THE ELECTION.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 13730, 21 October 1908, Page 5

THE ELECTION.

ADDRESS'. BY. Till-: PREMIER. Per Press Association. FEILDIXG, October 20. The Drill Hall was packed this evening when Sii v Joseph Ward delivered a speech a great deal 011 the lines ,of the .one at Palmerstoii last night, but the following new matters were dealt with: Referring to the progress of the .Dominion Sir Joseph Ward qnotod statistics showing that, from 1890 to 1897 the population had increased by 48. 60 per cent.; imports 170.97. exports 109.65, Zealand produce (exports) 109.82 per cent., Customs revenue 99.78, excise duties 100. 11, butter exports had' increased by 843. 36, cheese 475.48, frozen meat 160.97. The Premier considered ;th»t special efforts should be made by the Governmaifc on the lines they had already initiated of setting workmen on the public works on land in the vicinity. Two yeara ago in the Financial ■ Statement this had been outlined. No rent- would ba paid for the first three years, after rental to be paid in the usual manner, thus enabling a man to go upon a small piece of land l'Prifc free and afterwards the rent of. those three years to be added to the rent- being [will. Workmen,of six V'-'Udi'ii? were to b? treated' in this wa'y. The revenue on timber from the land is to be paid into a cvpscial fund for his use under restrictions preventing speculation. The land would be leaded to workmen for 66 years and they would thus be encouraged to settle in the vicinity of the land instead of drifting back to the towns and would thus become New Zealandevs. attached to tl»* eoil in the true sense, of the. word.

Sir Joseph then referred to the state-iiK-nl made by }lr George Winder, a candidate for the. Wellington seat- in the Liberal int'Cirest, who recently resigned the cliairmanship of the Central Wellington Branch of tho Liberal Federation, to lhe effect that whilst supporting tilts general policy of 11 Government, which was honestly trying to do justice to every perron in the:, land, he wished to warn the country that. New Zealand was face to face with a great crisis. He disclaimed the role of an, alarmist, but it-was to the alert business man impossible to be blind to the sign of financial stringency which (•.■tared Xew Zealand in the faco." The elections were 1o take place-early because the Government expected news of a great portent »n regard to the London money nvirkrt in December. Uiero was, nofhim; did inoro • harm to New Zealand, and lie was r, not- only alluding. to Mr Winder, bur to the cry of stinking fish set up by people -who ought ,*o know better, especially .when the financial position of the. country is .strong and impregnable. .The statements made fey •Mr,. Winder;. and v tlie meaning . "which might be attached io them liad no justification at all. far as the Government .were concerned, at any rate, -all their financial jirniiigeruents had been made for months to come. and they were not in ihe idipliiest 'degree tk pendent upon the *t»t<- of tho .London money, market.. Th* Government was nor leaning on lis liaiikety>,. and /{he[ Government was . never in a; stronger" position ..tluin' it was to-day; Thtn tlie reference to the date of the elections made by Mr Winder—that h.-.d iidfhiiig at; all to do with the money market. :As j matter of fact, the elections were li.ved for a day xmtewhat tinrlar.to the usual time a fit r tjie rising of been looked tip was .thin the day should not conflict Avith the at. Palmersion North, Chriiitchurch, Oamaru. and Dune-din; and should not bring the second baHot - rtio close to- Christmas.

"I lie -Premier said he had .many times posed as a-prophet in matter.'*" tiii.iiii i:il, ami- a successful prophet, a t that, and he was go : ng- to -prophesy again thi,; time, lie formulated the-opinion that tlie'vxidting stringency in the money marker would be over ; by Deeentb?r next, and he based that opinion upon iho belief that the productivenoss of the Donlinmn in - the diivelion of..* butter.- »hr» p iind ' otln r' produce wuuld. have -brought■- to -"market such a large output that, an enortnou" ainoimt of the indebtedness to. ilu* banks woulil haw l»?en paid. : In' Addition to -that, he perfitifiajlyjiiiew of very large-snm« of •m«»-?y • wh'.eh were. coming to N'ew Zealand in the-near, future; for investment. In Ihii; <•onnee.tioii . ir only, fair to the («ovtxnujeut tQ point out.tlmt while the advjj(ce'>..to . < \ett!.-etr and advnm' i- to jvotke» departmentii lisd ietit to seaUrs over tiliv.? millions of nuuioy. y• t while tlm monetary institutions throughout the colony had Ixen, lakiug «idvantage of the stringency of the moury market to wjuee/e high rotes of intereM out of nece.-fitous Efttlers.. the splendid Govtrimnnt departm n! s he had tilluded to had never rased the rates of intere«t one sixpence. After referring to the- gag clause of thi? N.vond Ballot Act, !<if Jti;-.-|,h Ward dealt with the question of ptop.orliouul lepresenttition. He said that in Qumtshind tho I'retniir «id t.he sysii-ju was i failure bectiut'e only five p;-r pent, of the (ifople-going to the jiolls used (tuir preferential vote, and the ojdy way to ltiake that sysltm perfect was to compel evny man to t.va hi" contingent voN-. and that was un *"wipossibility. He asked what jnoportiunafv Kpru iitation io -nut ? Th:ptiucipal- ndvociiles of i( .stigac-ted that thrc-e or four electorates should lie made on.:. 1 . and . li • wansed to kt:o\\ u ho would have the teal- advantage, and ho ar..;weml in n in the publie eve who v.'i ic. well l.i.own. Hut the man of niodt-ia;e im.it!* > :• the )««,;• matt «nuld no more. i;<> mvr an «lec!o|:i!ii like tJiat than ii - could i.v- y th«lunoti. He had coiif.* (t> the, i-.aieltision thai the "illy w;iY Io If! til people ;>ay «hieh man wrti> the pupul.tr ihou 1 was :u have an • lection b l«'.-.|i (wo tiien. and the Second ballot gave thai. 11l a (i.tintlV where the second Itdlo!. had h en in ti:.i for forty yeatif. it hud i< n joiuet that moii- |i-o]>h> went to tfce poll on the t-ecoitd ocei'fiott tli-;n o(t the t;t-t. and hf it. stt!v that th. •■iippor'tei-.N (.!' ;i <-.indidat:- would MinpiHt him nil tie- second occxsion as on tlk- iinit. l'< i,-<iit.iHy, he appivle ndi-d jn»liitiictilty in i|;-' working of the ►eeond ballot in NVw Z< aland. 11l eniinectjon with til.: ijtin.tioii of dafence. th-.- Premier point'-d on: that 1 it-1 - r.'trn a di \'clopmen- going cti in the Did "World that liny lOiild not >hut lis if < vch t-i In the t.m- f>;r Mtpr. ina- y in i iiioinei<%• in our mii.-iH way w<- % lj<!ttld do our pjn. ,i.« vtfe -in.illy ,i«.' '.\t could. Ki'i t (.1 .dl we h-ivc eaiii'd out i votciu o! jux ( i.u tla! trade to tie- Old «liii h h • .1 1,(.i as tar o* >iionM yo. out it ;din«vd that nv wvff , .inir-t io our >i— if 1., do our .-hail-. ;j lid {■■!' t \,v ■ < that the iral pr<>! -etinn ki i.ui |U<.dio!t<. li, nhtaiii'-d tiotn <l. Navy, u - , liad given XJiOO.CCO a y :ii t«.u.ud<. it. j Me ».o. i<itai|i liiat :h- h- it" < T \,ie j l.iiid vi .is in favour th o I.ot vv-.- j hati to mi a rd any U!M<!a.e. -.v •!. m j of mdlia! ■«! II ill thi. <iiiii;r.. 0< tla- l;.<|.>» j ~f cotupuU-.IV itaU.iliK •» tJivt j lirivii di.e.n ;tr- Koi.-ii* i!. <,( { r ii • t lotil lOi'Oi. \\ • .'-h.ai.vl U J.f.ii IO .d j ~ , i. K ;i:-e th.-,! tl. ! ■ v , J , 15 .,1 j ■ i f lie . lir •:'■ i';: »ivii;ii ,iy . t (:iu J via - n,.. ... K.-rjd i'- !< ini-h: i. . . o-l ti w;. I t.ti. dale i- ■ ije< I tv. . itiid i iii.it < so" j i.'ima n» a i. m »- ii ! ir. , J « :v« t 'i»tr M * l * i>f vol | «),(!•,» i" iG. .'out to nir *; U-n>l j ■ i.t.tv j.t-m 1 -ii>*i th?- vo'nttt-• r <i>t'(j.. I It «•;;,, Upon tini f. V - tmgjjl (<• «.«>k. } in.! lie btiti-- th«r j.; it. j I !i.- )'i ii.;—r iff.-.' i (.■■ :!•.• t.i tl,.- j • %•<•>•• : y fi kerii n / -.-.1 ;1 ,.( j,, r th«i ! w h-'i i 'I hj- t" «pV u ) -■ d k- ji olil the Am..<l> irM:-. l. (. - ; j r.i.' • <.!..«>- v- . - ' ■ tvev tl. f-iptifr- tit,l Vv-.. I.". lis 1;.- ••'ir-

that tl»e Dominion ill tharth;> mo ir of the Dominion werift trnjned for us defence, and that nothing likelyulof strengthen the position or the- colony ma neglected. ' , '* * J * On (he motion of Mr E. IT. Crabb, a' vote of thanks to the Premier, and .confidence in the Government, was carried wiih enthusiasm. • THAMES, October 20," Though satwHed with , the Hon. ij. MeGowan, the No-License party has decided to uomituit.'- a Candida!? to ensure a valid local option vot<\ and the Rev. K. W. leiti is'to be asked to estguul. .' - WELLINGTON", October 80. Mr F. M. B. Fisher opened his> campaign for Wellington Central to-night. He had a good hearing and was given t jt vote of confidence. Mr David McLaren, Labour candidal* for Wellington East, spoke to a largo gathering to-night. He was well received. Mr F. T. Moore, a Wellington suburbs candidate, spoke at. Kaiwarra tonight. The chief item in liw platform is a State Bank. A vote of confidence .was' panel. Mr Hogg, Socialistic candidate for Wellington. South, addressed a fairly m>?tmg at Newtown to-night. *At' tii« desire of the candidate wlio was given "an attentive hearing m> vote was passed] CHRISTCHURCff. October SO. Mr W. W. Tanner, w lio hniv repiYSens>d the Avon constituency contint>;iJly f 1890, and who is standing fe>T re-electiriii, addrefsed a meeting of electors to-iiigjit. IT? stated that, lie would continue to support tho Government in tWir piogrtßsivoi policy. He received an excellent-vliear-iug, and accorded a vote of thanks, cheen? being given for him at the clcte 'of the meeting. • Mr George Sheat, Opposition candidate for Riceartoii. addressed hi* first meetitig of electors to-night, anil w® accorded " a vote of "thanks.'' v DUNEDIN, October 90. ' Mr Douglas, the Political Labour League's nominee for DunSdia South; nddrewHl a meeting tonight, and was nocorded a very good reception. ' He said he favoured . referendum with initiative, also nationalisation of all lands' and-meann ' of production aud distribution. Hei regarded. tlie second ballot- r asa means adopted by xhe Government to overcome some difficulty concerning w|>ich H. : l'-ad not taken the public iiito.its lie received n voU'* of .thanks and confK a large _ majority. • , t .. .v.