GENERAL ELECTIONS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 80, 16 November 1911, Page 5

GENERAL ELECTIONS.

THE HON. J. A. MILLAR. “IF SIR JOSEPH WARD RETIRES.” (Per Press Association.) Dunedin, November 15. The Hon. J. A.' Millar addressed a 'meeting of electors in the Garrison Hall last evening, when the building was packed to the doors. In opening his remarks, the speaker said lie laid got to the second highest position a man could got in this country, and it was his ambition if anything necessitated a retirement of Sir Joseph Ward from the leadership of the party, to olfer himself to the party as its leader. The Public Debt. He challenged the Opposition to bring forward any specific instances where the Government had been extravagant in their expenditure, and stated that they must borrow money if they wished to open up'their country; He answered the charge of (alleged’‘‘bribing of railwaymen by increasing their wages, and quoted a letter from the secretary of the New Zealand’.' 1 Locomotive Enginedrivors and Firemen aiid Cleaners’ Association, wishing him luck in the coming contest;.' 5 . ' Mr. Millar stated that the Government was - the 1 first to make provision to pay off their loans,'and stated that thet'sinking'fund how amounted to a millidnr arid a halt and, was being added 1 to’yearly'at the rate qf £15(3,000, and that’in'7s years the accumulated fund would be" sufficient to pay off their loans; Speaking for himself, he was in favour of a threeJifths majority ori the ■licensing Question. The Minister dealt; at considerable length with the Acts which had been introduced by the Government to assist the workers, and at the conclusion •of the address was accorded a vote of" thanks and continued confidence;: amidst cheers and countercheers'. ■ ' Mr. Millar was not heard at his • best, having a 'severe cold and being in bod most of the morning. Ho was subjected to some interruptions, but on the whole had -a very good hearing.-

" THE WAIHI SEAT. Waihi, Novemlier 15. Mr. Nishet Mcßobie, the Reform Party's, candidate for Ohinemuri. opened liis campaign here last night. He addressed a large audience, and was accorded a good hearing. THE PREMIER AT GREENHILLS. Invercargill, November 15. Sir J. G. Ward to-day addressed meetings ; at Greenhills and-Makarewa, and to-night at Waikiwi, where the hall was crowded. He spoke for two hours, his speech following on the lines of his previous ones. Votes of thanks and confidence wfere passed at all the meetings. Sir Joseph Ward goes north in the morning express, and has great confidence in, the result of the election.

THE, WESTLAND SEAT. A HOT CONTEST. Hokitika, * November 15. The Westland election is being contested with an intensity of interest S probably unknown in any other part of the Dominion. Roth candidates, the sitting member (Mr. T. Y. Seddon), and his opponent (Mr. H. L. Michel), are speaking nightly tq large audiences. 1 This evening Mr. Michel spoke at Hbkitika, the Princess Theatre being taxed to its utmost capacity, while large numbers were unable to gain admittance. It is estimated that the gathering numbered about a thousand people. In the course of a vigorous speech of nearly two hours’ duration, Mr... Michel declared himself to be a straight-out Liberal, and while prepared to give the present Government general support, he would not bo whipped into line against his convictions. The candidate, who has always declined a vote of confidence at any meeting, was accorded a vote ol thanks, which was carried by \cclamation. It is generally believed that tne contest will be a very close one. Mr. Michel is contesting the seat for the third time against the sitting member. In the by-election immediately after the death of the lata Premier, Mr. T. Y. Seddon defeated his opponent by 724 votes. The general election in 1908 was much closer, the voting being Seddon 2830, Michel 2720.

MR. HINE AT NGATRE. Mr. J. B. Hine addressed the electors at Ngaire last night. Mr. T. Coleman was-, voted to the chair. Mr. Hine, who was greeted with applause on rising, said that six years ago Ngaire had supported him well, and he hoped the same would he the case at the coming election. He said that no private member of Parliament could do anything in Parliament in regard to taxation or land policy. Sir Joseph Ward said lie could not he blamed for maladministration which occurred .more than five years ago; hut at the time lie (Sir Joseph) was Mr. Seddon’s right-hand

man. The present Parliamentary system was in the direction of going against private members’ Bills. Mr. Hine proceeded to give an idea oi Parliamentary procedure to show that much legislation was pushed through with undue haste. Ho thought Ministers should lie able to place their Bills before Parliament during the first months of the session. It was the hasty manner of legislating which had enabled the Mokau transaction to lie carried through. It was no good to the country that such things could lie done. Since Sir Joseph Ward had been in power lie had increased the cost of Government by £1,700,000. Sir Harry Atkinson, when called upon to retrench, cut down first his own salary and the salary of his colleagues. When Sir Joseph Ward was called on to retrench, he dismissed sundry peer pie from the Civil Service. wore dismissed then, but other people had since been appointed. The Reform Party claimed that they could reduce the cost of the Civil Service, thereby saving much money. The Government stated that they had made remissions as regards taxation, but New Zealand was taxed to the extent of £1 3s 8d more than the Australian States. Now Zealand . depended on her exports, and last year the difference between New Zealand’s import and export bill would not meet the interest bill. The administration had failed dismally in getting the people on the land. He queried how the country could meet next year’s interest bill. The Government would say that tho Reform Party should not bo pessimistic, but he (the speaker) wanted to see some return for the money borrowed. Sir Joseph Ward was the greatest plunger in tho history of the country. In regard to the recent loan of five millions, three hundred thousand pounds had been spent on raising it, outside the usual expenses. The Reform Parly, if put in power, would not stop borrowing. They would put borrowing on a reasonable basis. Ho was prepared to refer to the late Mr. Sodden, who regarded a million and a half as a reasonable loan for each year. Tne Government said the Reform Party were political hypocrites, because tiiey asked for votes and did not vote against borrowing. Personally, ho had not done so. As regards electrical power, the Government had come into tho business, although private enterprise was prepared to take' the matter up. Ho did not believe in a monopoly being given to anybody, but lie objected to tho Government's action. He had voted against the vote of £500,000 for water power. Among the ranks of the Reform Party there were those who were more radical and democratic than the present Government. Sir Joseph Ward had tho powder to borrow this year a sum of eight and a half millions.' He (Sir Joseph) seemed to have no use for a Cabinet. All powers to borrow money should come before Parliament. The Reform Party had demanded of Sir Joseph Ward that all information regarding loans should lie available- witliin a year; but the Government majority had been whipped in>and this suggestion had been defeated. Mr. Fbwlds had left tho Ministry in a manner which suggested that lie was leaving a sinking ship. The Government did not like the Reforiii Party speaking about “pickings” ; but ho asked what could bo thought of Sii Robert Stout, whojiad received £4019 in respect oi' his work on tho Native Land Commission. Ono of the planks of tho Reform Party’s platform was for easy intercourse between Maori and pakeha; and the latest convert to tins view was Sir John Findlay. The Government, asked on the matter, said they were not responsible for Sir John’s views. In regard to the West Coast native leases, Mr. T. Mackenzie had voted against the Government, probably just because lie happened to,; lie standing for a Taranaki seat. Mr. Hine referred to the fact that a laudatory article in “Tho Dairyman’’ followed directly on the insertion of a Government advertisement, in the journal. The “New Zealand Times,” the shareholders’ list of which' included most of the members of the Ministry, last year received about £SOO worth of advertising, while tne “Dominion,” which had a much larger circulation, got only a few shillings. This, he thought, was entirely wrong. The Mokau deal had been hard to. curry through until the firm of Findlay, ilalziell and Co. had been engaged. The Reform Party wanted to know why the Government had not taken over the block! The property v. as offered to the Government at £15,000. The man'who ultimately settled the land was the one to be considered. If tho Government had taken tlie land at the price offered tho settler.: could have gone on the land on much bitter terms than if the , com nmy had bought it. Sir Joseph Ward’s chief aim at present seemed merely tu be to put tiie Taranaki mourners out of Pm Lament. Mr. Millar la,l made increases in railway salaries, but the lower paid men had got nothing. The increases were made merely to appease the city railway workers. The Reform Party iioped to see Civil servants placed above political control. This would do away with increases just before an election. He beljeied that this election the Government would get the bump of their life. The present system of road votes w/is quite wiong. Recent happenings in Parliament had showed that Ministers were not thoroughly conversant with their departments. Mr. Hine dealt at some length with the Hine charges. Until, he said, Parliamentarians were precluded from gaining emoluments' from work outside their Parliamentary- duties, Parliament would never lie pure. In regard to the Prohibition question, he hold firmly for a bare majority. ' Tn answer to questions, Mr. Hine said lie could not state the loss on the Tourist Department; but bo know it was a losing department. lie deferred payment system for hind was non-existent. He would favour an extension of tho time over which deferred payments should be made. On the motion of Mr. J. Thomas, seconded by Mr. B. Orr, it was resolved to thank Mr. Hine for his address, to express renewed confidence in him, and to express tho opinion that a change of Government was necessary.

NOTES BY THE WAY. The lady who presided at a meeting addressed by Sir John Findlay last week declared that a married woman had two votes—her own and her husband's. Mr J. !3. Hme v. dl not now speak at Puke ig.mu nexc Wednesday, the necessity el a special journey there being obviated by settlers stating that they will attend hi- m-ar-by meetings. According to a Wellington paper Mr W. C. Buchanan, the Opposition candidate for Wiiirarapa, addressed the electors at Whakataki on November 10th, and on hearing that a numboi of his constituents wore busy shearing and could therefore not attend the meeting, lie secured a horse and the following morning rode mght miles to the sheep station. Although anxious to “cut out," the =ileavers and employees considerately acknoviedgod his self-sacrifice on their behalf _bv stopping their work and .istemng with

appreciative interest to a short address on the land question and the Reform Party’s platform. The sheep were undcrneatli and in the pens and yards adjacent, and with the i ion perched upon wool-bales, the candidate »uho had been^“wild-cattle” bunting there forty years ago), impressed upon tne men that they of to-day would probably lie the farmers of the future, and that their farm might lie a freehold. He was accorded a hearty vote of thanks and within about three minutes the machines were again in action and Mr Buchanan on his return journey to speak that same evening at Tinui, twenty miles away. Air Buchanan was always a determined and resourceful person. At Parnell the other evening Sir John Findlay made Auckland hearts fiutter. In seconding the vote oi thanks and confidence at his meeting in Kyber Pass, Mr W. Ross said that as an Aucklander he would like .to see the whole Cabinet come to Auckland for election. “Then” he said, “Auckland might get her birthright as the seat of Government.” Sir John Findlay, in acknowledging the vote, said: “The scat of Government is not necessarily the place whore Parliament now meets. If your Parliamentary representatives are sufficiently vigorous and strong, you may make Auckland the scat of Government again.” The remark was regarded with mingled laughter and applause. We dmve been requested, says the Auckland “Star,” to inform electors who entrust their claims for enrolment to persons who call upon them that they should take special note of the name of the person who witnesses the claim, and see that the name ol the witness is upon the roll, or that tho witness produces the Registrar’s authority to act on his behalf. Jf an elector does’not receive notice from the Registrar that his or her name lias l)63ii placed on the roll, there is something wrong, and the claimant should at once inquire at the Registrar’s office. Notwithstanding the penalty for non-delivery of claim, it is reported that some electors have trusted their chums to people they do not I.new, and who have-failed to deliver them to the Registrar. Tne result will bo disappointment when they present t unsolves to vote and find that they are disqualified. This: matter is ono which the elector should caret idy see to himself. ‘ The ‘ Ycilington “Post” thus expresses itself :■ —“Tainmanyism, in the sense which it bears in tho laud of its birth ,and corruption of a personal kind, are vices from which our/politicians are fortunately free, but to lly to the opposite extreme, and give the Government a clean sheet for “purity” is almost equally unreasonable. As long as we have a large steadily expanding Public Service, which is ' directly controlled by the politicians, personal solicitation and political influence are bound have, a considerable share in regulating the admission to the Service and tl.fe pro.riel on of those who have gained adn ission.”