POLITICAL.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 144358, 24 March 1914, Page 3

POLITICAL.

MU. FISHER AT PONGAROA. M'-R PRESS ASSOCIATION. PONGAROA, March 23. The Hon. F. M I!. Fisiicr, who haa been touring the Akitio coastal district, addressed a largo gathering at Pougaroa to-night, and received an enthusiastic reception, la the courae of hia upeech the Minister pointed out that the prophecy made by the Opposition when the Reform Party came into office had not proved true. _ The Government had increased salaries in various departments. Ho instanced what it had done regarding pensions. The Hon. Messrs. Ballance and Seddon and others of ths old Liberal Party had done magnificent work, but there were no Sedulous or Balianocs in the present Opposition The members of the latter all wanted to be Ministers (Laughter and applause.) Mr. Fishor claimed that the Reform Party was progressive. Ileferring to the statements tftai it, represented land monopolists, he remarked that landowners produced something useful to tho country. He condemned' tho brewery monopoly, which, he declared, had the hulk’of wealth behind thorn, ! and said tho brewers supported the Opposition, noc tho Reform Govern- ; merit, lloferring to tho late strike, he j said the people would decide at next ' election who was going to run the couni try, the Rod Feds, or the Government. The Red Feds, and tho Opposition were allied. The Opposition had prolonged tho strike. Ho also explained the naval policy, and ridiculed the Opposition assertions that tho Government was going to establish an expensive dockyard , etc. The matter of a port for the coast has long engaged the attention of the Akitio country settlors. Two harbour schemes have .been suggested, one at Aohanga, eighteen miles from Pongaroa, and the other at Akitio, two miles. At Akitio there is a good surf landing, and over 500 tons were landed last year The Hon. F. M. B. Fisher, Minister for Marine, and Mr. Holmes, Chief Engineer. visited both sites yesterday, and the Minister received deputations from the supporters of both schemer. Mr. Holmes considered the Aohanga scheme impracticable. It would cost £40.000 to make a harbour there. He stated that tho locality >vas similar to Patea. Mr. Fishor made an important announcement regarding Akit’O. propounding a scheme for the erection of a wharf ntiOffc. long, which would do away with •svrtfug. The wharf would b© unoer the shelter of a reef.' He stated that. Mr. Frank Armstrong, who owned the foreshore had offered to vest the whole of the land in tho Department if tho scheme was gone on with. Tho wharf scheme would cost £15.000, .The Minister said there was a fine anchorage for big liners at Akitio and the wharf scheme would be on condition that tho settlers subscribe £60.000 to establish freezing "works at Akitio. It was not reasonable for the Government to construct a port if they did not got the trade of the district. Fie behoved the money could he subscribed, and he urged the" settlers to get to work .at once in order that nrovision might he made on the next Estimates. Settlers at prevent drive their stock vary long distances to works or railways, but sooner or later freezing works would bo established at Akrtio. Mr Sykes, M.P., said that Wellington, and lie believed the TT.arbour Freezing Comnany (Waingawa) would he agreeable’to establish works at Akitio. THE PREMIER’S TOUR, GRETMOUTH, March 24. . The Premier and party left this morning for Christchurch. Interviewed, Mr. Massey said he now knew mero of the West Coast and was fullv alive to its requirements and possibilities, No doubt it had a great future, but it was in the hands of the people' themselves to say whether they -would put on the brake. LIBERALS AND LABOUR. WELLINGTON, March 34. Sir Joseph Ward has sent tho following reply to Mr. Hiram Hunter, president of the Social Democratic Party in Christchurch, as to tho new LiberalLabour Federation in that city:—“ln 'reply to your telegram; Conduct your business as you think best. I have no , right, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the decisions of yourself or any other section of the community.— J. G. Ward.”