AWRA SEAT

Southland Times, Issue 19690, 24 October 1925, Page 8

AWRA SEAT

THE GOVERNMENT CANDIDATE MR J. R. HAMILTON AT LOCHIEL REFORM ADMINISTRATION DEFENDED. There was a big gathering in the Lochiel Hall last night when the Government candidate for Awarua, Mr J. R. Hamilton, addressed the electors under the chairmanship of Mr McDonald. The chairman, in introducing the candidate, said he was pleased to see so many present, and he hoped they were all in good fighting form, as this was the fighting period of the election. They all knew Mr Hamilton as an upright and honourable man.— (Applause.) Mr Hamilton had served them well on many local bodies, while his term in Parliament proved him as capable to represent Awarua in Wellington.— (Applause.) On rising to speak Mr Hamilton received a cordial reception, and in opening he thanked the chairman for his kindly introduction and also the ladies for the floral decorations. “Such actions,” he said, “inspire one to give his best. I am pleased to see so many present, and I take it as an indication that the people are taking their politics seriously. This is a fine thing, as in the past there has been too much apathy, and nothing augurs better for the welfare of the constituencies than the interest shown by the electors.” THE PAST LEADER. “This being the first election since the death of Mr Massey,” said Mr Hamilton, “I would like to make brief reference to the great loss sustained by New Zealand and the Empire by the untimely death of our late Prime Minister, who gave more than half of his lifetime in the service of his country. His ability and integrity inspired the people with confidence. No Prime Minister ever held office in New Zealand who had to deal with so many important matters, and the manner in which he guided this country through them all will ever be remembered by the people. “I would like to say a few words regarding why I am here. The people of New Zealand are once again called to make a definite choice among the parties appealing for their support. A large number of electors in Awarua who are supporters of the present Government wished to have a candidate standing in their interests, and with that object in view a large representative meeting was held and I was asked to be their candidate, and I am here standing as the Government candidate for Awarua. The fact appeals to me that as far as parties are concerned the old Liberal and Conser-

vative have passed away, and we have a Government led by Mr Coates, the chosen successor of Mr Massey, who are as liberal in their ideas and progressive in their methods as any Government that has pre-

viously held office in New Zealand. Their past record and what they stand for will amply demonstrate that fact; there is nothing possible in the interests of the people that has not been done during the time they have held office. They stand for sound finance first and a fair deal to every section of the community. LAND QUESTIONS.

“I believe, New Zealand being virtually a primary producing country and Awarua in particular, the producers are entitled to a little better representation than they have at present in Parliament. Out of 30 seats in the South Island, producers have only nine members that can be called men who have had any practical experience regarding the requirements of those who make their living from the soil. Ninety-six per cent, of the exports of Nevr Zealand come from the land, and every fair-minded elector must recognise that they are worthy of representation from among their own ranks. There is also only one seat in Parliament held by a Government supporter this side of Dunedin, and I feel sure it does not reflect the opinion or the wish of the people of Otago and Southland.

“One of the most important matters the Government have to face is how to keep the people on the land and how to finance those who are willing to go on the land and have insufficient capital to do so. The drift of the population into the cities is a serious matter to the future welfare of any young country like New Zealand that has 60 per cent, of its population in the towns. ‘The farmer, more especially the dairy farmer, will have to get a greater percentage out of the value of the produce he has to sell so as to enable him to get something like on even terms with his town friends without having to work all day and half the night, and then not be as well off. In this way the Government have brought in legislation enabling the producers to elect boards to look after their interests with full power to enter into arrangements with shipping and insurance companies for better facilities, cheaper freights and insurance, and in this way the producers through the boards have saved for themselves.

“Land settlement must be one of the first considerations of the Government, and any scheme that can be evolved whether it be through rural credits or agricultural banks, or some other well thought out scheme, must be adopted. Declaring from the housetops and through the Press and on the platform that the people must be put on the land is not going to get us anywhere. It is no use cutting up properties suitable for closer settlement while there are so many farms on the market for sale by the mortgagees. The natural deflation of land values that is taking place'every day by ihe sale of land by the mortgagee, and is being bought by the practical experienced man at a value that is in keeping with its productivity, must be allowed to take place before any Government can launch out in any progressive scheme of land settlement. It is better to allow the people who occupy the properties to-day to remain on them and keep them producing rather than throwing them open for selection until the people are willing and ready to settle on them. There are more people trying, to get off the land to-day than there are trying to get on.

"Where the right kind of men with the practical knowledge and experience can be found, I believe the State could with safety lend them up to 100 per cent, on their security; it is only by some means of -this kind that we are going to get the land closely settled. Farms of 50 to 100 acres should be made available for those of small means to get a start, but in all cases where the State is called on to assist it must be seen to that the land is bought at its productive value and not at fancy prices. Any practical man knows that the basis of all money-lending is security, but there is often as much security in the man as the land. Many people in difficulties on the land to-day have ceased to have any equity in their holdings, and the great problem is to know how to assist those people without involving the State in a scheme in which the risk of loss is greater than that of success. THE USEHOLD. “The old pioneers did not convert their holdings into what they are to-day without exercising a large amount of economy, selfsacrifice and hard work, and the men and women who are going to make a success of farming are the ones who are prepared to work with a will and a desire to get on, and who are prepared to deny themselves a lot of the luxuries and pleasures that are being sought after to-day. I would like just before leaving the land question to refer briefly to the Labour Party’s land policy, which is known as the usehold tenure. We know that anybody in difficulties is sometimes willing to grab at anything that is held out to them. Usehold tenure sounds well, but remember, before putting it into operation the land has to be purchased by the State at their valuation, and where is the money going to come- from to pay for it? EXPENDITURE AND TAXATION. ‘The increase in the expenditure in the various departments since 1914, are— Education £2,463,197, Railways £2,541,235, and Post and Telegraph aboutli millions,

War Pensions £1,242,182, other pensions £688,132. Although these estimates have been passed by Parliament, you can look through Hansard and you will not find a single item that our opponents were prepared to cut out, but on the contrary when the Government in 1922, during the slump, were faced with a large deficit’ and had to increase taxation on the one hand, and reduce expenditure on the other by cutting out a portion of the bonuses given to the Public Service during the War period, they voted against the economies that were being effected because of the fear of losing the votes of the Public Servants. — (Applause.) “Regarding the statement that the last remission in land tax did not help the small landowner and was only done to assist the big landowner who is alleged to be the friend of the Government, the answer to that is that this Government has seen to it that the small man does not pay land tax. Any person can own £5OO worth of land before he starts to pay land tax, and with the exemption for his mortgage that is now allowed up to £lO,OOO, you will see that the poor man is well protected from taxation. The full exemption for mortgagees before taxation begins was raised from £4OOO to £lO,OOO. The minimum rate at which land tax begins is 19.20 d, and the maximum 7sd. The policy of the present Government has been to place the burden of taxation on those best able to bear it, and an estate of £40,000 in 1914 paid £336 of land tax, and in 1923 paid £542. £lOO,OOO estate in 1914 paid £1591, and in 1923 £2727. £138,000 estate in 1914 paid £2BOl, and in 1923 £4965, and they have to pay that whether they make any income or not, as was the case in the slump period when they had to pay their land tax out of capital, and no matter what the amount of the mortgage is they get no exemption after £15,000. In addition to that the present Government have practically freed the working man from taxation through the Customs. In 1912, 65 per cent, of the taxation was raised through the Customs, and in 1924 only 48 per cent, through the same source, and the only taxation the working man pays through the Customs is on liquor and tobacco, other than those industries that have to have a small protection through the Customs in order to enable them to carry on. The only items just now that are taxed through the Customs are luxuries. I would like here to say that if the working man is paying dear for some of the foodstuffs, it is not because the producer is getting an undue share out of it. Although our opponents would like to make the working man believe the opposite for political purposes, this Government has done more for them than those who profess so much to be their only friend. Since 1912, wages have practically doubled, in every industry, and conditions have been greatly improved. The total amount of damages as distinct from compensation claimable when a worker meets with accident due to negligence of a fellow-worker, is increased from £750 to £lOOO. Many other improvements have also been made under this and other acts for protection of the working man. “Pensions have been greatly liberalised. Women are now entitled to a pension at 60 years, formerly it was 65 years. The pension has also been raised to 17/6 per week. Widow pensions in 1912 were £l2 per annum with one child, £5 additional child. Now they are £52 yearly and £26 each additional child. SOLDIERS’ SETTLEMENT. .‘Those candidates who are asking for your support are anxious by any means to bring discredit on the Government by indulging in destructive criticism, in the hope of getting some converts to their side, and the soldier settlement is chosen as one in which they think it may have some effect. However, in all their wild statements, they have yet to show how they would purchase lands cheaper at that time without the adoption of a policy involving some degree of confiscation.

“Ninety per cent, of the people, of which they were the most prominent, were forcing the Government in every possible way, to purchase land for soldier settlement, and there was only one way in which it could be bought, and that was at its saleable market value at the time. The same applied to stock, implements, etc. As our stock and produce w’ere at high values ■when the soldier settlement scheme was in operation, land values were noticeably high, also as the value of the latter is governed by the prices obtainable for the former, it follows that that was the main reason responsible for the land values being high, but it is strange that those critics at that time, and that was the time to speak, were not advising the Government that they should not buy land as values were going to be considerably lower in the future. It is the old saying, ‘lt is easy to be wise after the event.’

“However, the amount spent in the purchase of estates was small in comparison to what the soldiers purchased on their own account in which case the Government lent them the amount of money to do so—the following figures will prove that. Purchase of estates and subdivision £5,950,000, purchase of farms by soldiers themselves £8,943,516, advances on stock and improvements £4,671,331, purchase and erection of 11,901 homes £8,605,906, business loans £1,183,136, furniture £722,126. (Applause.) “All the money that was spent in settling the soldiers on the land was taken from the pockets of those who did not go to the War, in extra taxation. The amount of loss involved in making reductions to the soldier settlers in order to enable them to carry on was roughly £2,000,000, and no one begrudges it, and it is being borne by the taxpayers as a whole, the only legitimate way possible, and to show that the soldiers at least are satisfied, this is what they said when they waited on the Prime Minister—“for the past five years the returned soldiers had often come to the Prime Minister, but it was with the object of criticising the Government concessions, or complaining of something done that they did not approve of. That day, they had a different duty that of thanking the Government and expressing their gratified appreciation to the Government and the country, which they asked to be conveyed to Parliament for the splendid piece of legislation, the Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Bill. The day previous they had gone through the Bill, clause by clause, and came to the unanimous opinion that it was a splendid piece of legislation which would save many soldiers from ruin and bankruptcy and would give them a fine chance, fresh hope, and the opportunity of making good.’ This appreciation showed that the soldiers, though they had freely criticised the Government, were not afraid to come forward and express their appreciation where it was warranted. — (Applause.) ‘The Nationalist to-day, when they were Liberal 20 years ago, purchased several estates for closer settlement when land was only about half of its present value costing £88,474, and up to date the loss on them in the books show £111,478. What sort of a mess would they have made buying land for the soldiers when it was dear? TRUSTS AND COMBINES. ‘The Government now led by Mr Coates, although accused of being backed by all the trusts, combines, and large landowners, have during their term of office done more to clip the wings of trusts, combines and large speculators than any previous Government, as can be shown by their placing on the Statute Book the Meat and Dairy Control legislation which gives farmers the right to elect their own representatives to look after and protect their interests, with power to deal with all trusts and factions operating to the detriment of themselves. No produce can be shipped from the Dominion without a license from either boards. What has been accomplished in the reduction of freights and insurance by both boards, with the power invested in them, is proof that, when shipping and insurance companies may be met with the power to offer them the whole of the carriage of their produce, something worth while can be accomplished. The amount saved to the dairy farmer in freight and insurance alone amounting to £170,000 per annum, and the improvement that is expected to be made in the method of selling the dairy products in London when the board gets established there, will, it is hoped, prevent the unwarranted fluctu-

time to time. Anything that cun be done to give the hard-working farmer a greater percentage of the saleable value of his produce, will be welcomed by him. In Denmark the producer gets about 80 per cent, of the proceeds from the sale of his produce, in New Zealand it is only supposed to be about 50 per cent. No better scheme of land settlement can be accomplished than that which will give him the saleable value of his produce with as few deductions as possible. This will go further to stimulate land settlement than all the platform talk about settling the people on the land by a bold comprehensive land policy and other lip service statements. The Reform Party is accused of being the first, last and all the time the champion of the strong against the weak, the rich against the poor, the landed proprietor against the poor cocky, the farm labourer and the bushman. What evidence is their in support of such an essertion? Who are the men who are pushing the Nationalist candidates to-day? Who are the large brewing and liquor and commercial trusts actively supporting? Not me. Anyone can look around for themselves and see that the people behind me are the hard working producers and honest toilers in every walk of life and no combine of any kind or trust either are anxious to see me returned to Parliament. REPLY TO CRITICISM. “If you refer to Hansard,” said Mr Hamilton, “you will see that- your present member alleges that people who invest their money in companies escape taxation. This is not so, for though they have not got to show their gains in their returns they have not got off scot-free. The company has already paid the tax on the maximum scale, and, of course, the Government does not charge twice. The tax on company profits amounted to 4/6 in the pound and so that amount is deducted before the dividends are paid out. The present member advocates transferring the tax from the companies to the individual shareholder, which shows that he is backed by the companies. If this were done we have it from the Commissioner of Taxes that it would be necessary to double the present rate of individual taxation. Further, a great number of shareholders in New Zealand companies live outside the country, and so we would receive no tax at all from them.” (Applause.) “The member for Awarua,” said Mr Hamilton, “objects to the compulsory clause in the Dairy Control Board’s constitution and gives as his reason the assertion that seven or eight factories in the electorate disapproved of it. We have failed to find those dairy factories and the real fact of the matter is that the big combines and companies are afraid that they are going to lose the profits they make ,in handling your goods. So we see where the shoe pinches.” (Applause.) Referring to the Nationalist candidate’s statements in recent speeches Mr Hamilton mentioned Mr Perrelle’s claim that “he had placed Southland on the map,” and had been prominently connected with the organisation of the recent Parliamentary tour of the province. “When I was a boy,” said Mr Hamilton, “Southland was already on the map, and, further, during the time I was in Parliament, I, along with others, financed a tour of Parliamentarians, and did not ask the Southland League to pay the way.”

The statement that New Zealand is the heaviest taxed country in the world was something concerning which very little information was available. The speaker added that any taxation was entirely voluntary. No one was compelled to purchase tobacco, liquor, motor cars, or any other luxury taxed through the Customs. Only luxuries were taxed, and if any man paid a large income tax it was only because he was in receipt of a large income, and this merely went to show the prosperity of the country. In reply to a further allegation, Mr Hamilton stated that the Government did not institute free-from-income-tax loans. This certainb’ had been done during the war period by the National Government, and none had been available since. “Mr Perrelle,” proceeded the speaker, “claims that he has advocated the establishment of a Public Accounts Committee. How any man can have been a member of Parliament and not know that there has always been one in existence is beyond me. There has always been one as long as I can remember and all accounts of all Departments have always been systematically and throroughly examined.”

“Another claim which Mr Perrelle has put forward is that he has advocated the provision of money at 44 per cent, to pay off existing mortgages. But when 5 per cent is being paid for it how can you carry out this suggestion? One would need to be a veritable wizard of finance to do anything like that.” In making a final appeal to you for support I would like to say what is the alternative to a Government led by Mr Coates, who is the selected successor of Mr Massey. A man who is a tried and trusted administrator, a man with progressive ideas and plenty of energy and ability to carry them out. There was never a time that a stronger Government was required to deal with the Socialist section of the community who are driving at the very heart of the Empire, who are endeavouring by all possible means to burst up our present economic system and put in its place something in the nature of a socialisation in the means of production, distribution and exchange. They have said in their own language that arbitration cannot overcome the difference between employers and workers because the workers want the ownership and control of industries. We have it reflected in the last shipping strike what would be done if not strongly dealt with and this is a reason that you want a Government in power backed up by men who have not the next election staring them in the face when they are called on to decide on important matters. The gaining or losing of so many votes is of more concern to some than to stand for what is in the interests of the people as a whole. What is wanted is a Government that will do the right thing in place of the popular thing. We see too much of the politician trimming his sails to catch every wind that blows, but there is no wind any good to the man who does not know the port he is sailing for. They are prepared to promise you anything in return for your votes, but don’t think for one minute if by any chance they get into power that you would be one whit better off. Nothing can be accomplished without work and work never hurt anybody. So long as human nature remains as it is, you can never hope to have a thoroughly satisfied people. It is those who meet and overcome the trials and difficulties that confront them in their journey through life that are the most successful. The major portion of wealth is only the saving of the people and is stored up to be used in the future progress and development of the country. Each and all of us have a duty to ourselves and our country and now is the time to perform a portion of it by putting men into power that will use their position in the interests of the people as a whole. Parliament is just what you make it. There are important issues facing the country and the nation, social and industrial problems are waiting to be dealt with and strong men are required to deal with them. If you go to the poll with a free and unprejudiced mind and you use your votes as you think it will be best for the future welfare of the country and its people, I feel sure you will have it reflected in good wholesome legislation and administration that will be for the lasting good of the people as a whole. —(Applause). No questions of any importance were put to Mr Hamilton, and after a considerable lapse of time Mr J. Munro rose and said that he understood that the candidate would have been forced to answer many questions, but apparently the would-be questioners were not game. It gave him a great deal of pleasure to move a hearty vote of thanks to Mr Hamilton, and confidence in him as a fit and proper person to represent all sections of the electorate. Mr F. Leddington seconded the motion which was carried with only one dissentient. After Mr Hamilton had returned thanks, “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow” was sung i with L ziwtn, three -hearty xheers given.