BAY OF ISLAM

New Zealand Times, Volume XL, Issue 9045, 17 May 1915, Page 2

BAY OF ISLAM

THE LIBERAL CANDIDATE MR C. G. MENZIES UNANIMOUSLY SELECTED. SIR JOSEPH WARD OPENS THE CAMPAIGN. ' Special to the “Times.” KAIKOHB, May 16. What promises to be one of the most strenuous election campaigns ever carried out in New Zealand was opened at Ivaikoho yesterday by Sir Joseph Ward. His meeting was preceded by a meeting of Liberal delegates representing every part of the constituency'. Probably no delegates’ meeting hold in - auv other constituency has ever been so representative,. The proceedings were presided over by Sir Josepn, and thp result was the unanimous selection of Mr C. G. Menzies to carry the Liberal banner for the Bay of Islands tight. His selection was greeted with loud applause, and judged by the proceedings of the conference tho selection was a most popular one. Mr Menzies has lived the greater part of his life in the electorate. He formerly held tho position of Government engineer, and is now engineer to tho Hokianga County Council. Mr Menzies is one of the best-kneovn men in the district. He is universally respected, and has acted as guide, philosopher and friend to many of the settlers during their struggles in the north. AN ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING. In the evening Sir Joseph addressed a crowded meeting in the local hall. Mr H. F. Guy. solicitor, occupied the chair, and the proceedings throughout were most enthusiastic. Sir Joseph said he recognised the potentialities and possibilities of the north. He pointed out that many people had forgotten what he and the Liberal party had done for the North Island and incidentally tho North Auckland district. He wanted to remind the newcomers that all the developmental work had been put in hand by the Liberal administration. He reminded them that ho never abused his opponents and never found it necessary to do so. He had never punished anybody who had voted against him or Ins party. , Referring to _the election petitions that had teen heard in the various electorates Sir Joseph paid a high tribute to the judiciary. “We should all bo proud of tho fact that our judges were above even the suspicion of influence," ho said. “This was a fine thing for tho democracy of the country. (Applause.) The Government had won two of the petitions and the Oposition two, so that honours were even. He had come to tho Bay of Islands to help win back to Liberalism a seat which had returned a Liberal member for 20 years. (Applause.) THE PREVIOUS OCCASION. ■ • Tho last occasion when ho had toured the whole of the electorate it was in the interests of Mr Vernon Reed. He was here now under different conditions. The Liberal party had a fine legislative history and nobody could be ashamed of its' "achievements. (Applause. )'b Thousands of those settled upon the land who were to-day in--inde-pehdent circumstances owed their start and, "prosperity to tile land laws and cheap money, scheme of the Liberal Government, (Applause.) He-regretted that it Wak necessary to be engaged in political strife at a time when the Empire ' was in the throes of such a life and death struggle. He had been opposed to the holding of a general election, but the Government decided otherwise, and unfortunately the elections were not yet completed. For six months the country had .been engaged in .internal electoral conflict at a period when attention should be concentrated on the welfare of the Empire. Ho had been severely criticised for placing on the statute book an Act providing for compulsory military training, and for presenting the Mother Country with a Dreadnought, but no one opposed to him in politics dared say a word on either subject now. We were the only unit of the Empire that had a battle-, ship in the North Sea, taking part m tho. protection of the whole Empire side .by side with the ships of the Mother Country. (Applause.) HIGH FOOD PRICES, Criticising the Cost of Living Commission, he said no practical movement was mad© until commodities had reached an unbearable cost. Whait was the use of locking the stable door when the steed had gone?" In' his opinion the Cost of Living . Commission had done nothing of an effective nature to have prices regulated, in the interests of the masses of the people. Dealing with the land question he said stringent legislation was pecessary to deal with aggregation, which was undoubtedly going on. Tho present system was opening the door for large and powerful financial syndicates to acquire huge blocks of native land ' and hold them for speculative purposes. Men who wanted to go on the land had to, pay. enormously enhanced prices to take-the land from the syndicates. They should be. ,ablo : to get, it at first cost.' To judge by statements that had been made all over the electorate one would imagine that the Liberal party had done nothing for railways and roads in tho district. The whole 01 the northern railways were authorised by the Liberal administrations and in h-s policy speech delivered before the general election he had set out that £1,800,000 would be spent within four years to complete the north Auckland main trunk system. (Applause). The increasing population of the north made it imperative that more money should bo spent on railways, roads, and bridges. (Applause). ADVANCES TO SETTLERS. t

In giving a brief review of the achievements of the Liberal party ho instanced the beneficial effect of the advances to workers and settlers scheme. He proposed to further widen the scope of the scheme by the establishment of agricultural banks which would enable cheap money to be obtained under faiir conditions not only for the usual improvements, but to enable the settlers to" purchase stock and other necessities for carrying on the farming industry. If anybody said this was a' dangerous experiment all he had to say in reply was that the advances to settlers scheme was also called dangerous by his opponents when it was introduced and yet during the yeans it had been operating it had earned large profits. Ho could assure them that he was certain this could be done. It had already been successfully carried out in some of the other countries. He was on the side, of sane and vigorous progress. The present Government had not repealed one of the note the Liberals had placed on the statute book excepting the Second. Ballot" Act, notwithstanding all their opposition to manv of the measures

when introduced. After dealing with the 100-.! navv, Sir Joseph referred to THE ELECTORAL DEPARTMENT.

This great department, he said, should not be used as a political machine. The general election had been the most unsatisfactory one in the history of the Dominion. It was the bouiiden duty of the Government of the day to see that the officers employed in the electoral department throughout the country treated all sides alike, showing neither fear nor favour to any. The men employed should be capable and impartial and allow the people to exercise the franchise freely and fairly without political comment. (Applause). In concluding he said the Liberal party had a great history, but there was also a great work ahead. As far as the war was concerned, they would place it'before anything. (Applause). On the motion of Mr A. Close (farmer), seconded by Mr , Bennett, Sir Joseph was accorded a heary vote of thanks, the motion expressing confidence in him as leader of the Liberal partv and wishing him success in his campaign. * The motion was carried unanimously, not one dissentient voice being raisecl. The meeting closed with hearty cheers for Sir Joseph and tho Liberal party. •