HON A. L. HERDMAN.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16564, 30 May 1914, Page 12

HON A. L. HERDMAN.

THE CANTERBURY VISIT.

ADDRESS AT HAWARDEN

The Hon A. L. Herdman, Minister of Justice, continued his peregrination yesterday amidst the- backblocks of Canterbury. In tho afternoon he delivered an address at Hawarden, in the Hawarden Saleyards Company's! Hall. There- was an attendance of about thirty.

Mr John Allen occupied tho chair. He said that some people criticised Ministers for running about the country, but unless they ran about tho country they could not ascertain the needs of the people. Mr Herdman apologised for holding a meeting at an hour which must be inconvenient to most of his hearers. His intention in visiting Hawarden was to place the Government's view of politics before the people. It was tho fashion to judge Ministers by the legislation they produced, but it must not bo forgotten that Ministers had important duties as administrators of important public departments. His Departments included the Department of Justice, the Prisons, Public Trust Office, Stamps and Deeds Department and Crown Law Office. He discovered that the discipline was not strict enough in prisons, and that inspections were not frequent enough. Dr Hay was combining the duties of inspector of prisons and inspector of mental hospitals. Mr Matthews had been appointed deputy-inspector of prisons, and the discip'ino and administration of prisons had been much improved. The previous Government had secured 1000 acres in the North Island for tho purposes of a prison farm. The present Government was not responsible for that purchase, but it was entirely a good move. The policy for the future would be to remove the prisons away from tho neighbourhood of the big towns, and Lyttelton Gaol, for one, would bo closed up in the near future. Sir Joseph Ward, wiio was now travelling about the country a good deal, was making wild and inaccurate statements. The proceeded to deal with Sir Joseph Ward's charges on the lines of his Methven speech. The finances wore briefly touched upon, the story of the strike was retold, and the many advantages accruing to the Public Service from the appointment of the Publio Sorvico Commissioners were pointed out. Credit was claimed for the repeal of the Second Ballot Act, which relieved candidates from the ordeal of a second election campaign after a very exhaustive one before the first ballot. A brief summary of the Massey Government's legislative achievements followed, and the importance of the Board of Agriculture's activities was impressed upon tho audience. Sketching the programme for next session, Mr Herdman promised the ieform of the Legislative Council, a Local Government Bill that would abolish tho use of the Public Works fund for political purposes, and the revision and improvement of the whole educational system. The naval policy of the Massey Government was dealt with briefly, and in conclusion the Minister said he hoped that his audience would realise that the Ministers of the Crown were not the blackguards and rascals that the "flying squadron " tried to make them out. Mr Herdman received a very friendly hearing, and was heartily applauded at intervals. On the motion of Mr T. A. Shields, a motion expressing thanks to the Minister and confidence in the Massey Administration was carried by acclamation.

DEPUTATIONS AT AMBERLEY

LOCAL REQUIREMENTS. After his meeting at Hawarden the Minister motored to Amberley, where lie Avas announced to speak in the evening. Prior to the meeting a deputation was introduced by Mr G. D. Greenwood, and asked that Amberley should be given another telephone wire to Christchurch. At present Amberley, with sixty-seven subscribers, had only one wire. Rangiora, with sixty-two subscribers, had three, and Kaiapoi, with thirty-seven subscribers, had two. The deputation also asked that a now courthouse should be erected at Amberley, and that the delivery of letters posted at Amberley should be expedited, i.i Members of tho deputation explained that at present, under a system initiated by the Hon D. Buddo, letters posted to Waipara, six miles away, had to go first to Christchurch, and took two days to deliver, while letters for Waikari had to go first to Culyerden. Mr Nicholls made a request for the construction of a railway siding at Glasnevin, and said he was willing to give the land for the site. The Minister, in reply, said that he would' refer the postal matters to the Hon R. H. Rhodes, who would shortly be in the district to turn the first sod of the Waiau railway. The railway matter he would refer to the Hon \\. H. Hemes. In regard to the courthouse, he had inspected the building, and he would ascertain the views of tho Ujtidcir-Seeretary on the subject when lie returned to Wellington.

SPEECH BY THE MINISTER. At the Amberley Oddfellows' Hall an audience of about fifty assembled to hear the Minister's address. Mr F. Lewton, chairman of Amberley Town Board, presided and briefly introduced the Minister. Mr W. A. Banks, Reform candidate for Hurunui; was on the platform. Mr Herdman read a telegram from Mr G. W. Forbes, member for Hurunui, who expressed the hope that Mr Herdman Mould have a good meeting and would "bring good tidings of great joy." Mr Herdman hastened to assure the audience that he bore euch tidings and ho instanced the gladness with which the people heard members of the Reform Ministry save in those centres where their meetings were subjected to organised interruptions. He attributed the defeat of the Liberals to their " shilly shallying" and their "backing and filling." He went on to describe tho difficulty the Reform Government had in raising money when it took office and the handicaps imposed upon it by tho smallpox epidemic and the striko of 1913. He emphasised tho contention that the Government represented no particular class of the community. Its legislation was intended to benefit the people as a. Avholp and tho Ministry realised that no Government could hold office which legislated for the benefit of any one class. It had been necessary to take drastic stops during the Waihi and waterside workers' strikes, but the Government realised that in those strikes many decent, hardworking men took parb, not because they believed in the justice of their cause but Iwcause they desired to b© loyal to their follows. Tliero was no country in the world where the working man had a better change cf advancement than in New Zealand if he stuck to work and was faithful to his duty. During the Government's term, of office tho Waihi and waterside workers' strikes had oeen weathered and the money market had become easier, and to-day the prospects of Now Zealand were brighter than they had ever been before. The Reform Government did »ot claim credit for tho high prices which Nen' Zealand produce was bringing at present, but tho general prosperity of the country showed that the Reform Government had failed to fulfil

the predictions of its Liberal critics and had not plunged the country into an era of soup kitchens and general depression. The Prime Minister was in the habit of saying that 80 per cent of the newspapers of tho country were supporting tho Reform Ministry. That was not so. The correct proportions were as follows:—Liberal supporters (including Labour journals) 53.48 per cent, Reform supporters 26.74 per cent, Independent 19./8 per cent. Dealing with the assertion made by Sir Joseph Ward that tho Reform Government had .borrowed more than tho Liberals, the Minister quoted figures to show that the Reform Government in its first twenty months of office had borrowed about two per cent less money than the Liberal Government had'borrowed in tho last twenty months of its existence.

Tho story of the strike as given in tho Ministers speeches at Methven and Hawarden was retold. Mr Herdman quoted from a " Lyttelton Times" report of a speech delivered at Winton by Sir Joseph Ward, in which. Sir Joseph said that taxation should as far as possible, fall upon community created values. That meant that if land increased in value from £2 to £2O per acre owing to the construction of railways or roads or bridges £4 per cent was community created value. The speaker could not exactly fathom tho meaning lying behind the phrases in which Sir Josepii clothed his pronouncement on this subject, but it appeared that the ex-Prime Minister was advocating something very revolutionary and undesirable. The speaker advised his hearers to keep their eyes fixed on Sir Joseph Ward and to watch him carefully, for he might try to introduce revolutionary principles of taxation in New Zealand.

Dealing with the Native land question tho Minister said the legislation of last session would do much to lighten the Hon W. H. Herries'e task of getting hold of the Native lands. It was said the. Government had done nothing for tho workers. It had introduced legislation bettering the conditions of sawmill workers and plumbers and it had improved the remuneration of railway servants of all ranks. Tho architects had been given a constitution by legislation. The condition of the police force had been immensely improved. At this point the proceedings, which up till this time had been singularly solemn, were momentarily brightened up by a fight between two small dogs. A policeman, however, removed the dogs, the Minister remarking that they must be the " flying squadron." The dogs, in revenge, barked dismally outside tho hall. The Minister went on to deal with the financial position of tho dominion before and after the accession to power of the Reform Ministry. In conclusion ho referred to the magnificent national resources of the country and the necessity for constructing roads and bridges in tho backblocks. The spirit of progress was in the air and no Government could hold, office if it was not prepared to be progressive. Mr G. D. Greenwood moved a motion expressing thanks to the Minister and confidence in the Massey Ministry, and in doing so thanked the Minister for his promptness in dealing with a request made by the speaker that tho local police station should bo connected with the telephone. Unfortunately the first message that went over the telephone informed tho speaker that ho had-been charged with driving his motor-car.

The motion was seconded by Mr W. Nicholls and carried unanimously amidst applause. Tho Minister was received in a friendly but quiet manner, the audience being far from demonstrative. Tho Minister returned to Christchurch by motor-car after the meeting. Ho will receive deputations at tho Government Buildings, Christchurch, at 10.30 this morning.