MINISTER OF RAILWAYS

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 241, 14 November 1914, Page 4

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS

SPEECH AT TE AROHA. Press Association. TE AROHA, November 13. A political address was delivered by the Hon. W. IT. Merries, Minister of Railways, at Te Arolia, to-night. The Mayor" (Mr W. Morrcll) presided, and, iu introducing the Minister, referred to Mr llerries's recent illness and the fact that he had not yet quite recovered.

The Minister remarked that since last election his position had changed, for he was now a member of the Government, and not of the Opposition. After dealing with the coming into power of tho Reform Party, he remarked that Mr Massey and his followers now had to account for their stewardship. The Government hail met with difficulties that no Government had had to Contend with before, including the tightness of money, the Waihi strike, the smallpox epidemic, the waterside strike, and last of all, the great European War. Through all the strife, the Government had endeavoured to keep a stiff backbone, and do its duty, both to the Empire and the Dominion itself. (Applause.) So far as the war was concerned, he remarked that the Government had surely done its duty, for it had been the first to offer a contingent, and the Dominion troops had been the first to occupy the enemy's territory. Further, the Government had passed beneficial legislation to meet the peculiar positions that had arisen. (Applause.) Though the war was going on, the domestic affairs of the Government had to be carried on.

lie referred to the statement that the Government had pledged itself not to borrow money. That was absurd, for money was needed for the proper development of the country, and any Government that did not develop the Dominion, providing money Avas procurable at reasonable rates, was almost criminal. The Government's loans had been floated on excellent terms—(applause) —and he might add, had met with the approval of a financial expert —the president of the Bank of New Zealand—who, if anything, hacl leanings towards the Opposition. If the Government's finance was bad -in-the eyes of the Opposition, it was, at any rate, good in the eyes of the London financiers, for the £4,500,000 loan had been subscribed five times over. (Applause.) , FISCAL SYSTEM. .

Mi- Jjferries candidly admitted that' the.Government had not'carried ou£ >its promise to reform the'fiscal system of the Doriiini'on. It had been decided to do, this last session, but the. outbreak of war hjad prevented the: plans from being carrie*;! into effect. Although the , Customs items had not been reduced, j the Government had m<?t the increased j cost of living by increasing the wages of a large, body of men. (Applause;) -In j his own department, wages had been increased , by £120,000 per annum, teachers' salaries by £150,000, police by £IB,OOO, public servants by £48,000, and, Post and Telegraph by £42,000. (Applause.) The "Ma-ssey Government had carried out its pledges in regard to the land question, and, he added, if the party was returned to power, it intended to give the leaseholders of Te Arolia and Rotorua the opportunity to acquire the freehold. (Loud applause.) The reform of the Legislative Council had been carried out, eliminating political patronage. Political patronage had bedu eliminated from the Civil Service, and if he approached one of the Commissioners suggesting that So-and-so was a man worthy of promotion, he would be liable to a fine of £SO. (Hear, hear.) The reform of the Old Age Pensions Act, promised at last election, had been carried out during the first session of Parliament, and the Government had gone even further by recognising the services and valour of the veterans of the Maori War. (Applause.) Mr Herries referred to the promise of the Government to reform the economic system of the Dominion by promoting industrial peace and restoring public confidence. He maintained that the Government's stiff backbone in regard to strikes had promoted industrial peace and restored the confidence of the people. The Government had maintained that la#"and order should be upheld, and that the commerce -of the Dominion should not be held up (applause)—and he would not fear to go before the country on the single question of his party's action in regard to the industrial trouble. He felt that the Government, by its firm action, could rightly claim to have done more to promote industrial peace and restore public confidence than any previous Government. (Applause.) RAILWAY STATIONS.

Referring to the statement that the Government was going to build palatial railway stations to placate the towns, Mr Herries said that it was true the Government intended to borrow £3,200,000 for equipment of the present lines. The sum was a large one, but he would point out that the expenditure was to extend oyer five years, and was absolutely essential. He wanted to combat the idea that the Government was going to spend/ the loan in the towns for the erection of palatial railway stations, for the stations were really the smallest part of the expenditure. The loan was mainly required for shunting yards, engine yards, goods-sheds, engine-sheds, easing the grades, and for proper accommodation lor the produce of the country. (Applause.) Auckland, he said, was in a worse than any of the other centres as its railway accommodation was concerned. Something must be done, otherwise the Minister of Railways five years hence would be in a most awkward position. A Voice: Why don't you face your responsibilities'? The Minister: "I am going to, if the people keep me in power for the next five years." (Loud applause.) Continuing Mr Herries said that the Government 's first duty must be to see that the lines were kept in such a state that they could cope with the business provided by the feeder lines, and the Government would continue its progressive policy in the opening up of the Dominion by the laying down of feeders. (Applause.) Before leaving the railways, the Minister mentioned that although one million was to be spent on the Auckland railways, only £45,000 was to be appropriated for Auckland's station. THE FUTURE.

lii referring to the future, the Minister dealt with the main features of the manifesto issued by the Reform Party. The present was not the time to enter into detail concerning the navy policy, but lie could say that there would probably be a conference in Loudon when the war had been settled —(applause)—and then ; would be the time for the different Dominions to agree with the Old Country upon a proper naval policy, providing adequately for the defence of the Empire, j

It did not, reflect credit upon the Dominion that it had to rely upon the Australian squadron in the matter of taking the troops to Samoa. Continuing, he said that the Government intended to go on with the policy that 'had already placed the finances of New Zealand on a much more satisfactory basis than was the case when it took office. The Government's land policy would be pursued, and special attention would be paid to immigration, while the policy of promoting the welfare of mining by direct and indirect assistance would include iron and oil, which had, with coal, a national importance. The party iuj tended to still further extend tlie usefulness of pensions by removing the penalty at present imposed upon thrift, and as soon as the necessary funds were available to provide pensions for the physically infirm. The necessity for the erection of workers' homes in the country as well as in the towns was realised by the Reform Party (Applause.) Finally, by the foresight of the Minister of Finance it was hop.ed that there would be no need for. the levying of a war tax. Strong and undivided, said Mr Herries in conclusion, the Massey Government was a strong, homogeneous party, a party that was not. divided on political questions and had gone through the whole parliament without being once defeated on a Government measure or motion. A Voice: What about Fisher 1 ?

'' The best Minister we have,'' replied Mr, Herries. "He is industrious, and will beat Fletcher hands down." (Applause.) The other side, Mr Herries contended, was a heterogeneous collection which, if it got into power, would be wagged by its tail. '• He had read the Opposition policy, but all he had got out of it was that Sir Joseph Ward .wanted'•to give five pounds to every infant., then borrow ii, oatrk. (Laughter.) In answering questions the Minister said he had always been a three-fifths majority man on the prohibition question, and would remain in the same, position throughout the next Parliament. He was in favour of the referendum on the Bible-in-schoOls question.

A vote of thanks for the address and confidence in the Minister was carried unanimously, amidst cheers.