GENERAL ELECTIONS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 69, 4 November 1911, Page 5

GENERAL ELECTIONS.

MR HINE AT THE TOWN HALL

The Town Hall was well filled last night when Mr J. 15. Kine, Reform Party candidate for the Stratford electorate, delivered a political address. The Mayor (Mr J. .Masters) presided, and in introducing the speaker said he was sure everybody present would be glad to see him so far recovered as to be able to speak, and would hope he would be given strength to carry through the campaign. Mr lline, who was greeted with pro- ' longed applause on rising, first oi ail expressed regret at having to postpone meeting his constituents, and lie acknowledged the many expressions of sympathy lie had received from both friend and‘foe. The present session had been a remarkable one in many respects, but most of all as regards the great break-up of the Cabinet. First of all there had been the expulsion of Mr Hogg and later there was the voluntary resignation of Mr Fowlds. Mr Fowlds had been a good administrator of Ids department, and lie was sure the Government was sorry to losehim. Mr owlds said the Government had departed from the true principles of Liberalism. Before Mr Fowlds left the Cabinet the Government was defeated on its 1 own-plan-ning Bill, and owing to this the Bill was never seen again, so that cities would continue to suffer by slums being allowed to continue. Mr Fowlds expressed a desire for a “new evangel and he (the speaker) hoped it would turn up in the Reform Party. Lining the past session the M idows Pensions Fund Bill had been passed by the Government, and the Bill had received the solid support of the whole of tne House. Ho gave the Government hul credit for the passing of the Bill wluen was a humanitarian measure. But that was properly the only new yßdl passed during the session. There were about 37 bills altogether but they vcrc mostly amendments and the necessity for these amendments was no credit to the Government, as they were the result of a hasty and crude legislation. A great number of important Government Bills had been dropped during the past session, although the Prune Minister had assured the country that thev were to be put on Statute Book. Among these measures were the State Bank Note Issue Bill, Agricultural Bank Bill, Land Settlement Amendment Bill, Land and Income Tax Bui, Poison Act Amendment Bill, Sale ot Seeds Bill, Noxious Wnccls Amendment Bill, and Town-Planning Bill. The Government should be compelled to bring down their bills some time before the session started and should not bo allowed to bring them down later. There was wasteful expenditure in all directions, and lie thougnt the country was just ready for a change. He could give no botici men of his own attitude than by giving the platform of the Reform Party, winch was as follows: —(1) Reform of too financial system of the Dominion, by instituting a thorough investigation into the. Dominion’s finances ■’ with a view to keeping borrowing within reasonable bounds, and of preventing wasteful expenditure. (2) Reform of the fiscal system of the Dominion, oy reducing taxation wherever possible, in order to lessen the cost of living. (3) Reform of the laud system of the Dominion; (a) by giving all facilities possible to mch\of small capital to get on the land by means of the leasehold, as a stepping-stone to the freehold it they so desire it; (b) by giving the option of the freehold to tenants of Crown lands in L.I.P. at the original value, plus the difference between the rental on the 0.J1.P. t ppd ; t (c) bv giving the notion of 'freehold" to tenants;on 'settlement land or L.I.P. at the original value,; (d) by providing for limitation of area to effectually prevent aggregation; (e) by providing for the payment of the purchase money in instalments, if so desired »>\ the tenant: (f) by providing that the money derived from the sale or the freehold be utilised for the acquisition of further land for settlement. (4) Reform of the Native land legislation: (a) by a determined and sustained effort to settle the Native land question : (b) by the rapid individuali- ' sation of Native land wherever possible; (c) by affording the Native race the common privilege of disposing under proper safeguard of their_ land which is not required for their ( personal use; (d) by making provision against the creation of large holdings; (e) by promoting legislation having for its ultimate aim the placing of the Natives in the same position as

tlio Europeans, with the same privileges and responsibilities. (5) Reform of the Legislative Council by replacing the present nominative Council with ono elected on the same franchise as the House of Representatives, on the proportional system of voting by larger electorates. (G) Reform of the Civil Service: (a) By improving the conditions governing the employment of Civil servants; (b) by eliminating political influence and patronage; (c) by providing that all appointments and promotions shall be made and regulated by a Board responsible directly to Parliament,' and absolutely free frorm Ministerial control; (d) by granting to the Civil servants the right of appeal to a competent tribunal from a decision of the r Board. _ (7) Hie reform of local government in the rural districts of the Dominion, by giving extended powers and assured finance, thus making it unnecessary for them to depend, to the same extent as at present} on tire wasteful and unsatisfactory system of Parliamentary grants for public works. _ (8) Reform of the municipal legislation of the Dominion,' by promoting a townplanning scl*nne to meet the future requirements of the towns of the Dominion. (9) Reform of the Old Age Penisons Act, by making the qualifying age for the pension for women sixty years, instead of sixty-live. (101 Reform of ‘ the industrial system of the Dominion, by promoting legislation in favour of compulsory insurance against sickness and unemployment. (11) Reform of the economic system of the Dominion, in the direction of promoting industrial peace, and restoring public confidence, in order to encourage local industries. The Reform Party were particularly desirous of getting full particulars of the cost of the country’s loans. Ho thought everybody in the country was entitled to full information on the subject. On the eve of an election no information would be given, though some details of a cheaply raised loan. Eighteen years ago, Sir Joseph Ward had said - that the Government desired to carry on without borrowing, hut last year lie had thought it was necessary to borrow six and a half millions. It was said of Reform Party members that they never voted against loans hut he had voted against the provision for the borrowing of half a million for the provision of cleel ncal energy. This was only to supply energy to the cities, although t’ cost was to ho met by the wboD of the people of the country. The Gadornment. had the nower in its hands to boron? £8,514.750 during the coming year, as follows-—Advances to Settlors, £1.500,000, the balance net raised in previous years: advances to v'orl-ers. £750,000: loro! authorities £1,000,000-. guaranteed mining advances. £20.000; land for .rot.tlem n df. £50,000, - balance not raised m P”°vious years; purchase of native lands,

£500,000; aid to public works, £i,500,(JO'J; water power, £500,000; Dreadnought, £870,750; railways, £75,000; Hurt road and railway, £10,000; scenery preservation, £00,000; consols, £250,000; treasury bills, £1,000,000. Closely allied to tiic question of borrowing was the question of taxation. Some of the Government’s loans were reproductive, but many of thorn had to be mads up out of taxation. The

Reform Party were decided on reducing taxation. In Now Zealand iwe taxation per head was £4 11s lOd, while in Australia it was onlv £d i s

2d. Tiie Government always spoke of Hi -3 great remissions they had made,

but the crucial test was, would a sovereign buy as much to-day as it would some years ago? Sir oolm Findlay

said the increase of tae cost of living was probably due to me operations .a

monopolies. fair o oiui I'indluy nad Urougnt down a liiil to control comuiiics, and lie nad received a letter from a Wellington man drawing attention to the operations of a certain combine. Sir John promised to utuig in an amendment m deal men tho combine, but had not done so. Ho (the speaker) had asked tne mine Minister a lie know or the combine’s operations. Sir dospli Ward said lie did, but still Homing was done. That combine was the Colonial migar itfchniug Company. Recently tne company nad sent out circulars

stating that discount would not be allowed except on orders of a certain size, and tae size had been gradually increased until the smaller dealers were unable to buy sugar from me company. Wnat trust could be placed in a Government which, knowing of such operations, took no action to combat them, although such operations would increase me cost or the Country's sugar by a million pounds a year? Ho hoped the Reform Party would be in power next year, and would suppress the combine or be so strong as to compel tho Government to do so. As to remissions in taxation he would make allowances to ail married men earning under £3 per week, the remission- being graded accoiding lb the number of children the man had. In connection with licensing, ho was in favour of the bare majority for the national prohibition issue, and iie would go further, and favour tho bare /majority for tho local option poll. Ho expressed the opinion that within three years they would hear

tlie “trade” asking for the bare majority. The Government said the Rjlorm Party wore mistaken when they spoke of the aihoimt of native lain/, still unsettled, but according to their own figures there were' 5,329,000 acres still awaiting settlement. In the course of his election campaign in the North, Sir John Findlay had said that in view of the extent to which the

Maoris were becoming educated, tho time was soon coming when they could dispense with special representation in the House, and when they could bo allowed to deal with their lands in tho same way as Europeans were, i his was what the Reform Party had long been striving for, and Sir Joseph Ward was asked in tho House if Sir holm’s statement was part of the Government’s policy; but Sir Joseph replied that Sir John was not speaking as a member of Cabinet, Jmt as a private candidate. Similarly, tho Farmers’ Union had submitted a number of questions to candidates in Taranaki, and Mr. Mackenzie stated that it would not be right for him to answer them, in view of his being a member of Cabinet, forgetting that he was also a candidate. Enquiries had been held during the past session in

connection with the Mokau Block, and the endeavour of the Taupe Totara Timber Company to acquire native land) 'both cases being connected with, the aggregation of large estates, to prevent which the Government always

lid they were solicitous. It was also

.significant that in both cases Sir John Findlay’s business partner was interested in the deals. In combating those who objected to the inaction of the Government in regard to the Mohan Block, Sir Joseph Ward had been led to say that the purchase would have been a losing speculation for the Government, as twenty-five per cent, of any revenue from the land would have to go to tbs Now Plymouth Harbour Board, who had an endowment of that percentage of all Government land revenue in Taranaki. Tin's, Mr. Bine did not regard as a good and sufficient reason, and lie asked his hearers to make a note of it. It had to ho remembered, also, that -as things were, the Government had rclinouished all rights to the mineral. 1 : in tlio block, whereas if they had purchased the land they would have retained all these rights. Personally he did not object to people making money —but in the case of Mokau there had boon a number of large profits made .out of its sale, and lie felt called on to object when the ultimate burden of these transactions would fall on the small settlers who took up the laud. In 1892 Sir John McKenzie introduc-

ed the lease-iu-porpeutity system of disposing of land, and the Government had boasted of the excellence of tiio system, but tlio other day Mr. •\nstey, a member of the Legislative Council, bad seen fit to recount in the Council bis impressions of a land ballot he had recently attended, expressing the opinion that the system was entirely bad, as it led to speculation, people acquiring land through tlio ballot merely for the purpose of holding it until they could get a profitable sum for the goodwill of it. Much of the best lan d leg! si at ion on the Statute Book at present was inspired by the late William Rolleston, whose ideas on the land question were being copied by the present Administration. Just recently the Government brought down a .Bill on the lines of the old deferred payment system. There were quite a number of old residents of Stratford who bad obtained land under the old deferred pay-

incut system, and who were now independent men. Rises in wages for railway men had recently been announced, but who wore getting those rises? It was the higher-paid men who got them. The .unmarried man working for eight shillings a day received no benefit. As a general rule it war. highly-paid officials who could get the Minister’s car who benefited most' from increased expenditure on salaries. In the Hon. J. A. Millar’s constituency there were railway workshops, and the well-paid men engaged therein received increased wages, but the people who wore working in the back-blocks, well away from a Minister, bad small chance of getting a rise. It was always put about that the Reform Party desired to lower wages, but ho defied anybody to prove

citiior that tho party or himself personally had done anything in tins direction. The Reform Party had a radical policy, and unless the leaders of the party pursued that policy they would lose’ tho support of members of tho party. At all events, they would certainly laso his support, il they failed to bring down Liberal legislation. He (Mr. Mine) was determined to get rid of tho Ward Administration at any cost, and in order to do so lie was prepared to agree to the Reform Party joining with the Labour Party. He was thoroughly convinced that the present administration was not clean. As regards the Hine charges, lie thought he was thoroughly justified in what be had done. The Government had a habit of

saying that the Reform Tarty relied on, innuendo and back-biting, and were afraid to come up to scratch; but lie asked if, m regard to the charges, lie bad failed to come up to sera ten? He thought every body must admit that lie nad not. When the Reform Party got access to the pigeon-holes of the 4 reasury they augu t disclose more evidence oi Tammanyism than lie (Air. nine.) Juicl ever thought of. In respect of expenditure on loads and ondges, ho supposed Taranaki was lainy treated, out regarding tins years grants, the member lor day oi Plenty, a Government supporter, had laaut such remarks as suggested mat no thought citrattord electorate nad got too many votes for works, taking into consideration that it was not represented by a Government man. mist year £210,1)00 had been voted lor roads and bridges, but of this only £83,000 had been spent. The balance bad been stowed away somewhere by

tno Government, and would, no doubt, bo made available lor t works, or be promised for works, now that

tne election was so close. He felt

free to say that anybody who wrote now to a iVlinister regarding a road e.r a bridge would receive an instant reply that the work was receiving favourable consideration, and would do so—until after the election. The pre- | sent Government were very timid as regards innovations. Jttr Lloyd-George nad had passed in England a Bill providing for a compulsory system of insurance against . unemployment, but the “Democratic” New Zealand Government refused to propose legislation until the matter nau been referred to a Royal Commission. They were also afraid to move in the direction of reducing the cost of living until a Royal Commission reported on the question. As regards those Commissions, the Reform Party had good cause for complaint in the number of “pickings” they provided for public servants and politicians on the Gov-

eminent side of the House. In connection with the Native Land Commission, a payment, of £4019 in addition to his salary had been made to the Chief Justice, and the Hon. Nga- | ta had been paid £1495 for being associated with the Chief Justice on tiie Commission. Again, two members of Parliament acted on tne North Auckland Railway Commission, and while thus engaged they drew their honorariums and a guinea a day, which was die greatest amount a legislator Acting on a Commission was allowed to draw for expenses; but in addition to these payments, a sum of £155 was put on tiie Supplementary Estimates to pay further expenses of the two members. The Reform Party stuck up tho vote, but they were out-voted by the Government members. Ho was glad the Stralford-Ongariio railway was going ahead; and ho was glad that die district had done so wtii during die time ho had -represented it, altiicugn lie did not desire to take all the credit for the improvement. He was pleased to say than the plans for the railway right out to Tahora, which would take it into the coalbearing area, had been approved by die Government; and when the Opuaake railway' was running to Stratford they would be justified in calling Stratford “the grand junction.” In

concluding his remarks, Mr. Hi no sincerely thanked tho electors for the honour they had conferred on him in making him their representative for the past three years. He was aware of his shortcomings, but bo had done

what ho considered to he his duty, and had used ids best endeavours in the interests of the district. He hoped that any future member the electorate might have would do his duty to it as well as ho (the speaker) had. He trusted lie would be again honoured uitJi the suffrages of the electors in a mouth’s time..

in answer to questions, Mr. Hino said the Hino charges had cost the country £549. The Government had voted £ISOO for the purpose, evidently with the idea of convincing people that the enquiry would he an expensive one. He did not believe in allowing hotels to .carry on for seven years after national prohibition was carried—he thought the four years provided in the Bill was sufficient. Mr. George Sangstor moved the following resolution: “That this meeting passes a vote of thanks to Mr. Hino for his able and interesting address, and expresses the opinion that the time lias now arrived for tlio country to have a change of Government.” This was seconded by Mr. J. Smith and carried with acclamation.

Further meetings arc notified to he held by the Hon. Thos. Mackenzie.