POLITICAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 140, 5 August 1911, Page 8

POLITICAL.

MR McCLIIGGAGE AT POHOKURA (Special to “Stratford Post.”) Mr Joseph McCluggago gave a political address in connection with his candidature at Pohokura last night, obtaining a good reception. His speech was on similar linos to that delivered at Whanganomona. Referring specially to t Taxation. lie asked, what had the Liberal Government done for the man with a family by way of reducing taxation on the necessaries of life P It had reduced the price of a bag of sugar by 2s 4d, 5 lb box of tea by os, a case of kerosene by 4s, 2d per lb on currants and raisins, besides reducing dried fruits, rice, salt, treacle, infants’ and invalids’ foods, etc. The whole amount of reduction amounted to £715,511 for the year 1909-1910. Still the Opposition went about the country making a great cry out of increased taxation per head of population. When the number of people in the Dominion and the amount of revenue were considered it might appear so. But the answer was that increase was brought about by the increased consumption by the wealthy of taxable luxuries and not by an increase of the rate of taxation. In other words taxation had been taken off the shoulders of those least able to bear it, and pub on to tlio shoulders of those host able to. bear it. Hence the Opposition cry. Tho Land Tax, The people were told by tho Conservative Party that tho present Government had increased land tax heavily on land owners. But from whom had the extra taxation been taken P Certainly not from tho small land owners. In\ 1908 the number of land holders in tho Dominion was 128,019, of which - only 20,497 paid any land tax at all. It‘would.be seen that 107,522 did not pay any land tax. Contrast these facts with what would have been tho case with tho old Conservative Property Tax in force, winch the Liberal Government abolished. This tax allowed some of tho largest incomes to go absolutely free. Under the land tax the small farmer paid less than lie did under the Property Tax. Under tho land tax he was only taxed on the unimproved value of his land, with an exemption of £SOO. Under the property tax ho was taxed on his improvements, his stock and his furniture, with an exemption of £SOO. So it was easily seen that the small farmers paid less under the land tax, than under the old Conservative property tax. i The Public Debt. This brought him to tho mucli-talk-ed-ahont debt,of the colony. The Opposition made a point, unfairly and to tho injury of the colony, of tho increase in the total indebtedness. What were tho facts? Since the Liberal Government came into power it had borrowed and spent on reproductive works' the following amounts :—Purchase of native lands, £977,842; lands settlement, £6,304,026; loans to local bodies, £4,623,100; land improvement, £500,000; advances to settlors, £7,094,935; advances to workers, £814,765; advances to dairy companies, £1781; State coal mines, £170,000; State tiro insurance,' £2000; reserve fund securities, £800,000; Bank of New Zealand shares, £500,000; New Zealand Consols, £539,693; Waihoa and Ohinemui i river works, £100,000; railways, £11,022,948. The above made a grand total of £33,481,090 which was earning more money in interest than is being paid out for it te tho lenders. Since 1891, when the Liberal Government came into power until last year, the amount borrowed was during the twenty years £42,247,772, and when £33,481,090 of reproductive interest bearing loans was deducted, it only left a balance of non-productive loans for public works, making roads, etc., of £8,766,682 spread over tho twenty years tho Liberal Government lias been in office. The interest paid on tho reproductive loans last year was .£1,735,517, and the amount of interest earned on tho same was £1,982,001, showing clear profit to tho Dominion of £210,571, or nearly a quarter of a million. That meant that the whole of the amount borrowed since the Liberal Govorn-

merit came into power was not costing the tan-payer of this Dominion very much for interest. Why did not Mr. Massey give the (.government, some credit for this very bat is factory pnsi-

tion? Tim gross public debt on 31st March, 1891 was, when the Liberal Government came into power, £38,830,350, of which there was reproductive: Railways, £14,580,000; other loans, only £2,640,000; making a total of reproductive loans £17,220,000, or 44 per cent of the whole debt. Nonproductive' loans were £21,610,350 or 56 per cent of the total debt, making the grand total of £38,830,350. Tho present Government’s borrowing showed reproductive loans 77 per cent ol the total debt, as against only 41 per cent under the Conservative Party and non-productive loans only 23 per cent as against 56 per cent under the old party, and most of the money borrowed by the present Government was lent for and spent in the development of our country. The amount borrowed by the Opposition Party was mostly spent and squandered in building political railways for the large

run-holders of the South Island, while every £1 borrowed by the present Government was earning more interest than had to he paid out, and the wealth of the country had increased seven times as fast as our debt. This showed clearly that the present Government was running the country on good sound business lines. Most of this money had helped thousands of' settlers on the land, and had allowed settlement to go ahead immensely. Ho believed tiie result of this borrowing to assist and devclopc settlement was. unequalled in any other British dependency. But the Opposition would not, give the Government any credit for this very satisfactory state of the. Dominion’s financial position. Education. He believed in our present system of education, but thought that country school teachers were very much underpaid for the amount of responsibility. they have, and certainly that female teachers should receive the same salaries as male teachers, especially when they do the same work. The present Government granted a great boon to isolated settlers by the payment of £G per scholar towards the cost of educating their children where no schools are available. This had enabled many a child to be educated who had not otherwise the opportunity of attending any school. The Government had also granted the free conveyance on the railways of children who had to travel to attend school. This must be much appreciated in ’ scattered districts. He would support and strongly advocate the Government appointing dentists under the Education Boards all over the Dominion. It should bo compulsory to examine every child’s teeth at least twice a year, and report the results to the parents through the teachers. If this were done it wuld save endless suffering in after years due to toothache and indigestion, and would necessarily have a good effect on future generations. • ,1 Civil: Servants. The Opposition was trying to breed discontent amongst Civil Servants by advising them to hand over the control of their affairs to it Civil Service Board, but he did not'think the Civil Servants would bo so easily gulled as to take the control away from the Minister and Parliament, and hand it over* to an irresponsible Civil Service Board. AVhat happened in Victoria under the Civil Service Board, which,nthe Opposition are always quoting,, as an example? Twelve months ago they invited applicants for the position of Commissioner of Taxes. Well, they gave the position to one of themselves at a salary of £I2OO a year. The same thing would happen here under a Civil Service Board. They would give the best positions to themselves and their friends, independent of other qualifications, and they could do so with impunity, not being responsible to anybody. He did not think the Civil servants of this Dominion would be so foolish as to take the control of- their affairs away from a Minister' and the Parliament, u here their grievances could come under review every session, and hand it over to an irresponsible Civil Service Board. The Electoral System. He alas of opinion that the electoral .system could easily be improved upon, and he would support proportional voting. That was, lie held, the fairest way to .get representation for the minority, .although the second ballot was a big improvement upon the old system, but under the present system, a big minority was practically .disfranchised. Under the proportional system all sides would bo represented. Colonial Industries. Ho wonltj support any measure designed to assist the manufacture ol articles within the Dominion, to keep the money amongst our own workers. Ho would, support the Government having one ammunition factory, and if war broke out, t)iey would know exactly what ammunition they could depend upon. In his opinion, war was bound to come sooner or later as the population of eastern countries was growing so rapidly, they must expand in some direction, and the Pacific was, apparently, their natural outlet. Sanatoria. Ho would advocate the Government building, a sanatorium, in each island, for the treatment of consumptives, and allow any person, suffering tuberculosis to enter free of cost. It bad been proved that consumption can !>o cured if taken in lime, but hundreds of valuable lives are sacrificed every year, on account of not having the money to go into the present highpriced sanatoria. After dealing with other matters, Mr MoCluggage resumed his seat amidst applause. On the motion of Mr D. IJiekford, seconded by Mr R. Scott, a vote ol thanks and confidence was canned, and the eamliadte applauded. r I lie chair was occupied by Mr Robert Hogg, ol Pohoknra.