MINISTER AT HAMILTON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20087, 26 October 1928, Page 15

MINISTER AT HAMILTON.

POLITIOS AND PRINCIPLES.

ADDRESS BY HON. J. A. YOUNG.

achievements of government

[ilY ' TELEGRAPH. —OWN COnUESI'ONDENT.] HAMILTON, Thursday

Regret for the illness of Sir Joseph Ward was expressed by tlio Hon. J. A. Young, Reform candidate for Hamilton, when addressing a Hamilton audience this evening. Mi. Young said he had forwarded Sir Joseph a telegram wishing him a speedy recovery to health. Tho accommodation of the Town Hall was fully taxed by electors, who assembled to hear Mr. Young formally open his campaign. Tho Mayor, Mr. J. R. Fow, presided, and paid a tribute to Mr. Young as an industrious member, who did his utmost to assist all classes of tho electors.

Mr. Yatmg said he stood for politics and principles and not for personalities. Ho regarded his oppononts with respect and felt there was no need to indulge in personalities. Tba United Party was a sort of middle-of-the-road organisation that received some nasty bumps at tho 1922 and 1925 elections. The Labour Party stood for an objective—tho socialisation of tho means of production, Jistributiou and exchango of all wealth. Lack ol Responsibility.

The candidate said ho did not agree with tho policy, for ho believed it would result in disaster for tho country. Tho Labour Party's platform disclosed a lack of responsibility. Its schemes would cost a great deal of money and would increase the burden of taxation.

Mr. Young described Mr. Coates is a highly experienced and successful administrator. Villainous attacks had been mado on hun by aome of his opponents The Primo Minister was a busy man and a great worker. Tho only fault he had to find with him was that ho had been too modest and had not shown himself enough to tho public. Mr. Coates should, ho considered, bo heard moro frequently from the platform. The outlook for tho country was now indeed bright.. Trade was buc.i ant, markets for primary produce were much improved and before long the farmers throughout tho country would bo smiling. Tho sum of £23,150.000 had been spent for productive purposes from April 1, 1925, to March 31, 1928, including £10,000,000 for public works, £3,200,000 for hydro-eiectrical development, £9,625,000 for State advances to settlers and workers, and £325,000 for other public works. Tho sum of £4,130,000 had been spent on indirectly productive purposes, and £2,370,000 on financial unproductive purposes. Debt for Productive "Works.

Tho total expenditure during the period mentioned was £29,650,000. Tho debt repayment, totalling £6,070,000, had to be deducted, showing that tho not increase in the public debt from 1925 to 1928 was £23,580,000. Tho increase in tho financially indirectly productive debt was practically offset by tho debt repayments, so that in effect tho net increase during tho past thrco years was almost entirely represented by productive works

Mr. \oung defended tho Government's borrowing policy and said as soon as the requirements of tho Public Works Department had been met thero would be ample money available for all tho current needs of the lending departments. Ho denied that tho Government had favoured vested interests as had been alleged by the United Party. In 1911 Mr. W. A. Veiteh had described Sir Joseph Ward as the friend of monopolists. Mr. Veitch was now chairman of tho executive of tho United Party, and was desirous of getting Sir Joseph into power. Tho Government stood for equal opportunity for all, and reasonable freedom for businesses to operate and expand. I he worker in the town was as much entitled to Government assistance to buy a Home as a settler was to buy a farm. Benefits for Farmers.

Tho candidate explained at length tho operations of the intermediate Rural Credits Act, and said the scheme was tho nucleus of a new form of land settlement which was going to be of immense benefit to farmers. The allocation of taxation receipts per head of mean population had increased in tho period between 1913-14 and 1927-28 from £8 2s 6d to £ll 8s sd. Of this war pensions and war debt charges accounted for £3 7s 10d. The charges for administration had dropped from £2 3s 7d to £1 13s Id, demonstrating that tho allegations of extravagance levelled against tho Government were unfounded.

Suggestions that a rearrangement of tho customs tariff, as advocated by one partv, would benefit the farmer *vould, in fact, havo the opposite effect. Tho Government spent £185,495 in assisting primary indtisroi t I'i Kt y° ar > a proposed to allocate £213,411 to tho same purpose next year. Stale subsidies and grants last year totalled £1,217,002, while £1.256,153 had been placed on the estimates for next year. Mr. Young said he would increase tho number of dental nurses until every child in every school of the Dominion received dental treatment. Tho Hamilton Courthouse -would be commenced early next yea r.

Mr. T. I!. Booth moved a vote of thanks and confidence in Mr. Young. A woman in tho audience proposed an amendment expressing no confidence in the Government, but this was declared lost, and the motion was carried.

LABOUR AND UNITED.

WHEN THE BELL RINGS. Speculation was indulged in bv the Minister of Education, Hon. R. A. Wright, in a speech' in Wellington this week, as to how tho United Party will vote on a no-confidence motion moved by Labour if tho two parties aro returned with a majority between them. Mr. Wright said that for the sake of argument, ho would assume that tho Labour Party and tho United Party together had a majority in tho new Jfourso —he did not believe for a moment that that would bo tho ease. Would tho United Parly vote with Mr. Holland and his colleagues to put the Government out of oflico? Two prominent candidates of the United Party had already stated that they would not do so. How would they vote, then? Would (hey voto for tho Government which they had denounced in such strong terms'? "I can only suppose," said Mi'. Wright, "that when the division bells ring they will 'duck' and loso themselves in Bnjlamy's or somewhere else until the division is over."

TIIE EDEN SEAT.

UNITED PARTY CANDIDATE. Mr. A. J. Stallworthy, the United Party candidate for Eden, addressed a crowded mooting in the Methodist Hall, Mount Eden, last evening. Mr. L. E'. Falkner presided. Tho carulidato traversed the lines of his previous addresses and received a good hearing. A voto of lhank3 and confidenco was passed unanimously.