WAITOMO ELECTORATE.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 November 1922, Page 7

WAITOMO ELECTORATE.

MR. W. T. JENNINGS AT WAITARA. LIBERALISM DEFENDED. Mr. W. T. Jennings, Liberal-Labor candidate for the Waitomo electorate, addressed a large meeting in the Ci if ton Hall, Waitara, on Monday night. During the early stages he was subjected to a good deal of interjections, but the chief heckler finally left the hall and the meeting proceeded quietly. The Mayor (Mr. R. Morgan) presided. Mr. Jennings said he was glad to be again addressing electors in Waitara ■ and welcomed the opportunity to give an account of his services. He was going to hit hard, but any remarks concerning his young opponent would be free from, any personal venom. As a journalist, he had studied the manner in which the Press hod ignored the Liberal candidates, and he declared the party he represented had not been given a fair hearing. He contended that if a man had been doing good work he was entitled to have it known. “Well done, I thou good and faithful servant,” should be the sentiments of electors to men who had given their years to the country’s welfare. Nothing dealing with his political party had appeared in Press Association messages, he declared, and the Press throughout New Zealand was not giving Liberalism a fair hearing.

CLEAN ROLL WANTED. He reminded every person who intended to exercise his vote that thousands and thousand* of names had been struck off the rolls. No valid reason had. been given why this had beep, done, but the names of many people who had lived all their lives in one district had been erased. The question of roll supervision had been raised in the House, but the Minister of Justice had said the law would not allow of any alteration. Mr. Jennings wanted a clean roll. He was convinced that there w6.s some object behind the packing of electoral rolls, but he could not say whether , the liquor or any other party was responsible. If anyone entitled to vote found his name struck off he could demand the right to vote, and he wished all present to advise their friends that such was the case. He had said in Te Kuiti, and he reiterated now, that pressure was being brought to bear upon supporters of himself, but he reminded his hearers that the ballot was secret and no one could be brought to task for the manner in which he had recorded his vote. Mr. Jennings said that during the eleven years of the Liberal administration not one item of corruption could be proved. The only way to maintain the adhesion of the British Empire (and Mr. Lloyd George had expressed the same sentiments) was to have in power a party truly representative of the majority of the voters. There must be no division in the Empire. He spoke looking ahead, for safety lay in the majority ruling, either by preferential or proportional voting. In connection with his opponent, he had said that his knowledge of the backblocks would he of infinitesimal value. “Infinitesimal” meant, of little or no value, and he advised electors to stick to the man of long and proved experience. LOAD OF TAXATION. Continuing, Mr. Jennings said £13,000,000 had been taken from the pockets of the people, and he asked where it had gone. Mr. Rolleston claimed credit for the Massey Government for doing this, but £900.000 of land and income tax had not yet been paid. The people were groaning under the load of heavy taxation, but he would be perfectly satisfied if the money had been well spent. When the Massey Government followed the Liberal administration in 1911-12 the expenditure had been £6,452,000, but before long it had gjjpwn to £7,589,000, an increase of £1,137,000 in two years prior to the war. He pointed out the expensive system of education inspection, and demonstrated how overlapping could be avoided.

Great extravagance was apparent in this department alone. A gentleman belonging to the mining industry had been sent, at a cost of £3OOO, to Canada and elsewhere tn receive instruction in the latest methode and machinery for working coal mines, but before he had been back in New Zealand three months he resigned his position and joined a private concern. Extravagance was also noticed in the folly of retiring capable men on superannuation and going to all the expense of moving another man, with his family and furnitiire, to the position. One instance of 'extravagance was quoted. A return was presented in Parliament showing that a firm had been appointed in England to superintend and inspect certain machinery for four years after the war and the amount paid this firm in commission was £30,491. Meanwhile the High Commissioner’s office cost between £40,000 and £50,000 per annum. What was the High Commissioner doing that a man not in any way connected with the Dominion should receive £30,000 in commission? This practice of “greasing palms” had to stop, declared Mr. Jennings. ’ ADVANCES TO SETTLERS. In conne.ction with advances to settlers, the speaker stated that while th(» Atkinson Ministry was in nower, he , bad been one of the 30,000 s-' ,: *rs who had been forced to leave th •'Min ry because there was no work < , ' n tained. They had gone to Austral' 1 .. That Parliament, however, had gorn' <<nt of power, but Mr. Massey under a h Hilar administration had voted 72 times against the old age pension. Mr. Massey had stated the country could not stand the drain. He had counted ini local newspapers over 300 cases of sales by order of mortgagees, and if he was returned he pledged himself to support any measures tending to help these people and. to save them from having to start again. Quoting from the execu- , five of the North Canterbury Farmers ! Union he said that in renly to a request for assistance the Prune Min’ster had made it apparent that he <" d not realise the serious position of the farmins community when he notified . the union that the Government could ’not undertake to ra : >se funds to provide advances to needy farmers. SOLDIERS’ SETTLEMENTS. A sum of .£22,000.000 had been paid for the purchase of land for returned I soldiers. They all approved of this measure, but not the way in which ill*' I purchases Ind been effected or th n I money squandered. Some blocks that I had cost considerable sums had been nettled, but now no soldiers remained to farm them section'. A erave charge been made in an Auckland

It was stated, a block of land known, as the Tatua West Park estate of 1000 acres had been offered to the Government for £BOOO, but was declined. Subsequently the land was sold to a private purchaser, who sold, it to the Railway Department for £27,500, and the transfer was recorded. Mr. Massey in attempting to explain this extravagant deal had characterised it as one of the mare’s nests dragged to light by his opponents. The land, had never been intended for soldier settlement and the title had not been proved. Mr. Jennings also referred to similar extravagant purchases of laud and stock in Taranaki. A 'block at Otorohanga cost £3O per acre, but before the eight soldiets who took up sections there could get anything off the land they had to expend money, bringing the cost up io £4O per acre, a figure that made remunerative farming impossible. He thought the Government lacked foresight in buying lands during the boom period. Unless from £10,000,000 to £12,000,000 was struck off many settlers would have to go out. In connection with the Railway Department, he reminded the people that £60,000,000 was invested in the railways, yet Mr. Guthrie had stated the railways were losing £3OOO a day. Why -were these losses occurring? For mafiy .years he had urged that trains connecting with expresses should be speeded up. Benzine could be carted by lorries at Is per case less than the railways charged. Thus they were capturing much of the transport business, while trucks were being drawn halffilled or empty. He suggested there was -something not explained in connection with these matters. By his attempts to answer charges Mr. Massey had shown that he was either overburdened with work, or was not well informed about current affairs.

THE MEAT POOL. He had supported the Meat Pool Bill because it was a good measure, but he thought the pool did not deserve all the credit given to it by Mr. Massey. Ho had objected to Armour’s agents operating in New Zealand, but owing to pressure from America, Armour’s were now buying round Christchurch. He would favor an open market, where anyone could come to New Zealand and buy .produce. WTien in England he had been shown some New Zealand meat in a very unclean condition, and had felt ashamed when he contrasted its appearance with the e’ean, wholesome article from the Argentine. If the pool would concentrate upon delivering the meat good and clean without discoloration they would be doing a good work. When the Dairy Pool Bill had been under consideration he had telegraphed 22 factories in his electorate. Fifteen had replied against the proposal, 5 had favored it and 2 had refrained from expressing an opinion. Consequently ho had opposed the Bill. It was essential that the contents of a Bill should be thoroughly known before it went on the Statute Book; rush tactics were not in the interests of the people. MAIN HIGHWAYS BILL. Mr. Jennings said he came through the Lower Awakino Valley the other >day and could assure the people that the road would not be open for traffic this season. If the policy of concentration. as suggested by the Minister of Public Works, was followed, completion would be much sooner, hut the Minister was not allowed to do as he wanted in this instance. The Highways Bill was a good one. Ho estimated that over .£5,000.000 had been obtained for his district for Public Works during his period in Parliament and much good progress had taken place.

PURE SEEDS BILL. With a population of 1| millions New .Zealand had a national debt of £219,000,000, which worked out at £l7B per head. Unless there was an increase in population or production the Dominion would be in a very serious position. He wanted to get a Clean Seeds Bill on the Statute Book, but because some farmers and certain people objected, Mr. Nosworthy would not place it there. .Ragwort and ox-eyed daisies were rife in New Zealand pastures. He quoted figures showing that, by analysis, high priced seeds did not come up to their guarantee. The salvation of New Zealand lay in a greater population. It was a fine country with immense mineral and timber resources.

EDUCATION. He had made, representations to the Minister of Education regarding the position existing at the Waitara school, but so far had received no reply. He had, however, been advised that, a grant of £550 had been authorised for the erection of the Awakino school. Large sums were being spent on imposing edifices for education in Palmerston and other centres, but the back blocks were shamefully neglected. If any brilliant scholar in the backblocks gained his proficiency it was often impossible for his parents to afford the expense of a higher education, for the department would not increase the grants for board and lodging.

Mr. Massey, at Foxton. and Mr. Clutha Mackenzie had both remarked that anyone who criticised the present Government was disloyal. This statement had been reluctantly withdrawn [by Mr. Mackenzie, and Mr. Massey had explained that he never intended it to apply to the Liberal Party. All the • same the damage had been done and his ipirty had suffered much in consequence. A’great deal had been said regarding t'-e attitude of the Liberal Party towards Mr. Holland. These statements h d, on investigation, been proved to be without foundation, for the Liberal Party was not favorably inclined towards extreme Labpr. Tn his opinion there could be no perfect socialistic state. It was a pretty idea, but an impossibility. Labor should adopt a fheme patterned on the Whitley system in vogue in certain parts of England, whereby any profit was distributed among employers apd employees alike. j In conclusion, Mr. Jennings asked that the electors should support him at the ' polls on the grounds of his past ser- ; vices. If returned his knowledge of the Waitomo district would stand him in good stead, and he wanted them to judge him fairly and squarely, without prejudice as to his years. He knew every nook’and corner of his electorate and relied on an overwhelming renewal of confidence on the 7th.

Mr. Jennings replied in the affirmative to all the published questions is- ' sued hy the returned soldiers’ association's executive, but reserved an exnrpssion of opin'on on the question of allowing Hindoos into New, Zealand. That was a question to bp considered by full Parliament, a'- it involved the Imperial policy as well. Mr. W. F. .Tonkins moved and Mr. T. Taylor seconded a vote of thanks and a .pledge x o support the candidate. Thi« wits enthuslfrsriowlly wrried.