LIBERAL RALLY.

Northern Advocate, 5 June 1924, Page 5

LIBERAL RALLY.

MR WILFORD IN AUCKLAND

BIG MEETING IN TOWN HALL. (Special to "Northern Advocate.") AUCKLAND, This Day. There was a large audience in the Town Hall last night when the Leader of the Opposition (Mr T. M. Wilford) delivered a policy speech. He received a very good-natured hearing. Interruptions were frequent, but lhe speaker's well-known platform knowledge left him undisturbed and his smiling repartee soon made him on good terms with his hearers. The chair was occupied by Dr. Horton, and many prominent Liberals had seats on the platform. In opening his remarks Mr Wilford joined in the congratulations extended to Mr Gunson for the high honour conferred upon him and the city. Ho briefly referred to the fact that he (Mr Wilford) had for 28 years represented the district in which he was born —that was something of which he thought he might justly feel proud. To pave the way to understanding, the speaker said, he would explain the principls of the Liberal Party. He said that no other party had a claim to such a splendid record. The Reform Party to-day had lost its reputation, like the Bulgarian Bug. The finances were in a bad way and the Prime Minister had admitted that he was unable to keep a check upon expenditure. There was really no excuse for the economic failure of the Government.

As to the prospect of an election this year, the speaker declared that it would be the Liberal Party that would decide as to whether an election should take place or not. If Mr Massey brought down the legislation which the Liberal-Labour Party desired he would be allowed to carry on, but if he did not do so he would be turned out of office. Touching on finance he held that the expenditure on public works should not be taken out of a

one-year surplus. The Liberal Party felt that in the case of a surplus relief should be given through the Customs to ease the cost of living. So far as the solidier settlements were concerned he held that there should be a thorough revaluation and a wiping out of arrears. He characterised as absurd the statement made in a telegram that day by the Prime Minister that any farmer could borrow' money if lie had the security. There was no sound foundation for the present system of collecting taxation and there could be no assistance for the small farmer while the Government was the servant of the wealthy classes. To-day he claimed that the Minister of Finance had still £1,160,000 of the Advances to Settlers Department invested in war loans. The way to meet the difficulty was to create agricultural banks in co-operation with State banks, but the Reformers would not tolerate anything in the way of a State bank. They did not want to kill other banks, but to establish a bank which would provide for a low r rate of overdraft and small dividends. No matter what

Government went into power it was a plain duty to deal with, trusts and combines, hut it was impossible even to find out what was being made by the Government out of the Bank of New Zealand. The'difficulties of the farmers were well known and it was a shocking thing' to know that men were •walking off their land instead of increasing- production. Mr Wilford said that Mr Masscy would he satisfied if the railways earned 3'| per cent, interest, hut he had stated in his Bullet that, instead they had made a deficit of £28;"),011. Actually there was no deficit, but a surplus of ' 5:, ():4. T'.at statement was proved by duly •■edited departmental figures issued nf'<the Budget The Budget V figures \< "re for propaganda pun'Hiscs. Thev '-'ii-wod the net revenue In he £!,' 11 or £3 'V- 10d on the <-npit:• I cost. In lie departmental accounts ■ the net rev mmu> was shc.wn as £1.77::,(i,5-l- or £-1 >'■ per cent on the capital cost. That left a surplus' of £203,(>34. He quoted fh.ese to show that "Mr 'Masscy was "hie to nir'ce concessions in (he rai'"- n\ tariffs. and especially in favn'M of /armors, who were heavily burd.-;i.\d with freights on primary produce, pa rfcieularlv dairy produce. lii conclusion '!< Wilford said the Liberals slood for a middle course, while the othe" i•/ « .--'d.-s represented e.\l remes. If 1h • I.:i'arty weirreturned to pow >• t'-crr '..Mild be industrial peace a v.: t'le o would have no grievar ■