THE CAMPAIGN IN EGMONT

Taranaki Daily News, 3 August 1931, Page 5

THE CAMPAIGN IN EGMONT

MR. WILKINSON’S ACTIVITY

ADDRESS TO ELECTORS AT OMATA

COMPLIMENTARY MOTION PASSED

Despite very boisterous weather on Saturday evening, there was an attendance of' about twenty at the Omata hall, when Mr. C> A. Wilkinson, M.P. for the district,, gave an address. At the conclusion a resolution was carried, on the motion of Mr. A. Weir and Mrs. F.‘ E. Morris, that Mr. Wilkinson was a fit arid proper person to represent the district in Parliament. Mr. F. E. Morris presided. Mr. Wilkinson said that while it might appear early to start his campaign, he was only replying to the speeches of the. Reform members who had visited the electorate recently. Mr. Jones had likened the Reform members to commercial travellers with wares to offer the public,, but when he opened hifi pack it. proved to be a pedlar’s pack containing goods of little value such as hairpins,, rusty nails, etc. If they had any better politics their business (should have been to produce it. The -real purport of the Reformers’ visit was; to put the Independents out of the- House, as they alleged they were of no value, but it looked as if they were regarding him as very important when they sent ten men round to try to unseat him. He did not think that'2o members of the Reform Party could do so. Last election he had defeated one of their biggest men, the Minister of Agriculture. He felt that he was on sound ground in saying that the party system would wreck the country. They could not have a system whereby one party outbid the other and practically gave bribes to secure the vote. In other w rds, it was a case of success to the [tarty that offered the most. With him it was riot a question of party but of someone that would go ahead and do something 1 . Switzerland had no party system, yet kept out of the war, and had no debt and no unemployment. , REPLIES TO CRITICISM.

He had!: been taken to ask by the Daily News for his reference to America. He had not said that America had made a success under its system, where the President selected his executive. officers from the whole nation, but the Swiss system had certainly been a success.. The first job the country should take in hand was to stamp out the party system. A party man had to vote as he was told, whereas an Independent could vote in any direction he thought in the best interests of the country.' Fusion, he considered, would come after the election. There was nothing surer than that the party system would break down. , Touching on the wheat duties, Mr. Wilkinson said that Mr. Jones was asking what all the complaint was about seeing that there was only 4d worth of wheat in a 41b. loaf; But bread was made from flour, not wheat, and the

flour in a 41b. loaf cost 6|d. That was not the whole story, for without the duty that; flour would only cost 2}d, so that the tax was 4}d on each 41b.

loaf. On the same basis as calculated

by a Royal Commission in England he estimated that the tax on flour for bread alone was costing New Zealand £900,000 per annum, and with that on . tue flour used for cakes, etc., the amount would be over that amount. He had no objection to a reasonable tax, but it must be reasonable. Mr. Wilkinson explained at length his proposals relating to silver coinage. He asserted that 20s worth of silver coinage as circulating in New Zealand could bo made for 3s, yet the Dominion was paying full value for it. He knew who was gaining the difference,

A voice: The fellow with the big waistcoat.

• Mr. Wilkinson: No, the British Government. As a result of his agitation over silver coinage- the Government had wakened: up and had made arrangements that in future New Zealand was to get half the profit on English silver thut.came to New Zealand, and he had been congratulated by members of Parliament. on raising the question. He hr. I brought a Bill before the House, but J- had! been dropped because it contained an appropriation clause. If the Government would not take it up he would have a Bill next session that would not contain an appropriation clause, and he would see then what'the Government would do. . .'A *

The? Budget taxation 'proposals, said Mr. Wilkinson, were very drastic,. but the money had to be found. If -there’ was still a drop in revenue taxation next year would be even greater as the Government would not be able to utilise capital to help make the accounts balance, as had been done this year. More eeonoiny was required still.’ The cost of education was now £4,500,000, or £2 15s, per head of population, as against £1 5s per head when he was in Parliament .first. There was room for economy in other departments, and the people in New Zealand in future would have to be content with a little less and must be more self-reliant. Replying to Mr. E. C. Hayton, Mr. Wilkinsor’said that he worked in perfect harmony with all Taranaki members on matters affecting the interests of Taranaki. No matter what side of politics they -were on all the Taranaki members would defend the interests of Taranaki .to the last.