GENERAL ELECTION.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXXII, Issue 2802, 18 November 1931, Page 4

GENERAL ELECTION.

ACTIVITIES OF CANDIDATES. COALITION AND LABOUR. Last evening the Coalition candidate for the Thames electorate, Mr A. M. Samuel, M.P., addressed a meeting of some 90 of his constituents at Turua. f Mr W. Madgwick, chairman of the County and of the United Party’s District Committee, occupied the chair, and introduced the speaker. In doing so he explained that in the face of a grave national crisis the two main parties in Parliament had agreed to combine and put forward a platform that was in the best interests of the country, irrespective of party differences. He hoped that the Turua, and other electors of* the Thames district, would, like their chosen representatives, sink all feeling that existed between parties, and work unitedly to win the seat for the Coalition Government and the good of the country. The speaker, Mr A. M. Samuel, then addressed the meeting, covering precisely the same ground as reported elsewhere in this paper, from his meeting at Hikutaia on Monday evening.

At the conclusion of his address the meeting was thrown open for questions. The first query was based upon the existing financial state of the country. The questioner asked Mr Samuel why, after many years of good prices and increasing production, when reserves should have been at their peak, one year of bad prices should cause the country to sink to the present low financial ebb. The speaker said the answer, briefly, was that reserves were not as st long as were supposed. They had been eaten up by land settlement schemes, chiefly under the returned soldiers' settlement schemes. Added to this, revenue from exports decreased in two years to an extent of £30,000.000. The crash under these circumstances came with appalling suddenness and now the country had to undergo n painful process of reconstruction.

Another questioner asked the candidate if he favoured the reducing of intel est rates, and received a very definite answer in the affirmative. However, the candidate stressed the point that in reducing interest rates, care would have to be taken that no leaning was given towards repudiation. No rates should exceed 5 per cent, and at the present time nothing less than a 1 per cent, reduction would be of direct benefit to farmers.

One member of the meeting asked Mr Samuel what he knew of a sum of £lB,OOO that had been passed for payment ns travelling expenses of members of Parliament and their families. Mr Samuel replied that members of Parliament received no expenses at all beyond their honorarium and free passes on the railways. He thought f he amount referred to might be the total amount of free passes issued to members and families. Asked if ho favoured Government control of Power Boards, Mr Samuel replied that they were already under Government control. 'lJicy were set up in a particular district for the primary purpose of reticulating that district, and it would probably be possible to combine a number of them tinder one control at a future date, thereby reducing overhead charges. There being no further questions, the meeting closed with a vote of thanks to tH’e candidate, proposed by Mr P. R. Henry, and seconded by ,Mr J. M. Mules—- “ That this meeting of electors of Turua accord its best thanks to Mr Samuel for his able and interesting address, and' in expressing its confidence in him as their renresentative in Parliament assures him of their hearty support and assistance in the campaign.” A vote of thanks to the chair was vr.rried by acelammation.

Mr A. M. Samuel speaks at Mercury Bay this evening and H Coromandel to-morrow eight. His future movements have i:c t yet been anra.'unced, but it is thought piobablc that he will not visit Paeroa till the h.ttcr end of the campaign.

Members o? Iho Labour Party arc working strenuously throughout the doctorate, and are being assisted by many of the old Liberal Party supporters. It is probable that Mr H. E. Holland, Leader of the Labour Party, will visit the electorate.

Mr W. E. Parry, M.P., will address a meeting in the Gaiety Theatre, Paeroa, on Friday evening, his subject being “The Truth about Coalition.” On the same subject he speaks at Thames to-morrow night.

In the Hauraki Plains end of the Hauraki electorate it will be some Hme before the candidates, ' Messrs

W. W. Massey (Coalition) and C. R. Petrie (Labour) make their visits.

A committee was formed at Waihi last evening to assist Mr A. M. Samuel.

In support of Mr <l. S. Montgomerie, Labour candidate, Mr C. W. Boswell, M.A., of Auckland, is speaking at Waihi shortly. Arrangements have been made for other Aucklanders to visit the electorate.

A meeting of Mr J. S. Montgomerie’s friends and supporters will be held in the Gaiety Theatre, Paeroa, on Saturday evening.