PRE-SESSIONAL

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8457, 17 June 1913, Page 8

PRE-SESSIONAL

OR. NEWMAN’S ADDRESS PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION. RECORD OF “REFORM.” Dr A. K. Newman, M.P. for Wellington East, addressed between eighty and ninety electors at the New Century Hall last evening. The chair was taken by Mr A. Leigh Hunt, who declared that Dr Newman had been very attentive to his duties in the House, and had been assiduous in his advocacy of the opening up of lands in the Eastern Wairarapa. Owing to his activity people had awakened to the possibilties of that country. Dr Newman, who.was cordially received, said that in the early days a man could get in with fifty to sixty votes, and knew everybody, but now that constituencies were so large, it was necessary for members to address them. “We are the Reform party by name, and wo are going to be a Reform party by deed,” he said. “If the party does not make its marble good it is going out; if it does not live up to its name, it will go out. We are going to deliver the goods, and we are going to appeal to the country with confidence. No doubt jraany things wanted reform, and I think we cannot do worse than previous Governments have done. Take the fact that for twenty-one years one party had been in power, and people had grown up all their lives under this one government. But the last ten months they had been under another Government, and the sun was still shining.*’ “They are not making the mistakes of their predecessors.** he declared. The Reform party hod found a very good treasurer in Mr Allen, whoso mission to London had been very successful, FINANCIAL ••MESS.*' They had found things in a mess financially on taking office, and the recent loan was floated at a lower price than anything before—at least for somo years. The Ward Ministry loan had cost £4 12s per cant.: the Mackenzie loan £6 2s per cent., and Mr Allen’s only £4 6s 6d per cent. When they considered the stringency of the market they would see it was a very signal triumph that Mr Allen had floated this loan. Since then Air Allen had been able to float, a minor loan a cheaper rate. Seeing that Australia and other countries borrowed at 6 per cent., it was very gratifying that this country borrowed at the rate it did. “Wo now have money to carry out a rigorous and reasonable public works policy.” They were not going into any lavish schemes, but would open up the country with roads and bridges. There had been lavish expenditure in the past, and bo referred in this direction to the Parliament and other buildings. If our resources were properly handled, there was no need for further taxation. The cost. of living was going Up, hut the position was now satisfactory, and there need he no anxiety about money for public works. “Even if Mr Allen were to go* to heaven, wo could find some treasurer to do his work.” The Reform party was very solid, useful and progressive. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Upper House had been growing from worse to worse and needed reform, The Ballance Government had introduced the seven-years’ nomination, which was excellent in theory, but it was a fact that political henchmen were put in. In England almost anybody could be elected a peer if he subscribed enough to the party funds. The seven years’ system had been unsatisfactory because they had had one party in power for twenty-one years. Every member felt he had to placate the party in power; and the Council had grown out of touch with the sympathies of the people. The Council would now be made elective, and people would choose a much better lot of members than under the nominative system. There would be large electoral districts with proportional representation; they should be elected by large districts on a population basis. The nomination system was a failure, but if they did not obtain good members in the Council under the elective system, it would be the fault of the people. Power of finance will remain with the House; on a deadlock the two Houses would meet and discuss the matter in the same chamber. The Government was determined on this reform, and. at the election ahead his hearers would have the right to vote for candidates for the Council. An elective Upper House should govern and direct, and be judicial, with a revisory value. (Hear, hear.) ELECTORAL SYSTEM. They would also make a change in the electoral system. He hoped they were all sick and tired of the second ballot: members of Parliament were; and the system had been found very unsatisfactory. They were going to get rid of this absurdity, and in its place they would give proportional representation. The system of small electorates was unwise and there would be larger constituencies. There were over three hundred systems of proportional representation, which he did not intend to explain. Under the new method there would not be the cumulative vote, but the single transferable vote. Under the present system, our representation was not proper; but under a proportional system the votes would be so divided up that there would be proper representation of minorities. The system had been proved to be a great success, and led to one great fight. Mr Mansfield had been sent to study the Tasmanian system, and brihg it over here. The system gave a better chance to independent candidates, and was cheaper than the old. “If wo Reform party give you an Upper House which you elect yourselves, and, in addition, do away with the second ballot and give you proper tional representation, you will find that the next election will be fought much more satisfactorily.” TE AEO RAILWAY. The Te Aro railway question would be settled quite satisfactorily; “we are going to have a goods shed and have produce brought down cheaper to this end of the town, and that will be a very great advantage.” It would take time to arrange matters, but he was confident in saying quite fearlessly that this work would be carried out. Dr Newman referred to the grant of military pensions and the extension of the age for women’s pensions; there was a largo amount of charitable aid spent upon various infirm people, and there would probably be more. What surprised him was that in a rich country like this there was such a large amount of poverty and misery in our midst. He sometimes thought the . system of charitable aid .was

wrong; doctors believed that prevention was better than cure, and reformers thought there should be preventive measures against destitution, illness, etc. Ho believed that with care and attention they would wipe out consumption ; it was being reduced every year. He hoped the party would see its way to grant pensions to invalided people who were incompetent to work and had lost their sight, a leg or an arm, and were really incapacitated. MISERY AND POVERTY. “Is not our system of society wrong when we can have so much misery iu a young country like this?” he asked. Just as we prevent typhoid fever by good drainage, so many people thought that a system can be devised to prevent poverty. He did not think there would be much unemployed this winter, and they did not intend to have unemployed in the streets. He saw cripples, and blind people, and he thought there should be some better way of looking after them.' Instead of letting maimed people drift about in misery and wretchedness, they should be put in peace and comfort, and there was plenty of money to do it. “That is one of the reforms w 6 are going to carry out.” (Applause.) It would not be long before some workers’. Homes would be established in Wellington East, and the question of housing would have to be tackled later on. “FINES'! AND RICHEST.” He believed it was his interest and duty to push Wellington ahead; we had the finest and richest area of land behind us, hut people would not believe it, and country people thought the city did not care. If the .hack country could be opened up speedily, nothing could help the city so much. The people did not care what happened to the country, and people had scoffed at him when ho suggested a railway to the eastern Wairarapa. Ho believed he could help Wellington by opening up the back country. (Applause.) Next summer the Prime Minister would inspect the eastern Wairarapa, and they wanted Mr Massey to buy estates and acquire land for the railway. He would try to induce the Prune Minister to break up the five or six big estates round Taihape, and he intended to persist in his efforts to get the baok country developed, as only by this means oould Wellington progress. He believed that 3000 more people had been .added to the population of AVellington during the last eighteen months; there were no empty houses now, whereas there had been four hundred at the last census. The same applied to the suburbs, and the city would “spill over” into the outlying districts. OIL AND GAS. There was every probability of large oil fields being developed in the Wairarapa, the Manawatu and Rangitikei districts, just as there were in Taranaki. They were boring now at Weber, and had got natural gas; and any day they might hoar of an established oil field in the Wairarapa. There was natural gas all over New Zealand, and in various places it was pouring out of tne earth. Coal also existed in Wellington province, and why bring it from the West Coast when there was good brown coal on the surface near the city? He strongly deprecated self-disparagement and urged his hearers to take an interest in their own province, which had great possibilities. He believed that the prospects of this Dominion were never brighter; all the markets of the world were hungering for more of our products; meat, tallow, wool, gum, cheese would all reach higher prices, and more money would come into the country. He expected to see higher prices year after year. There was a great demand for onr produce all over the world, and the next five years would be fat years, and production in New Zealand would be stimulated. He commended the proposed reciprocity treaty with Australia, and after next session he had no doubt they would have better trade relations with the Commonwealth, with free interchange of products, and the result would he largely increased trade. “NOT SUCH A BALLY SET OF IDIOTS.” “The Reform party is not a party of obstruction, nor of all the horrors we were told at the elections.” After the defeat of the Mackenzie Ministry, people asked him whether they would lose their jobs? He told them it was too ridiculous for words, and he was assured by Mr Massey that nobody would lose his position. “This party is not such a bally set of idiots as to create misery and suffering all round; they would not get in at the next election if they did. We are managing the finances of the country prudently; we are settling the lands very rapidly; treating everybody fairly; there is a sense of freedom there was not before, and we are not treating people on the spoils system. We are giving everybody a square deal ” A voice: Question! Dr Newman: There is no question about it. We are not a perfect party, but we are trying to do onr best, and you will find at the next election you have advanced because reform has advanced. (Applause.) POLICE ASSOCIATION. Replying to questions. Dr Newman said he thought proportional representation would be applied to the chief cities first, and after trial, would gradually extend to country districts. Regarding the Police Association, he did not see why Civil Servants should not organise for protection of their interests. A voice: Mr Herdmau does not believe that! Dr Newman: That is not my funeral. He voted last session to do the right thing by hotel workers, and would vote for what he conceived to he right irrespective of party. Ho believed in the bare majority on the no-license question, and was not wavering upon this, point. (Applause.) A vote of thanks and confidence was accorded Dr Newman.