THE ELECTION

Southland Times, Issue 22730, 5 November 1935, Page 8

THE ELECTION

SOUTHERN MAORI SEAT MR T. K. BRAGG’S CAMPAIGN THE NGAITAHU CLAIM A strong plea for support in his campaign for the Southern Maori seat (the South Island and Stewart Island) was made by Mr Thomas Kaiporohu Bragg, the Independent candidate, before a good attendance of native electors at Invercargill last evening. Mr Bragg is chairman of the Stewart Island County Council and also chairman of the Ngaitahu Trust Board, of which he has been a member since 1929. It is principally in the latter capacity that he is appealing to electors, claiming that he has made greater progress towards a settlement of the “Ngaitahu Claim” than anyone else, though not a member of the House. Mr Charles Te Au, chairman of Mr Bragg’s committee, presided. Mr Bragg has already addressed other meetings in Southland, at each of which he has been accorded votes of thanks and confidence, and he is leaving for the north to continue l:is campaign in Canterbury and on the West Coast. Mr Bragg emphasized that he was the only genuine South Islander contesting the seat, the other two candidates both being North Islanders. Dealing with the main issue in his campaign. Mr Bragg spoke at length on the efforts that had been made by the Ngaitahu Trust Board to obtain a fair settlement of the “Ngaitahu Claim.'’ He maintained tnat this claim was just, a contention that was borne out by a commission which had considered their case and reported on it as far back as 1920. This commission had recommended the payment of £354,000 in full settlement of the Ngaitahu Claim, which was based on Kemp’s purchase of South Island lands in 1848. Prime Minister's Reply.

Mr Bragg detailed the efforts his board had made towards obtaining a satisfactory settlement from the Government. mentioning that to this end a delegation had visited Wellington last month, with the speaker as chairman. Mr Bragg said he had received a statement in reply from the Prime Minister to the effect that in its desire to clean up outstanding claims and grievances of the Maoris, the Government was willing to consider an honourable settlement of the Ngaitahu Claim. “But,” Mr Forbes had added, “it becomes a question as to what, constitutes a reasonable offer to make to the representatives of the persons interested in the claim in full satisfaction and settlement thereof. The Government has never accepted the recommendation made by Judge Jones’s Commission which inquired into the claim in 1920, but it does admit that some relief is due to the Maoris for the failure of the New Zealand Government of the time to set apart all the reserves which were promised under the deed of purchase. The transaction was made long before any of the persons now concerned in the matter were born and any settlement will naturally benefit the successors of the original vendors of the lands. It is necessary to consider what sum of money would represent an honourable and adequate settlement of this long-standing grievance.” Mr Bragg gave further details of the Government’s offer, but said that nothing satisfactory had yet been finalized. Old Age Pensions for Maoris. Mr Bragg strongly criticized the “inequitable manner of paying old age pensions to Maoris,” saying that there was a great difference between the pension received by a pakeha and that received by a Maori. This was because the Maori had to accept a penalty because of his lands, which were often just a millstone round his neck and certainly should not in all cases be taken into account in awarding a pension. Referring to the present member for the Southern Maori seat, Mr Bragg said that Mr Tirikatene had never been south of Temuka since 'his election in August, 1932. “I wonder what the pakehas would say if any of their representatives in Parliament acted like that?” Mr Bragg asked. He said that in the past Maoris had been accustomed to vote blindly for candidates who flocked down from the north, yet these northern candidates knew nothing about local conditions. They were only seen at election time. In his recent visit to Wellington, Mr Bragg said, he discovered on the books of the Native Land Court thousands of pounds ir; unclaimed sums due to Maoris throughput the electorate. He was now active in bringing to the notice of these people the fact that the money was owing to them. “Moneys Accumulating.” “You have not received a square deal in the past. Moneys from South Island native reserves, amounting to thousands of pounds, are accumulating and you have not been able to touch them because your member does not know how,” declared Mr Bragg. “Even the funds from Southern Maori education endowments are lying idle, while you have had to pay for your children’s secondary education.” During his visits to the Western District in the last few days, Mr Bragg said, he had noticed that great improvements had been made on the lands occupied by natives and that the men on the land seemed to be better satisfied than when he visited them two months ago. Mr Bragg was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence. INVERCARGILL SEAT MR REED OPENS CAMPAIGN. Mr Gordon J. Reed, the Democrat candidate for the Invercargill seat, opened his campaign last evening in the Sylvan Bank hall, which was filled to capacity. Mr J. A. Doig occupied the chair and introduced the speaker. Mr Reed, who was accorded an excellent hearing, traversed the doings of the Coalition Government over the past four years, and was frequently applauded for his remarks. The exchange question and the unemployment problem were all exhaustively reviewed by the speaker. The following motion was put to the meeting and carried by acclamation: “That this meeting of Invercargill electors accords Mr Reed a hearty vote of thanks for his lucid address and expresses its confidence in the ability of the Democrat Party to carry out its policy of progress.”’ A sub-committee was set up after the meeting and a good deal of enthusiasm was shown. THE sales tax MR HARGEST’S ADDRESSES. ROSLYN BUSH AND MAKAREWA. Mr James Hargest, National Government candidate for Awarua, addressed meetings at Roslyn Bush and Makarewa last evening. At Roslyn Bush 50 were present and Mr William Caldwell was chairman. A motion of thanks and confidence was moved by Mr T. A. Fahey and seconded by Mr A. G. McDonald. There were 120 electors present at the Makarewa meeting, which was I

presided over by Mr D. Leckie. A motion of thanks and confidence was moved by Mr David George and seconded by Mrs W. McDowell. At both meetings Mr Hargest spoke of the difficulties of government during the depression. Despite the most rigid economy and the cutting down of expenses in all directions the revenue had not been sufficient to meet the expenditure and the Government had been compelled to introduce the most irksome of all taxes, the sales tax, he said. It had been entered upon with the greatest reluctance and would be cancelled the moment Budget stability could be regained without it. In addition to creating a great deal of work and worry in accounting it was difficult for the retailer to pass on in these days of fierce competition. It was introduced only from sheer necessity and not one single member had a good word to say about it; but money had to be found to pay the country’s way and if this tax had not been introduced some other form of taxation would have been necessary. At least 16 other countries had adopted it, beginning before New Zealand—Canada in 1916 or 1917. There the tax had gone by stages from 1 per cent, to 6 per cent, and back to 5 per cent., where it now was. .In Australia it was also 5 per cent. Mr Hargest reminded his audience that the way to eliminate the sales tax was to economize in Government expenditure and each of the two other political parties was hoping to attain the Treasury benches through the promise of a spending policy rather than a thrifty one. The Democrat and Labour parties were in strained competition in a policy of squandering—the last thing the country needed today. WALLACE SEAT MR HAMILTON AT NIGHTCAPS. The Hon. Adam- Hamilton, the National Government candidate for the Wallace electorate, addressed a large gathering at Nightcaps last night. Mr W. Excell was in the chair, and the speaker was accorded an attentive hearing. At the conclusion of the address Mr Hamilton answered a number of questions. Mr G. Stroud moved a hearty vote of thanks to the speaker. This was seconded by Mr M. McCorkindale and carried by acclamation. AUCKLAND EAST MR H. P. BURTON OPENS CAMPAIGN. (Per United Press Association.) Auckland, November 4. The steps taken by the Government in the past four years to rehabilitate the Dominion were strongly defended by Mr H. P. Burton, the official National Government candidate for Auckland East in his opening address of the campaign at Grafton to-night. The meeting was attended by about 200 electors. During the address a Labour section at the back of the hall made numerous interjections, but were dealt with effectively by the candidate. Mr Burton emphasized the gravity of the economic position in 1931 and defended the Government’s legislation to counteract it. “Mr Coates has definitely established himself as one of the greatest statesmen that the British Empire has seen,” he said. A vote of confidence was carried despite the Labour dissent. DUNEDIN NORTH LABOUR CANDIDATE’S CAMPAIGN. (Per United Press Association.) Dunedin, November 4. Mr W. J. Munro, the Labour candidate for Dunedin North, opened his campaign when he addressed a large and enthusiastic audiencj in the George Street Hall. He criticized the actions of the Government in detail, with special reference to wage reductions and the programme of public works recently announced by the Minister of Finance. Economic security for all sections of the people, the candidate declared, did not come from such policy as the Government was pursuing. Communism would do it by force, but Labour would do it by a system of semi-socialism brought about by mobilization of the country’s credits and their proper utilization through the Reserve Bank. A vote of thanks and confidence was carried. BULLER ELECTORATE ADDRESS BY MR P. C. WEBB. (Per United Press Association.) Westport, November 4. Mr P. C. Webb addressed an enthusiastic meeting in Westport, the headquarters of the Buller electorate. After the candidate had dealt with important aspects of the Labour Party s policy in relation to farming, coalmining and the possibilities of the Buller district in regard to the farmer, a vote of thanks and confidence in Mr Webb and the Labour Party was carried unanimously. A motion endorsing the action of the Labour Representative Committee in authorizing Mr Webb to leave the district to further the interests of Labour was also carried. WRITS ISSUED NOMINATIONS CLOSE ON NOVEMBER 12. (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, November 4. The writs for all electorates for the general election to be held on November 27 were issued to-day by the Clerk of Writs, Mr J. W. Heenan. The supplementary rolls closed this evening at 6 o’clock. Nominations close at noon on November 12. THE CHURCH AND LABOUR AUCKLAND CANDIDATES CLAIM. (Per United Press Association.) Auckland, November 4. That Labour was the only one which brought the application of Christian ethics into the realm of politics, was claimed by Mr A. G. Osborne, the Labour Party candidate for Parnell in opening his campaign. The party attracted more Ministers of religion than any other, he said, and he read a statement by church leaders in all parts of the Dominion criticizing the Government and subscribing to the principles of the Labour Party.