GENERAL ELECTION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16239, 24 November 1914, Page 8

GENERAL ELECTION.

„ WAITAKI.

MB ANOTEY AT WESTON.

Mr J. Anstey, Liberal candidate for the Waitaki seat, delivered a political address at Weston on Thursday evening. Despite the fact that tho Oatnaru Show was in progress the same day, there was a fair atendance. Mr Dowau was voted to tne oixair. in introducing the -speaker, Mr Dovvall expressed regret that so few were present. Tbere were two explanations, however — one, that many people had been at the show, and had returned late and tired; and the other, that most of the people in the district, at any rate, had made up their minds that they were going to vote with the opposition candidate, and consequently ■were displaying less interest in tho political campaign than would otherwise have been the case. He knew that a Weston audience would givo the candidate a fair and courteous hearing. Mr Anstey camo before them known to them in politics. He had spent seven years in the Upper House, had Deen a member of the Lxind Commission, and so iortli, and bo etime lxfoi'o them as an experienced man in political We. '

iu.r Anstey, on rising, was greeted with applause, lie thanked the chairman for his introduction arid the audience for the reception given. He was not going to commence liis address by complaining of a small audience; on the other hand, he felt complimented at to many "being present, under rather unfavourable circumstanccs. The chairman had asked him what his calling was, and perhaps a word or t.vo might not be out of place. Tho speaker proceeded to explain that he was a farmer, and the son of a farmer, and camo to New Zealand when a little over 20 years of age. He worked for three years as a farm labourer, saved his wages, took up n>ayied a wife, and reared a family. As the cnairman had stated, he was a member of the Royal Land Commission in 1905, and in that capacity he had visited all parts of New Zealand, inquiring into conditions of land settlement, and particularly access. They would agree that he had somo opportunity of finding out what were the wants of such a constituency as Waitaki. .In 1907 he was appointed a member of the Legislative Council, retiring in January, not having been re-appointed owing to a change of Government. There were three questions usually put to candidates, questions often used as test questions. He would dispose of these at once, before proceeding with the political part of his address, 'i he first was in reference to prohibition. He was to carrying prohibition by a bare majority. All sumptuary laws like that should be carried by a considerable majority, in order to secure stability. Perhaps 60 per cent, might be rather high. Morality at least was on the side of temperance, and he was going to support the 55 per cent, quota. Then there was the Bible-in-schools question. Ho was opposed to the introduction of Bible-teaching. Religion and education were two things, and the prbper place for teaching religion was the home and tho church. Witii regard to the referendum, he did not think that, in questions of this kind, which were a matter of people's consciences, there should be any appeal to majority vote. It was a question that could not rightly be decided by any majority at all; he did not think there was any right to interfere in matters relating to people's consciences.—(Applause.) The third question was that of tho Labour vote. He had always supported and approved of the measures for the improving of the conditions and lot of the labourer, and had while in the Legislature assisted in passing many of those laws which made for tho benefit of the worker—humanitarian legislation, accident insurance, etc. Ho was prepared to suDport all bona fide humanitarian measures. At tho same time, he had no sympathy with "Red Fedism." Here in New Zealand they had the widest franchise of any count-fry, but tho cardinal principle ■was that before they attempted to rule they should learn to obey.

Getting down to political questions, Mr Anstey continued, ho would give his Reasons for supporting a progressive Liberal policy He asked his audience to glance hack for about 25 years. New Zealand was then suffering from chronic deficits, undevelopment, and unemployment. The Conservative Party's remedy was economy, retrenchment, and' reform. Reform simply meant change. Economy was a virtue that all ought to practise but it could hardly be called a policy. . Retrenchment, the only plank left, did not seem to him to meet the' reqiiifed conditions. It was not retrenchment that ■vras wanted; it was expansion. When Mr Ballanee and those associated with him were returned to power they, after considerable opposition, initiated that policy of expaneion upon which the present solid prosperity of the dominion had been built up. Instead of chronic deficits they had continuous surpluses, out of which over £9,000,000 had been spent in public works, which were today a solid unencumbered asset doing much to support the stability of the dominioji. The first of those measures, the basis upon ■which they were all built up, was the repeal of the old property tax and tho substitution of the land and income tax. Its principal underlying feature was the exemption from taxation qf improvements. Stocky and plant, the factors used in development, and the placing of tho tax direct upon all knd so that all land, whether used or not, ■was taxed alike. This was followed by the Lands for Settlement Act. He need not point out the benefit that had been to North Otago at any rate, and the benefits in South Canterbury were greater than in any other part of New Zealand. Its necessary complement, the Advances to Settlers Act, soon followed. These Acts were the foundation of that Liberal policy he was supporting, and these Acts were bitterly opposed, every one of them, by the Conservative Party when they were beins put through Parliament. The speaker proceeded to refer, to the introduction of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act, Old-age Pennons, Advances to Workers; Workers' Compensation, Workers' Dwellings, and Factory and Mining Acts —all of which, he said, met with the same violent opposition oi the part of the Conservative Party when they were being forccd through Parliament. They were placed on the Statufe Book by the hearty cooperation of Labour and Progressive Liberalism. Three years , ago there ■was something of a split between these two parties, and since then little or no progress Sid been made, and in 6ome respects there •had been retrogression. The Labour Party laid the Liberal Party should see if they could not take some steps towards further progress—(Applause.) , Mr An6tey proceeded to state that one of his great reasons for opposing the MasBey .Government was that three years agothey had made many promises, not one of •which hod been fulfilled, or, if fulfilled, .had (been fulfilled in a manner that deceived those to whom tho promise had been made. There was no more reason to believe that these promises would now be fulfilled than there "vas three vears. He instanced a promise with regard to a reduction in borrowing, also aa regards economy of expenditure. Mr Anstey went at considerable leiigth into the state in which the Hon. Mr Allen had been placed with regard to tho country's finances. Mr Allen had complained that the Treasury was empty, When he took office there was unexpended of the Myers loan the sum of nearly £1,431,000. So that the Treasury was not eo empty as Mr Allen wished to make out. It was a rather strange thing that Mr Allen had been able to carry on for nine months without raising an English loan. How had he accomplished it if the Treasury was empty. Ae a matter of fact, the Treasury was not empty; thero was as much money avilable •nd powers for raising as much as was necessary to cover all necd«. There were several departments of the Government, particularly the Pest Office Savings Bank, tihich he might describe perhaps as receiving departments, where the deposits as a rule easily exceeded the withdrawals. Tho surpluses must be invested somewhere, and that was where some of tho money for advances to settlers and similar services had come from. When Mr Allen took office, instead of tho deposits being in excess of t.ho ■withdrawals, the withdrawals were in excess of tho deposits, and consequently this sourco of money dried up. Mr Allen for some reason or other did not take steps to rectify tile difficulty. He had authority to do so by raising loans, but he did not do that until nine months later, when the position had become really bad, for which ho blamed his predecessors. Now he had borrowed, and was boasting that he had about £1,000,000 waiting for the jisb of settlers and workers. That was another evidence of bad finance. It was bad finance to have money waiting about, and it was also bad finance to have failed to raise the loan at the time it was wanted.

Mr Arastey went on to speak with regard to civil service reform. Ijndef the old Liberal regime memlwrs of Parliament were able to assist sora and daughters of settlers in remote districts getting their names placed among the applicants for the civil service, but he did not think there was anything that could be described as political influence. The system was, practically a hard arid fast one of rising in turn. Now tho Government had appointed three commis•iooen. Political influence, however, was

jost an rife to-day ae it wns under the old system.—(Applaueo.) It certainly might hive been narrowed a little, narrowed round the centre of Wellington. Young people in remote country district® did not get tho same facilities of getting into tho service as before; they had a woree thing than political influence —they had social influence. Ho had made inquiries from civil servants whether they were more satisfied or less satisfied than before, and had come to the conclusion that they * were much lees satisfied. The fact that there were somo 2000 appeals now requiring adjustment was proof enough of that fact. Tho oandidato went on to state that the work of the commissioners clearly showed that tho civil service could not have been very badly managed before. The commissioners, in tho first year, had appointed 713 additional servants, go that evidently it was not overcrowded. One the other hand, out of 7000 employoes only 46 were described ns jnisplaced, and less than half a dozen had been classed as incompetent. Before leaving tho question, Mr Aiistey condemned the commissioners for recommending an increase in the salaries of well-paid servants by £25 or £30 a year, leaving the lower grades untouohed. Ho did jnot think that was quite what would be expected from a Liberal Government; it was just exactly what might be expected from conservatism. Tho candidate went on to speak of tho reform of the Legislative Council. Tho Legislative Council was originally constituted on a basis of appointments for life. This necessarily involved a conservative chamber, and Mr Ballanee, being unable to pass his progressive measures through the Legislature, succeeded in reforming the constitution to that of appointments for seven years. During the whole period of its constitution on that basis it had proved itself as democratic and progressive, and in somo respects even more so than the House of Representatives. It had supported all progressive and humanitarian laws, improved many of them, and several had originated in that Chamber. One of the planks of the Massey platform had been reform of that Chamber on a democratic basis. What was the position? Mr Massey had brought in a Bill and passed it into law, and yet admitted that t.o be operative it must be reconsidered next year. It provided that it should not come into force until the next election three years hence. Meanwhile Mr Massey had rtuffed the Council with a huge majority of Conservatives. Vacancies occurring during the next three years would be filled by the Council itself, thus ensuring the maintenance of that conservative majority for the next three years. An election would then take place for half the council, but under no conceivable result could thero bo other than a considerable Conservative majority still remaining. That was Mr Massev's way of placing the Legislative Council on a democratic basis.

Mr Anstey passed on to the second ballot. Here another promise had not been fulfilled, as with the repeal of the second ballot Mr Massey had promised to substitute for it a provision for a clcar majority vote. Then Mr Massey had also promised to set up a Board of Agriculture. He had done so, and the speaker thought it would bo a most useful kind of if there were a fair number of practical farmers on it. Some members were appointed on the recommendation of the A. and P. Associations, others by the Minister himself without any nomination at all, but, as constituted, it was a great deal above the requirements of the ordinary working farmer, and would not be so useful as could have been the case.

The Food Commission and the regulation of the price of wheat and flour were next touched upon, and the speaker ridiculed tho aotions of the commission throughout. They should see to it that a surplus's of wheat was always grown in the dominion. If there were a surplus prices would always be regulated by the outside price, the cost of sending it there, but when thero was no surplus tho least price was necessarily' determined by the cost at which foreign wheat could bo placed on the market. It was quite three years ago that he and others had pointed out the dangerous position into which the country # was getting with regard to the growing of wheat, and Mr Massey had had the position forcibly shown to him this year, lie had, however,, not shown himself very far-seeing,. or he would have taken action sooner than he did. So far as regulating the price of wheat was concerned, tho commission had proved a rank failure. There was only one way of getting a cheap loaf—that was grooving sufficient wheat for themselves and a surplus for exjport. The wheat-growing industry was loaded up with burdens placed upon the wheatgrower. One of these arose out of military training. The authorities persisted m not calling out tho men sufficiently during the slack tune. They seemed to select harvest and seed time. Special : butdena must be ramoved, and. if there Was still an insufficient supply, then some direct encouragement must be given. After a word with regard to pigeon holes Mr Anstey went oh to the Huntly disaster. In view of the fact that the Government's own inspector had reported to the Minister that the mine was .dangerous, that the proprietors ought to be prosecuted, that he expected an explosion any day, the Minister's excuse that there was some legal difficulty seemed childish. Law, or no law, the Minister should have taken the responsibility of interfering. Proceeding to land, Mr Anstey said that Mr Massey 6 great policy plank—tho freehold—had now been carried. Ho had not, however, heard of a single additional settler being placed on the land in consequence of it. Settlers were not availing themselves of it. Nor did he know of any increased production in consequence of it. In the whole of the dominion during the present year 99,127 acres had been purchased for £108,205. This worked out at £1' Is lOd per acre. Since the Act came Into force the whole of the operations under it, stated in round figures, was 260,000 acres purchased for £230,000. But the farcical part of the whole business lay really in - the fact that half of the purchase money was obtained from the Advances to Settlers Office. It helped Mr Allen, however, to be iible to boast that he was now making larger advances than ever before. He was not particularly opposed to the freehold tenure. They had had it always, and always would have it. The real point was that, if they wanted real settlement, they must have real settlement by the occupier. His quarrel with the freehold was that it did not prevent absenteeism and aggregation. In reality there was very little actual freehold, mortgages being increased faster than land was "bought, 'lo show that farmers were not actually acquiring the freehold, Mr Anstey stated that registered mortgages on freehold now exceeded £100,000,000. The average increase for recent years was over £7,000,000. and last year the increase was £9,000,000. This proved that nearly all land was, and always must be, held on some terms of hire, either rent or interest. 'ihe question before them was- not one of freehold versus leasehold, but what were tho best terms of hire within the means of applicants, which would best encourage closer settlement and the best development, of rural resources.. Ihe speaker went on to deal with tho graduated land tax, and private subdivision, quoting figures to show that the actual settlement was very small and much of it ficticious, being only a division of titles, while settlement under the Liberal land laws showed that ten times as many additional settlers were placed on each estate. The public debt was being increased too much by erecting buildings and duplicating of conveniences in the centres, and doing too little for rural development. The correction of this ehou'd be the cardinal principle of the Liberal policy of the immediate future.

Dealing with railways, Mr Anstey condemned the borrowing of £5,500,000 to spend wholly in centres and duplications. In connection with defeee, he said ho was opposing a spirit of militarism which was apparently creeping in. He would like to see the defence system made more effective bv popularising it, making it as far as a pastime rather than a task. More attention should be paid to shooting In connection with naval defence, it was proved that the piesent policy of contribution was more effective than any system of local defence could possibly be. Conditions after the war might require a quite different policy.

Mr Anstey went on to deal with education. He condemned tho Hon. Mr Allen's Bill because of its centralising tendency. Generally Mr Allen's idea was to consider secondary education as of more importance than primary education His own opinion was that that position should be reversed. A better system o f the grading of teachers was required on the principle of the payment of teachers according to tho number of classes they taught, and their qualifications, instead of being dependent on tho number of children. It should be a cardinal feature of tho teaching system that promotions ehould be made from those who had experience in teaching solo schools. Thus all teachers would be compelled at some stage to fill the position of sole teacher.

Mr Anstey referred to several other questions, unci eat down after a continued spsrch of two hours' duration, listened to throughout with the closest attention. Long and continuous applause followed his concluding remarks. The Chairman announced that Mr Anstey would be willing to answer any questions.

The candidate, replying to one question, said that in the event of a referendum on tho Bible-in-schools being carried, and

he had already stated clearly that ho was opposed to a referendum, tho Roman Catholics would have a clear right to State grants for their schools. A vote of thanks and confidence in the speaker was carried by acclamation. THE PRIME MINISTER. SPEECH AT BLUFF. (Pkb United Pbkss Associatjon.l IN VERCARG ILL, November 23. Tho Right Hon. W. F. Massey addressed a meeting at Bluff at noon to-day, about 260 people U?ing present. Tho meeting was most good-humoured, and the interjections made wore all in tho form of questions. Tho il'rirne Minister answored these at length and to the satisfaction of the questioners. Mr Massey, who was applauded on rising, dealt with the condition of the dominion when he took office on the lines of his former speeches, and ho also touched on finance, taxation, pensions, etc. In answering questions with regard to tho port of BluU and tho Union Company, Mr Massey said that if the company could show him that there was not sufficient business to make its Bluff coastal business pay, and that a subsidy was necessary, he would see to it that the Government made the necessary arrangements.—(Loud applause.) The speaker also referred to the visit of Professor Prince. There was plenty of lisili for the Now Zealand market, and so they had commenced reciprocal negotiations with the Australian Government for the removal of the duty on fish exported from New Zealand. They hoped that tho Australian Government would agree to it With regard to the wheat question, Mr Massey said that arrangements had been made for tho vessels conveying wheat from Canada to call at Bluff, which would be tho first port of call.—(Applause.) A vote of thanks for his interesting address was carried unanimously with applause. Tho Prime Minister was afterwards entertained ,at luncheon. SPEECH AT WINTON. GOVERNMENTS FULFILLED PROMISES. PLATFORM OF THE PARTY. . (Fbou Otjb Special Rkpoutbb.) WINTON, November 23. The Prime Minister (the Right Hon. W. F Massey) addressed a meeting in the Skating Rink Hall at Wintern to-night. Thj largo hall was packed, the aisles being filled with persons who had to st/ind, and there were present many electors from the surrounding districts, including Dipton, Heddon Bush, Hedgehopo, Ryal Bush, Drummond, and Invercargill. Mr Massey journeyed to Winton by an afternoon train, and was accorded an enthusiastic reception. He was met at tho railway station by tho Mayor (Mr R. Wilson) and members of tho borough council and prominent citizens, and was escorted to his hotel by the Winton Municipal Band. After having been entertained at dinner by tho borough council, he visited places in the neighbourhood by motor car. On taking his seat on the platform in the hall Mr Massey was greeted with a burst of applause that lastod for the better part of a minute. In introducing the speaker, the Mayor (Mr Wilson), who presided, remarked that the present Government had had many difficulties to contend with. He wished to con.«""atiilatc Mr Massey on the way in wh: a both parties had buried the hatchet as iar as party politics were concerned on the outbreak of the war. Mr Massey, who was greeted with ringing cheers, which were renewed on several occasions, thanked the Mayor for his kindly words of welcome and the audience for tho hearty reception given to him. He had not forgotten that when he visited the district three years ago as Leader of the Opposition he was cordiallv welcomed., Ho had expected a warm welcome that night in his position of Prime Minister of the dominion, ' and he had not been disappointed.—(Applause.) He had to thank the people of the district, too, for all the kind ness shown to him from time to time and especially since his arrival in Winton that day. He was pleased to see so many people present not only from the town, but from the district round about. He took it as an indication of tho interest taken in the politics of the country, in spite of the great war in which they were engaged, and he took it also as a compliment to himself as Prime Minister.—(Applause.) When he was in Winton three years ago he put forward certain proposals on behalf of his party. First of all, as he was in a farming community, he would deal with ■ THE LAND ® QUESTION. Three years ago he expressed himself strongly in favour of the freenold policy as the bek for the settlers, and aleo for the country—(applause)— and he was of the same opinion still. He had also promised a reform of the land question by giving facilities to men with email capital to go on the land, and this pledge the Government had faithfully kept.—(Aoplause.) Every settler who now went on Orown land had the right to convert his leasehold into freehold. A man could still get a leasehold, but there was given at the same time the option of the freehod. If a man preferred to take the freehold on deferred payments he could do eo, tihe payments extending over a priod of 20 years.—(Applause.) The money _ received from land sales was now paid into a separate fund, and was used for the purchase of other lands in districts where it was considered advisable to purchase areas for further settlement.—(Applause.) He would not deal with Native land except to say that the Government had amended the law, which wa« now working very eatisfactorily indeed, both in the interests of the Natives and the Europeans. The effect of the legislation had been to raise the Natives in the social scale. The Natives now realised that it was best for them to emulate the European people, to work shoulder to shoulder with them, and to become equal with them as citizens. —(Applause.) The Government had also promisee! to reform THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, and tho promise had been kept. Three years hence members of the Upper House would be elccted on the same day as the Lower House and on tho same franchise, though they would bo elected for a term of six years, and by a system of proportional representation. —(Applause.) Previous Governments had appointed to the Upper House many of those who had been their own supporters. A Voice: VVhy should they not? 31r Massey: Because it was a bad system. —(Applause.) It was the American system of spoils to the victors, which this. Government had wiped out. The present Government in making appointments to the Council had not refrained from placing men there who were utterly opposed to them, but they were good legislators and useful men.—(Applause.) A Voice: Why did you not appoint a Labour man ? Mr Mass-jy said the Government had appointed three or four.—(Applause.) What about the Hon. Messrs Paul (Dunedin), Barr (Christchurch), and Earnshaw (Wellington)? These were all Labour men. Two other men had been appoinEed who were not supporters of the speaker—the Hon. Dr Collins and the Hon. 0. Samuel. He believed that if the present Opposition had in its time appointed tho best men in the country, irrespective of party, there would not have been the demand for the reform of the Council that there had been, but it bad not done eo, and the people had demanded the reform, and they had got it. Another reform which the Government had promised was the reform of the civil service by removing it from political influence. He believed tho public service was a very good one, but until two or three -years ago political influence. had far too much to do with the management and control of it, and with matters of promotion and appointment. The Government had altered all that, and it was time. In regard to the civil service, New Zealand had been many years behind the times because other countries had appointed - independent boards and had done away with political influence, like Australia, for instance. A Voice: Boards answerable bo Parliament. Mr Massey: Any board is answerable to Parliament, because Parliament has to vote the salaries. A board has to be answerable to Parliament, but being answerable to Parliament is different from being answerable to the Ministry, for every Minister is answerable to every member of the party, and every member of the party can go along and put in a word for his sister, his "cousin, or hie aunt.—(Sustained applause.) Now the position was that if the son of a farmer or a labourer got into or wanted to get in the public, service ho had the same chance as the son of the Prime Minister. —-(Applause.) A Voice: He didn't under Ward. LOCAL GOVERNMENT. The Government had not beet able to <rive effect to the promise to reform the local government and make the wretched system of parliamentary grants impossible, but it would give effect to that promise. However, it was a bigger thing thin they had thought, but they would do it yet. They had had a busy time. It was part of their policy, and they had actually drafted a Bill, but it required redrafting. They would provide a better system of allocating public money to public bodies for the benefit of settlers who required roads and bridges.

Tho improvement they had in mind was ono by which political influence would be kept at a distance in the expenditure of public money, A Voice: It will have to be before December. At this stage a cry for three cheers for Sir Joseph Ward was practically not responded to, only one or two voices being iaised and dying away after the first cheer. Mr Massey: That's very weak. Won't you try it again, and let's see what you can do ? —(Applause and laughter.) PENSIONS. Continuing, Mr Massey said that one of the rolorms wh.ch the Government promised was to bring the oid-ago pension system into lino w'itu that in other countries and witli the superannuation system 111 the sense that mere should be a difference ol live years between the ages at which men and women received the pension. The position now was that women of 60 years who complied with the Act got a pension, just as a woman of 65 had got one two years ago. A Voice: How many times did you vote against the old-age pension? You voted 8/ times. Mr Miinsey said that this was only an Opposition exaggeration. The Old-age Pen sions B.li came down first in 18£6. The speaker was a new member then, for it was his tirst Parliament. A Voice: You didn't know'much then, and you don't know much now. Mr Massey: There is no Opposition supporter in Winton who can teach me much, anyway. —(Loud applause.) Continuing, Mr Massey said that by the Hansard of 1896 it would be seen that he had voted for the Bill at tho crucial test —the second reading, —and supported it right through. For some reiison that Bill was dropped after the committee stage. A similar Bill was brought down in lt9B. There was a good deal of adverse criticism because the necessary money for the payment of the pensions was not sufficiently provided for; and when the 1898 Bill came down one of the fr/st questions asked was " W T here are you going to find the money?" The answer was given that the money would be found by taking less from tho Consolidated Fund for public works, and, if necessary, by cutting down some of the higher salaries. The sneaker had said : " That is no good to m«. If you can't make proper provision for tho payment of the pensions I can't support tho Bill" ; but there was only one vote" on tho principle of the Bill, and that was the vote on the second reading. INSURANCE AGAINST UNEMPLOYMENT. The Government iiad been able to give effect to all the planks of ite platform but two. Une he had aliuded to, and the othex was to make, when a suitable opportunity arose, proper provision for insurance against sickness and unemployment. It was a very difficult matter, and he did not_ think the time had yet come to bring it into operation in New Zealand until it had been seen to be working smootnly and satisfactorily ill tho Old Land. A friend of the speaker's, an Australian politician, had expressed the opinion to him that it was impossible for a Government to give effect to the whole of its policy in one term* and a Government could only lay tho foundation; but the present Government of New Zealand had done more than that, and had bog-un a structure that would last for all time. —(Ap.plause.) If the members of the Opposition wanted to> destroy any of the Government's legislation, let them say so, and he ventured to say that the peope of the country would not give them the opportunity.—(Applause.) There was only one measure they had threatened to touch. They wanted again to get control of the public servico by parliamentary control, whatever that meant. Parliament had control of it now, because Parliament controlled the salaries. The people of tho country, however, would not stand a return to the old and obsolete form of political control, of which the country had had too much already.—(Applause.) Other promises had been kept by the Government, such as the Second Ballot Act. —(Applause.) REFORM PARTY'S PLATFORM. Dealing with tho platiorm of the Reform Party, inr Massey said the firet plank was, "That New Ztaland sirbaJi wortmiy sustain its share in the responsibility and oDligations of the Empire." —(Applause.) A Voice: Why don't you give a Dreadnought ? Mr Massey said tho interjection guve him an opening that he might bake advantage of, but lie would not take it. He would only say that nobody objected to the Dreadnought, but a good many objected to the manner in whicn it was given.—(Loud 'applause.) The present Government had led the country in giving assistance to the Empire and sending IU,OOO men of the very pick of the population, and more would have to be sent. —(Applause.) Another plank in tho platform wae this: "Continuation of the policy which has already placed the finances of New Zealand, especially ae regards the State Advances Departments and til© Public Works, on a much more satisfactory basis than was the case when the present Government took office." He would not trouble h:s audience much with figures, but he wished to say that, at the beginning of 1912, the finances of the country wero very unsatisfactory. That was proved by the fact that th| amounts lent by 1 the lending departments had to be cut down, sometimes almost to nothing. The Government, however, took the matter in hand, and its efforts bad resulted in the finances being placed on a much more satisfactory footing, while the Bums now lent to settlers and to looal bodies had been raised to an amount that was very serviceable to them. This year the Government had to borrow £8,000,000 to pay off the debts of ita predecessors, and yet the* Opposition foun<J fault with the Government for borrowing so -much money. Taking the ordinary borrowing, the present Government had borrowed less in the two years it had been in office than its predecessors had borrowed in the last two years they were in office. —(Applause.) When the war unfortunately broke out tho financial position of the oountry was satisfactory. There was plenty of money for public works, for the lending departments, and for other purposes, but, as things were now, thoy folt it was incumbent on them to reduce the expenditure within careful limits. It was almost impossible to raise money at present in London. Of course, it was not altogether impossible, because some money had been borrowed. He had hoped at one time that £2,000,000 a would be sufficient for war purposes for this dominion, but he saw now that the amount would not look at it, and an additional sum would have to be obtained. He was justified in say.ng that New Zealand, in spite of' tho war, was very prosperous. A Voice: Thanks to the Reform Government. Mr Massey said that, whether it was the Reform Government or not, he took prido in the fact that during tho time the Government had been in office the exports of the country had increased by £5,000.000 —(applause)—and the exports of tho country were its life blood. He believed,' if it had not been for tho war, they would have increased their exports during the present year by another £5,000,000. —(Applause.) He was sure that wfyen the war came to an end New Zealand would recover more rapidly than any other country in the British dominions. —(Applause.) THE LAND QUESTION. Four years ago there had been a littlo depression—nothing very serious, —but money had been scarce and dear. It became neoessary for the Government to dismiss over 1000 of its permanent employees in the public service who had held tneir positions for many years, and had been looking forward to going on to the superannuation age. There was nothing of that to-day, and he did not think that anything of the sort would be necessary as tar as the: little depression of the present war was concerned.—(Applauso.) Land had to be found for settlement in a number of ways. Settlement mu3t nroceed, and it was tho business of the Government to do everything to increase the number of producers. He would go further, and say that the greater the number of freeholders the better it would bo for the country. They had been accustomed to look to the Crown land fo:-r settlement, but it was becoming exhausted. There was still a fairly large area of second-class land, but practically no firstclass land left. r J"he Government had to buy £500,000 worth of land every year. The third method was by the application of tho graduated land tax, and when tho Government entered office it increased that tax on estates of an unimproved value of £30,000 and over —not for revenue purposes, but to cause subdivision. To show that the increase was not tho small thing it was represented, they were getting £43,000 a year out of it. The.t was what the increased tax trought back, but the graduated tax was not quite satisfactory in operation. It did not discriminate between the man making good use of his land and the man making no use of it. If they were going to apply the graduated tax to the large blocks of land the man "who was not doing his duty as a settler should pay most of the taxation. There were large blocks in the country used for pastoral purposes that could never be ci/ltivatcd, just as there were other blocks suitable for cropping and for close settlement. It was no use applying a tax to those blocks that couid not be used in small lots, and ho would discriminate in such a case. He would make the increase automatic He would not apply the higher stages of the- graduated tax till it became nccessary to obtain the lands taxed for settlement, but once it was applied it

should go on automatically, increasing every one, two, or three years until tho block wus subdivided. Injustice had been done in thit past by failure to discriminate between the claims of settlers ho had referred to. i'he tax should be used as a means f or subdivision. Regarding tho agricultural banks, he did not think that wo wanted ono in tliis country in. tho same way as they did in other countries, for we had on one hand the lending department:- of the State, and on the other hand tho Bunk of New Zealand, which was as nearly as possible a State bank. There was now in New Zealand a B*wi]d of Agriculture which met periodically in Wellington. He had referred the correspondence he had had in connection with agricultural banks to the Ixjard, and asked it to make him a reeommcdation. With regard to valuations improvements o-i land -were supposed to lie <■ >:<-11:p:< <1, but he had had complaints regarding t.-ie operation ot the Act. He had instructed tile Valuer-general nt to look for extreme values or to tax improvements in '.mt to be exempted under the Act. r l he complaints had continued, and he had come to the conclusion thnt the Aet was defective, and he had appointed a commission to go to tho different parts of the country from which the complaints came and hear what the complainants had to say, and then make a recommendation as to an amendment of the Act that would meet the situation. lie believed the difficulty was that the Assessment Court was not a satisfactory form of appeal. There were a magistrate and two assessors. The assessor representing the local body wanted more money, and knew that to keep up the valuations was one way of making more, and the ono representing the department also wanted more money. ■ He thought that the commissioner would recommend some more suitable court of appeal than there was now, and if the commission did so he would ask Parliament to give effect to the recommendation.—(Applause.) A Voice: What about canteens on troopships? Mr Massey said he was getting news from the troopships, and the other day he had had word that everything was working well. There was a certain amount of sickness, but everything was going well. It was extraordinary that his opponents should find fault when it was a fact that the Defence Department and its officers arranged with some firms to set up canteens on the ships and charge a certain price for the articles sold. The action of those who found fault was the paltriest thing he had over heard of. There was never a canteen on any of the ships going to South Africa with our troops. In the present case, when it was suggested to tho Minister of Defence that it wou'ld' bo a good thing to have a canteen, he agreed. It was to cigarettes largely that the people running the canteen looked for their profit, and when these were prohibited they put up the prices of other articles. The Government met the difficulty—(applause),—and said " We will take the whole thing over and run it ourselves." They took it over at cost price, and put their own officer in charge, and they were selling the stuff at Cost price, and not making any profit, if not a loss. In Samoa the men were running their own canteens, and any profit went to the regimental funds.—(Applause.) EXTENSION OF SETTLEMENT. Another plank in the Government platform was Facilitating settlement by our energetic, well-planned programme of roads and railways." A Voice: To the ostrich farm. Mr Massey said ho did not object to criticism, but when people touched his private affairs and' made allegations about public money, it was another matter, and this was a matter that would oome before the court soon. Tho hon. gentleman explained his connection with the ostrich farm at Pukekoho at some length. The farm was started many years ago by an enterprising citizen of Auckland, who had since died. On his death a company was formed to carry on the farm, and ho (Mr Massey), as a resident of tho district became a shareholder. The farm was situated next to tho main lino between Auckland and Wellington, and tho branch line to Waiuku was no benefit to it at all. As a matter of fact, the branch line cut off some acrcs of the farm land, and then ran away from it to the town of Waiuku. It was a line that could not possibly benefit tho ostrich farm or the company or any of its shareholders. —(Applause.) A Voice: Tell us something about the Heddon Bush line. Tho Prime Minister: That is a matter for tho Minister of Public Works, but the Hon. Mr Fraser has told me that as Boon as tho people settle their differences with regard to the line he is prepared to go on. with it. —(Applause.) . IRON AND OIL. The policy of promoting the welfare of mining by direct or indirect, assistance was to include iron and oil. At present there was no iron industry in New Zealand, but there was plenty of room for it. The Government had reccsivod offers to establish the iron industry here, but it must be very particular about handing over that matter to any company. We had seen something of the iron deposits of New Zealand, and for Parapara alone he oould say thero was enough iron there to keep this country in iron and steel for ten thousand years.--(Applause.) As for oil, up to the present tho poople of Taranaki who had put their money into the industry had boon unable to get interest on it, because thoy had not been, able to get sufficient oil, and yet tho cil waa there. In such a caso it was the duty pf the Government to go to their assistance. W T hat thoy were going to do was this: One of tho companies had a refinery, and all the oil went there, and tho Government was going to give that company the assistance necessary to put down a deeper bore, so as to keep'tho refinery going.—(Applause.) He went on to say that with regard to the iron industry there was no activity, and they had asked Parliament to offer tho sum <-f ]2s a ton for iron and 20s a ton for 6teel lor or v English or New Zealand company that started operations at Parapara. FRUIT. ■ Thero was also the fruit industry, which was flourishing to such an extent that few people knew how it was developing. Thousands of acres had been planted mat year, and they had splendid markets opening to them in South America. The fruit farmers were not men with a great deal of capital, and they needed 000 l storage in order to market their'crops to the best advantage. He had got Parliament to give £25,000 year, and the same amount this year for that purpose, and the results were already in evidence. It was also necessary that they should have the best information regarding the South American markets, and he had completed arrangements for a well-known Nelson fruit grower to go to South America on the firfit boat to spend some months there and make a report, which would be of advantage to tho whole country. Ho believed that within a few years they would be exporting £1,000,000 worth of apples every year. REFORM POLICY CRYSTALLISED. The Reform plan was commousence government bv the cardinal principles of public health, public wealth, and national saiety, ensuring good turns, good wages, and equal opportunities. TAXATION. Ho referred to the statements that had been made that the Government had increased taxation by 12s lid per head, and asserted that not a single article had had increased Customs taxation placed on it since the Government came into office. 11l the two years of the present Government —tho years 1913 and i.914, ending on March 31— the revenue from taxation increased by 6s 2d. but in the previous three years the revenue from taxation had increased by 18s id It was true that tho Government had increased the graduatc-d land tax, and the tax on incomes, but, if anyone implied that it had increased the Customs duties, he gavo it an unqualified denial. He asked anyone to think of a single article on -which the Government had increased the Customs duties. No one couid think of a single article. Certainly, it was intended last year to revise the tariff, and do away with a number of anomalies, but time did not permit of tho work being taken in hand, and, as matters were now, it would not be advisable to ta.ke it up until some of the present difficulties were out of the way. Tho point was, however, that the Government had never increased the taxation as far ,as Customs duties -were concerißd. —(Applause.) THE HUNTLY DISASTER. Tho Government was being accused of being responsible for the sad disaster that occurred at Iluntly a few months ago. The charge was being made that if the Kill of 1912 had been passed into law in that year —the accident could not have occurred. Ho would deal with tho point first. In 1912 it was necessary, on acoount of tho financial position and on account of the fact that the Government was sending tho Defence Minister to England to raise a loan, to close the session as early as possible, and a number of bills had to stand over in consequence. He might explain that tho Mining Bill or Coal Mines Bill required to bo sent to the Mines Committee so that the evidence might be taken oil it. Th ; s" generally took some weeks. It was tho duty and bu»inres of the Minister of Public Works to prepare a Public Works Statement, and this also occupied a considerable time —certainly a month, and probably more. In 1913 it was intended to go on with the Coal Mints Bill and the Minir.g Bill, but for tho last two months of tho session thero was very serious industrial trouble in various parte of the dominion,

and nearly all the coal miners were on strike. Then there was obstruction that year, when many weeks wore -wasted deliberately by the Opposition Party. l'he Minister was compelled to allow tho Bill to stand over till this year. He was quite ready to go on with tho Bill last session, and, a» a matter of fact, both Bills were subsequently paesod into law. So much by way of giving reasons for delay, but the important question was: If the Bill had been passed would it have made any difference? Tho Hon. Roderick M'Kenzie, who was an authority on mining, and an ex-Minister of Minee, said it would not have made the slightest difference. Mr Bishop, formerly manager of the State coal mines, gave evidence to the effect that there was quite sufficient power in the old Act to ensure the safety of the miners, and that the mining inspector could, if he felt 60 inclined, order tho men out of the mine and only allow them to go back on condition that safety lamps were used. Another gentleman, who was an ex-mining inspector, had also expressed the same opinion. Moreover, ho stated that he had closed down two coal mines on the West Coast ajid had compelled safety lamps to bo used in another. There was no difficulty under tile old Act, which he considered quite sufficient for the purpose. The Solicitor-general, to whom the matter wae referred, nad stated officially that in his opinion tho oid law in operation was operative and sufficient for the purpose. The commission that was appointed never' suggested that, thero was any blame attached to the Minister of Mines or to the Government, The Minister of Mines, on being not : fied that there -was a dagger of a gas explosion, gavo instructions in accordance with the request made to him by the permanent head of tho department for a legal opinion to be taken, a prosecution to follow if lioocssary. This, however, was not done, us the legal firm which was consulted by the mining inspector expressed the opinion that the ease was not strong enough. The explosion realiy occurred through a miner going with a naked light into the old working-., where there was a quantity of gas, setting the gas ablaze, and this in turn exploded tho coal duet, of which there seemed to have been a lartre quantity in the mine. These ■were the actual facts, and h - was sure that all right-thinking people would agree with him that it was not the r ; ght, sort of thing out of which capital should bq made against the Government. —(Applause. They might as well say that all tramway accidents that occurred up to the time of the present Government taking office were due to the neglect of previous Governments, and that they had been stopped by the passing of the Tramways BUI in charge of the present Minister of Public "Works. —(Applause.)

At tliis stage someone at th-e roar of the hall called for three cheers for Sir J. G. Ward. Mr Massey patiently waited for some seconds, but there was not the slightest response. "Dead silence," remarked the Prime Minieter. amid laughter, exactly describing: the situation. THE LATE STRIKE. He then went on to deal with the strike. Apparently, he said, it was influencing the elections to a great extent, and tie would probably take the gloves off before he had finished with the matter. It was actually said that he had engineered tho strike, had been responsible for it, and had made no attempt to settle it before it went too far; but he had done his level beet to bring it to an end before it had spread any further than Wellington. Mr Massey described the events subsequent to the strike and until it fizzled out. At one time ho had thought that there would lje losß of life, judging by the talk of the strike leaders. They hod bilked of shedding blood, and had declared that New Zealand would be the first Socialistic country in the Pacific. The strike had been ended without bloodshed or much damage to property, but by doing what it thought to bo its duty the Government had incurred the hostility of a section of tho community known as " Red Feds." These hated tho Government like poison, and would get it out of office that evening if they could, and would not stop at that. An allianoe had been entered into between theeo people and thoeo who up till the present had been calling themselves Liberals for the purpose of ousting the Government. A Voice (of on© of tho audience departing, according to his express intention, before 10 o'clock): Good-bye, Bill. Mr Maseey: No; au revoir. lam coming back after the. elections. —(Applause.) What, Mr Maesey ask.ed, would bo the result of putting into power a Government that was at tho feet of the men who led the strike? Let the audience look at those who called themselves tho present Opposition in Parliament. They comprised freeholders, leaseholders, Freetraders, Protectionists, Socialists, publicans, and brewers, "Red Feds, " "spoon feds," and " well feds" — (laughter)—and they were the ones who expected the people te> turn the present Government down to make room for them, but the people -would not do it. Ho had hoard of Josepih'e ooat of mant colours, but Joseph's coat was nothing to Joseph's party. —(Uproar and laughter.) There might be a little similarity in one respect—Joseph's coat might havo had a rod tail. Joseph's party had a red tail, and red by itself was a dangerous colour and riot to be trusted.— (Roars of laughter.) Mr Massey quoted from a speech by Mr Hiram Hunter, a Social Democratic candidate in Christchurch, to prove the alliance. Were the people going to put into power an alliance consisting of men who would do their utmost, and actually did their utmost last year, to ruin the country by inciting the wretched strike that ccet directly very little short of £100,000, and indirectly many hundred thousands? Their policy and what they wanted to do were known. Would they be given the opportunity of doing so?— Cries of " No, no. ) Ho believed that the answer of the people on polling day would b© in tho negative. Three dheera for Sir Joseph Ward were here given by a small minority at the back of the hall " That is only the red tail" eaid Mr Massey.—(Laughter.) Mr A. Gerrard moved, and Mr J. Henderson seconded, the following motion: — " That th's meeting desires to thank Mr Maesey for his very able and instructive address, and expresses continued confidence in the Government of which ho is the distinguished head, and its high appreciation of that Government's statesmanlike action in oonncction with tho recent strike." The motion was carried unanimously amid a burst of cbeorp, which lasted for somo seconds.