ELECTION CAMPAIGN.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 15079, 29 November 1919, Page 11

ELECTION CAMPAIGN.

MR K. S. WILLIAMS AT TE ■ y. KARAKA. Tliere was a very .good attendance m the Te Karaka bail fast, evening, when Mr X, S. Williams delivered an address m connection with his candidature for the Bay of Plenty seat. The speaker ivas accorded a sympathetic and attentive hearing throughout,- and a hearty vote >f thanks was carried at the conclusion jf the meeeting. Mr C H. Bridge presided, and m. jpening the meeting, said that the genjral elections were now upon them, and ;he electors m the district, as well as throughout New Zealand had & great luty before them to choose the best representatives offering as members of Parliament. Now tiie great war was )ver, for which they were all thankfid, ;here were great post-war problems to je overcome, and it behoved the electors ;o choose the man, who, m their opinon, was most favoralble to foster the nterests of the district and to face the serious problems which, perforce had to be dealt with hy Parliament. Ihe elecors had to. seriously consider and judge jet-ween the various candidates who were jffering their services* so . that their vote would 'be recorded to the man ;vho, m their* opinion was most just and, right. In introducing Mr Williams,. Jie Chairman said that many knew the candidate better than he himself d : d personally. He could only say as a jublic man that Mr Williams was ft man of integrity and uprightness, and whatever matter, was taken m hand hy him would be carried out "m a thorough a.ud conscientious -manner, m tho best interests, not only of the district, hut of the who'e Dominion. CANDIDATE'S' PARTY LEANING. Mr Williams, m opening amid applause, said ho. had again offered himself as a candidate for election as the result of a petition from electors m his district, who had said that if ho did not stand they would then be deprived of their vote. Tho petition was signed, by •i, fair proportion of returned soldiers, inrl he considered it was' his duty to dp what he could to carry out their wishes*. He was a candidate at this: election with ;i, leaning towards the ' Reform party rather than tho Liberals, but ho w r as not bound to either. Mr Massuv had wired him that ho was recognised as the'of[icial Roform candidate, but he had 1 told Mr Massey that he was not going to follow him blimlly on questions m which ho didi li: i -bVieVe. *'-V J- VXD SETTLEMENT. Tlie SJ.V .-;■.> r went on to say thftt perliaps the Muestioii' of greatest interest and most importance was that of land settlement and -the existing stale of partially productive and unproductive land, rhe Government had to meet great expense consequent on the wai\ and by a soiindi ' progressive policy of increased production th© public .were more likely to get rid of the debt quicker than hy a-^ po 'icy of stagnation. The pappile of New' Zealand ' war© -unanimous m the idea that returned .soldiers should he assisted. The number' of men to deal with all over New Zealand m this respect necessitated that more machinery should' be put iiv motion. Instead of only one land board as at present* lie would like to see mor^ boards set up? who would be acquainted with the. local climatic conditions -aiid •with' general local knowledge concerning the productive quality of the land. If local boards were appointed it iwould have the effect of settling down the men on the land quicker, than under. the present method. He considered that ail estates should come under the review of the board.,instead of as at present* only the laud under offer. Of any land 1 ilbt suitablefor cutting up Into smaller' sections ;tjhe owners would make i thoir contribution by taxation on the land. There w^re plenty of men quit© able to take up land who were delayed from doing so, as ■.here was insufficient machinery to deal with the matters connected' iwitb'settiling . them. He did not believe that .-soldierippT.icar.ls should be given land/, iri mother district than that m which,- lie snlisted, and where he would bo "unacquainted with the people aiid local' eon-' litions .The. speaker pointed l out tliat tfie opening up 'of land was", a very im^, portant policy— df not 'the most important policy of the Dominion. Many".returned soldiers who were suitable.; would be wiping to go on unbroken land. 'Tlie question .was «is to the best way of leading with these lands. Tlie Govern--, ment held considerable areas of land which had hot been opened up. By way of illustration he pointed out that some scheme could -be devised; say. tliat ihe -Government took up 3000 acres' and put a returned soldier m charge of a lumber of soldiers desiring o.and to carry aut tho falling, fencing, and, sowing, which coaild be done hy contract or day abor, and when tins was completed/ jut up for selection - a-ndl the successful ipplicants placed on it.. The- properties 'you'd be* incohie producing' from" the start. . This .scheme would, benefit each md .every, 'setyler beside being cheaper For the nien, m that the land they had ,aken up would immediately be revenue producing. It would be also cheaper for .the country, which would have to md the .-money. Some men would like 1 to tako up their own land and battle; with it themselves, but nevertheless ho .'onsidered it an important matter that! ;hc .i-oadarSivihg access should bo madol :u the sections immediately they .are ivailablo for selection, and not 15 to 20 /ears afterward:!, as had been th© case n the past. (Applause). , NATIVE LAM) QUESTION. The candidate expressed , liie opinion iliat the,nativ»* land question -was onojf great interest to tho whole of -the North Island,., and: the. settlement' of it seemed ho nearer as th© yeara went by. Ho. was not m. favor, of compulsory ta'kl ng bf native laiid, tout lie considered that noro detcrfnination should be shown m persuading; hatlvies, 'to "put" their interests through] the Native Land Court, md have thdhlocka deiined and, ' . if necessary, their interests consolidated tn.many cases th© natives. could tako. up then* land and work 'it, in 'that way paying their ' share "of taxation . A good many were kept back by the dilatory and, ouiprpgi;essive policy of other natives interested m that land. 'The natives were .prepared to standi shoulder to shouMef-with th© w-hite people, and they should bo allowed to. take their i>art ivith- , them m the Dominion. The.ro was wi anomoly fis regards vthe half-castes, who were taken, on to the liurope&n roll and allpwed to vote. They were, 'how3ver, deprived of certain provisions which were allowed to th© white man: Phis was mot right, and they ehotuld have th© same concessions as tljo European. AFFCRESTATION. Another Vqrastiion was. rthaifc of'.i'e-i planting v^ , roas,;tlia t u^-er©,. suitable ' or • re ; planting, and not suitable for agricultural, work. _ The .Government shoiittd take ihterewt m this work, and get good idyice t as to the-'riglit. sort 'of trees, to plant. 'It. was the^duty .'<?# Iho Government to the people to see that something wias doii© m ( thjS, rfisp.oct v <!?omotbing iras being'done, "b'iit> it' was not enough, md it \yQ9 theii* duty to thoso who came niter them to* see- something done. LOCAL, BODY SUBSIDIES. On© mattei' he would like to see was m alteratiqii m^de an Mier. treatment of ocal ,, bodies .by « the . Government. Tlie present system of obtaining' assistance by. grants he did not approve of, Counjies should b© classified. according to the requixemfeiita. of ■ roaxi • niaimieriance, ancl subsidies*, for assistance -mad©* according, to the traffic. "' Such routes as the Mama-' ivatu Gorge should be kept entirely' by the Government, as it was v practically the main and only thoroughfare .for all traffic. Th© general principle should be by direct eubsidy. It was ■ not quite a fair proposition to putVa member of the distnet under a pledge to try to get

' v6tbS''""for "any- ivirticufar roads. The present system of voting sums did not seem to him. a right one. • When an arnoimt was «?efc aside m Parliament for certain roads it did not necessarily signify that saich- -amounts 'were expend cd., > as plans,, and .specifications had first to be approved of. If th c local bodies had direct, subsidy, they would know exactly what their income tor ihe year -vrould' be, and thus be enabled to spend the money •m summer time, when the work iwould he far mor© satisfactory than if don© m tho winter, months. , ; , i .... BA'CK-BLOpK S.-E.TTLERS. Ho thought that at th© best there lind been a lack- of rsyhipathy shown for settlers m .the: back-block districts. There was a big. cry Tuade.for people to go into the back .country.t o develop it, but when t-hiey got Vthere. ftiey -wer© left to shift for therqaelyes.. Ho referred to the im : pprta'nt of facilities being provide eel ; instructioni. of children. (Applause.) "V. The! , ; c^ildi*en were the cpunjtry I s best ass*it»' a^id' hi his opinimi tlip.'. country children Vwgr« the biggest asset of all.- . ; NunihersVof children- at tl^e. present tiih© v receiyexll', no education unless their parenU sent them, to a township iwhere tliere was a scliool. There ' wci-e two other matters which required looking well into— (l) .The -.establishment ...ef -.nursing, homes throughout tlfo district, where nursing -assistance could be provided for, m. cases. where accident had. happened, and the facilities of speedy transport were not. possible. (Applause.*) (2) The establishment of maternity homes, which-.,.w0u1d be of great value to the country settlers ;., particularly if a qualified nurse- was' in charge. (Applause.) " . LABOR AND CAPITAL, Another' question which loomed before our -eyes to-day was the"'-" eternal squabble between labor and capital. He was . willing to admit that there were faults ; on both sides, and that a great deal of public, friction was caused, m his opi-.iion, through' lack of proper sympathy .be-, tween' the parties, who should try "to get a better- understanding than had existed m the past. (Applause.) The only way to compete successfully with other nations was* for each. party "to do their little bit' to help along their fellow-men.. The war ha_t taught, all a. hitter lessen, aud the men .had learned m tliat ■ gamo tho interests of labor and capital dSd not exist, and. 'the same should be; lhc- : casu m d\*ii life if ju»G- consideration was given to the turns. and" 'objects "of 'each, faction. ! Poverty Bay had'heeh- neglected m the past from inaction and retarded .'development. A matter -in .the policy of dei vclopmcnt .was, tlie expenditure on the i railway, which wiis of vital importance to the i dpyelPpme,n.t of this huge dlstiict. i lf ho was not elected, ho would still continue, as bofore, to bring to the notice of those m. authority the neglect which this district had' suffered. j r COST OF LIVING. I The cost of; living was m the minds of many; he-co'uid not telJ them how to spilve it,. ; but he wpuld do . his best to otry.;o try. ; to keep the [cost down*, to' the lowest •possible limit. Soine "of the things thai were essential were excessive m price, ' and .there was something wrong somewhere. That wanted finding out, and ho would do. his best .to "see ithat matters, wero righted and the cost brought down. " ' ' -.' ■ I In conclusion, ,. Mr. Williams said he -had tried 1 to make his points clear as to the question of interest-, m a district such as., theirs. ... He was not a pubHc speaker, and 'perhaps was unable to express f. himself as clearly as he desired .ijVi.sbmo matters,.'.':. Thero -were things which' required pushing on m this .dis-r trict, and if ""the honor wa,s done him i& bo elected he would 'use : his best endeavors to have, them carried out. He did nob wish to take up (time m criticising: other. . candidates. t He had told them what. he woujd.try.to dp if returned.;.,- .* „ , „-■;. . QUESTIONS. Mr. 0. H. Bridge, as .delegate to the East Coast Railway and Development League, asked the speaker if he would be willing to sign the pledges urging on development of the East' Coast. Mi*; -Williams, replied, stating that he had /-pleasure^ .m ,_>igriingythe, pledges. . Tlie- development" of the district was a most important tiling and it should be pushed on as quickly as, possible. (Applause.) "... '„ '; ;. ' ','. „\-\ V .-■ . .... V '''Another quostioh' asked ny Afr Bridge was tlie. candidate's yipwß op the liquor question. Wdliiaj^is said "he did not ■touch .the liquor 'qn^tibn^ .'because it was decided by ihe ./people.., apart from* the Parliamentary Vclec.tio^...ahd,"ythe question was generally^ shelved by candidates. His oavii views were .perhaps a hit more radical -than, ..some., people's. He was pot. a prohjhitiqnis't-, nor did he hold, auy brief for. hrewers.- Ho was not .m fqvor of State control. /Jhis matter, however, was. re^er.rpd to .the individual-, ity of the people. Personally he would liko to see the yoto. taken .every seven' years on this quest-ion*, for .-two reasons. First that if continuation was carried it would give tliem,.* reasonahle period to, give .more attention to,- the- accommoda- / ition^portiou of the houses. Ho . would like t0 ... see . nibre^ license's, granted' inthis district.: (Applause.) -. Hot-el ' accommodation Avas 20 \; years behind the times, and the population had increased enormously during tho past few year?. Ho understood! ; that if prohibition was carried -aift/hov next election licenses lyould still havo ono or • two years to? run . before expiring and by -that '-.-time another election would be coping around uiider Vtlio ;preserit' system. ■ -j | Mvl-C G. Holdsworth, m moving a vote' .of „-thanks, -thanks to Miv, Williams, said they were lucky- m having a man ' of his stamp coming forward. "He was jiipt . gaanipg anythhig^yhy- it, and they wja.'© .TtVery •• well tf avoided ;in. having hinv as a "bandidate. '" '- ' • , . -' ' Mr G.JW; ; Hnniphreys seconded tlie mofticm, arid "rpf^rred to the pleasure it gavo' electors that at last someone of independent opinion h^d come forward. ;tired:ix?f party politics.! Thfe- hiaii was wanted would attend , to vtho. jvants of .t^p district- bpfore any.party questions. '.«. Mr. Williams could bo relied upon to • protect the interests of tins district and .party could "go to hang;" Tlie hiotion was -carried unani- ] nmnsly. ' „<. ••-*• ■ I miv Williams thanked those present* for tho attentive hearing accorded him. • "He" did not think that anybody offering himself m a public capacity should look, for "gain, ' His gain should bo the 'benefiting .of,, his ; fellowmenV ' . ",'jt .yotpof^ thanks to the chairman on 'tlie nidifioh^'of the speaker was carried by acclamation.'.,. . - ,