off it. Mr. Massey said to the soldier: >. "You have got the land at the price at ; ! which I obtained it off my supporters, . and you have got to stay there." That .; was the Reform purgatory for the solA dier who had served his country. The -; Government should cut its losses and I bring the land down to a figure which A -would permit the returned soldier to >! live comfortably. The way in which •: the soldiers at Moeawatea were treated ' was a disgrace. They had to walk 1 down a hill about miles, half-way II up to their knees in mud, and there , | were women and littje children living 'on the sections. The land had been i bought from Reformers at double the I price it was worth. He had met two , fine young fellows who had 1400 acres j which the Government had purchased ! at a very high price from a Reformer. i Of the area 700 acres were felled and j 700 acres were covered with standing bush. The latter was poor land and would never pay for cutting the bush. The Reformer who sold it knew where to put the axe in. Mr. Massey had now appointed different committees of men to re-value soldiers' land, but they were the same supporters who did the valuing when the Government purchased. What redress could be expected from these men. They had heard a lot from Mr. Massey when he came he came from the conference at Home about Nauru phosphates, which w^ere to be sold to the New Zealand farmer at £2 10s or £3 10s per ton; but he (Mr. Corrigan) found that he had to pay the Reform supporters who sold [ the phosphates £7 10s to £8 10s per I ton. Yet Mr. Massey had said he I would give them a square deal. What he gave was one for the producer and ten for the capitalist, with a square nought thrown in for the producer as discount. Mr. Corrigan then went on to criti- ' cisc the administration of the Railways and Post and Telegraph Departments, making comparisons between the results achieved to-day and those obtained by the Liberal Government. He also condemned the work of the Agricultural Department, which he said had been allowed to stagnate and made no provision for research work in connec-

tion with the primary industries. He also quoted figures to show that Mr. Massey had borrowed over and above the amount required for war purposes, £5,000,000 a year. The position seemed to be that with another three years of Mr. Massey's administration they would have an official receiver here to collect the revenues, so that they might be used in paying interest. The speaker advocated one big union, to the funds of which every person over 17 years of age should contribute, and from which all would benefit. If the workers had a grievance a tribunal should ge set up to inquire into the position. Eighty per cent, of the workers, were as loyal as Mr. Massey, who had no riaht to brand them as disloyalists because they sought to better their positions. The workers were the backbone of the country. j Dealing with the tariff,. Mr. Corrigan advocated heavy duties on luxuries and as little as possible on the necessaries ! of life. When the question of diamonds came up in the House, Mr. Dixon voted for their admission free of duty, and when it came to 10 per oent. on infants' foods Mr. Dixon voted in favour of it. He was quite certain, however, that Mr. Dixon had in this case voted against his own convictions, and that he was" at the time under the wonderful hypnotic powers of Mr. Massey.! 'Then the House came to deal with ihe tariff on ccramaphones Mr. Dixon was viot to be- found. (Laughter.') Later,' when the question of whether the Gov-

ernment shoirfd give pensions to the blind arose, Ms, Dixon had voted against it. He thowght it tiroe the Reform Party took a tt&w title. He had thought of suggesting "gay deceivers," but "professional camoailagers" would be better. Mr. Corrigan further said that he favoured a medical insurance Aot similar to that passed by Mr. j Lloyd George, under which the em~| ployee paid 2d per week and the em- j ployer 4,d per week. He also advocated State shipping. The address was concluded amidst hearty applause. I QUESTIONS. j Replying to Mr. Death, the candidate said that he would never assist Mr, Holland to get on the Ministerial benches', but if his vote would put Mr. Massey out of power he would get it fair in the neck. (Applause.) ! Mr. Death: You stated in your, address that you would in no way associate yourself with Mr. Holland. "Would * you vote with Mr. Holland on a noconfidence motion? ! Mr. Corrigan: I have had to tell ' you before. Mr. Death, that God gave you brains and I could not give you intelligence. (Laughter.)

Mr. Death: If returned would you; '■ act as you did as a director of the' 1 Farmers' Co-op. ? ! I Mr. Corrigan: How did I act in the Co-op. ? i A voice: Come on, Jim, tell us how 1 you are going to "hact." (Laughter.) ! Mr. Corrigan: Whatever I have done I have done in the best interests of the concern I have been on. (Loud applause.) ' Mr. Death: I challenge you (Uproar.) ; The chairman: We do not want challenges. We want questions. Mr. Death: I have a perfect right to ask any questions about Mr. Corrigan's public life. i Voices: No, no. ! Mr. Corrigan invited Mr. Death to come on the platform, but the invitation was declined.

j Mr. Gawith: Will you give ns your views on proportional' re|*esentation? ! -Mr. Corrigan: I wouldr support pre- : ferential voting, by which a majority j would rule. I am not in sympathy with proportional representation. He further stated that he would leave the electorates as they were. j i The chairman here announced that !he had a written question, and Mr. J Corrigan on looking at it said: "I. . think the man who wrote this question J ; should stand up and ask it. If I met him outside he would not be game to ask it." . i j Mr. Gawith: Can you answer it? j I Mr. Corrigan: That is my business. • The question does not deal with poli-; tics. • Mr. Brown asked if Mr. Corrigan favoured a system of election hy which minorities would be represented in Parliament. j Mr. Corrigan: As I favour majority rule I cannot suuport minorities. j Mr. Sheat asked if Mr. Corrigan's \ party leader was not in favour of pro-! portional representation. j i Mr. Corrigan: There are politilal . conundrums the answers to which I am not yet familiar with, but I will be 5 a very apt pupil when I gsfcto Parliament. What I think is m the best interests of the country I will support. I will not be; a blind supporter of any man. I j Mr. Wm. Brown: Was not a Liberal responsible for the defeat of the Dairy. Produce Export Bill? ! Mr. Corrigan: Mr. Massey could have put it through if he liked. He (Mr.; Corrigan) was not responsigle for what happened at Stratford. j Mr. S. Blake challenged the statement that the same people that valued j soldiers 5" lands before .were valuing! them now. j Mr. Corrigan: I know yoil are a Re-' I form valuer, and I did not want to . tread on your corns* • but the very man who valued the- property at the back of Waverley is valuing it again. '-j Mr. Blake: I challenge you to prove it. I i Mr. Corrigan: You are on a had ; wicket, Sam; the pitch has hroken up under* you. I i Mr. P. ODea: If there are only two parties. Labour and Reform, which will you ally yourself with? ! » Mr. Corrigan: While I am in theHouse that situation will never arise. There will be one Liberal-Labour mem-. ber. i . M^O;j>ea: What do y ou $&_}* j>f: Mr. isiuu S Srrahg&firent with Mr. Massey?-. . i i Mr. Corrigan: I am not here to' answer for Mr. Isitt's or Mr. Massey's" sins. I am here to answer for Jim Corrigan's sins. (Applause and laugh-. j ter.) 1 Mr. ODea: You are flogging a dead horse. f Mr. Corrigan: Well, I have not been on you yet. Pat. (Loud laughter.) - j Mr. ODea: I will ask one more question. i • Mr. Corrigan: Not too hard a one, i Pat. I'm only a new chum, you know.' (Laughter.) j

i Mr. ODea: Will yon explain why the Liberal Party has heen getting weaker and weaker since 1908, and will you tell us how many followers Mr. Wilford has? I Mr. Corrigan: It is camouflage. Mr. Massey by his hypnotic powers had many blind followers, and it was just , about time they got a clear vision. Mr. ODea: You said that Mr. Holland was disloyal. In what and how? Mr. Corrigan: I kept this one for you, Pat. It is a good one. (Laughter.) Mr. Corrigan then read a speech delivered by Mr. Holland on December 6. 1918. and reported in Hansard, in which he stated that he did not pose as a pacifist, but as a revolutionary socialist. : Mr. ODea:" That is not disloyalty. I did not like that reference in jour otherwise- good speech. i Mr. Corrigan: Me. Massev stated in the House on July 13 that Mr. Holland was one of the best political friends he had. Mr. Gawith asked why the Liberal Party had changed its name —to "united, progressive, and so on." Mr. Corrigan replied that the Liberal

Party had always been united;_ it was also progressive, as its legislation proved. ' Mr. ODea: Will you explain why the Liberals cannot get candidates for the city and' suburban seats ? A voiefc: Give someone else a chance. Why can't the Labour Party get one : for Hawera? .-- ' 1 Mr. Corrigan: The Liberals have can- ; didates for practically every seat. J A voice: Mr. ODea has been a Liberal himself. * I Mr. Corrigan r Mr. ODea is where j the money is. | Mr. Sheat: The principle of proxy voting had been introduced in Queensland: would Mr. Corrigan favour its introduction into New Zealand? He I understood Mr. Corrigan had found the 1 principle useful in connection with the Hawera Dairy Company, i Mr. Corrigan: Whenever I have used , proxy voting I have not abused it. A 'man, %vho said he had been scrtitineer at the Hawera Dairy Company s | election, gave figures to show that Mb. Corrigan had used proxies fairly. __ _ : Mr. Gawith: Would the candidate support State aid to sectarian schools, or would he stand foursquare for St?te education? Mr. Corrieran: If sectanafa bodies "liked to establish schools h^'saw no ob-■if-ction to their doinnr s^k "inasmuch as ' thov word be saving the state expense. If it would, ho cheaper to the

country 'to give grants to private schools he saw no harm in doing it. 1 The candidate was asked J>y a questioner what his views on th# licensing j question were, ! Mr. Corrigan replied that th# issue ■ was there for all. "Vote as you think .fit." " A voice; I want to know how you would vote. 1 Mr. Corrigan: Don't you think yofi|r ;:> ai*e rather personal? I would not^a^ think of asking you how you are going '-.- to vote. Mr. Gawith-; Suppose it was a Par- : liamentary measure? j Mr. Corrigan: I'm sure you don't j want to know my views, Mr. Gawith. I I know you have no intention of vot|mg for me. (Cheers and laughter.)

Replying to a further question on this matter, Mr. Corrigan said he did not agree with the measure on the Statute Book. The general elections were • overshadowed with the licensing poll, and he favoured extending the period between the polls from three to nine years. Mr. Gawith rose again, but was howled down and counted out. At Mr. Corrigan's request Mr. Gawith was allowed to put his question, and asked if the. candidate was in. favour of increasing racing permits. Mr. Corrigan: I am in favour of carrying out the reoort of the commission—a report which cost thousands of ; pounds to obtain and had not been I used. I A voice: Would you favour publish- . mg dividends in the daily papers? Mr. Corrigan: I could never see that cutting them out had done any good. 1 There was a lull at this stage, and Mr. Corrigan asked if there were no

more heckief*. Mr. Harrison asked if Mr. Corrigan thought it fair to pay casuals in dairy factories 10s a day while the unemployed were offered lis. Mr. Corrigan pointed out that the dairy factory worker obtained perks " which brought his wages up to 13e or 14s a day. A voice: No.

Mr. Corrigan: When I asked you to do extra work, did I pay you extra or not? Mr. Harrison: Yes, you did. A voice: Are you in'favour of State lotteries ? Mr. Corrigan: Thousands of pounds were sent out of New Zealand every year ,and other countries got the benefit. They had the totalisator, and $ST he consistent, they might as well legalise' State lotteries. Mr; ODea: Would Mr. Corrigan he in favour of legalising the bookmaker? Voices: Of course he would. (Loud laughter.) Mr. Corrigan: No, I would not. At the close of the meeting Mr Taylor moved, and Mr. Murphy seconded, that the speaker be accorded a veryhearty vote of thanks for his able adaddress. Mr. ODea moved as an amendment: That this meeting, while tendering the speaker a vote of thahks for his good address and answers to questions, ig~ of the opinion that the time has come when the Liberal Party should definitely ally itself with the Massey Party. Mr. Gawith seconded the amendment. The amendment was lost on a show of hands, and on being put the motion was carried by a large majority.