GENERAL ELECTION

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7928, 11 October 1911, Page 1

GENERAL ELECTION

THE PARNELL SEAT SIR JOHN PINDLAY MAKES ANOTHER SPEECH SPLENDID RECEPTION FUOM ODH SPECIAL KEPOUTEIi. AUCKLAND, October 10. Another attendance too large for the inadequate accommodation greeted Sir John Findlay when -he addressed u meeting at St. .Mark’s .Hall, ileuuiera, lu-niglit. Mr C. A. Campbell, chairman of the lie muera Koad IJoanl. jm.Mdetl, and his task ivas easy, the liMcm-rs being obviously pleased and interested in the candidates remarks. NORTH VKUSUS SOUTH.

There ivas a very encouraging round of applause when .Sir John Findlay rose to address the big audience. Ho had found ■Unit the argument of being a stranger could bo humorously treated with advantage. There ivas such a littlo strip of water called Cook Strait which separated tlm Norfh Island fn.un the South Island. In the latter there were a great many Scotch and some others, and in the North Island were the persons who had escaped from the South and were doing their best amid the advantages of the North. He had been told that day of many southerners ’who were .now making homes in the Purnell electorate, and he was going to make another. (Applause.) Ho pleaded guilty to having been born in Dunedin. It was a cold October morning, and lie got a cold reception, for thejo wore three indies of snow on the ground. AVas it, therefore, not unnatural, that ho should now come to where it was wanner? (Laughter and applause.) THE COMPLIMENT OP IMITATION. He noticed that the Opposition declared that the Government programme was very much like its own. Thin was the most reliable sort of approval. Ho h?d not the least objection to the Opposition tolling Ihim that the Government policy was their policy. It was true that this policy had had to go through a great deal of travail and bitter hostility, but once vindicated for all time befdre the people of New Zealand ho had no objection to these gentlemen awakening to the fact that it was a good thing. He need not do more than briefly remind his hearers of the bitter opposition to the advances to settlers scheme, the taking of land compulsorily for close settlement ■gud old age pensions. BLIND BITTERNESS.

■.There was too much bitterness in politics. V/as it not possible that wo could carry on the difficult work of government without being called many hard names? His beards were familiar with the cry of ’Tammany,” and that bribery prevailed. Ho dia not claim to bo at all superior to bis critics, but bo repeated that those charges were groundless and unfair, and that they showed _a barrenness of policy and an inaptitude for criticism that gave away their case. It showed either that they had very little to criticise or that they had a poor faculty for criticism. (Applause.) He would like to soo a little more tiou between ail who claimed to advance the country in tho way it ought to be advanced. S urely ouo of the greatest needs of the 'Dominion was development of its natural resources, and Oppositionists wore not behind In asking for large expenditure on public works. Their combined demands in tho way of railways, roads, and bridges ran up to thirteen millions sterling last year. If itheso Oppositionists were successful in their demands, tho necessary consequence ■was a loan. 'Then what happened t The next year these very men loudly denounced ttio expenditure upon tho very works of which they had been the disciples and apostles. Tnis attitude defeated their own interests., because on tho plainest possible ground if a man condemned borrowing ho had tho least right to money borrowed. AUCKLAND INTERESTS.

It was not possible to condemn borrowing per so, because the important thing was tho return to be obtained for tbo money. Supposing it were possible to obtain seven millions sterling in the Auckland province? Cries of "Oh” from the back of the hall drew from the speaker tho declaration: “My duty in the future, if elected, will bo to seo that tho interests of this .province ire jiromoted. Do not iancy, therefore, that I am coming hero as a Minister seeking merely to get support for my Government. I am here as a private man seeking your suffrages, and 1 am entitled to .show what money properly spent in Auckland would do tor tho province of Auckland." (Applause.) Sir John I’indlay showed how relatively sparse was tho population of Auckland, and he added that ho would do his best to induce the Government to spend more, oven though it had to borrow more, to develop this northern territory. (Hear, hear.) Thousands of pounds had been added to the value of land by men who .loudly denounced tho borrowing which had made possible tho public works which caused this improvement. In eight years the land and improvements of Now Zealand .had increased in value by .£123,000,000. Surely that was not a bad return for the State and tho local expenditure! , Recognition of what they owed to this country was not among tho merits of tho gentlemen who wore the Government’s critics. WORKING MAN'S TAXATION BEL.

In giving an outline of the incidence of taxation, the speaker pointed out that the income tax receipts had increased, not because of the extra taxation, but because twice the number of people were, able to pay the tax. as they had an income exceeding £3OO. It was the same in regard to the land tax. Ite had asked the Registrar-General to work out the average Customs taxation paid by a married man with five children ten years ago and the present rate of taxation. It was found that tho Customs -taxation was £8 r>er annum less upon that family to-day. lie had also obtained puiieulms of the total taxation paid to-day by a working man with four children living in average comfort ami the State’s return to tho worker. The total taxation did not exceed £6 per annum. But what did the Stale provide

in return ? If the children were between the ages of five and fourteen the State spent £22 on their education; the father at sixty-five obtained 10s a week m pension and his wife a similar amount, while under present proposals the Government at an early date would give the pension at the age of sixty if their children were under sixteen, or, if it was a widow with children under that age, the pension was paid at fifty-five, and it was increased 50 per cent. (Applause.) LAND EVILS. Sir John drew a graphic picture of the evils of the English land system, his remarks being followed with intense interest, the audience only interrupting to applaud. Coming to New Zealand conditions, the speaker pointed to the rapidly diminishing supply of Grown lands, the extraordinary price asked by private owners, and the evils of the ballot. It cost the State .£I3OO for every settler placed on the land under the Lauds for Settlement system. The ballot system led to evils in land speculation, and had not always given the land to the best men. . Not long, ago ho said “good-bye” to a young .man who, when leaving Wellington for the Argentine, said he had tried for eighteen months to draw the lucky marble, but had been completely disheartened. North of the East Cape and Gisborne was a large area at present inaccessible which would do for settlement in 50 acre; lots. There was ono area of 250,000 acres which could be made available for settlement. The Government could acquire it for .£l, .£2, or i.‘3 an acre. _lf it waited until it was roaded and railed the land would be loaded with, another £3 an acre. But the Government wanted to stop this, and they proposed first to acquire the land, compulsorily if necessary, then to build the railways. (Loud applause.) FRUIT FARMS IN THE NORTH, la the far north the Government could get 10,000 acres at 3s 6d an acre. With prison labour in five years they could have that area broken in, planted with trees and grass, and could then provide comfortable homos for small settlers with fruit and pasture already there. There was prison labour going to waste. It could bo utilised in this way, and it was hardly possible otherwise, for the expense of free labour would add to the capital cost so largo a sum that the settlers could not pay the rent. The policy of opposition to this scheme was shortsighted, but he had not lost hopo of carrying it out (Loud applause.) He believed that a scientific revision of our tariff was necessary to protect some of our industries against unfair foreign competition. Our great iron resources should be developed by the State, because they were such as would enable New Zealand to become an iron exporting country. Finally Sir John Findlay said: “I will repeat a promise I will joyfully and willingly make good. It is that if elected I will oomo here and bo a resident for the rest of my days." (Loud applause.)

THE FUNNY TIME. In announcing that questions were invited, tho chairman remarked that this was usually tho funny time. But tho audience was disinclined to heckle. Written questions of wide range and interesting character were handed in. One related to a local school which was required immediately. "I notice,” said Sir John, "that tho word •immediately' is underlined—a deli, cate intimation tliat I must not wait until I am returned before I do something." A voice: You’ll bo elected all right. (Applause.) Replying to another question the candidate said there wore well-known precedents for tho employment of judges in work other than that of their duties of tho law courts. This principle should be ns limited as possible, but be’ thought that -where a great work could be done by any particular judge of the Supreme Court bench it would be unwise policy to lay down a principle which would shut out valuable service. (Hear, hear.) THANKS AND CONFIDENCE. Mr Sexton, the mover of a vote of thanks and confidence, said he had had thirty years’ experience of elections, and he had newer heard a speech so full of policy and progressiveness, so sincere, and so devoid of personalities. (Applause.) It was a great treat to hear Sir John Findlay express himself so plainly and so clearly. (Hear, hear.) The motion was carried with hearty acclamation. Sir John Findlay returned thanks for what he described as one of the most orderly political meetings he had ever addressed. His hearers had given him an amount of attention and patience which made his task exceedinglv easy. The meeting ended with loud cheers for Sir John and Lady Findlay, a large number of electors remaining to join the election committee.

MONDAY NIGHT'S MEETING SOME NEWSPAPER OPINIONS. Auckland! October 10. Tho "Herald." the Auckland Opposition paper, which has taken up an attitude of hostility towards Sir > John Findlay as much on account of his nonAuckland upbringing as his progressive politics, comments regarding his opening meeting thus;— “Were Sir John Findlay a more seav

soned commoner he would feel exceedingly satisfied with the somewhat tern pestuous but altogether good-tempered reception which greeted Mm last night in Parnell, for it showed at any rate that Auckland has heard of him, and not to be beard of is the worst trouble of a Democratic politician. Sir John’s speech must have somewhat surprised many of his audience, particularly those who expected a defence of tho Government’s attitude in respect to certain matters in which Auckland and Parnell are deeply interested; but they might have remembered that Sir John is at the present moment much more set upon winning Parnell than upon defending the administration of which he is an ambitious member.” . The "stranger” argument, which is ap parently to be relied on greatly by those In opposition to Sir John, is dealt with by the Auckland "Star,” which remarks:—"When Sir John Findlay began his first campaign speech last night at Parnell ho must have realised that hj* position was a difficult one. Comparatively speaking, a stranger to the electorate and the city, he had first of all to secure the attention of ■an unfamiliar audience, and then to prove to them that what he was saying was well worthy of their consideration and sympathy. That, in face of the interruptions and the organised opposition to which he was at first subjected, Sir John Findlay completely won over his hearers, and received a hearty vote of confidence at the conclusion of his address, is a feat ot which, ho may well feel proud. At tho some time, the electors of Parnell may congratulate themselves that they have now an opportunity of sending to Parliament as their representative so experienced and capable a jiublic man, and so able a Minister as Sir John Findlay has proved himself to ho."

WELLINGTON EAST MR BOLTON'S CANDIDATURE. Mr P. G. Bolton, who is standing in the Liberal interest for Wellington East, addressed a large meeting of electors m O'Dorunell’s Hall, Kilbiruie, last'evening. There were about three hundred present. Mr A. A. George occupied the chair. Before dealing with his own policy, Mr Bolton referred to two statements by tho Opposition candidate the previous evening. One was with reference to tho Ministry hiring a whole ship to bring the Imperial delegates back from England, whereas the Ruapehu was a full ship, and included amongst her passengers over 200 immigrants. The other statement was with regard to l,ouu,oCo acres of native land being held by natives in tho Wellington district. Mr Bolton quoted from returns presented to Parliament and to subsequent dealings. Ho challenged Dr, Newman to prove his statements on both points, and declared that in default of such proof, the statements must be regarded as absolutely incorrect and without justification. The candidate dealt with the questions of tho high cost of living and rents, and the encouragement of bona fide local manufactures, and pointed out that the. affording of additional avenues of em ployment would prevent the exodus of our most desirable citizens and would improve the conditions as to both mar. riago and birth-rate in New Zealand He approved the stringent operation o? patent laws in the direciion of compelling an inventor to commence manufacturing in New Zealand within a limited period, with tho alternative of losing his patent rights should he fail to do so. With respect to better communication between the city and Hataitai and Kilbirnic. the candidate suggested that the Government and the City Council might co-operato in a scheme whereby a tunnel

available for railway traffic in. the future, and also for vehicular aud pedestrian traffic in the present, should be constructed at joint cost. He urged that when the electrification of the Hutt railway lino took place, an extension of the samo in the direction of Miramar would lx easy and exceedingly cheap, and that.il was a clear financial gain to both parties to join in the construction of such a tunnel, rather than to have two separate ones. The institution of such a tunnel would guarantee to the outlying parts ol the city the ultimate extension of the Te Aro railway. In answer to questions, Mr Bolton stated that ho was the Government candidate. He was in favour of a bare majority determining the licensing question. He did not approve any further alienation of Crown lands.

On tbo motion of Mr Ronnie, seconded by Mr Dillon, a vote of thanks and confidenco in the candidate was carried by acclamation. DR. IZARD'S CANDIDATURE. Dr. Arnold Izard will address the electors of Wellington North in the Anglican schoolroom, Kelburuo, to-morrow evening.' MEETINGS TO-NIGHT. Mr Hindmarsh—Public Library. Newtown. Mr Brown —Paekakariki. Mr J. E. Fitzgerald speaks at Wyatt’s Kiosk, Worser Bay, to-morrow evening. LABODR CANDIDATE. PRESS ASSOCIATION. WESTPORT, October 10. Mr John Dowgray, representing the Federation of Labour, will contest the Bullei' seat with Mr James Colvin. STRAIGHT-OUT LIBERAL. WHANGAREI, October 10. Mr E. C. Purdic, the Government candidate for Marsden, opened his political career and electoral campaign by an address in Whangarei last night. Ho eulogised the whole policy of the present Administration, and deelared himself wholly in favour of the Government. In reply to a question, he stated that he knew nothing the Legislative. Council had ever done to justify its existence. The candidate did not express any views on the liquor question. THE TARANAKI SEAT. NEW PLYMOUTH, October 10. Mr C. E. Bellringer has been selected as the Government candidate for the Taranaki scat. OUT-AND-OUT MASSEYITE. INVERCARGILL, October? 10. Mr Allan Carmichael, a western district farmer, opened his campaign for Wallace at Riverton. Ho declared himself an out-and-out Oppositionist, supporting the platform of the Reform party as led by Mr Massey. He received a vote of thanks and confidence.