TOURS BY LEADERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 21029, 13 November 1931, Page 11

TOURS BY LEADERS.

DOMINION-WIDE CAMPAIGN. MR. FORBES AND MR. COATES. MOVEMENTS OF MINISTERS. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] "WELLINGTON, Thursday. The activity of a fleet of taxis at Parliament Buildings last evening and to-day showed the haste with which members have deserted the scene of their recent strenuous endeavours and have turned their attention to the affairs in their own electorates.

The buildings were silent and empty this evening, trains and tho Lyttelton ferry steamer taking tho remaining few members to their homes. Several Ministers aro still on the premises, as a certain amount of routine and general administrative work has to be done before they can close their desks and engage in the fight for their scats or help their colleagues in tho contest.

The Prime Minister, the lit. Hon. G. W. Forbes, left for his home at Cheviot this evening and, after spending the week-end there, will open the Government's campaign at Rangiora on Tuesday evening. He will possibly return to Wellington within a week, but between this and the election day will undertake a campaign throughout the country. The Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, Minister of Public Works, goes north to his home tomorrow evening and will spend several days in his electorate before leaving on a tour of the Dominion in the cause of the Coalition Government.

The Hon. D. Jones, Minister of Agriculture, went south last evening. The Hon. It. Masters, Minister of Education, left this evening for his home, and will return on Monday to attend Ministerial duties. Ho will be assisted by the Hon. J. G. Cobbe, Minister of Justice, who is representing the Government while the other Ministers are away. The Hon. J. A. Young, Minister of Health, also left this evening for his home at Hamilton, where he has to fight an election contest.

The Hon. E. A. Ransom, Minister of Lands, is going to Dannevirke on Saturday. The Hon. W. Downie Stewart, Minister of Finance, is remaining in Wellington until Monday evening, when he leaves for Dunedin to engage in his election campaign. The Hon. A. Hamilton, Postmaster-General, will probably go south on Monday.

A tentative itinerary has been arranged for the joint Coalition leaders, but it has not yet been finalised. It is understood that a careful selection has been made of the districts it is proposed to visit.

AIDING MEN ON LAND.

WORK OF THE COALITION. SPEECH BY MR. J. N. MASSEY. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] PUKEKOHE, Thursday. An account of his stewardship as member for Franklin during the past three years was given by Mr. J. N. Massey this evening when, speaking at Aka Aka at the opening of his campaign. He mentioned that in that period the matter of the Waikato River Board's liabilities had been adjusted, highways in Franklin had been greatly improved and outlying roads constructed and regraded in many parts of the county. In fact, in the past two years, on highways expenditure and unemployment relief works, over £90,000 had been spent in the Franklin county.

Dealing with present-day problems, Mr. Massey said the great need was to put the primary producers in a position to pay their way, and also to encourage industries thai would be profitable to New Zealand. Reduction of interest was necessary. New Zealand required cheap money and it was only by retaining the confidence of British "investors that her needs were likely to be met in this direction. New Zealand had to see it did not follow Australia, which by legislation had carried through a conversion loan reducing the rate of interest on the public debt to approximately 4 per cent., thereby mining Australia's chances of obtaining further cheap money from overseas investors for development works. •Mr. Massey said that within a few weeks of coining into office, the Coalition Government- in New Zealand had granted a subsidy resulting in a reduction in the pi ice of superphosphate from £4 15s a 'on to £3 17s 6d, and had provided also £250.000 to give all county ratepayers a remission of 12per cent, in their rates. These were directions in which the Coalition had started to put farming on a better basis.

Approximately 50 electors were present and Mr. Massey was given an enthusiastic hearing. At the close he was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence by acclamation. Mr. H. Jolly, who presided, referred to Mr. Massey as a member who refrained from talking, but saw to it that, all advantages obtainable for his electorate and the Dominion as a whole were secured. COALITION IN RAGLAN. MR. RE I D'S CAMPAIGN. MEETING AT TE AWAMUTU. [FROM OVR OWN* court ESrONDENT.] TE AWAMUTU, Thursday. The campaign in the Raglan electorate was opened on Wednesday evening at Te Awamutu, when Mr. D. Stewart Reid addressed a meeting of about 70 farmers. .Mr. S. C. Macky, chairman of the Waipa County Council, presided. Mr. Reid said lie was the selected candidate in the Coalition interests, and denied that he had announced himself as a candidate before gaining the Coalition leaders' sanction. He had previously undertaken to contest Waikato at tho request of flic Reform Party leader and prominent electors, but preferred Raglan, within the boundaries of which ho had resided most of his life. He. declared himself a staunch supporter of the Coalition, which was essential for the well-being of the wholo Dominion. Mr. Reid was given an attentive hearing, and was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence.