“JEREMIAHS, CROAKERS”

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 508, 10 November 1928, Page 10

“JEREMIAHS, CROAKERS”

PRIME MINISTER LAYS ABOUT HIM DANNEVIRKE SPEECH Press Association DANNEVIRKE, Friday. The Prime Minister, the Right Mon. J. G. Coates, addressed an overflow meeting at the Town Hall to-night. About 1.300 people were in the hall, and many were outside. Mr. and Mrs. Coates and their party were heartily applauded on entering the hall, and a presentation of bouquets to Mrs. Coates by the Mayoress and Mrs. Smith, wife of the Government candidate for Pahiatua, formed an interesting preliminary to what proved a good-humoured meeting throughout, with a fair number of interjections from a few of those present. The Prime Minister said he made no excuses in addressing a Dannevirke audience. 110 believed he could still serve New Zealand, and that he would do so after the 14th. (Applause.) After considering the criticisms and declamations of his opponents, a fair inference was that the present Government was about as nearly perfect as any that had ever existed. The Government had a big majority, but nobody could say it had abused it. It had legislated for the people as a whole, without consideration of class interests. Replying to an interjection, he said he would never agree to the farmer paying two taxes. Either he must pay land tax or income tax. They must give an incentive to men to go on the land, as primary production was the great standby of this country. Sir Joseph Ward's railway programme was about as silly as anything proposed. It was weak, ill-considered, and uneconomical. He roundly condemned Sir Joseph’s statement that he proposed to bring into the country 3,000,000 to 4,000.000 people in the next four years. This did not seem to him to be logical. It was ill-considered. What would they do with the 4,000,000 people. A Voice: Put them on the land. Mr. Coates replied that he would have nothing to do with that. The best farmer was the young citizen of the Dominion, who should have a show. Jeremiahs and croakers had blamed the Government for past depression. Surely the Government was entitled to claim credit for having pulled the country through that depression. The croakers and Jeremiahs had not gauged the spirit of the people, and their capacity to pull New Zealand through the worst depression that might befall it, not only in the past but in the days to come. Mr. Coates spoke for two and a-half hours. The meeting carried a hearty vote of thanks to the Prime Minister for his able and convincing address, and expressed confidence in him and the present Government. There were few dissentients.

WOODVILLE MEETING CONFIDENCE EXPRESSED Press Association WOODVILLE, Friday. The Prime Minister addressed a largely-attended and enthusiastic meeting at Woodvilie this afternoon. The Mayor, Mr. H. P. Horne, thanked Mr. Coates for his work. Mr. Coates said ho recognised the Mayor’s position as a political opponent, and congratulated Mr. Ilorne on his brave stand in paying a tribute to the Prime Minister. Mr. Coates dealt with the United Party. He classed the statements of Sir Joseph Ward with regard to there being 30,000 or 40,000 unemployed next winter as ridiculous, outrageous and stupid, with not the slightest foundation. He spoke for an hour and a-half, in spite of trouble with his voice. An attentive hearing was given throughout, and an enthusiastic vote of thanks and confidence was carried, with one dissentient;