THE POLITICAL CAMPAIGN.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 1696, 9 December 1919, Page 7

THE POLITICAL CAMPAIGN.

THE PALMERSTON SEAT, i MR NASH AT TERRACE END. Mr J. A. Nash, Reform candidate for tiie Palmerston scat, addressed the electors 1 at the Coronation Hull, Terraco End, last night. Mr M. O’Reilly presided over a good attendance. In tiie course of his remarks Mr Nash said that there was no place that was more in need of house-building than this town, and the Housing Bill that had been passed was such that anybody who came within the income provisions could obtain a homo of his own. Mr Massey was the a father of that Bill, and there was no bettor friend of the workers than Mr Massey. (A voice : Square deal, ch !) Yes, it was a square deal. The housing scheme was going to do a lot of good. (A voice : It’s very slow !) It was only a month since the Act | became law, and already contracts had been placed for 70 houses in Wellington. They were only on the reconstruction point after the war, and they could not carry out ■ the work without the materials and labour. Speaking on education matters, ho said that ample provision had been made now for the erection of new schools, acquisition of playing areas, etc. Ho predicted a great change in the country in regard to educational matters, and said that although they were spending much more per head on education than they were doing in the Commonwealth of Australia they should still do so. Referring to the gratuity paid to soldiers, he emphasised the fact that all had boon placed on the same footing and the same amount paid to the officers and men, and that was a democratic principle. Mr Nash contrasted what had been done with regard to the soldiers’ gratuity ■with what had been done after tiie South African war, when the 'men received £5 and the officers £IOO, £2OO or £3OO. Speaking of the Undesirable Imriiigrants Exclusion Bill, ho said that any man who lived in a country should be proud of it. and that any disloyalists could be prohibited from landing here, and that if they found they hail any disloyalists here they could, bo deported at any time. Ho was sorry that the widows’ pensions did not reach as high an amount as he would have liked. The epidemic widows’ pensions had been fixed at a certain amount, and while ho did not want to see the epidemic widows’ pensions reduced —and ho would give the limit of the pension every time—he wanted to see ; tiie ordinary widows’ pensions brought up , to the scale of the epidemic widows’ pen- i sions. The reason New Zealand had boon prosperous was because of the high prices obtained for their produce and guaranteed by the Imperial Government. Ho referred ! to the increase in taxation, and said they j could go on increasing the graduated land tax, which would hit the big- man, while the death duties could also bo increased. They, knew that land aggregation was rife, but the Bill recently passed would do much , to prevent aggregation. There was no land aggregation going on now; jit had stopped and must stop, for there was no reason why people with large areas should keep them while people were hungering for land. Mr Nash made references to jjhc | Labour Government in Queensland, when ' an interjcctor exclaimed, “It’s a pity you) were not over there to fix things up for them,” to which Mr Nash replied, “I’m ; wanted over here in Now Zealand to bo elected on tiie 17th.” The speaker made further remarks concerning Queensland, making special reference to the ■ rhcroiiso in unemployment there, when the same in- j tcrjoctor remarked; “We don’t want to hear any more about Queensland,” to which Mr Nash retorted, “I know you don’t: you • don’t like it.” Speaking of the mandate. 1 for Samoa, lie said they had got rid of the Gormans. (A voice : And got the Chinese.) There wore 3000 Chinese there when’they look over Samoa, while now there wore only 1000. Ho pointed to the fact that .after their three years wore up the Chinese signed on voluntarily for another two years, and did that look like slavery? Everything possible was done for these people: they had to have proper sanitation and proper food; they had their own Consul, and it was nonsense to talk about slavery. (A voice: We are all slaves.) Mr Nash: I’m one, too. I have done it for years, and am going on doing it after the 17th instant.

Speaking of local matters, Mr Nfsh referred to the Board of Control for the Manawatu Gorge, and the need for a railway station at Terrace End. He believed that the party he represented was doing its best for the people in general. Ho (the speaker) did not took to the big man. (A voice: You have no necessity: you are one yourself.) That was the first time ho had been called a big man; he had to work for his living. He did not give up work and go in for making a living at politics. He tried to carry on while representing thorn in Parliament, and would endeavour to continue to do so. ■ Questions being invited, tiie candidate was asked why he voted for unskilled labour going into the coal mines. Mr Nash said ho had voted that way becatisc of the “go-slow” policy; the people of this country had reached the stage when, if they eon Id not get the coal one way, they would get it another way. The questioner asked what was the price the miner got for hewing coal, and Mr Nash replied that the miners earned "'between £6 and £8 per week, but this was denied by the questioner. One of the audience suggested that Mr Nash should talk so that working : people could understand, to which lie retorted that he* had started earlier and worked for less wages than the questioner, and pine through more than ho had, adding, “But, thank God, 1 had brains and was able to use them.” . In reply to further questions. Mr Nash said he did not favour the nationalisation of the medical fraternity. He was of the opinion that any town of an important size should have a St. Helen’s Home. Ihe medical men of Palmerston North had always been ready to render their services for deserving cases, but if they nationalised the medical service they would not get the best men to stay here, and he was therefore not in favour of nationalisation of the medical service. He favoured tho nationalisation of the ferry service between the North and South Island, and saw no reason why Slate shipping to other parts of the world should not ho provided. , A hearty vote of thanks to the speaker was carried bv acclamation.

MR E. NEWMAN AT SANSON. Mr Newman met the electors at Sanson on Saturday night. There was a largo attendance, and Mr Pearce was ui (bo chair. Mr Newman referred particularly to the land settlement of soldiers, and also dealt with the subject of taxation, cost of living, and the Housing Act. He also referred to certain statements reported to have been made by Mr llillior at Bulls, and pointed out that Mr Hillier’s statement, “that there was up loom for leaders in the Labour Party,” came strangely from a candidate who was publicly announced as the official Labour candidate, which, if it meant' anything, meant that his candidature was approved by the loaders of his party. His statement, “that Holland had no more claim of being the leader of the party than the speaker,” ho (Mr Newman) thought might, bo safely regarded as incor rod. Further, his announcement that he was in favour of proportional representation meant that he is prepared to deprive the country electors of the country quota, which lie (Mr Newman) thought would scarcely meet with the approval of the majority of the electors in Manawatu. Again, his remarks that he wanted to build ii. Parliament that would last three years and then dissolve and that ho thougnt that taxation should be on the unimpioved value” of the land, seemed when looked at superficially to be superfluous, seeing that the term of Parliament is already three years in New Zealand and that_ taxation is now supposed to bo on the “unimproyed value.” It is gratifying to know that he proposes to tell Messrs Semple and Co. to mind their own business. Of course ho assumed that both ho and the latter gent lomen will be members of . Parliament. I. his presumption appeared to be a nskj : one in 'noth cases. But the most alarming of u ll the statements made by Mr mlUei was, “he believed in State banks. Private banks monopolised public credit a nil exploited public deposits. Sir Joseph ward had advocated State Banks and buying banks, but the speaker did not think tills the best way. The paying of interest on borrowed money would bo a buuicn. That, is true, said Mr Newman, but does Mr Hi 11 ior suggest that wo should not pav interest on our debts? Such n policy would not commend itself to holders ol National

War Bonds and Post Office Certificates, j largely hold by the working people of the country. Mr Newman said that ho would I refer to further statements of his opponent ; at a later date. SIR JOSEPH WARD AT MARTINj BOROUGH. (Pun Press Association.) 1 MART IN BORO UGH, Dec.. 8. ' Sir Joseph Ward had an enthusiastic reception at .Maitinborough to-night. Ho urged the nationalisation of the more important of the coal mines, and the same superannuation scheme as in vogue to the New Zealand railways. He held that this would overcome any desire to strike. He touched upon the enormous public debt, j stating that, in order to liquidate it, it j would ho necessary to increase taxation or to increase the revenue. Ho denied that t lie was out for the general nationalisation of , all industries, but urged that coal mines | and hydro-electric power should be national- j iscd. This would entail no tax on the ratepayers, and rather tend to decrease the heavy burden of war tax. He urged as irnporativo the establishment of a great State , Bank on the linos of the French and German State banks. He wanted to see the revenue going into the hands of the owners of the hanks go into the general funds of , the people themselves. These three schemes would be in the boat and truest interests of the people. He would favour a nationalised oil steamer for the ferry service between the Islands, to work in conjunction with the railways. Ho referred to the Martinborough railway. The first sod had been turned years ago, and there were only nine miles, and it should have been completed in six to nine months from the time from the turning of the sod. Ho urged the speeding up of all railway construction, and tiie finishing of all authorised railways in tliis country within throe years. The railways wore earning per cent., and now construction would cost the taxpayers nothing. Main roads should bo administered by local bodies, the funds to be supplied by the Government. Ho urged that the Government should import 500 motor chassis, and put them on the road to carry men and women to and from railways in the hackblocks. The Government should hold all petrol stocks which came-to Now Zealand, unless the present holders allowed ■ the people to have it at a reasonable price. , It was Is 6d per gallon in America, ;md 3s to 3s 6d per gallon hero. Tms was not to Ik> borne with. He strongly advocated closer hmd settlement, and urged an increase in the graduated land tax, to force ; the large holdings to he cut up. Referring ! to the housing scheme for the people in j receipt of £3OO, 600 Ironies were necessary to meet the shortage. The Government . should build all houses within four years, and these ‘should be available for purchase j ; by town or country residents at 10s 6d a . week. There would ho no tax on the | 1 people. The money could come from the j £2,200,000 surplus ‘in the Post Office Barings IJanlc, taken at the rate of £1,000,000 per year, and lent to the people at cent. lie condemned profited ing and urged the necessity of reduction of the cost of | living. Moderate Labour must be recog- 1 nised and represented in Parliament. Militarism, as outlined by the Defence Minister, he was against, and did not desire the j perpetuation of militarism. He favoured the territorial system, and cadet and phy- j sical training in schools. He strongly ad- ! vocatod the League of Nations, and ox- j plained the working of it. Ho expressed liimsolf wholly against any local navy, and urged standing by the British Navy, and carrying on the sobomo submitted by Ix)r(l Jellicoe. Ho condemned the nr .system of election. When the second ballot had been repealed Mr Massey had promised something better. At present the old system nißd, and the first past, the post won. ■ ’Phis did not ensure majority rule. but allowed a third party to comq in and ensure that the strongest man did not get in.