MR. G.P. WAKE'S CAMPAIGN.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13746, 8 September 1908, Page 5

MR. G. P. WAKE'S CAMPAIGN.

Mr Q. P. Wake, one of the candidates for the Egmont seat, addressed a fair of electors in the Rahotu *HaU eta Friday evening (writes our correspondent). Mr, Jesse Phillips presided, and introduced the speaker. He said he had known the candidate for . a -great number of years, and found him a straightforward, honest worker who, if elected, would," he was sure, do his utmqst for the district and Dominion. . • - • Mr Wake said he hoped .he would be in the district again in about three weeks, when he would advertise the dates of his meetings. On matters of finance, he said, he believed the country was in a prosperous Estate, though our public tdebt was - a huge one and now stood, at-£66.450,-000. • Still, while our debt had increased largely during the; term of ■ office of the Liberal Administration, our 'revenue had increased at a greater rate proportionately. The debt had increased/ by. 71 per cent. a»d the revenue by 118 per cqnt. The^main items of increase, too, were represented by reproductive investments, such as the advances to settlers, lands tot settlements, cheap loans to local* bodies, and Bank of New Zealand preference , shares. The further borrowing proposals disclosed by the Financial ment were also discussed. The proposals to allocate £650,000 to roads and bridges and £1,000,000 to advances to settlers the candidate strongly approved. It was a remarkable thing that, while on the one hancVthe Oppositionists were always urging on the Government further expenditure that entailed borrowing, yet they bitterly criticised the Government because it did .borrow. At the £ame time, if elected, Tie would stronglyAjir^e on the Government to practise economy;. Extravagant expenditure iri the crlies lie particularly deplored. Attempts were being made to induce the -farmer to believe that the Government was opposed to the country settler. This was unreasonable. Sir Joseph „ Ward represented a farming district, .ijsnd his private business was a farming one, and he was in the utmost sympathy with the farn&r. For the courageous fashion in which he had tackled the labour problem he deserved great erey dit, and to censure the New Zealand Government because of the labour difficulty, when every other , industrial country had the same difficulty, was childish. i , The Arbitration Act, he continued, required amendment. One. of the, candidates (Mr Astbury) 'was a disciple of single-tax, which meant that tie land should bear all taxation. He (the speaker) was opposed to this doctrfne, anil so was the Prime* Minister. The Government was also- upbos'gd to land ' , nationalisation and socialism, and was bitterly criticised by Mr Tom Mann for being anti-socialistic. Regarding railway matters,- he iwas^xstrcngly in favour of Opunake befngc with the main' line, and aqvooated tho Eltham route. If the settler^ qtijarrelled over, the rourte, then it wottid. jtivo the Government an excuse to p^&tpojie the matter. . • • .•' .j# if Regarding Opposition criticism, he said it was . a great mistake tojbe always nagging at the Governm%Bt- No < Government could be expected jftfrSston favourably to people who unreasonably and bitterly opposed it. ;"$ Regarding x valuations, -Me believed the present system was -injperf ect both for freehold arid for leasehold. The Government valuers infla&d the jjnim- . proved value and <hit 3ojjrn the value of improvements to sucfoiffli extent that the. settler was npfc fair3& treated. In several cases in^Htch'iSa iftadfappeared as solicitor before ±hd~.Ai||&ffient Court to object to=Yaluation : §; Be had found it practically impossible to .have improvements equitably assOTggij It was necessary to have a sysjtfmE whereby the value of hidden jgASfovements might be placed on permamMt Tecord in the books of the ValuatUfl Department; , On the licensing question he was an out-and-out Prohibitionist, but at the Rapue time he never believed in throsting his opinions down the throats, of others who were entitled to the same > freedom of belief as he claimed. ' In any case, the licensing issue was quite i apart from the question of candidates. • In conclusion, he hoped to fight a clean and manly fight, free'from personalities., and to do nothing to bring a tinge of discredit on his supporters. Mr McCaul asked if the candidate was in favour of taxing bachelors. Mr Wake laughingly replied that he was in favour, if it did not come' into operation for six months. Mr Fielder asked how was it that Mr'Dixon, of Auckland, twos sent to. gaol, while in. the South the strikers were fined. Mr Wake replied that, if Mr Dixon's case was as he heard it,* * the S.M. was quite justified ' in his action. At the conclusion Mr T. J .Smith proposed a hearty vote of thanks. Thi« was seconded by Mr W. K. Wright £ and carried.