THE GENERAL ELECTION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 10393, 21 November 1922, Page 3

THE GENERAL ELECTION.

MR T. D. BURNETT

On Saturday night Mr T. D. Burnett addressed the electors at Milford, Mr F. Hayhurst presiding over a good attendance. The candidate stressed the necessity .of having a strong and sound Government to safely, administer the affairs of the * Dominion. There was a grave dan- ( ger of the Liberal-Labour Party joining up with, the Socialistic Party with a view to putting the Massey Party out of office. If this should come about the Socialist tail would wag'and they would have to how to the will of the extremists. Mr Holier had twitted him with 'what he had said on this matter but 'Mr Holler

knew thjat the statement made by

him waqj; correct. Mr Burnett re- ■ ferred to what Mr Holland, the Labour leader, had said in the House ■ as follows;— : “i think I have shown ■ that- the Liberal Party’s emphatic denials,to the contrary uotwithstand- ■ ing, their leader, acting apparently on their behalf, was quite willing to enter into an arrangement or under-

■ standing with the Labour Party.” An attempt was being made to kill the | country quota, yhich was a most ~( just measure and one which the man ■ on the l land should never allow to he , | filched from him. At the close of I his address Mr Burnett, answered a number,of questions in a satisfactory 1 manner. Mr Wb. McMillan moved a hearty vote of thanks and continued confidence in the speaker. This .was seconded by Mr G. Parkes and carried unanimously. | Later in the evening Mr Burnett I addressed a large meeting in the L Clandeboye Hall over which Mr R. ■ W. Sievwright prsided. Mr Burnett ■ took his audience back to the time I when Mr Massey first took over I the reins of office. Since then he I had been confronted with difficulties I and could deny that he had I cariJPT'OUt his work with credit to [ himself;and honour to his country. His opponents had said that the Reform Party was the friend of the big man and against the small farmer. Be gave this an emphatic denial. What better refutation of such a charge ,could ,they have than that of the formation of the Meat Produce Board, a/measure which they placed on the. Statute Book in" the face of hostile opposition | from big propri- ■ etary concerns and vested interests? L By this they saved in freight alone I £525,0.00 and had freezing charges

■ reduced by Id per lb. The Meat Pro- | ducers’ Board was not run by the I Government, five out of the eight I members, of it fieing representatives I of the .producers. .This Board had not cos?t the Government one penny as an -export charge of Id on sheep and 2d on cattle was made to meet its exi penses; Mr Burnett said he was in ■ thorough accord with the Dairy Pro- / duco Board. He pointed out that 92 per cent, of the exports came off the land. He was emphatic in stating that in order to got the true reward for the'r work they must get together and prevent any danger of manipulation of the market and exploitation. He also spoke on the burning question of the railways and said that the condition of railway finance in.other countries is similar to our own. Ho quoted the comment of an authoritative American who said that in the aftermath of the World War the state of railways of the United States is deplorable, but it is not unique. , Throughout the world like causes haye produced

like results. From Finland to New Zealand crushing advances in rates f and fares have not sufficed to maintain the equilibrium between revenues and expenses. Everywhere deficits and deferred maintenance have followed in the wake of exorbitant prices for labour and materials. It is a condition and not a theory that confronts the transportation industry to-day. American railways aro in the doldrums because of too light freight-traffic and too much railroad Labour Board. The additional causes are a millstone about the neck of railway efficiency and have been a contributing cause to the long line of deficits that do not adorn annual reports. In the working of foreign railways deficits are the order of the day. The majority of the European railways have not earned operating expenses, and few of those that do have sufficient net after expenses to pay their interest charges. As a consequence of this condition British and Continental equipment and roadway are veiy ba ly in need of repair. The conditions in the-neutral states seem no better than in those that still staggbr under the losses incident to the World War. The railways of Great Britain have been set adrift on a sea of un- ■ certainty with little prospect of making port. The managers have yet to prove what they can do with the heritage of high rates and wages forced on them by war conditions. The writer offers the suggestion that the Carnegie Foundation might do worse than assist in spreading the truth about railways boforb the people, who use them practically at cost and seem to delight in abusing and misrepresenting them The railways in New Zealand are at the present time performing many services at less tham the actual cost. In man} instances exceptionally low rates were granted to assist in establishing industries which are now in a flourishing condition. Included in the list of traffic carried at a loss is roadmaking material for local bodies. The loss to the Department on Unactual cost of haulage <>l this material—used largely for the upkeep of the road to enable motor-lornes to compote with 'ln- railways—is over £50,000 a year. The loss in respect to other u,n remunerative M ‘ r ’ vices Is £IISO, OtM) a year. In assisting the cause education the con(CjB&IOn made In tho railway; rates to

school children amounts to £25,000 per annum. Out of the total expenditure the sum of £3,906,561 represents payments made in New Zealand for the wages of the staff and to merchants, local manufacturers, shipping companies, banks, and others trading within New Zealand, all grouping under the classification of New Zealand commerce and industry. The hulk of the expenditure, therefore, represents money that is_ circulated within the Dominion. A large number of questions were asked and replied to, and Mr Burnett was given a hearty vote of thanks. At Waitohi .On Friday evening, Mr Burnett dealt at some length with the subject of the increase of the National Debt, showing how it had been made up. Ninety and a-quar-ter millions sterling constituted war debt.

Mr Burnett was accorded a hearty vote of thanks.

i MR T. H. LANGFORD. Mr T. H. Langford addressed the electors at Cricklewood on Friday night, Mr W. Sinclair presiding over a large and > enthusiastic meeting. The candidate touched interestingly on the chief matters of interest iff the political world to-day, and was given a very attentive hearing. He contended /that the Reform Government was 'no good, either to the worker or the small farmer, and said that its marked inability to direct the affairs of the country in a busi-ness-like way disqualified it to hold the reins of office any longer. The sooner the country had a change of Government the sooner "would there he a return to prosperity. “We all know,” said Mr Langford, “what on the horns of a dilemma means, and that is the position of Mr Burnett and his friend Mr Rolleston, whom he is now getting to help him, indirectly, in his fight for the Temuka seat. Mr Burnett says that ray Party, and incidentally myself, are ready to join the Alliance of Labour to put out Mr Massey. I deny this. Mr Burnett reiterates his statement. I then go so far as to say how 1 would vote if it cam'e to a question of putting the Labour Party in place of Mr Massey: and this is where the logic of the lawyer comes in. Mr Rolleston, according to a report, when speaking at Pareora, said that my statement that I would support Mr Massey, if it came to a choice between him and Mr Holland was an example of too much party spirit. If the Government ought to be voted out of power, then an opponent af the Government should not refuse to vote it out merely because the hostile motion was moved by the leader of another party than that to Avhich this opponent belongs. This is soft pedalling with a vengeance. Mr Rolleston in effect says that there is no difference between the Massey Party and the Liberal Party, and that if it came to a vote between Mr Wilford and Mr Holland, he could support Mr Holland with a clear conscience. Of course all this is Intended to help Mr Burnett, and bears out what we all remember, when Mr Craigie first stood for Timaru. The Reformers wooed and cajoled the Labour candidate after the first ballot to induce him to throw in his support on Mr Massey’s side, against the then Liberal candidate (Mr Craigie) for the second ballot. Such is the consistency of Reform.” The candidate received a hearty i vote of thanks.

MR WILFORD’S REPLY TO MR MASSEY.

Mr T. M. Wilford had a most enthusiastic meeting on Friday night, when he replied to Mr Massey’s speech at Lower Hutt. The hall was crowded. With regard to Mr Massey’s statement of the number of times that Mr Wilford had voted with the Labour Party, he pointed out that there was only one "No” lobby, and anyone who Wished to vote against the Government had to SJ into it. It was no evidence of an alliance. Mr Massey’s and Mr Holland’s followers had voted in the same lobby against preferential voting and the appointment of a New Zealander as Director of Education, hut that did not constitute an alliance between them. He denied there was any alliance between bis party and Mr Holland’s, Tine meeting concluded with a hearty vote of thanks and confidence.

Pekin reports that British, American, Italian, French and Swedish Ministers demanded that the Pekin Government should take immediate measures to secure the release of seven foreigners, including two missionaries captured by bandits in the Honan Province. There is |Oim Britisher among tho captives.

The Liquor Law Amendment Bill before the New South Wales Assembly makes some sweeping changes. License foes will be fixed at 2 per cent, on the value of purchase of liquor Muring tho previous year. Brewers’ fees are r aised. The changes arc expected to give £4 6,000 increased revenue. Stringent regulations arc enacted regarding wine bars, no new licenses for which will be allowed to women, and no women shall in' < m lo>ab!e therein except the wiy. and daughters of the licensees. The police aro given power to ser.i'a anyone leaving a hotel during prohibited hours, and confiscate any liquor found upon him.