POLITICAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1333, 5 December 1914, Page 2

POLITICAL.

MR ROBERTSON’S MEETING,

Mr John Robertson delivered his second address locally in the present political campaign in the Coronation Hall last night. The Mayor presided. Mr Robertson said that since he last addressed a Foxtou audience he had been through the whole of the electorate and from the manner in which he had everywhere been received he was convinced that the progressive parties had reason to look forward with confidence to the result of the poll. The speaker dealt with criticisms of his statements by his opponent and others, to prove that his assertions from the public platform were perfectly true and accurate. Mr Field had challenged his figures in reference to the inefficiency of the graduated land tax imposed by the Massey Government and Mr Robertson produced the Hon. Jas. Allen’s Budget to prove that his previous statement was quite accurate. In five instances given in the Budget of estates of the aggregate value of £273,000, the total graduated tax imposed by the present government was £283 is 6d, representing two shillings in every ,£IOO value. Could anyone suggest for a moment that this small increase

would be respousible for the bursting up on any estates. Mr Robeitsou repeated his statement to the effect that during his three years years of office the expenditure of the Public Works Department in this district was above the expenditure during the last three years that Mr Field represented the constituency. Mr Robertson severely criticised the Government and said that one of the principle reasons why it should be put out of office was because it was a corrupt government. At last election Mr Massey and his supporters bad made charges of corruption against the Liberal Government, none of which they proved. Since the Massey Government had been in office it had been guilty of corrupt practices. In regard to public expenditure as bribes to its supporters and the increase in the Public Debt it bad been ranch worse than its predecessor.-;. He referred at some length to the farce in this electorate in connection with the alleged selection of the Reform candidate and also referred to the statement made by Mr Wilkinson, one of the candidates for the Bay of Islands seat, that he had been offered a seat in the Upper House if he would give Mr Vernon Reed a clear run there. Mr Wilkinson had replied that he preferred honourable defeat at the hands of the electors to a dishonourable. seat, in 'the Legislative Council. The government’s administration was corrupt in other directions. Railway works in progress when the Government came into office had been stopped, but seven new railways had been authorised, all of which were in electorates represented by a minister or member of the Reform Party, and this by a party that professed “ purity.” Mr Robertson also referred to the Royd Garlick appointment, the stuffing of the Land Board’s and the Westport Harbour Board scandal. He contended that the Massey party had done nothing to elevate the political life of the country in any shape or form, but on the contrary their influence had been iu the opposite direction. As to Mr Field’s statement iu reference to a bargain between the speaker aud Sir Joseph Ward he desired to give the statement the lie direct. Mr Robertson fully explained details leading up to and including the first no-confidence division, and stated that before the division was taken Mr Massey had asked him how he was going to vote, and said that if he would support him on the motion he could vote as he liked afterwards, and he would see that as far as the Party was concerned that be got no opposition the next election. Apparently at that time Mr Massey knew that he was going to get some ‘ ‘ rats ’ ’ from the Liberal ranks. The Liberal Party was at present, as the result of these “ rats ” leaving their ranks a better party than in 1911. The Massey party’s pledges to keep down expenditure, to decrease borrowing, break up big estates had not been kept. The party had played into the hands of the privileged and moneyed classes, but be felt confident that the coming election was going to see a change in the government of the country. After answering one or two questions Mr Robertson was accorded a unanimous vote of thanks and confidence, and the meeting closed with cheers for Sir Joseph Ward and Mr Robertson.

FACTS ABOUT TAXATION

The opponents of the Massey Government have become so accustomed to declaring that the Customs taxation has been increased, and that the land-holders are being treated too considerately by the present Government, that they probably believe that the statements are true. They will receive a rude shock when the official figures, as compiled by the Government statistician, are brought before them. The official return, which was quoted by the Minister for finance in the House of Representatives on October 27th, can be seen in the Hansard report of Mr Allen’s speech. During the first year of the Reform Government’s administration there was the slight increase of nd per head of the population, but the increase during tbe last two years of the Ward Government’s term were 6s and 3s yd per head respectively. During the present Government’s second year of office —ended March 31st last—there was a reduction of is sd, thus making the amount 6d per capita lower than when the Ward Government left office,

The following table explains the Customs revenue position : Amount GovernYear. per head. ment.

INCREASE IN THE EAND TAX. The figures in regard to the Tand Tax are even more interesting. They show that during the first year of the Reform Administration the amount received from land tax increased by is 3d per head, and that in the second year there was a further slight advance of 4d, making a total increase of is yd per head in the two years. The marked increase jn the first year was largely due to the increase in the graduated land tax on large estates, which was embodied in an Act passed by the Reform Government in its first session.

The following are the- land tax figures : Amount GovernYear per head. ment.

THE INCOME TAX RETURNS.

The mcome tax, which was readjusted by the Massey Government, has also shown an increase, since the present Government took control of the Treasury benches. It is scarcely necessary to point out that this is a tax from which the workers are free, it having up till last year been levied only on incomes of over ,£3OO, whilst in the case of men with children under 16 years of age the exemption, commencing with the current year, ranges up to ,£425, this extra exemption having been provided for by the present Government in an Act passed in 19x3. The income tax return for the five years is as under :

Amount GovernYear. per head. ment. s, d.

Mr At more, who represented Nelson in the last Parliament, distinguished—or rather, it should be said extinguished—himself a few evenings ago by delivering a three hours’ address. Some industrious person with a quaint turn for research, went through such of this cyclone of blither as found its way into print, and discovered that it contained 1,100 capital *Ts,” while the phrase “Sir Joseph and myself,” was found pepper-castored over the wind-bag performance in 287 places.

THK HUNTLY DISASTER. The uufairness of the attempt that is being made by the Opposi- ■ tiou and their “Red Fed." allies to manufacture political capital against the present Government in connection with the Huntly colliery disaster was strikingly illustrated in a speech last week by the Hon, F. M. B. Fisher’ j' He referred to the wreck of the steamer Penguin, and the steps which he, as Minister for Marine, has taken to guard against a repetition of such a disaster in Cook Strait. Notwithstanding the agitation, said Mr Fisher, which had been made, asking the “Liberal’’ Government to erect a light in Cook Strait in order to prevent a disaster, nothing had been done. In February, 1909, the Penguin disaster occurred, and 75 people were drowned. When, three years later, the Ward Government went out of office, it had not even so much as moved a pebble for the purpose of preventing another Penguin disaster, and it fell to the lot of the Massey Administration to take immediate steps on their coming into office to order the erection of a light in Cook Strait to prevent the possible loss of another 75 lives. Yet, he pointed out, the opponents of the Government were turning up their eyes to heaven and pointing to the present Government as being a set of men who had no regard for the value af human life.

POLLING DAY. Under the, Legislative Act, polling day (Thursday, December 10th) will be observed as a public holiday after noon throughout the Dominion. Licensed premises must be closed from noon till 7 p.m. If polling day is not on the statutory halt-holiday under the Shops and Offices Act, the provisions of that act will apply to polling day, and the statutory half-holiday need not be observed on the usual day. It will not be necessary for any factory to close on polling day, but the occupier must afford each of his employees a reasonable opportunity, up to one hour, of recording his vote, without making any deduction from his wages. Every occupier who commits a breach of this section will be liable to a penalty not exceeding £5 in respect of every employee.

£ s. d. 1909*10 2 17 0 Ward. rgio-u 3 3 0 Ward. 1911-12 3 6 7 Ward. 1912-13 3 I 6 Massey. 1913-14 3 6 1 Massey.

s. d. 1909-10 1.3 1 Ward. igio-n 12 7 Ward. 1911-12 12 8 Ward. 1912-13 XI 11 Massey. 1913-14 14 3 Massey.

1909-10 6 6 Ward. xgio-ii 8 2 Ward. 1911-12 S xo Ward. 1912-13 8 10 . Massey. 1913*14 10 3 Massey,