Manawatu Evening Standard. TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 1924. THE LIBERAL CAMPAIGN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIV, Issue 1038, 10 June 1924, Page 4

Manawatu Evening Standard. TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 1924. THE LIBERAL CAMPAIGN.

The members of the Liberal Labour Party who have been campaigning through the country and endeavouring to persuade the public that they are the coming force in politics do not appear to have won any converts to their cause, and that is easily understood when the ludicrous mistakes they have made are taken into consideration. So far from placing a definite policy before the country, which would justify the electors in tlie belief that they would, govern with greater economy and administer the public departments on a better basis than they have been administered during the Reform Government's regime, they have simply resorted to their old tactics of misrepresenting the actions of the Government and criticism"-, in very unreasonable fashion, both the finances of the country under Reform and the legislation which the Massey Government has placed on the Statute Books of the country. Mr Wilford's speeches must have been a considerable disappointment to his followers, lacking as they have done anv sort of constructive criticism and being based very largely upon statements which it is very difficult, if not actually impossible to justify. His first lieutenant, Mr Masters, has not been more fortunate in his efforts to promote the cause of his patty; Both gentlemen have attacked the Government severely upon its financial policy, and more particularly upon its failure to meet the demands made upon the Advances Department by both urban and rural applicants. In doing that they have ignored the obvious. Since the passing of the State Advances Act of last session applications for loans have been pouring in upon the Advances Department wholesale. In less than fifteen months the department has authorised advances for over eight millions and actually paid over to borrowerers a sum of considerably more than seven _ millions. We have good reason for saying, however, that the applications received by the department ate at least three times the total advanced. It is certain no Government could have done more than the Reform Administration has accomplished in this direction. It is all very well to say that the farmers and worke'is are unable to obtain the advances they require, but criticism which is confined to a statement ef that kind is grossly unfair when it ignores the very large amount of financial help which has been accorded ttf those who have received advances. Mr Massey stated last session that it was his intention to increase the funds' of the Advances Department to twenty millions. The latest information we have concerning the State Advances Department shows that he has kept that promise. At the end

of the financial year (1923-24) over twenty millions was outstanding, altogether apart from advances made to soldier settlers and soldier workers of the Dominion, to a very similar amount. The fact is that, including the three and a-quarter millions spent on the acquisition of estates for the settlement of discharged soldiers, as shown in the Lands for Settlement account, and the repayments, etc-, reinvested, the Government has at the present time outstanding advances to the amount of between £43,000,000 and £45,000,000, all made in the interests of settlement. The member for Stratford, ignoring facts such as these, accused the Government of refusing to make advances to farmers on first mortgage through the State Advances Department, although the department had granted a loan of £SOOO on third mortgage to a mining company at six per cent. He made the same statement at Hamilton, Cambridge and Te Awamutu, and when the attention of the Minister for Mines was drawn to the matter, and the latter pointed out that the advance had been made by the Mines Department, and not by the State Advances Department, and that the security held by the Crown for the particular advance to which Mr Masters referred, covered all prior claims on the company to which the advance was made, he denied having made the statement. Although he was reported by three different papers in the three different towns referred to in almost identical terms, Mr Masters, when confronted with the. Minister's explanation at Stratford, denied that he had made the statement that the money was advanced by the State Advances Office, and statedthat he had said that while farmers could only borrow from the Government on first mortgage, the same Government was lending to mining companies on third mortgage. Here again the member for Stratford misrepresented the position, and it is greatly to _ be regretted that in these, and similar misrepresentations of fact, the Government's critics do not make the amende honourable. MR WILFORD'S LATEST COMPLAINT. The Leader of the Opposition, in his latest complaint against the Government, condemns Ministers for running round the country so much in place of attending to their official duties at Wellington. Surely, the lion, gentleman has a very short memory, or otherwise is inclined to set up for himself one standard of duty and another for his political opponents; for, as a member of the National Cabinet, it is notorious that no Minister did niore travelling about the country than Mr Wilford during his -term of office, and no Minister did more to advertise himself. It is of course a moot point whether a certain amount of unnecessary travelling is not undertaken by Ministers, but it is both desirable and necessary that they should not confine their attention to the centres of administration. It is as much the duty of Ministers of. the Crown to keep in touch with departmental activities throughout the country as it is for them to remain in touch with the heads of their departments in Wellington. The other chief centres of population would have a very real grievance against .Ministers if they remained in their offices in Wellington and did not attempt to ascertain for themselves the needs and requirements of the public, which have any sort of bearing on the work of their departments. No one will seriously dispute the necessity for the Minister of Public Works, or the Minister of Railways, or, again, the Minister of Education and other Ministers, visiting all parts of the country in the interests of the public. Certain Ministers connected with the Reform Government have been accused of travelling about the country simply for electioneering purposes, but it is difficult to find, in any of their addresses, that they have done anything of the sort. Their action iii this respect is actually in marked contrast to that of certain of their predecessors. Mr Wilford and liis friends would) of course, be better pleased if JVtihisters showed less activity in a direction which he evidently fears will prejudice his own electioneering efforts and which will put the public "wise" in respect to their misleading criticism.