MATAURA ELECTORATE

Southland Times, Issue 17811, 19 November 1914, Page 3

MATAURA ELECTORATE

MR G. J. ANDERSON AT GORE. The Princess Theatre, Gore, avos well filled on Tuesday evening notwithstanding tlie heavy rain, when Mr G. J. Anderson, the sitting member for Mataura, ad-dre-ssed the electors. The Mayor (.Mr D. McFarlane). who occupied tiie chair, said lie was there to introduce -Mr Anderson, who would give an account of Ids stewardship in Lie late Parliament. He. Xthe speaker) was sure those present would give Mr Anderson a fair hearing. He had great pleasure in introducing Mr Anderson lo tlie audience. — (Applause.) .Mr Anderson, who was received with applause, said iie took it as a great compliment that so many should turn out to hear him '") such a wet night. Six years ago the electors had done him llie. honour lo send him to Parliament. He had cndo'avonrcd to do his duty, and if ids act ions met with their approval j lie expected they would send Idm hack \ again. If not, of course they would; send I'im to the right-about. i THE EMPIRE AND THE WAIL , (:mui""ing. Mr Anderson stated that j the present wax an unfortunate time ; for liie British Empire’, which with its brave allies was engaged in a 'ifn-and- 1 death struggle against Prussian mili- j tarisra. During (ho lasl day or two WO , had recoil oil news of the death of c one of Britain’s greatest soldiers, ' Earl Roberts* the man wb,o had spared no efforts lo arouse the nation lo a sense of its responsibility in military j mailers. By his death a great soldier and statesman had been removed, and (he whine Empire mourned for him. (M'R NAVAL POLICY. Whiie speaking of llie war tm 'the speaker' said lie would like to refer to the naval policy, which had been ex°r- , ising (he mind of 'lie country for some eousideisiile lima. .After referring to Hie gift of tin- Dreadnought Mr Anderson said that Sir Joseph* Ward when on a trip to the Home Country entered into an agreement with the Admirn'ty to place on onr shores two Bristol cruisers, three dost rovers and two submarines, tin 1 New /.ealand t Jovc-m nient lo pay a subsidy of Cl "".00". This agreement the Admiralty did mu adhere to. When Hon. Jas. Alien( the present Defence Minister! visited England ho urged tlie Admiralty to carry tlie agreement made with Sir Joseph Mat’d, hut Mr Winston Churchill ' First Lord ~f i fie Admiralty) declined to do so. Mr Allen even offered extra if Hie I.j-ogra innle arranged was gone on nilit. blit Mt Churchill would not agree, as the shins could ""t lie spared. New /.ealand was now paying £103,000 annually in subsidy and £ I.•>0.0(10 extra in interest and sinking fnnil for the Dreadnought. I The Government's proposal now was to 1 i]o as Australia was doing--to build her j own navy, which would he manned by Jour own men when they were qualified. . he used for tlie protection of onr own i casts and trade, and which would in I time of war pass automatically under | the control of the imperial Naval auth- ' orities. The Government's proposition i was I" build one Bristol erniser at a ! cost of £400,000 as a first "nil. Dor- ; mg the last few months, if it had not (men for the Australian Navy we would hive he'-" totally unprotected, and the conseqiieneen might have been veryserious. We certainly had three gunheats which were quite unable lo stand up to such vessels as llie Belt a rnlmrU | ami Gneisenatt. AVe hurt been shown i during it"- Inst few days what a Bristol ! erui“er could do by putting out of act jon ..I' the Ftnden by H..M.A.S Sydney, Mr A Urn when at Home had been informed by I He British Government that the British taxpayer was prepared to pay for tlie defence of the heart of the nation and of the overseas dominions. If we did ns Austrnlin was doing, and we had even one Bristol erniser, we would ham' added one unit to the imperial Navy. This eonld he done without increased taxation and would not. cost any more in faet._ not nearly so nine'll - as what was proposed hv a previous Government. When the then Defence Minister I Sir Joseph AVardi was in England in 1311 he sttg■■ested that every 'person in the British Empire should he taxed at the rate of K's per head in order to inerease tlie ,N;ivy. If returned to Parliament lie (Air Anderson) would support the local navy scheme of the pre.stem Government. — (Applause.) HIS POLICY. The speaker said lie wanted to make char the pul icy lie stood for. as lie wanted a certain amount of freedom if they again returned him. AVhen a question of confidence arose he would support the party he had the most confidence in, and he had more confidence in the Government lh«u he. had in any of its opponents. But if legislation was introduced along tlie lines mentioned l.y him. lie would vote for it. He wanted taxation to be placed on tiie proper shoulders. The Customs tariff and the land tax could be improved. Ho wanted an extra tax on large estates, so as to tiring about smalt holdings, iind more intense cultivation. Ho wanted to have the Customs tariff adjusted so that as far as possible the necesities of tlie people would lie relieved, and the burden placed upon those who were better able to bear the brunt. The ( ostotus tariff had nut been arnondod since the year 1307. and the .axalion through that source should he adjusted. The Liberal Government had placed hardly any taxon motor cars, but it had put 3" per cent, on perambulators; from cocoa and chocolates, £Bo'll' n year was derived; frillts, fislt and simiiar articles were heavily taxed: MO.OOO a year was derived from corrugated iron, and so on He would take Hi" duty off these articles, and put them on others. Corrugated iron was taxed at the rate of I os. yet flies, which 'vere used by tile rich iuan. were admitted free. The duty on lolaic.cn was 3s f.d per ih. and lie was o! opinion that it should in- reduced to 3s t'.d if possible. Road-rollers and such machinery should he free. Tlie loss ol ( revenue could he made up l.y putting an extra lax on brewers equal t" 3d a gallon on beer. But. this tax should he so placed that it could not reach the consumer. There should lie a lax on large estates of first-class land suitable I'm' subdivision. The graduated tax commenced at £7."00 and increased gradually to £3(1.000 when 27, per cent was levied. Me would make the graduated 1 tax commence at f7r.ua. He thought the I exemption from taxation of £7.0" was j ton low. and lie would make it £73". Tlie I p.-a],■ y of land taxation should largely j hea.r a relation t" tiie productivity 01. the land taxed. When properties were over £2.7.000 in value, a brealung-np tax should lie put on. Tiie same principle I should apply to land near towns and ' near railways. Leasehold tenants i should have their improvements made I secure. AVhat was wanted was a louse ! that would give back t" the leaseholder I all he put into Hie land. T'aal might | tie impossible in some cases, hut then i it would be better to sell such land, and liny lirst-ela.ss land near the cities or other lands. Special provision ! should l.e made for farm labourers to acquire land. , if a fa.rm labourer could save £2OO or £3OO it seemed to him that it would pay the country to assist flint man to obtain land. Tiie farm labourer had served his apprenticeship, and on the land tie would make hotter use of his money than would tlie man from the town Tiie country should thou assist him to stock his land and give him a fair start. Virgin hush lands when hushl'elling and draining had lo he done should he exempt from rales, and to as large an extent as possible from rent. 1 Then the State ought to try and acquire | some, phosphate islands, and should e.x- ---| ercise supervision over shipping. He I favoured a hoard of commerce to deal with prices and with monopolies, as they worked excellently well in other countries. Unless that board was ap- | pointed tlie reduction lie had mentioned I in the Customs would he ineffective. 1 The speaker said that he believed Hint. | girl and women workers in the cities ! o.nd towns were not. receiving an adei quale wage in many eases, and if rej turned to Parliament he would dn his best whatever Governmonl was in power, to bring a better state of affairs about.’ He thought this matter could tie rasilv and satisfactorily dealt with by ' the Arbitration Court, but. if not. Bel- : t Pr conditions would have to he nhtaiui ed through some other channel. _ It was I a mot on our eivilisa.tion that women ■ workers should be adequately paid.— t Applause.) Mr Anderson Siiul lie favoured tnc ro» fcremlum principle, and considered the Nelson system of religious education would serve all purposes in this country. CONCLUSION. In conclusion Mr Anderson said ho thought tiie GovernnieiM bad ('one excellent work in spite of strikes, pestilence uml war. If elected he would vote for the present Government ns against, the present Opposition, but !"■ would support any division in fuAOur of proportional representation, mcrea-md gradu-

ate land tax. minimum wage Inr workers. 55 per cent, or bare majority on licensing question, and general rrl'-r----endum. If elected be would continue, to cast his vote in the way in which lie thought it would be best lor the country and for tlie electorate. n.nd he sought their votes, though he did beg for them If they considered lie had done his dut\ r to his constituents and that he was a fit and proper person to Do their representative, they would vote lor him. and if they thought otherwise they would vole against him. A large number of questions xvere asked and answered, and these will be published in oxtenso in to-morrow’s issue, Tlie speaker resumed his seat amid applause. Mr Titos. Green moved. " 1 fiat Mr ■Anderson hr thanked for his able address and that this meeting lias perfect confidence in him as member for the district and the Government lie represents" Tlie speaker considered Air Anderson t» be tlie best representative they bad had. i\!r T. Sim the motion winch was carried with a good deal of dissent at tlie hack of tlie building. Air Anderson briefly returned thanks and the meeting terminated with a vote of thanks to tiie chair.