Nelson Evening Mail FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1928 REFORM CANDIDATE AT THEATRE ROYAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 26 October 1928, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1928 REFORM CANDIDATE AT THEATRE ROYAL

UPON those free from party or personal bias who attended Mr F. W. 0. Smith's meeting in the Theatre Royal last night, the Reform candidate must have made a distinctly favourable impression. It was his first big meeting in Nelson in the present campaign, and while no one expected him to attract such a large audience as his more politically-experienced and platform-accustomed opponent always docs, it was surprising to find the attendance so large as it was on such a wet night. Mr Smith did not make any attempt to present oratorical fireworks. His role did not call for them. There were no stirring, impassioned denunciations such as are expected in certain circumstances. Here there was no occasion lor them. Yet the candidate's address was not lacking in effectiveness, although it did omit a number of subjects upon which his views would have been listened to with interest. He was quite at home upon the platform, even if he did pace it a little more than usual. At the outset it appeared as though he were to be subjected to a good deal of heckling, but his quick and cheerful retorts and intimation of readiness to deal in due course with the points raised, disarmed prospective antagonism, and lie was given a very good hearing. His frankness was recognised, and it is safe to say that Reform's stocks went up as a result of his effort. Mr Smith has entered the campaign with an advantage over the position occupied by the Reform candidate at last election. On that occasion the Reform Party made a sorry mess of things from the Party's point of view. It was only in the last few days of the campaign that the candidate who supported the Party received official recognition. Ibis time the new Reform candidate was given official ap-

proval early. We have seen from the Prime Ministor's manifesto that the Government, as ir; 1925, lias no spectacular programme to offer, makes no fanciful promises, but aims to secure national safety and progressive development. Therefore nothing spectacular was expected from Mr Smith hist night, and it was not given. Following the example of his leader he devoted a great deal of his address to a review of what the Government had done legislatively and otherwise in the interests of every section cf the community. Much of this improvement of the conditions of the people and their standard of living, while at the same time maintaining sound finance, had, he emphasis-

ed, been achieved at a timo when the country was passing through a,troublous after-war period of difficulties which no Government had ever had to face before in New Zealand. It was a fair point to make that it was a poor compliment to pay to the electors of Now Zealand and a reflection upon their intelligence when critics said the Reform Government was guilty of maladministration and had little or no record of worth-while achievement—a Government that tlio people had kept in office for seventeen years. lie pertinently asked: Would the Government have been kept in office so long if it had not done good works and given satisfaction? Mr Smith went into some details in this connection. Dealing with the old age pensions scheme he paid due tribute to Mr Seddon, its author, but was able to claim for the Reform Government that it had gone a great deal further than Mr Seddon was able to do in his time, and had extended its beneficial provisions in many ways which more than made up for tho increased cost of living. The candidate's declaration that the aim of all legislation should be to get a happy and contented people will be generally approved. Reference to tho policy of the United Party as announced by Sir Joseph Ward (who, unfortunately, has been compelled by eye-trouble to abstain temporarily from vigorous campaigning) was duly made by Mr Smith. As was to be expected, he compared Sir Joseph's big loan proposal of to-day with his protest last year against tho Government's "profligacy," excessive borrowing and spending, and his advocacy of a policy of prudence. Wo have referred to Sir Joseph's seventy million loan policy as a bold one, and expressed doubts as to whether the country was ready for it. Wo are still more doubtful to-day of its soundness. With sixty millions available, chiefly for loans to farmers, is (hero not also the danger of another land boom—and the aftermath? On the other hand, the completion of unfinished main trunk railways seems to us to be a more business-like proposition—one which, at least locally, will be strongly supported. Mr Smith's attitude on this point is that "the sooner we can 'fill the gap' the better." He has worked toward that end for many years. He agreed that the completion of the Nelson-West Coast line had been promised and pledged to us, and that the amount just voted for our end was a ridiculously inadequate provision. It is satisfactory, therefore, to have Mr Smith's .expression of opinion that completion of this work should be pushed forward as expeditiously as possible, and also to have his assurance that he would make the "best use of every chance of pushing forward Nelson's claims. But he doubted if Sir Joseph Ward's scheme would bring completion nearer. Ho recalled the big loan proposals of Sir Julius Vogel who, with his scheme, created a power he could not control. There was so much pressure from individual members of Parliament for a share of the loan for works in their particular districts that a great proportion of the money was diverted and his main plan was not carried out. Mi' Smith predicts that the Ward plan would meet with the same fate as Vogel's. And it is quite possible. The days of "logrolling" are not past. Reverting to the atmosphere at last night's meeting it is worth noting that there was a distinct pio-Ward element in attendance. Several incidents, minor yet obvious to the keen observer, indicated clearly that Sir Joseph has his admirers in Nelson. When Mr Smith reminded his hearers that the United Party leader's disappearance from a prominent position in our politics (until recently) dated from the time he left the National Cabinet—a time of difficulty when unity was essential to assist in restoring the country's prosperity—there were many indications of dissent, though not very loudly expressed. The same thing happened again when the speaker gave advice against big loans that would tend to cause rash* speculations that might lead to disaster. Yet again when Mr Smith, after stating the well-known fact that until a few weeks ago the United Party had no leader and no policy until Sir Joseph Ward clime forward, added that he did not desire to say anything derogatory of Sir Joseph, who had rendered great service to the country in the past (this produced applause), but, he believed, was not now physically fit—apart from other reasons —to do what he. had undertaken to do. On all these occasions and also when the candidate said the district had just as good a chance- of getting the "gap filled" by the present Government as under the scheme of Sir Joseph Ward, "who won't get in," it was clear that either Sir Joseph's record of service or his new policy —perhaps both—are held in high regard by at least a fair-sized section of, Nelson electors. However, these interludes did not unduly disturb the candidate. He made a few unconventional departures from the beaten track of a political address, but they brightened things up and gave, added interest. The election locally will not be quite so drab as it threatened to be. Mr Smith's supporters should be satisfied with his showing so far. Of course ho has the hardest part to do yet for he is pitted against a formidable and well-equipped opponent who is also an old campaigner.