SOUND ADMINISTRATION

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10985, 7 November 1928, Page 5

SOUND ADMINISTRATION

THE REFORM GOVERNMENT MR G. R. SYKES AT KAITAWA. Mr G. R. Sykes, official Reform candidate for tlxe Masterton seat, addressed a good number of electors in the Kaitawa Hall last evening. Mr Eric Whitcombe was voted to the chair. The candidate gave a most convincing address, and was accorded a very patient hearing. AN OLD FAVOURITE. After the chairman had briefly introduced the speaker, Mr Sykes informed the electors that he was 1 again before them to seek their sufj&jages. In a well-settled district like Tkaitawa with its happy community, his presence was not needed, at other times, so lie was able to devote his attentions to districts like Akitio, where assistance was badly required. He had represented the Masterton constituency for the past 17 years, having been first returned in 1911.

He thought all would agree that during the last 15 or 16 years it had been a most critical and anxious time for the people of this country. There had been the strike in 1913,

the Great War. and the inevitable slump which followed and put many farmers off tic land. For years there

had been a financial depression that

gave the individual as well as the Government food for thought. The majority, certainly, had weathered the storm. East year came a ray of sunshine and the primary producer had a good run. Mr Sykes confidently believed that the present year

would be equally good, r.nd hoped that such would be the case for several years to come. The prosperity of this country depended on the price obtained for its products on the London market, and if the farmer was prosperous all sections of the community prospered too. Right throughout this critical period the Government had endeavoured to keep its finances sound and had always managed to show good surpluses, in Australia, on the other hand, there was not one State that balanced its budget. There was a lot of development yet to do in the Dominion for which borrowing was essential, so the aim was to keep New Zealand’s credit on the London market high. The last loan floated was for £5,©OO,OOO at IQs with 41 per cent interest and it had been subscribed imes over. This was a clear and conclusive indication that the affairs of the country were being pretty well managed. The aim of the Government was to taper down the borrowing till all requirements could be bo; r.nved within the confines of the Dominion. Sill .JOSEPH WARD'S MILLIONS. Rut Sir .Joseph Ward was not content with two or three million a year. He proposed to borrow £70,000, (MM) m one year. It was not suggested that this should be spent in one year but nevertheless the arr.‘ iigement to borrow it would I.e made. Sir Joseph proposed to bellow at 41 per cent. at 95. This money. when all charges were made. actuaries estimated would work out approximately at 5 per cent, and yet it was going to be loaned out at 45 per cent. This was impossible. And who would have to pay the piner? V. hy, the tax-payer. What was more, it was impossible for any country to borrow £60,000,000 on the London market in this manner, but ii Sir Joseph Ward thought New Zealand could surely then the country could not he said to be maladministered. There could not be much wrong if the country could borrow that amount on fts credits. By reason of his attitude over this huge loan Mr Sykes ventured the opinion that Sir Joseph would find difficulty in winning liis own seat at .Invercargill despite all the fireworks an his manifesto. NATIONAL DEBT. At the present time the country’s ordinary debt, in round figures, was £139,000,000; war debt, £72,000,000: State Advances, £31.000,000; and discharged soldiers. £9.000,000; making the total national debt £251,000.000. A most satisfactory phase of this was the fact that £107,000,000 of it had been borrowed in New Zealand so that it did not represent, altogether, a financial weakness. His opponent. Air W. Thompson, had said the taxation of this country was £23 per head. This was incorrect, as the sum was £ll 8s od. This, of course, excluded local rates. The policy of the Government was to endeavour to reduce taxation as much as possible on all concerned, and insi'iid encourage capital to come into the country. r.VKM PLOYAIEXT. One question engaging serious attention was unemployment, which was life throughout the world today as an aftermath of the war. America one of the* most prosperous nations in the world, and with the 1 i sliest protective tariff, yet had 3.T00.(K)0 unemployed, or one to every forty persons. In Grent Britain. too. unemployment was rife and Mr Sykes failed to see how it could be. made a party question. The Unites! Party and Labour inferred that if either of them got into power there would be work found and prosperity tor all. The Prime Minister had set np a committee, consisting oi Government employers' and em-

ployees’ representatives. This committee would map out a programme in advance for the absorption of surplus labour, and it was hoped would do a great deal of good. Take a freezing industry like Waingawa, for instance. It employed a large number of men for a portion of the year and then necessarily had to close down. In the past many of these men were absorbed in bushfelling, scrub-cutting and such work, hut that was not now offering to any extent. IMMIGRATION.

The immigration policy of the Government had also been condemned. Britain had made an appeal to the Dominion to absorb some of its xnilion and more who were on the dole in the Old Country to-day and New Zealand had agreed to take 8,000 to 10,000 a year. Possibly the hounds of moderation had been over-stepped but these migrants were a good class of people and were out here to make good. ON THE LAND. Reference had been made to the number of people driven off the land. We 11 as a matter of fact, from 1917 to 1922 13,500 odd had gon© off the land but at the same time 15,000 odd others had gone on it, an increase of 2,259. Production was increasing by leaps and bounds and this was what counted. Labour was not ,employed on the land to the extent as formerly, machines taking its place. He instanced the case of a man and wife in this district who alone, with the aid of machines, milked 80 cows and did it quite successfully. In 1912 there were 2,000,090 cattle in the Dominion and in 1927 3,250,000; in 1912 there were 24,009.000 sheep, and in 1927 25,600,000. The lamb carcases exported in 1912 were 3,190,000 and in 1927 5,540,000 ; wool exported ill 1912 was worth £202,000,000 and in 1927 £226.000.000. In 1912 the butter produced was 327.000 c-wt and in 1927 1,238,000 cwt; cheese produced in 1912 463,000 cwt and in 1927 1,515,000 cwt. How could it be said that the country was mal-administered F The value of live stock products at standard values in 1912 was £19,860,000, and in 1926 £40,800,090. This showed production to be doubled and was proof conclusive that the administration of this country was not so bad alter all and reflected credit on the primary producer wh 0 had put his shoulder to the wheel. ADVANCES TO SETTLERS. Mr Svkes detailed the enormous sum. £50.000.000 lent by the State Advances Office to the settlers and the workers. SECONDARY INDUSTRIES. "With regard to secondary industries the Government first- ensured that they were established on a firm economic basis. It could be shown that secondary industries were quite important in New Zealand and were growing steadily. In 1912 the number employed in them was 4,400; in 1927 5088. The employees in 1912 were 56,000 and in 1927 81.000. The wages paid were £5,570,000 and £17.000.000 respectively, and the output was valued at £31,800,000. and £83,000,000. These industries were necessary to absorb the boys and girls leaving school every year. In passing lie mentioned that the Customs tariff was highest on spirits, win© and beer and cigarettes and tobacco (all luxuries) representing 36.3 of the whole of the customs tariff collected. Foodstuffs were only taxed when it was necessary to protect the local product. ACT IYTTY 1 X FO R ESTR Y. The candidate dealt with the Government's forestry activities at Rotorua which had been very active for the last few years, there being now 133.997 acres of man-made forests there, 21,000,000 trees, and employment for 1400 men. In 1921 the cost to plant an acre of trees had been £lO. To-dav it was but 30s. An asset was being set up that in the years to come New Zealand could boast of. It was hoped by 1935 to have 300,000 acres planted. MORE PRODUCTION. In this locality also was undeveloped land that promised greater productivity and which was to be given a trial. MANY BENEFITS TO THE PEOPLE. The candidate touched on the question of pensions and enumerated the greater benefits conceded. The hand of practical sympathy had, too, he said, been extended to the workers in the cities to establish homes. The primary prodner, the struggling farmers, had been assisted by the Government- in many ways. Endeavours were being made to get the pork industry on a good footing, as well as the poultry, honey, and fruit trade. Subsidies, also had been granted to herd testing; the free carriage of lime for the farmers had cost £31.000, and reduced freights on fertilisers had run to £7t7086. BETTER ROADS. The greatly increased cost of roading and the relief brought about by

the institution of the Highways Board was referred to by the speaker. A SAFE ADMINISTRATION.

Concluding, Mr Sykes said his party did not make rash promises. It offered a sane, safe ■administration to meet all sections of the community. Ev,ery aid would he given to the primary producer ou the one hand and the worker on the other, but it was recognised that the prosperity of the individual, and the country depended on the exertions and the economy of that individual. (Applause). QUESTIONS. Mr A. S. Olulow condemned the practice of changing teachers so frequently at the country schools, and asked for the Government’s view on the matter. Mr Sykes agreed that it was a frequent- cause for complaint, and th,e policy seemed to him to be wrong. It was not in the best interests of the children. The whole policy, however, was dictated by the board and not th© Government. He recounted Mr C-lulow to approach the board representative, Mr Alex Donald, on the matter. He said also that fre©. correspondence classes were being instituted for a secondary course for country children. “Are you in favour of prohibition?” asked a lady.

“1 keep off the grass with that,” answered the candidate. “I’ve got friends on both sides of the road.” However, lie had always voted for the bare majority in the House, he added. On the motion of Air Eric Whitcombe, seconded by Air A. S. Clulow, a vote of thanks ad confidence was accorded the candidate by acclamation.

The usual vote was passed to the chair.