THE GENERAL ELECTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15300, 14 November 1911, Page 6

THE GENERAL ELECTION

THE CHALMERS SEAT. : MRJ. T. JOHNSON AT MOSGIEL Mr J. T, Johnson, a candidajc for the l.rcprceontalioa of tbo Chalmers soat, addressed a meeting of the electors of. tho • Chalmers district in tJie Presbyterian Church Hall at Moegicl last night, when, notwithstanding tho rain, there was an attendance of close on 200 persons, including a nuirbcr of indies. The chair was takoii by Mr H. H. Inglis, Mayor of .Mosgiel, who '-suitably introduced tho candidate in a few ccmplimontary sentences. - ■Mr Johnson, who was cordially welcomed, said it was with very great pleasure indeed that he once moro offered himself a; a candidate for parliamentary honours. Tho support accorded him during the, lust 'contest for tho.Taieri seat wa» his justification for doing so, and if further juetific.v tion was required it would be found in tho fact that tho greater part of the original proposals then put forward had been accepted by prominent politicians, and in come instances had passed into jaw. Those •yicwe wero briefly summarised in a circular distributed by him previous to tho last .'election, and a reference to its clauses would not bo amiss. Tho first clause stats'l that their true line of policy should bo a , non-borrowing one, and this had apparently ■ elicited tho response in Sir Joseph Ward's 'repayment sdiomo. The progressive land laid down elicited the double resi iwnso of Sir Joseph Ward's 25 por cent iincroaeo in the progressive land tax, ami Sir W. J. Steward's advocacy of. tho disruptive principle of land taxation. Tho princijilo of conditional tenure had not, so ;tar as could bo scon, gained any adherents, Arnt tho unrest and dissatisfaction that su'rbounded land questions indicated tho necessity fer some departure from accepted ■.principle.-- (Applause.) In urging the

I adoption of tlio principlo of soloctod immi- ■ gration ho (fho speaker) seemed to liava •■strut* tho right lino to follow, for the response was prompt. Sir Joseph Ward, iii his first speech at" Winton, had practically used tho exact words of his (Mr .'"Johnson's) circulars, and <ho importation' of farm lads had been tho first practical of tho principle. In favour of tgtate.-banking and a possible State mono:;jK>ly of banking a groat deal had been Wd, and tho State had taken many Ktrides In tho direction indicated, lnu "Stato guaranteed advances, a farmers ' credit bank, advances to workers, etc lhey wero all State banking proposition?, with Iho receipt,of deposits (Ulc most important and profitable part) left out, how, over. Tho . necessity .for tho Arbitration Court into an Industrial l^ourt

had become moro evident since lie pointed •6ut throo year* ago the' disabilities and limitations of our arbitration system. "■- Tho elimination of tho reduction issue had been accomplished, and straight tsmes. 'before tfw electors, gavo promise of a moro satisfactory, contest on tho licensing issue, end his further proposal to have all questions settled on a 55 per oent majority would, if carried, have mado it unnecessary for the presence of the baro majority issuo, on the political horaon. State intertercnee with monopolies of'all sorte in tho .nterbets of private, enterprise and human well- , being must come,' and specific laws directed -at combinations for the restraint of trade , would prove ineffective. Diroct Slate control in some instances and in others direct . jurisdiction of t tho Industrial Court over prices of monopoly products would alono provo effective. Enforced military training was the one .sure safeguard of a small community against outside- aggression, and hU successful advocacy of this moasuro during ; "last election no doubt had some influence

in bringing the sjstcm into operation, • Titcse wcro somo of tho proposals. urged as - -being .nocouary steps, towards the fettle< ""* ment and maintenance of a population m which every unit had the opportunity of -' ■ reaching the highest point of physical, 'moral, and mental well-being, ami in which ' the amassing of exceptional fortu.us of material wealth should be discouraged.— (Applause.) ' • /SOCIALISM

In urging reforms to, this end it mwt not be supposed that anything in tho nature ■.'of Socialism, was advocated. Socialism 'placed before mankind an idealised State ..rwhich I .reflected credit on the hearts and of its creators and eupborters, ■but left out of consideration tho natural 'frailly of human nature, and human nature always had been, and always would be, at its best in an environment which rewarded ,tho exercise of tho virtues and beneficent -energies of mankind, and resented their absence by visiting the lazy and inort witlf . the affliction of sparsily. But whilst not . prepared to accept tho tenets of Socialism ' and to place all on an equal, or nearly

equal, footing, in the possession of wealth, •.it', would be admitted by ftll_ that inany .'-. anomalous industrial inequalities existed . which were the result' of disabilities that . could be removed politically. It was nooes : sary to keep in view clearly in considering .every measure of political reform tha ultimate end of all these reforms, and that was -not only to give each individual tho oppor- \ tur.ity to attain the highest point of do- ;, " velopment, but to see also that that person ' was a unit in a State which was also maintained at the highest possible point of .national perfection, able to take, its plncp in international councils and Tcadv to irect every emorgtney imposed by tho everchanging fortunes of tho world of industry, commerce, finance, or war. In a y-<ung ■ .' country like New Zealand they coiiid at , present only lay tho foundations of a nation, and, looking to the oldar nations of to-day and yestwday adopt that which tended to greatness, mid, profiting by this experience, avoid those evils which disfigured it.

THE LAND. . It would be conceded that tho basis of every past and present nation's groiinees wa3, and had been, tho presence of a free, independent, and prosperous community of cultivators, closely willed on their tilled holding, oreatinj! tho country's wealth, and supplying the finest materials for those armies which, in dofohco and offence, had ,jnade tho world's history. Evcrj" effective I effort at reform, at the removal of the world's poverty and misery, had rightly been first directed ■ towards populating, or repopulating, the nation's lands with an independent spirited claife of farmer, and it was noti surprising that the most intenso controversy should continually rage 'oflnd our land laws and conditions of land settlement; and'in tho correct solution of tho problems surrounding 'tlieso diverse interests lay the hope of iho future, both for the nation and the individual. It was unnecessary tp rqviow the history, of land settlement in our own country. Wo were greatly indebted to tho pioneer shepherds, who made further progress easy by first "blazing the trail," end wo did not "Manic them in any way for the land monopoly which later grow up amongst us, and -vhich provided the necessity for tho restrictive and disruptive which it was found necessary to apply in tho interests of land , -settlement, Theso found expre&ion today first in tho

PROGRESSIVE OR GRADUATED . LAND TAX Sβ'tho basis of our system for dealing with land monopoly and releasing the monopolised areae for closer settlement. With tho imposition and acceptance of this tax was admitted tlio justice of the principle of utilising tho taxing power of tho State' as a weapon of defenoo against the evil of I lend monopoly, and we need now only inquire into ite efficiency to accomplish its purpose. A brief glarJco at its ■ incidence would soon show fliat the tax as an instrument of disruption was useless, or almost so. Starting at one-sixtocnth of p penny in. the pound on estates of £5000 to £7000 unimproved value, tlio tax on the larger valuo was about £1 16s per .annum on tiro annual charge. That in itself would not forco anj surplus land Into | the market and was quite jyiall enough j k> be considered a fair revenue charge. ] The tax stepped up ononsixteciith of a penny on various vdluos until £40,000 was reached, on which tho tax amounted to £135, about 000-third of 1 por centum; stfll inadequate as a disrupting agent. It was only when an csiato of £200,000 in vslue was n»chod that a fairly high tax -was imposed, the tax on that amount being £2 ner cent., which had. theoretically, a disruptive 'nfiVnco. But actually its influence wae.slight. Taken altogether, there were few largo owners who would not willingly pay the full amount of the graduated tax annually as an insurance against dispossession, and i>s t'io active agent in thn breaking up of land monopoly the graduated tax was a fiiilurc/ That many c/'atci Ind eonw into thp market did not disprove this contention. All history showed that an era of good prices, followed bv a rise in land valiK*. inducedi n irood den' of land speculation, and tho tact that tho Crown gave 10 pqr cent more than tho annroised value of the estate nabiraDy made tho Crown tho favoured bnyer in most inetanoos. Tho fact remained that tho sale or othfrrwien of tho estate, or tho surplus lands of a lin-'o estate, was still a matter for tho owners' cnotoe.

Now, n* monopoly of lan/I was inimical io tho Stoto'e interests, awl taxation the accepted ouro, the tax applied to oil mirphu l&nd ihotild be eo Wtj flint it vrouki f«ivn th« owtwr no dKoieo birt to part with ijv> nirplits in ordir tn tempo the Ux, nnd for this reason tamlion of mrs° ostites ehould bo oo ft double Kbtdulo-caffie!?,

estates that exceed, say. £20,000 unimproved value should, under the first schedule, bo taxed at. the rate of at least 10 per cent., or some percentage that made it impassible to profitably retain the execfe. This would give a wide choice 'of land to intending settlers, and in order to prevent land being thrown into a market unready for it, end thus unduly depressing its valuo and endangering "our financial institutions whoso operations wore taxed on the. expcciK'ioii of fairly stable values, wo could niako a further provision—namely, that the owner could have the right to register, an agreement with tho Commissioner of Crown Lands to surrender tho oxoes at, say, 12 months' notice, and. on filing thus agreement, lie would be automatically released from the disruptive tax in the first schedule, and be classified under tho second schedule, which cculd 'be the graduated taxi ee wo at present know it, and which Bo had shown was merely a fair revenue tax, with a very sfiifht disruptivo influenco on tho highest values. Wo .would thus havo "

THE DISRUPTIVE TAX on estates that exceeded £20,000 unimproved valuo of 10 por cent, or over, If neccsviry: one that would bo a oonfiscatpry tax if collected and enforced, but the clement, of confiscation would bo eliminated by the provision mado for (Scope; a tax that would do its work and never bo collected; and the Govcrnniont would be in a post ion to obtain a wide choice of lands for settlement instead of finding on increasing difficulty in supplying the demands of, wou!d-bo settlors. Under tho. agreements filed tbcfce surplus lands coulo. be entered upon as required to keep pace wi"> i> lcjr'Hnii>tp demand. WJiilo £20,000 unimproved valuo was solrclod as the maximum value of an estate to escape the disruptive tax, it did not follow that the surplus lands should be divided into blocks of equally largo value. The onlv justification for tho application of the disruptive principle woe that Stato

policy demanded.cloeo settlement of working farmers; and to see that the objects sought wero obtained it was necessary that these eudplus lands should be classified and suitable limitation of areas decided upon. They might bo 50-acre or 200-acro or only IC-acre blocks, according to valuo and proximity to market Tho point , was thnt the area once decided should bo maintained. Aggregation would soon set in unless further provision was mado to prevent it, and no moro effective bar against reaggrcgation could bo devised than tho • application of tho disruptive tax as an excess tax to all areas subsequently added to tho original holdings.

This wouM seem at first sight to'bo an effoctivo bar to the natural ambitions of the holder, but he had already shown that this was a caso where porsonal ambition had to defor to tho requirements of public polioy, aitd an ample field for the exorcise of the' ambitions was left in the enormous aroas which would .bo available 'in the oxempted land which wae of £20.000 or less in unimproved value, and a largo part of which would at times, as now, bo available for purchase bv those who successfully farmed the smaller areas.. 'Many of '

THE EXEMPTED AREAS would still be considered too large in comparison to tho small holdings, but while this was admitted, it was sufficient Uiat the surplus lands available would moro than equal the demand, and it could wifely ba left to economic- processes to ultimately cut up and subdivide tho remainder. Hβ would like to call attention in passing that Uiero was no desiro to apply tht-o principles to tho freehold or leasehold lands that had already been disposed of end which wero lew in value than £20,000. Tlio question of

.TENURE naturally followed, and in disposing of this question it was necessary to keep in sight the object of the disruptive tax.and land settlement Ecnbmo—viz., not only tho placing, but the maintenance, tho continued maintenance, of prespern'u* settlements of small farmors.

In the disouwion on tho freehold and leasehold, the former would bo accepted as the ideal tenure from tho standpoint of the farmer, the objections to it boing tfiat it was the form of title favoured by financiers, whose sway over tho holder was strengthened thoroby, it lent itself tho most readily to speculation and in most casts the frcoholdcr ultimately rented tho land to a leasolioldcr who really worked tho ground, and was placed at tho maximum of disadvantage through the .weight of his payment* of rent, tho amount of which was decided by competition, or Uio land was purchased. by i-Jie ultimate holder at euch a high valuation that ho was pormanontly nandjoapped Ly his efforts to comP>fs» the purcha^c-fApplause.) lhis speculation, selling and ronting of land, eft tho farmers in a district at a much lower level of prosperity than there

was any necessity for, and to correct this tendency tho leasehold was advocated; but hero again tho speculation in tho goodwill °J l t}?, - vas M pronounced that it was doubtful if tnc disabilities of this form of tc H uro ™ e , re not almcst M Sreat as tho other. Tho one advantago a leaseholder had was that his capital, not being required for the -purchase t of his holding, was released for profitable use.' To obviato the disabilities under each form of tenure it crenied neccrarv that a fonditicn should be enforced, and that condition, lio woul'i .urge, was that, whether ireehold or li-asehold wo* udontcd tlf oocumer would not havo tha right t# soil his holding, except' back to the State at its ongino valuation plus improvcmonU.(Applause.) I*t tKo settlor have the option of either form of tenure; under either form, let him hold the land as long as ho or his descendants might require it but when it w M ultimately sold tho Stoto only could buy it at its original valuation plus improvements.-(Renowod applause.) This would enable the State to place each ■succeeding tettlcr on the wil on ae good terms as the first, one. It would prevent a district from becoming impoverished through land, speculation and would bo instrumental in maintaining a levol of prosperity that would react beneficially on tradesmen, manufacturers, and workers. Another direction in which the ambition and energies of farmers found amplo scooo was in .

• SCIENTIFIC FARMING, which involved the closest study of soils and by selection and breeding" of seeds' .pasture plants, and • their, adaption to tho different climates, derations, and soils resulted in increased production of all our funning products. In herd testing and the elimination of inferior animals wo had an effective means of largely increasing our dairy exports, and with a moro intense culture requiring greater personal application, small holdings would givo amplo scopo for ambition from the settler's standpoint, as well as from the national standpoint.. '

STATE BANKING. Tlio financing of our various land settlement schemes was at present carried on entirely with loan money, and tho more widely the State became involved in land linance the more deeply our credit was' pledged to maintain and extend tho system. ThH seemed .to bo tho weak iwint of th? whole system. Our credit should only be used sparingly, as a last rosourco in an emergency, and wliiile a good deal could be said in support of the use of loun money at tho inauguration of the system, the absence of any provision for ultimately relying on our own resources in the matter seemed a fatal defect. J A umquo, opportunity occurred when tho isank of New Zealand was in difficulties, and it was profitable to refer to it. • Tim Government practically the bank with n new capital, and hnd it taken over the bank, and treated tho shareholders' interest as fixed deposit until tlio 'bank recovered, it would havo boon ablo to maku the funds at the disposal of tho bunk ' subordinate to the requirements of public policy. This fiiggfsted the direction in which we must Jr,ok for th» means to g adually free ourselvA from reliance, on lonn money. We carried out various bankinij functions under tlie Sfcito Guaranteed A.-ivanoci Department, advances to local bodies, to workers, to miners, tho farmers' credit b..nk, etc., 'etc.. while the tnoit prcfilable part of bonking-lhat of tlio receipt of deposits and their manipulation -was left out. In fuct, tho State business of this sort really strengthened tho privato banks, find it was doubtful if .the advance* to_ settlers' febeme- was not introduced originally to relieve tho pressure on the, ilank of New Zealand rather tJmn to benefit the farmer. Tho farmers' benefit wu.* incidental, the ugh tho system had betome widespread, to his great advantage. - (Applause.) It was, not until we clearly nd'intled th» fact that the State was really engaged in a widespread State banking biisinres that wo would get on a sound financial footing" by completing its functions, and oDommr the State bank for tho receipt of de|xwits. An effort should be made even now to purchase tho snarehoklers' interest in the Bank of New Zealand, and, ifailirtjr that, to rotaWah a fpparatc State bank to carry on all the fiinctioiis of banting. Tho resourrc* could be subject to a nntjpnil policy of industrial expansion, devoted to tho requirements of land settlement and tho various enda now' met under tho Stoto (rtiarantood Advance* Acts. Foreign loan money could bo discarded as a maiiwtay as loc-il fundi? Ixvnmo available.—(Applauso.l A hank, on making an ndvacco, usually retained tbo custom

of the person benefited, and thin also wm a source of some profit, but under our State Guaranteed Advances Act tho Stato mado thn advance and private institutions reaped tho bcneGt in every way, Whilo thn credit of tho country was steadily being pledged to. maintain tho State advances system, tho private bunko were freo to utilise tho country s surplus funds in uipiiort of organisations that might be really harmful to tho community at largo. Ho was not hostile U) tho private hanks, and I now from personal nxporionce that thev would go a long way beyond even sound financing to assist a worthy and struggling industry. ISut every nmnagor must look first to tho safety of an investment and its profitable' hobs from tho bank's standpoint, and as a natural result large commercial concerns, industrial nnd manufacturing combinations that had obtained a strong vanta«© ;>oint from which to exploit the public, offered greater steurity to a banker than oomcrni thut were- limited to the extraction of a precarious return from the- soil, and it not mfrcquontly happened that the collictivo savings of hundreds of small peoplo wero used against themselves by tho hanks largely Larking up the operations of thoto monopolistic groups whoso ohicf function was to exploit and not orcato tho country's wealth.—(Applause.) Tho deposit* in the bank* totalled over £22,000,000, with over £14,000,900 additional in tho savings banks, and tho combined capital of tho Now Zealand banks was small in proportion to tho ' volume of busincM, although . the- aseets 'wcru adequate. Tlio Stato banking function, as carried on, reduced the State to.a inoro agent for tho foreign money-lender, and tho only profit they could got was the smallest possible, margin between th? in tercet paid' to tho lender and tho interest charged to tho borrowor. The lender took no risk, at, tho security of tho State's resources was added to tlw actual securities on' whioh the Stato advanced tho money, whilo any general depression of land values would' invoivt the Stato in grave responsibility and loss which could only bo mado up finally by tho general taxpayer. When tho system of . ■ STATE LAND FINANCK

was inaugurated Uho. strongest argume.it by which it wns supported wan that the bank rato of interest was too high, and the Advances to Settlors Department was there to alter all that. It would the bankets and , tho big financiers to exercise reason in their demand?; and liow far had they succeeded? Just to the extent of tlw publio borrowing, nnd no further. Tlio banks and the big men were still there. Thoy could gauge the limitations of the publio «k>partments, influence, and outside of those limi-

tations were freer than ever to exploit the public. Even tho State's bsneficenco was lish in their net, for tho private banks still handled their own businces— nixl that showed no diminution,—and handled tho State's business as well, naturally to their considerable profit; and while tho risky, bu-sihees of financing, land settlement 'was left to tta Stat?, the banks hod a free hand in supporting those enterprises and speculations which now rxtracted increased • profits from the fanners nml workers. —(Applause.) Farmers and workers must havo tools, implements, and commodities of all sorts, and they paid a larger margin of profit to-day than formerly. The abundance of cheap money gavo an opportunity to those- supplying tho fanners' requjrements to extract greater profita from him. Land speculation wa* rife, and it was carried on with moro daring from tho knowledge that thoro was less risk of loss. Tho State's ever-increasing interest in maintaining high land values was on additional entrenchment bjliind which the sptauiator felt more secure; and if theiUate was supplanting tho banks in financing tho farmer and tho direct producer, tho banks could respond with greater freedom'in financing tho?o who in turn exploited tlio farmer and the worker, and who happened to to outside the pale of public benefit, from the State institution, and, aa ho had already remarked! enjoyed what profit accrued from tbo manipulation of. the State's business aba-lApplauM.) If the State wa« justified in interfering in any way with tho banks legitimate, business and, in restricting its undue overcharges, it must ctftry its interference to tho point of offcotivo permanent control, and not only sco that money was available at reasonable rates to tncfio engaged in legitimate enterprise, but, further, oxort its (tho State's) influence-' in making the country's accumulation of money subordinate to tho State policy of

INDUSTRIAL EXPANBION generally. Tho Stalo advanced to farmers urid workers. Lot those advances seouro the farmers' or workers' custom to the Stato bant. Tho State bank should be open to reccivo Uiefr deposit*, awl to get what profit was in tho conduct of their financial business generally. It wns in the samo way that a private bank in making advance would expect what other profits wero attached to keoping a customer's account. Ai savings accumulated together with repjyments wo could rely Icra and less on bor-

rowed money, and as tho volumo of fund* increased might even consider tho liquation of 16n,n money. This power could bo inorcased by the monoi»ly of tho State note i»3ue being in the hands of tho State bank, and with tho State bank a certain devalonnwiit of the future, it filpuld not be difficult lo nt' n fair valuation Iho shareholders' interests in exsitinir banks rri sd brine nil, or a lorgo proportion, of tlio country t available accumulations under th> influence of a national industrial policy. —(Applause.) When wo looked at the progrr;u made by such coun trice a* Germany »n<l Japan under an enlightenwl industrial policy, our own cotirs? was clear. Tho statesmen who controlled the destinies of those countries recognised that a country's grade in the (talc of civilisation depended or; extracting the last possible owico of advantage from that country's products, not merely judged from the standpoint of amassed wealth, but further from the power of tliat wealth intelligently applied to maintain human life in its highest and most virile form. The first consideration was. therefore, to find out how far industrial nrrangemento could bo improved upon. Take our exports for example. In wool we produced over £6,000,000 worth, of which less than 2 per cent, was used locally. At one timo tho whole of thia was exported to, tho United Kingdom, to maintain there workers who were fclkwsubjects. To-day buyers from all countries attend oursnlcs, indicating tho encroachments foreign countries were making on the British hold 'of tho woollen miuwfacturin'(f buaiwifs. Both Germany and Japan rolied on the abundance of labour at their command to establish a. groat'and profitable, export industry. They, however, had not a great command of raw material and must depend on outside supplies. Wo, on the other hand, had a.n abundance of the raw material, and what wo lacked in skilled labour could . easily bj remedied bv ft judicious syetan of Aelcoted immigration, of men with tlio requisite drill. Our own young people- would not be slow to learn, and' we had before us tho preepect of ntn very largo manufacturing industry therefrom. Other nations, with ilicir disadvantages, coukl find foreign mnrkcti for their manufaoturrd produoo, and there was no reason why a.n active commercial campaign on our part would not be equally successful, whilo our command over the iuw material was nil in our favour. Australia, by adopting n similar policy ami sticldnifto it. could iilmost ensure the trnn.splanting of the entire woolen montifacturing LrsMttss to southern lattjtudce, ond the £6,000,0C0 wo received for our wool to-day wtruld realis3 nearer £25,000,000 or £30,C00,000. Tliis, expressed in the number of prosperous workers <!epo , ndin,7 o:i it, woold mean almost doubling our populatidn,' and it was within our read) if wo had tho courage to strive far it.—(Applauec.) At prosont wo ooukl not supply ourselves with woollon goods for homo consumption, as witness our imports: Drapery, £320,822'; woollen goods/ £225,000; etc., In leather again we imported £150,000; boots and shoes, £225,000; and wo exported hides valued at £216,636. flheopskins valued at £600,000, and so on.-(AppJaufc) A steady and continuous application of our energies nn<f cash towards ctittin? down our import lift nnd building up our industries locally. toietlier with o svstemat'c commercial earnpaten for foroign markets, riiould soon give f.nrl» an impulse to local production that w p could ultiti'at'.'ly secure to ourselves the proportion "of foreign trade in theso commodifies that was now beinif tratafem-d from Britain to the camps cf her pW.b't , enemios.— (Applause.) In siicfrostinp tho rise of great manufacturing industries the duestion naturally oorurred, should we reproducn alw the conditions that surrounded largo manufnrturimr districts in other lands where gront wealth accrued to the ■ raplover, an<f tho employe* wne a mcro tool to be picked tip and used when reqii'Til and dropned to shift for hinwolf when not immediately wanted? Ilin answer was no i An industry should yield to everyone in it at least moderate comfort and a competence, and where iho State, with protective tariff* nnd other devicrf. assistnd industry tho community had a riuht to demand that that industry' should yield a just return to cvnryonn in it Wrint constituted justice in this relation - wns tho Ikmlo of contention in eve-y d ; i«pnte. nml to arrive nt juet <-onplt*ir>ns 'n tVie'p d'ppnto.i wye very <lifßcnlt. So for this function hr.(i been filled by

THE ARniTRATION COURT, which, whilp siliffntWy for n timi>", now Boomed t« havo millivcd il« innfiilnw, Thn manv unions tliat wero withrirewinff from its jurisdiction Wo witnee to thin. JIo

thought, however, Uio corm of the truo solutaon la; in- the court and the dissatisfaction was duo not so much to Urn court oe to its limitation*., Tho lince on which overy inquiry was carratl out were limited to questions of tho cont of livintr. and an nwsixi wm given accordingly. Men obtained a. riso in wages, ami yorv frequently Iho rise was no sooner obtained than tho" tradavnon who worn in a position to do so immediately raised prices and absorbed the added inoroiuo.

Tho position woe that _ manufacturers and tradesmen dealing in commodities in which tho element of competition had ceased could Raiißo tho value of a market and adjust thoir price lists to get tho maximum advantage to thomselvos, and as far as they did eo thoy wore really oxercising the' functions of an Arbitration court. Thoy really had a private Arbitation Court of their own. which was able to render the decision of the Arbitration C-o'urt futile. Thoro would bo no sntMiptory solution of the present industrial difficulties until the functions of them private courts were morged into a common public court which ho would call

THE INDUSTRIAL COURT. . which ohould have jurisdiction over the whole field of industry. It should havo ample powers over wage disputes, and on the occurrence of disputes of any tort, should be able to inquire into all tho conditions of that industry. _ Whore an industry wee maintained by tariff, bonus, or other artificial menns it should have power to see that, under tho protection of tho tariff, tho public woe not imposed upon by unjust prices, and in all monopolies and ooncerai whero tho clement of competition hud coasold it should Imve amplo |)owcr to T)laoe artificial reell'ictions to prices in place of tJie natural ones that had been removed, and in every case it jhould have the power to control profits as between industry und industry, to look into conditions, and to decide how far tho employers' risk—capital, enterprise, and bo rewarded and what proportion devoted to tho labour cngmrcd It should recommend, too, what political ascistance should bo given to any specifjocase where •it was necessary-—(Applause.) Tlw

constitution of the court could not bo insproved upon. ■ Our Supremo Court wa? the highu.t evolution of judicial method. It was supported by tradition that was tho growth of centuries, an clement that would be absent under any olhor arrangement, and we could not do hotter than continue the syetcm which plkoed it under a 3u-

premo. Court judge. Tho dissatisfaction surrounding Uio administration of tin; court was tlio outcome of .iniporfect law, and a judge had to administer tho law as ho found it. It was unfair to placo a judge on the bench- and expect him to iiiuko laws and unravel problems that hii/1 defied governments and sagos from tho dawn of history, and it was foolish ;to discard the vnhiiblu machinery of' the Arbitration Court because it did not immediately remove our industrial inequalities and anomalies.—(Applauso.) Lot iu stick to what wo had, und improve the court and the luws it Imd to administer, and let us strengthen tho position of tho iudgo mid support him in every way, an J lie believed we would get more satisfaction than was jxxsitile under any other mothod. —(Applause.) DEFENCE.

lie urged, as he urged tlirco years the svttcm of cnfnrcd military training for all, with no cxft:ni>tir>ci vhalover, anil ho vim pleased thul lint lin.ilcen broil'jfit into force. We really had no clwico in tJio mattor. That other nations wcro organising en a scale that mado the futuro doubtful impelled us to provide adequate means for maintaining our itido|rondonco at ;.1I costs, and tliat could only be dono in a thinly-peopled country liku ours by training every available man for .homo defenco. Our artillery demanded constant service and clwo study, and wo wero right in maintaining a permanent and well-paid foroo ol artillerymen. Our horsemen could 1)0 volunteers, and all othors could bo trained as infantry. Tlio gift of a Dreadnought ho regarded an a foolish wasto c[ money. As a demonstration of our loyalty it was unnceoisary. There was no more doubt about our loyalty than about tho loyalty of tho men of Konl, or of Caithness, and if it was meant to influence hostile nations it was worso than a failure

Tho cost,of liio British Navy, great as it was, was only about 3 por cent, of tlio annual volume of British trade, and wns not an excessive tax when the intoresta at stako,werc con.'idored. The first principle of defensive h'nanco wa« that tho defenoos of a country were paid for out of current rovonuo. The navy was constantly renewod. Britain, in fact built a series of navios. The last boat, built could, singlo-handod, almost destroy tJio whole fleet of 2Uyo«ra ago in a few minutes, and it was in thu ability of Britain to maintain this succisfion of ever and ever rnoro efficient naviei from a small percentage of hor national income that, her great power lay. When Britain licgan to borrow money to keep her navy afloat she had reached tho tieginning of the end of her national supremacy, for this rcawn: That the Britain of

tho future had to keep up a succession bt ."■till greater navies, and nor power to do s,i would be lessened by tho amount sho would liavo to dovoto to tho repayment of nny considornblo louna raised to kcop the navy o( to-day afloat Tlio rod prepantion" for a greater navy woe to «till_ furUicr incroase tlio volumo of her intornntional trade, and provide a wider basis from which to extracts tho necessary taxation. In providing a Dreadnought wo had merely demonstrate! our weakness liy presenting Britain with a ship she did not want, a >hip that was outclassed before it, was ufloal, and obsolcto beforo it was paid for by uf. SKLECTED IMMIGRATION. In originating his proposals for selected immigration ho had been widoly followed by many, but all had been carctul to oiracx tiro idea piecemeal witliout i acknow-

ledging ita source. I<ct us bar all immigration that was not selected. Wo could then dispense with wit aliion restriction acts, and eliminate tho offensive discrimination that was apt to offend those whom % it w directed against. As our inaiustrice advanced' in- importance wo could learn thro;ii:li our l,ubour Ruieau and land offices just what class of an emigrant wo required, and make every effort to secure just the pmou we wanted. This w« not proverit us from appointing medical inspectors to hum ail intending of raco akin to ourselves that would bo likely to l>! absorbed into our population.—(A|>plause.) lie did not intend to siv more to them on that occasion. Ho liad not started at tho other end of the district until Mr Clark's return from Wellington, with tho result that for tho next week or so ho would havo to devote considerable' attention to that pnrt of the electorate, but. following that, ho would return to Mosglol, and, FTo hoped, addresj another meeting.— (AnplaiiK»i A number oj questions wero answered. Mr Johnson taid lie was prepared to support tho bare majority on tlio liquor quciition. though his personal views wore in tho direction of tho 55 per cent, majority. He also said he would support tho totalizator as long as thero wan racing, as ho believed tho totaliiator was the only means by which it could be kept under fair control.

Mr John Wright moved, and Mr R. M'KeagK socomlwl, that'll hearty voto of thanktt bo accorded Mr Johnson for his address.

No amondment was forthcoming, and tho motion was carried unanimously, amid applause Mr Johnson expressed his appreciation p' iho vnln. iir-'l n similiK- vote to t'-i Mayor of Mosjid for presiding closed tho meeting.

naN. J. A. MILLAR AT WAKARI. Tie- capacious Wakari Hall was packed to Tt.o very acors last night to listen to on address to the elector* by Ilio Hon. J. A. Miller. Mr J. 11. F. Htunel (Mayor of Hoslynl occupied tlto chair, and briefly introduced the speaker.

Mr .Millar said ui.u no Iv.d had the honour ol reprpsonliiii; th.-i'i in !';•_ : ameiil for the past 18 years, and ho <i'cT not liavo to fear meeting n Koelyn audience. In tho post ho haul ttlwaya had their support, ttiul Iks had always honcrtly endeavored to look alter the interests of his constituents, together with the interests of tlw Dominion a.i a whole. Formerly lie had had to a newer for his sins iw a , member of Parliament, but that night ]io had to answer for hie doings as their representative and also as a member of tho Government. Ho uwild put be/ore than sound ami solid leasons whicli would satisfy them that the Government had <iono it» duty in thu past and wns entitled to a ronowuf of thuir confidence in tho future. Ho folk himself to be responsiblo for tho notions of tho Adminstrntion only for tho past fivo years.— Hie timo diirinjf which ho lind boon a member, and ho would eiidonvour to show ♦•horn what tho party had dono during that. period. Ho would tell them ufaai' tho pp.rty int«nde<F to do Intho futuro, awl put that"Hide aid? l»y sido witli tlio pob'cy of l!u> OpiKwition m outlined on thti pul)lio plntform nnd in tho pre-M. They couid tliu* jihlro for thcmsolvoji, ami ho h««l no doubt what thoir nnmver wouhj lxi whmi ho hnd finished. At no tlmo in tho history of Now Zealand had there over boon suoli a cntsade of Innuendo against tho' Government as bed taken place during- tlio

Isnt few jeers. Tho GoToriiment had net been directly charged, but by inference. Tho very Jutcet sample" woe from tho Loader of tho Opposition's spoech at Pukckoh<v Mr Massoy then said 1 that "He <\;\a not provide thorn with roads. and b.Hfges, or with pceitfona in tho public fiervioo. Ho came beforo them with clean hands, and that was all ho coiikl offer to, them." The innuendo ( was that tho Ministers of the Crown had not clean hands. Well, ho would dhow to thorn that there htuj not boon corruption on tho part of tho Government. , CHARGES AGAINST. THE GOVERNMENT.

Tho Govenmcnt had been charged on fout- counts It had been chafgodf , with running the country into debt; unduly increasing tho annual expenditure; that it was non-progmnivo; and thai it was corrupt in administration. Ho would deal with the charges in ilotftil. First as to borrowing during the list livo yeats the debt of tho ooinlry hod 1 been increased by 18 millions, but where were they? .They were in a young' country which wa.l- - being tlovolopod, nnd whero tho Government of tho day wae doing with publio money what was dono in other coun-. trice out of private moneys. Ho mid meet omphatically that they had not added to tho burdens of tho people Tho works thoy wore carrying out wore returning a profit. Taking tiio Advances to Settlors Department, tho Stnto had mado a clear profit since it had boon started of £456.455 Iβ 4d. Not ono taxpayer in thn Dominion had paid any part of that mm by way of

general taxation, beoauso all tho interest had been paid by tho tot tiers who had borrowed the money under the scheme. Thon let tiioin turn to l tho Advances to Workers Dopartmoht. Tho total profit for tho throo years' working, after tlip workers had paid back all intoreet on tho moneys borrowed, amounted to £11,355. Tho State firo insurance hod eo far resulted in a gross profit of £12,753. That department was gradually increasing iU business and gradually getting stronger, so that it would 3o bolter work oven tlmn it had doho up to the present time. Half a million hsd been invested in tho Dank of New Zea-

land, and tiio return''on that'totalled today £136,600. From tho Lands for Settlement Department they had got a return of £377,716; a return of £63,152 from {ho Cheviot Settlement; £189,163, from national endowment lands; £1803 from «Stato oyster fisheries during tho throo years thoy had been in cxiMouou; and from the Public Tn»t Office £150,094.- Tho total earnings from those departments was £1,379,083. By moans of the inonoy that liad been lent to the people since thoStato had turned lender trade hod enormously increacod. There was only ono chanco of opening up tho country, and that was by means of a borrowing policy. To lind work for their people they must steadily inoroa«o their exiwiis, because tho exports were tho life-blood of tho oountry.

INCRKABING EXPENDITURE, Etc. Tho noxt charge they had to moot was that of eteadily inorcasinf; the expenditure on Uμ! annual appropriation*. He noticed that tho Opposition wai incut genoral in its statements. Why did it not show how that ■ expenditure could bo reduced! The country was steadily inoronsirig in population, and thn Government was compolJed to orcot more schools and incrcaw tho (*ducatiotial exnendituro, wliidi hail gono up to over a million por annum. Would his friends propose to reduce that amount? Tho man wno wantoc] to pull s thin;; down should bo prepared to j>ut Mimcthing in its place. — (Applause.) Pcrliapj they would fovour a reduction in tho old : age pensions. On an average 40 or SO milca of railway worn opened up' every your, and pvory milo opcrat«l on meant an expenditure of Sβ 6d for overy train that ran on it. Would his opponent odvocato that tiiow railways should not bo run, or that tJio post oixl toiegrapli fncilitk* slioald bo withdrawn from tho back-block erttlws? All thoao items went up year by year, and no Gorernmont • could rtop them. The noxt clarßo was tJiat the Government hod boon incroaaing the taxation of the country. That wna vorj- prctly. The impreaion was intended to bo convoyed that the Govenimant had increased tho taxation on irking mm. As n mattor of fact, tJic duty had boon taken off almost all tl»> neetEsarios of life, and tho tax had been put on to the wealthy mwi, ami it was they who wcro cryinjr out. In 1899 the sum of £415,315 wns d>srivod from duty on a largo number of articles such as raisins, currants, salt, etc, but now cvorr one of those was free.—(Applauso.) By tho Tariff Act of 1907 they wrnt a little ftrrthor, and a number of other _ articles wwo placed

on the free list,, and it wa» hoped to mako further reductions t>?xt Jtar. Hardly a thinpr an tho broaikfnst table was dutiable. A Voioe: Wlnt about flour!—(Applauso.) Mr Millar siid that ns tho Government prohedod tlio bootmakin!f or any other industry, fo it must protect Mk> flour trade. —(Applause.) Continuing, ho. raid that thefinal charge of corruption was not a nowone. He read s'atcmojiii by MrtFowkk and Mr L. M. Isitt'to refute those charge*. Mt Millar went on to stoto that thorp was r.ot a einglo section of the community' whieh had not derived nt Iwist socn'c brnofit from tho legislation of tho' past fow ycara.

RAILWAY MATTERS. A fiwd deal had been said in tho publio prreo about seothing discontent in tho railway tervice. To read, that one would think that tho wholo service was up in arms aifainst him. He would emkivour lo jjivo thca) men full justice, but it was for tlio electors to fay if he had done what was rijlit and fair. Wlicn they, had experienced a, depression the railway men' hod lx>en very loyal, and after Iw had put the petition before them ho had promised to givo them increases when things brightened up. Ho had kept his promise, and: b<! wan now necused of giving a bribe. Ho would not buy their voto or anybody el*o*e.— (Applause)

TUB (50VBIINMBNTS RPXDRD. The Government had a very good rcoord behind it. It hud substituted a land tax for tlio proriorty tax: tho graduated land tax, to encourage cioecr settlement; the Arbitration and Conciliation Act; Land for Settlements Act; advances to settler* and workers; workers' compensation for accidents; workers' dwellings; llank of. Js'ow Zealand StaUvguaranteo Act and old-ago pensions; Stato coal mines; Stato firo insurance; national endowment, and many others of n beneficial cluiraeter. The Op|wtition liad proposed to establish a Civil Service Board. Well, the' civil servants did not want it. It also wanted to »ell everyaero of land at its original valuation. There was novor a bigger bribo offered than that the Government's future policy was gradually goimr tc develop the country and inako the people happier and froer. A brief out-< lino was given of tho policy in regard to workers' dwellings, co-oporativo banks for the farmers, irrigation, and tlw completion of tho trunk system of railways connecting up Auckland and Wellington via Giebomo und Napier, Pioton and Chrislchurch.. and Uhriatohiircli and lirevinouth, Mr Mllnr concluded by statinß that ho believed that a little feeling existed in 4ho district in regard to tho erection of an infectious diseases hospital. Ho sinoerely trusted that tho Hospital Board would never dream of placing such an institution anywhere near a clos?ly-|>opulatc<l or a growing district. A number of nations wore asfced at tho conclusion of tlw addrwa, and nearly all woro answered to tlio satisfaction of tho audience.

Mr Iα Eoiunitz then moved—" That this meeting accords ,1 very hearty vole of thanks to the Hon. J. A. Millar for hit h1)Io ami instructive address, and expresses confidence in liim as member for Diinrxlin West in Parliament and in tho Governincut, of which he it a distinguMiod membcr." Mr A. Mathcson sooo-led tho ■notion.

M .p. 11 w % 'T e<l ne an wncielmenl -' rliat Mr Millar bo accords a voto of thanks'only. '

Tho motion was carried'by a very largo majority, and tho /neetinff concluded with T V °i f t lM ; artinces f°r Mr Millar mid for Mr Bedford.

SIR JOHN FINDLAY. iPbii United Ph«m Absocutkm.)

AUCKLAND, November 13. ' Tlie i innJ question and tho problem of closer fieitlotnont of the future wae tho principal foaturo of o ppcech delivered by Sir John Findlay tonight. Hn said that a crisin in rcgnrd to land settlement was rapidly npproachinß in Now Zealand. If the breakins up tho largo eetatoj was to bo accomplished by a grtwluatcd hind tax it could only bo <ibno by' adopting tho verv drastio form adopted some tinio ajro in Denmark, which hod ■ rcMiltad in somo 186,000 mnall frrehoWom tioinp phced on Iho land in that country in tho place of tho fow larßO lamHioldern who previously occupied 1 tho Innil, Unlen they rjoptod a similar «ystom they could nnt look to tho ■rraduntftl tax m n moans of tlio subdiviiiion of the largo (*Uit<vi. In Groat Britain the Stalfl hnd takmi [xiu'or to Inkn land tliroiißh tlio County Counril compiilsorily, not only by purchnao, lint al«) by renowablo leoeo. llie Mother Coiintn , had realised tlmt tho ftjito must do Ihie work. " If," ho eaid, "J hnd my wnv we wonM do.whnt thov are dolnir In England-make it oomptilwry,"

MR MASSEY'S TOUR (Pin UsmtD Paces Amocutios.) EKETAHUNA. November 11. Mr Muisoy visited Ekctahuna to<lay. Ho was entertained at dinner by tho rwidents of tho borough and county, and afterwards adUrces«l a meeting of about GOO peoplo. • Mr MasAoy, who woe loudly oheored on rising-, commenced by combating tho theory that the function of tho Opposition' wue eolcly to oppato. Tho Opposition had more, work to do pushing tho Ooyornment along than acting as n DrnW-HLaiißlitcr.) Tho

Opposition had dene- a groat deal in mak-' ing tho legislation of the poet 15 veari v.irbblo, awl had only opposed measures that it thought to bo apainst the interests of the country. Ifo donied thi< allopration that the Opposition stood by tho wealthy man. Tpo Opposition consisted of plain unassuming practical men, many of whom had given years of practical service to tho country for purely potriotio reaeons. Ho camo beforo thorn with nothing to odor—no scata in the. Legislative Council, and no judgeships. Tho Opposition came before tho people with empty hands, but llioy were clean hantk--(Loud applause.) Tho Opposition hud to fight tho influence of publio expenditure and publio patronage ; still lw honestly bcliovcd there was o majority of people behind them willing to support tiiom at the first opportunity. Tho only pojwy, boforo tho country was that of tho Opposition. Tho Government had no more backbone than an oystor. Tho Government was no. more than a political, phonograph, rcadv to play freehold to tho freeholder!!, leasehold to tho leaseholders, Socialism to tho Sodaliste, Individualism to tho Individualists,, Protection to the Protcctioniste, democracy to tfio domoorato, and also _ autocracy to tho autocrats, ilo maintained that it was timo tho con-

tinuous Ministry was outcd. It had lost in initiative hnd was becoming effete. In i» domocratio country should a Government bo in office for 20 years. Evory Government should liave tho knowledge that it might bo defeated in a year or two or a month or two. If tho present Government had had that fear before it during tho past, six years it would havo been a good tning for it and for tho country, hlaboratinjf his charge that tho Government had no definite polioy, Mr Massey said it had made no attempt to reduce taxation or reform iU financial method*. It had no land policy, and had made no attempt 0 deal with the land question or to reform tho Legislative Council, «o as to mako it more ropresonUlivo of tho people; to deal with appointmonte to the civil sorvico; to imvrovo tnc railway Ecrvicc: or to reform local government. There was. no reform 01 local government because tho present

meant voles .The railway was ml ff W,tl ! d P"»W«*ion. and tho lulilio was wt satisfied. Referring to tho Hvo j> million loan, Mr Mincy Mj/tho do"ll bwn '»™W>ed. Last thTrfSS >oforo ftrli * n,on '- b«t own now Mad < 7™ r \ two * cais in mkw* Or. K '<*' .""J cost of the five million oan could not l)o stated accurately bu d '^ Un,l or> on tho « h °'° Pufti™ i Tnosp wo'items mado w K brokc-rage, am | ndvortuv Lt/'T would P«*«Wjr run into Jos por cent. .Hero wore wmo very extraordmarj- concession, with tho loan Ono HM ■me mil Mm

HIH criticised. At the concluSian ofU^m^h

TO-NIGHT'S MEETINGS Kwljp (WMhor'i. Hall).-.Mr |J. D , r^j. M™ ""'--Mr J. London

ton.-Jlr J , Arnold's rammittiici. St. Leonards-Mr J. T. Johnson, tommittce Room, /'Jentril). --.Mr ShUiam's committee. Committee Roonn (Centra!).-Mr JlaoMaims < eommiUee, Pairlield.-Mr J. Di.;ksoa ' HiphclilT.-Mr K. H. Chrk Hag Swamp.-Hon; T. Y. buncan. (ilcnlcdi.—Mr J. Allen. Dunh:ick.-Mr .Milligmi. Bcauir.ont and Jtaj , , Junction.—Mr R Scott. I,ttU « r, «, pllir, Omaka, '. nnd Mataksnui.Mr W. I). Mason. Hamilton, I'ncr.tu. .-in.l i'atosroa.-Mr .T. liiMincttd.