POLITICAL ADDRESS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 130, 25 July 1911, Page 5

POLITICAL ADDRESS.

AIR J. 13. HIXE AT THE TOWN HALL. Mr. J. B. Hine, M.P. for Stratford, delivered a pre-sessional address at the Town Hall last night, before a fair attendance. Mr. J. Masters occupied the chair. In opening, Mr. Hine referred to the great kindness extended to him by members of local bodies and leading citizens throughout the constituency. Ministerial Solicitation. The Ministry had neglected Taranaki for a good time alter last election', but recently the district had boon visited by Sir Joseph Ward (prior to ins visit to England), Hon. T. Mackenzie, Hon. R. McKenzie, and lion. G. Fowlds. Railway Requirements. Much agitation had taken place regarding railway requirements. Ho was sure the Opuuake railway line was needed, and fie was equally sure that the junction with the mam line must be at Stratford. Every railway man knew that it was desirable to keep junctions at one point. 11 the Opuuake lino joined the main line anywhere else but Stratford, it would mean that the staff necessary at a junction would have to be duplicated. He did not admire the Government for the shilly-shallying they had indulged in over the lino. He tiiought the line should be proceeded with at once; and it would not be Ids fault if an empowering Bill was not passed next session. Further, they had to remeajber that the Harbour Board was spending a lot of money on its harbour, which was a further argument in favour of the junction at Stratford. Electoral Census.

As everybody no doubt knew, an electoral census had recently been taken. The Opposition voted solidly against the measure, but. they were unable to alter tne Government’s action. Ho was entirely against the census, holding that il anybody was anxious to get on the roll he should look after nimself. Further, ho thought the census should have been held over until the boundaries had been ro-adjusted. A Unanimous House. There were a number .of measures passed during the past session on which the House was almost unanimous. One was the Defence Act. He referred to the fact that parents need have no fear about sending their children to camp, as a penalty was provided for talcing liquor into a camp, and General Godley had issued strict orders to officers to stop liquor being taken into camps. The number of days spent in camp was small as compared with Continental countries. In Switzerland youths had to serve a long term each year ill camp;’ but employers said that the young men came back to them very much benefited by their training. Another measure about which the House was unanimous was the Licensing Act. If national prohibition was not carried this election he would use iiis best endeavours in the following session (on condition he was in the House) to have the bare majority approved in connection with the vote on national prohibition. The House was also unanimous about the Gaming Act. He had no sympathy with the totalisator, but he did not believe in abolishing it too quickly. The bookmaker had ceased to exist legally, and ho thought that they should proceed slowly, allowing the totalisator to remain, as it did not entice people to gamble or give them credit. Parliamentary Procedure.

Mr. Hine then dealt with the matter of Parliamentary procedure, charging the Government with so ordering business in Parliament that undigested and ill-considered measures Avere often put on the Statute Book. He promised that if his party got into power business Avould be gone on with in its proper order, and the party would take any guelling they were in danger of. Tammany, He thought that if there Avas a political cancer in the country it avus the duty of a politician to root it out. He did not recede a Avhit from his previous statement that Tammany aauis rife in Ncav Zealand. At the present they had not far to go to prove it. He instanced the recent transactions in connection with the Mokau Estate. The estate had for a long time been a bar to settlement in Northern Taranaki, and Avonder had boon expressed that the Government had not opened it for settlement; but Mr. it. McNab, avlio as a Minister had nailed his colours to the must as regards leasehold, had been rejected by the electors and now turned up as a purchaser of freehold land. Tammany Avas not confined to such matters. There Avas also Tammany in the method by Avhich Public Works money avus doled out. They should have an automatic system by Avhich money Avould be spent in the places Avhere it avus Avanted most. He also referred to the To Akau Block case. J. G. Findlay avus taken to England for the express purpose of seeing about an appeal to the Privy Council regarding the block, but* so far nothing had been heard of the block. The Hine Charges. After dealing AAith the Hine charges in a general, manner, Mr. Hine spoke particularly of the committee’s findings. ■ Ho said that ho .had at first stood out for Supreme Court Judges, but in vioAV of recent events he Avas just as pleased that judges had not been chosen. Judges had got so used to taking fees from the Government fpr outside Avork that they found it impossible to Avithstund the influence. 'The committee of investigation Avas composed of six Government and four Opposition members, and in all of the divisions on questions the voting avus always six to four. The Opposition avus looking for the confidence of tiie country, and ho hoped the result of the Hine charges Avould be that the electors Avould vote for people avlio Avere in favour of stopping proceedings such as those disclosed by the enquiry. The Future. Ho felt sure the country avus sick and tired of the Ward Administration, and Avere looking for a fresh party. In the Opposition ranks there was a man (Mr. Henries) avlio had a good grasp of native land matters; and one of the objects of the Opposition avus to open native lands for settlement Avithout resorting to the present system of making private gain at the public expense. The Government accused the Opposition of having no policy, but in Wellington recently Mr. Massey had outlined a clear policy. Several items in tba't policy, be felt sure, Avould ho adopted by the Government, avlio, really, bad no policy of their oavia. Tbo Opposition desired greatly to sec a complete change in the financial policy of the Government. The Government Avas borroAving £500,000 to develop Avater- power: but recently the Government refused permission to the Hastings Borough Council to take Avater- poAvor, although they had already put down SGAverage pipes. This

dog-in-thc-mangcr policy did no good for tlio country. v Five Mi (lien Lean. Mr. Hine next referred to the live million loan. Of this loan only £375,000 was offered to the public, and the underwt iters had to take over four and a half millions. The loan was raised at £OB 10s—a loss right out of £75,000. Then the underwriters were given one par cent., making £50,000. Tiie bonus offered for the taking of the loan for a further term was £2 par £.IOO, which amounted to £IOO,OOO. A further concession to ensure conversion cost £70,000, so that the loan cost over £300,000 without expenses, the amount of which would never be known. A loan of a million raised in 1900 cost £34,000. In the last annual report of the chairman of directors of the Bank of Mew Zealand reference was made to the general want of confidence in New Zealand. The aim of the Opposition was to restore that confidence. The Sect ef Living. He questioned whether a sovereign would buy as much as fifteen stuffings would a few years ago. The Opposition desired to set the cost of living on a better basis. At present Lie-re was too much departmental expenditure, which was entirely out of proportion to the increase or population. The Old Tory Party. The people were looking for a new party, out were determined that the old lory Party should not get into power. The old Tory Party did not exist. Behind the Reform Party was a loung Now Zealand Party. Last election was fought on the question of administration, and the coming election would bo fought out on the matter of reform. It the Reform Party were returned they would allow no Tory ideas to influence them. Tho Party’s Platform.

The Reform Party desired freehold for everybody. They would not do away with leasehold, but would make it merely a stepping-stone to the freehold. Tney also desired to reform the Upper House, making it not an appointed Chamber, but a Chamber responsible to tho electors. The party also desired to see a Civil Service Board, to do away with the system of political patronage in the giving of Government billets, and making appointment depend on merit only. As to appointment of J.P.’s, one of the first questions ho would ask the Minister of Justice next session would be as to who had recommended the appointment of the latest batch of J.P.’s in the Stratford electorate. Questions. Mr. A. W. Budge asked a question about racing. in ext session there would be a private members’ Bill re-, garding the abolition of the totalisator. If tiie totalisator was abolished it would practically mean the stoppage of racing. Would Mr. Hine vote for tho abolition of tho totalisator next session ? Mr. Hine said ho would not vote for the abolition of the totalisator this session. He would not do so until tho bookmaker was entirely extinct. He had no sympathy with gambling, because of the temptation to tho youth of the country. Dr. Paget asked if Mr., Hinc’s remarks were the result of personal experience or merely hear say. Mr. Hine said it merely needed a look at the Police Court news to convince one on tho question. Votes of Thanks. On the motion of Mr. George Songster, seconded by Mr. R. McK. Morison, Mr. Hine was accorded a vote of thanks for his-interesting address, and for the services ho had rendered the constituency and the country. The meeting concluded with' a vote of thanks to the Chairman, moved by Mr. Hine.