REFORM ENTHUSIASM

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 509, 12 November 1928, Page 7

REFORM ENTHUSIASM

TOUR OF prime MINISTER WAIRARAPA RECEPTIONS (Special to TUB SUB) MASTERTON. Sunday. A feature of the election cam - i_n has been the enthusiasm fhown wherever the leaders of the three parties have gone. Reformers have everywhere greeted the Prime Minister with cheers and loolause. Mr. Coates continued his victorious tour through the Wairarapa on Saturday. Despite heavy rain, there was a *ury Uio® and representative gathering at King's Theatre. Pahiatua. Mr. O. ft Sykes and Mr. G. .Harold Smith, Reform candidates for Masterton and pahiatua. also Mr. S. Bolton, county chairman, were on the stage. Mr. Coates was greeted with prolonged applause on entering the hall. Later came hearty cheers and the singing of "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow." There were a few goodhumoured interjections. The Mayor acknowledged the assistance given by the Government to local bodies’ relief for the maintenance of the Manawatu dorse Road. Mr Harold Smith, Reform candidate, spoke, and was given an excellent reception. SIR JOSEPH’S HEALTH Th© Prime Alinister, in a stilling * c h of over an hour, dealt at some ff'eth with the unemployment quesH,"n Referring to Sir Joseph Ward's assertion that there would be 30,000 or 40 000 unemployed next winter. Mr said that the statement could L out down to Sir Joseph's health and nothin" else. (Laughter and uiDlause.) No responsible man could make such an exaggerated statement. Mr Coates dealt in a vigorous manner with the Government’s achievel.nts and concluded amid applause. He replied to one or two written quesof thanks and confidence in tun Government, also in Mr. Smith, was carried by acclamation with a few dis-sentients-uriceviiie, Mr. Coates made local history by being the lirst Prime Minister to deliver an address there. The call was to have been only one to allow of a handshake with tne farmers, but they had the hall ready, and at their solicitation Mr. Coates spoke for about half an hour. The returned soldiers of the Wairarapa took charge of the Prime Minister at Masterton and entertained him at dinner. Later they occupied several seats which they had secured for themselves at the public meeting, which was the last big function of the day. Here they backed him up when he dealt with some interjectors, and gave additional volume to the applause with which the motion of thanks and confidence was carried. “WHAT IS WRONG?" “I have been trying to find out what is wrong with the Government, but the Opposition cannot point to one thing**’ said the Prime Minister to his audience. “We have withstood all charges against us. 1 defy anyone to point to anything shady. We have been clean, straight, above-board, and we have dealt fearlessly with every situation. To hear some of them talk one would think we had done nothing. "What about the Local Government Loans Board, which has put a check on uneconomic borrowing by local bodies? Yv’hat about the Highways Act and the petrol tax, which have been the means of giving us roads without adding to the burden of the man on the land? “The motorists have stood in with us fairly and squarely. The better roads have reduced transporation costs, Lhd, with the exception of North Auckland, it Is now possible to motor all over New Zealand. That could not be done three years ago.** The Government has put agricultural education on a sound basis, the Prime Minister continued. It had »iven every encouragement to farmers to produce for export. There were the Apple export guarantee, the egg guarantee and the pork subsidy. The timely action with regard to pork saved that industry from being The scientific and industrial research Department had been created k♦ j 6 P re ® en t Government and it was obtaining information which was invaluable to farmers and manufacurers. Better methods of obtaining nnance had been provided under the bong-term Credits Act and’the Rural intermediate Credits Act. ** had been said that all the money OU,d be available for intermediate .j} 3 . be the €400,000 pro- !, by the Government, but only the other day £200.000 worth of the dentures had been sold over the i-ounter at no greater cost than that of Printing them. The Customs tariff had ... en revised and placed on a scien- . * or tbe encouragement of rth-while local industries and for * ln g preference to Empire products. humanitarian legislation t ,H l i e w Ul ] ltc<l Part >' said the Customs , ad been increased. That was had been reduced and the man could obtain actual Emnr iUes tree of Uut >' * r they were Taxation had been niitt? tbe man on the bread - and - of , r lne a nd placed on the shoulders h„mo OSe . b ? tter a *>le to bear it. On the met a „ arian side the Government had r _ Pension charges and in some Tu , pensions had been increased. allowance had been introbft v, a j ** Was small, but regard had to it tpa i° state of the times when crea - Inaugurated. It would be infitted aS soon as conditions peranrT be *f * s P°iicy—there is performnevt’ ♦ the me Minister said. “The D* e ™ office we have definite m tbe wa y of an invalidity ridd<i« n *u 0r tbe Inan w ho becomes bed\Ve , n through accident and sickness. Dosaio? land settlement prorurai x. , r tbe Part-time farmer, the f OP <*»t*? rker and tbe srroup settler and Wa tlie ela y and pumice lands. 1 with local body rates. Puttitvn) * must bo done, for they are * ch» *°° a charge on the land, GttvJt? 6 manv times higher than the government taxation. h ALLENGED AGAIN AND AGAIN Us OUr PPonents can say is, ‘Give I hnv° ank cheque; put us in power.’ ‘gain t cliaJ lenged them again and mention one item on our proworks, hydro-electric, railcut ’ ! )ui^, hgs. etc., which should be SDeoifi.’ and they have been unable to - T . y They cannot do it. dues Vl L ? iled Part >’ says p will retax a “, e lnc °me tax and the Customs du«t^ nd "’ e t it will pay subsidies to inout It 8 build the public works Dennlr ? ur Pluses without adding a i P „ A Piece to taxation. That buildan v ’ie works out of surpluses is the wi aought - They forgot about telenh r °’ electric work «. the schools, DuKH«v e and telegraph extensions and thi»^ C when they adopted thpf*. V®*®®o.ooo railway scheme ami thpv . *®0»®00,000 for advances, and JTQirL * Ve not yet said how they are evprS «, make tip the loss of € 5 on v an ■ on that ear-tickling adaace» Plank. hanrv am r,u * te confident as to what will **Ml n *«i£ n p dnesday,” Mr. Coates will be sent back to power as strong as ever.”