THE HON. L. BUDDO

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7448, 24 May 1911, Page 1

THE HON. L. BUDDO

SPEECH AT OXFORD LIBERALISM-PAST AND PRESENT. “THE MAN WITH THE MUD RAKE.” ePZCIAP TO TUB "times." CHRISTCHURCH, May 23. The visit of tho Hon. D. Buddo to Oxford on Monday was availed of by the settlors to get a speech from the Minister. Mr Buddo replied to some of the criticisms" that have been .levelled at the Government by Opposition campaigners recently. He said ho desired to deal with Mr Hurries' complaint that tbo Administration had changed its Liberalism. Mr Herries at Temuka had been quite prepared to accept the Liberalism (of the Hon. John Reliance", but was of opinion that it-had, not been carried-on. It was well to remind Mr Henries in passing that the' Administration headed by Mr Ballanco had been called “the seven devils of Socialism.” Their reputation was not verv high iu those days, from a Conservative. point of new, but now, after the Administration had been left behind nineteen years, even the Oppositionrose up to say that it was a good one. There was no saying what might. be said of tho Ward Administration nineteen years hence. In 1593, when Mr Seddon had taken up Mr -Ballanoe’s Administration, he had advocated the land for settlement policy; the State borrowing money at rates which only the State could borrow at and lending, it to Farmers; old age pensions; and generally a reform of the lands for settlement policy. These reforms had been'oarried out. and were be-ing-carried'out. THE LAST THREE YEARS. Taking the programme of, the last three years, it would be‘.noted that the Government had extended the advances to settlers policy, which had not been altered very": much from the policy of eighteen years ago. The system of land settlement also had been continued, with the addition of a land - settlement finance system; in fact there had been mere land settlement in the last three years than ever before-. He would not - discuss tile native land . question * except to say that all " bis hearers- were - in accord with the Government’s .".(desire .. to. allow the natives to retaiin as iivuch. Ihtkl as "they required for their/ eaVjrport. and to prevent them from impoverishing .themselves- as ih&x assuredly wdnld if - there was ’< no ' control -.oyer ••tire* sale of , theirland- Old ago pensions had been .instituted, and tho National Provident -Fund enabled any /worker to ensure himself a pension on 'a very small weekly pay-, meufc. ns. -welL as - insurance ’ against - sickness. accident, or.death, and a payment of \£6 for , every child born. Taxation had not been increased. The breakfast table was free,_ kerosene was free, and many other articles of common use were free. , The taxation had increased .per head, but that was because the standard of living had increased, and tbe purchasing power had increased, with tbe result ih\t a greater number of luxuries were purchased* • * \ THE MUD RAKE. The. rahn with the mud rake was nbre.-d and biisv.) Mr James Allen had evidently taken uj?. the, position that the payment of judges;'of the Supreme Court for siting. ou .Commissions was wrong, and had taken up some remark of the Cb-ef Justice in 'connection with the Hire charges on which to lay a charge against the bench. Mr Allen was very much in the same position as the litigant who Irst his case and therefore declared that the court bad been "unfair to him. Charges of that sort, calculated to bring discredit on the Government, could do no good, and should not bo made except on sound grounds. • The Opposition, in fact, had asked for the" ap-ointment of t-ti judges as a Comm'ission on the Hine charges, and the Chief Justice, in declining on behalf of bis colleagues to act. had stated that the matter arose out of the babblement of an " election campaign. He did not think that could, be used as a reflection on the Supreme Court bench. The. judges stood high, in public'estimation, and would continue-to do so. notwithstanding such innuendoes. (Applause.)