POLITICAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 286, 6 May 1914, Page 7

POLITICAL.

MR FORBES AT TABIKI. AN INTERESTING SPEECH. The announcement that Mr G. W. Forbes, the member for Hurunui, was to address a meeting at Tariki, must have been welcomed by the settlers for some distance around the township, for the hall was closely packed on Monday night! the meeting being regurded us the largest that has yet been held there, and probably the most successful. Mr Harkness presided, and briefly introduced the speaker of tho evening as a successful farmer, who was grateful for the assistance rendered to himself and farmers generally by the Liberal legislation. Mr Forbes, on rising, was accorded a very hearty reception. At the outset lie made it clear that he came there not to criticise the member for the district, who was trying to do his best, but hie mission was to deal with the political situation. For twenty years the party now in office had bowled at the Liberal Ministry, whose turn it was now to be the bowlers. It was the duty of the Opposition to see that the Government carried out its promises and pledges,, and that was why the Flying Squadron had taken the lield to lay bare the weaknesses of the Government.' As one of the first to take up land in the Cheviot settlement, he could speak with accurate knowledge of the difficulties the settlers had to experience. Lambs s«ld for 8e and wool only fetched 5 J / 2 d per lb. With such prices as these it would readily be understood that the settlers needed financial assistance to improve their holdings, but the lending institutions were hostile to the settlement, »nd refused point blank to advance money to the Cheviot settlers so long as they remained there. Then it was that the Liberal Government came to the rescue of the email farmers, and by means of the Advances to Settlers Act enabled the strugglers to get on their feet, the result being that they soon made good. He was one of those who felt grateful for the assistance, and unlike some who had been helped over their troubles and turned against the helpers, his gratitude increased his loyalty to the party which had conferred such great benefits on the farming community. There was no doubt that the Land for Settlement and Advances to Settlers Acta were both placed on the Statute Book in the face of the bitterest opposition of the party now in office, and it was therefore unreasonable to expect that party would be anxious to place people on the land. THB RATTERS. The defeat of the Liberal Government was, said the speaker, due to a certain number of members breaking their election pledges, and ie contended that those members had no right to stay is Parliament without obtaining from their constituents an endorsement of the changed policy. By not submitting themselves to the electors the members in question had taken a course that was not honourable, and a Government which depended for iti existence on men who had taken a dishonourable course was not worth;: of confidence. THB STONEWALL

Mr Forbes justified the stonewall on the Budget on the ground that it was a protest against being asked to vote money without having the fullest information as; to how it wag to be spent Mr Massey refused to furnish the dn, formation, but eventually' had to give way, The. speaker contended that the request was reasonable, especially in view'of Mr Va3sey*s pre-election statement that his party would give, the fullest information on all matters before the Jfouse and a square deal all round.

In relation to the stonewall on the repeal of the Second Ballot Bill, Mr Forbes referred to the application of the closure, and strongly upheld the rig-lit of free Bpeech. He emphatically denied the truth of Mr Massey's statement at Whangarei that the Opposition gaver way because he threatened a dissblu-) tion, whereas it was the closure and nothing but that which enabled the Bill to I be carried. They could see how difficult it was to deal with a man like .Mr Massey, who endeavoured to mislead the people ia sucb. a deliberate way. Mr Massey, when speaking at Auckland, had stated that the principle which should guide public men was that they should keep to the truth "as close as tbey possibly could." There should not, said the speaker with much warmth, be two standards of truth, and a Prime Minister—the leader of a party —should not Bet such a bad example. Mr. Forbes also justified the stonewall on the Land Bill, to which there were numberless amendments. At between 3 and 4 a.m. the members were not in a fit state to deal with these amendments, and protested against going on. Mr Massey insisted, although when in Opposition he had declaimed against legislation toy exhaustion. The particular alause in the Bill under. consideration was one giving the freehold to the Hauraki mining leßseeß. The district, which wa,« rich in minerals,.was in Mr Rhodes' electorate, and that gentleman w,as <»ne.| of the members who ratted. Moreover, he held 1000 acres of that land, and his Ma had also 1000 »creu. Why, he asked, should that district receive a special concession! Legislation should be for all districts alike. There were 24,0(K> acres of similar land in Nelson and 9000 acres in Westland, but to neither of these was the freehold concession extended, and the Opposition thought it necessary to let the country see wl*i the Premier proposed, hence the stonewall. "When jos. fcave been brought up with high expectations of good, clean legislation, a fishy transaction of that kini wants showing up," aaid the speaker. OTHER MATTERS. He commented on the freehold not being given to the Ohoviot settlers, and denounced piecemeal government, adding that if the system of rewarding party supporters was carried out not much progress would be made. It was a great falling off in the boasted ligh ideals of Mr. Massey. The speaker then dealt with the abortive land legislation of the Government, and the futile pretence at breaking up the large estates, remarking, that it was useless to expect the Massey Government lo make headway in that direction as it was dominated by the large land-owners. There was but one policy to pursue, and that was to make thbse large landowners move up, so as to make way for closer settlement. The speaker explained thatt the object of the secret valuation roll was to enaWo the landowners to lix a price for their land, but when he moved for a comparative return of the difference in values on the secret roll, the motion was persistently passed over by the Premier, and the information had never been furnished, presumably because Mr Massey was unwilling to let the people know the facts. Mr. Forbes severely criticised the ac- ' tiou o€ the Oovernment over the Publia Trust Office, aad the suppression of the PuMU Trustee's report because it showed tkat the legal work of the office had

earned over £IOOO above the fees paid. He quoted from the Wellington Law Society's report to show that all the provisions objected to by the Society had been struck out, proving that the legal profession had got the Public Trustee hand and foot, and that the Minister placed the interests of the profession before those of the public.

Reference was made to the James letter, and to the naval policy, and the loud applause with which the speaker's assertion, that the only wise plan at present was to leave the navy entirely in the hands of the Homo authorities, clearly indicated that the audience were of the same opinion.

Mr Forbes also dealt with the Government appointments to the Westport Harbour Board and other pubkc bodies which indicated that thioe appointments were made for purely party reasons. He left to people to judge whether the State departments were being administered in the interests of the people or not. During a period of twenty years the Liberals had tried to see that the whole mass of the people participated in the benefits ensuing from legislation on their behalf. He did not claim that the Liberals had' made no mistakes, but they had honestly tried to improve the conditions of life for the small farmers and the workers, and not to benefit merely a section of the community. Their record for twenty .years was one that any party could be proud of. Mr Massey was unable to fight against the; vested interests of his friends and supporters, his Government being for the classes and not for the masses.

In conclusion he heartily thanked those present for the patient hearing they had given to his address, and he particularly thanked the ladies for their presence, assuring them that their influence was always for good. <Loud and prolonged applause.) A number of questions were asked and answered, and a vote of thanks waß unanimously accorded to the speaker, a vote of confidence in the Liberal Party being also carried unanimously. The meeting was most successful in every way. There were no oratorical fireworks, the address being more in the natue of a heart to heart talk by a farmer to farmers.

HELPING THB PEOPLE. Said Sir Joseph Ward at Balclutha last week:—The Liberal Party had lent £14,000,000 to settlers and workers in this country, and its opponents in 1893 and 1894 declared in the House first that the party could not borrow the money in London, secondly that it could not lend it, and thirdly that it would lose if it did. The liberal Party did borrow the money and did lend it, and had only lost £IOOO on land—(applause) —and the department had earned in profits upwards of £300,009. Tho people had got the money at 4 and i% per cent. There were thousands of workers who had benefited by the scheme, and it was a remarkable thing that there were a few men'who were on the lowest rung of the ladder at the time this financial scheme was started who had made fortunes and were now aping the aristocrat and were in front of the Reformers.

MR. FISHER AT INVERCARGILL. By Tc'egraph—Press Association. Invercargill, Monday. The Hon. F. M. B. Fisher addressed a crowded meeting at Winton to-night, and wag accorded an excellent hearing, being subjected to little or no interruption. With one exception, the meeting was accorded an excellent hearing, bethc speaker, who dealt in turn with the criticism of the Opposition and the allegation that they (the Reform party) had stolen the Liberal policy. The Opposition stated, firstly, that "Reform" had stolen their policy; secondly, that "Reform" had no policy; and, thirdly, that they (the Opposition) ho 4 a policy up their sleeve. If the Government had stolen tlieir policy, it could not be up their sleeve; if "Reform" had no policy, they couldn't have stolen' one.

With regard to Sir Joseph Ward's statement that the Government had failed to carry out its promises, Mr. Fisher said that the present Government had not been in office for two years. It had taken office during a session, and had to «ontend during the session against Opposition stonewalls and strikes organised by their Opposition friends. He criticised Sir Joseph Ward'n attitude during the strike, comparing it with that of the leader of the Opposition in South Africa, who said when the industrial trouble arose: "We are not going to embarrass the Government; we arc going to get behind law and order, and when the trouble ie over we'll resum/our fight with the Government.'* It Was of no use Sir Joseph Ward trying to explain his inflammatory speech. The Liberal party was going through a period of degeneration. It would have to die and be born again. Mr. Fisher referred to the beer monopoly which existed in the country, and asked why, the Liberals during their 21 years of office had not done something in this connection. Tn reference to defence, Mr. Fisher endorsed the policy of Mr. Allen. First, we should like the Imperial Government to carry out the scheme propounded in 1909 between Mr. McKenna and Sir Joseph Ward, which provided for two Bristol cruiser*. Secondly, if the agreement cannot he carried out, we would ask the Imperial Government to withdraw the obsolete ships stationed here, and give us something more modem. Thirdly, i( the Imperial Government cannot see its way to do this, we propose to ask Parliament if we may procure a modern ship and use our present subsidy towards its eost and maintenance. Fourthly, it is practically certain that no definite action will be taken until the Defence Conference takes place next year, and in any case. the public may be certain that there is no chance of our committing the country to an expenditure of two millions without the consent of Parliament.

Hon. Fisher dealt with the position of the Liberal and Social Democratic parties,, quotingjpfacts in support of the suggestion that there was an alliance between them.

At the conclusion, the Minister wag accorded a vote of thanks for his address and confidence in the Government of which he was a member.

OPPOSITION LEADER AT CHRISTCHUKCH. Ohristchurch, Monday. Sir Joseph Ward, leader, of the Opposition, addressed a large crowd of electors in Victoria Square to-night. The Mayor. Mr. 11. Holland, presided. Sir Joseph Ward dealt at seme length willi matters of finance. He claimed .that his opponents, in the statements made in the prospectus issued to raiso the last loan, admitted many matters connected with the Liberal Government's regime which before they had strenuously denied. He referred to the promises of reform made by the present Government lH'fore tlmy took office, and said those promises had not been carried out. At the present time Ministers

were making 1 promises right and left throughout the country, but how many of them, he asked, would be fulfilled? Ho qouted figures to show the value of concessions to the people granted by the Liberal Government. Ho dealt with itlie Second Ballot repeal, and said this was intended to operate to keep the present Government in power on a minority vote. There were no sigß3 of ■ Upper House reform. Regarding policy, Sir Joseph Ward said it was not his business to provide another poliey for the Government. With tho exception of one or two planks, the whole policy of the present Government was taken from the Liberals. His policy would be found to be a progressive one, and would not allow the opinions of the mass of the people to be thwarted by the minority. Regarding the Dreadnought, he said the cost was provided not by .the workers, but from special sources—death duties, Tacing clubs, and an increased tax on 'bank notes.

At the close of the meeting, ,a vote of thanks and confidence was carried, with loud acclamation.