ELECTION CAMPAIGN

Taranaki Daily News, 12 October 1928, Page 11

ELECTION CAMPAIGN

MR. W. J. POLSON AT INGLEWOOD. SEVERAL QUESTIONS ANSWERED. About 200 electors gathered in the Inglewood Town Hall last night to hear Mr. W. J. Polson, Independent candidate for the Stratford electorate, continue his political campaign. The speaker was accorded an attentive hearing, punctuated by applause,- and at the conclusion was accorded a hearty vote of thanks. Mr. J. W. Winfield, Mayor of Inglewood, occupied the chair. The speaker’s address was practically identical with that given by him at Stratford the previous evening. Touching upon the question of tariff, he said it was one of the most serious problems the country had to face, and taxation by tariff must be reduced in a scientific manner.' Australia had set up a tariff board, which was functioning successfully, and there was no reason why New Zealand should not follow suit by the establishment of a tariff board free from political influence. The board could go carefully into the question, and recommend what articles and industries should be fully, partially, permanently or temporarily protected. Question time drew from Mr. Susans a request for an explanation as to what was the cost to the country of the commission set up by the Government to inquire into the land banking system. The questioner considered it was a scandalous waste of public money sending men Home and then tearing up their reports when they returned. Mr. Polson replied on the lines of his explanation given in previous addresses, and said that had the unanimous recommendations of the commission been acted upon, the solution of the financial problem would have been found, but the recommendations were scrapped. Mr. Coates took the pioposed legislation, tore it to pieces, and brought legislation before the House that was not recognisable as the product of the commission's work. No members of the commission were called to give evidence prior to the passing of the second reading of the Bill.

“Are you in favour of the Upper House being abolished?” asked Mr. M. Yeates, who said he considered the expense to the country of maintaining that institution must be enormous, and it seemed to him that the Legislative Council was a “pooling house for the rejects of the country, with beards on them like horses’ tails.”

Mr. Polson said he thought the Upper House was not useless, but it was too expensive as constituted at present. He thought it should be cut in half, and the number reduced from 40 to 20. The method of appointing the members should be revised, and i.t should not be possible for the Premier to appoint the members of his committees wholesale to the Council, as Mr. Coates did after the last election. He had no objection to the appointment of men like Sir Robert Stout, who had rendered the country great service. He was not, how-, ever, in favour of making tho Upper House an elective body. There would be too mueh log rolling, and it would be practically no different in character from the House of Representatives.

Mentioning the recent decision that boroughs of a population under 6000 which had not constructed their mam highways were now to receive a subsidy on the cost of construction of the highW’ays, the chairman asked Mr. Polson whether Mr. Polson would support an extension of the subsidy to boroughs under 6000 which had already raised loans and constructed their highways. It seemed manifestly unfair if such boroughs were not to- participate. Without equivocation, said Mr. Polson, he was certainly in favour of the chairman’s suggestion. The Highways Board was wealthy, and there was no reason why the progressive boroughs should not participate in the subsidy. Referring to an earlier remark of Mr. Polson that he would like to be returned to Parliament as a surgeon to operate on the Reform Party and trim its activities, Mr. R. Evans drew attention to the fact that at Waitui the candidate had stated he would vote with Reform on a no-confidence motion, and asked what exactly Mr. Polson’s position was.

He was informed that whereas a certain amount of sound legislation was sure to emanate from the Labour benches, as well as from those of the other parties, Mr. Polson would not support a no-confidence motion that would put Labour into power, because Labour stood for the socialisation of practically everything, and this, the speaker thought, was not sound. “Are you in favour of prohibition?” asked one member of the audience.

“What my personal views are concern myself alone,” replied Mr. Polson, "but I am in favour bf a straight out issue on the ballot-paper.” On the motion of Mr. F. H. Rcesby, seconded by Mr. E. Crossman, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded the speaker by acclamation.