GENERAL ELECTION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19800, 18 November 1919, Page 5

GENERAL ELECTION.

HON W. NOSWORTHY AT ASHBURTON.

fiTiou Ouh Correspondent.]

ASHBURTON, November 17,

Tho Hon W. Nosworthy, Minister of a Agriculture, and member for Ashbur- 1 ton, opened his present campaign by c au address in the Theatre Royal this evening. Mr R. Galbraith presided. t Mr Nosworthy, who was received G with applause, after acknowledging the ii chairman’s reference to his elevation 1 to Ministerial rank, spoke of the for- T mation of tho National Government, s Hq had been opposed to tho formation d of that Government. When the Nap Vional Government camo into existence, ii however, he and other members of the I party decided to support it and to help n to. bring the” war to a satisfactory con- c elusion. On the whole both Reform n and Liberal members bad worked pretty 0 well together during the war- It was decided bv tho Reform Party to offer a an olive branch in order to make one strong, solid, permanent party. The Liberal Party', however, decided to go to tho country as an independent party. Tho Reformers, therefore, had no option but to take up the same party action. The new members of the Government faced the position by working , long hours day and night, and did no | grumbling. He would bo quite frank. N He did not express regret that Sir 1 Joseph Ward, Mr Myers, Mr Wilford and other Liberal members had withdrawn j 1 from tho National Government. He f had had no time for it apart from the / objects for which it was formed. Tho C Government was taking a heavy re- ~ sponsibility when Sir Joseph Ward 1 walked out of tho National Ministry, s Ho left the Reform Party all tho wash- 1 ing up to do. The Liberals left them 11 things they did not settle and could f not settle. He was prepared to give ‘ tho Liberals all credit for what they l did in carrying on the country’s af- y fairs, but what he had stated was tho " position. j 1 When tho Government camo ’ down with its gratuities scheme 1 . Sir Joseph Ward moved an 1 amendment raising the sum. Sir ? Joseph had said that there was , discontent in the Reform Party and j" that tho extra sixpence would bring 1 thousands and tens of thousands extra, a .votes into the Liberal camp. The result ± of tho division in the House was that x Mr CTaigio and other Liberals voted y, with the Government, because it was , doing the right tiling. (Applause.) t Members of the Government had tried y to be as liberal to the soldiers as they j could be, but they had to remember ] that the country needed sane, strong- . minded men, and they decided to do y the right thing and stand tho conse- t quences- The truth was that the vote t in the House had gone tho opposite i way to what Sir Joseph Ward had ex- r peoted. Tho whole policy of the Massey party a was for strong administration. It was * prepared to admit into tho party any- n body who. was sound, sane, and liberal i in his views, and who wag prepared to do his best for the country, and a j plank in the party’s policy was careful j and economic administration, and with increased liabilities, obligations, and ox- f ponses it would be necessary to have a ! Government of the greatest strength in I power, The following figures showed tho increases in direct and indirect I taxation since 1913-14: 1 1 Direct Indirect ' Taxation. Taxation. 3913-U . £2,543,693 . £3,653,785 1 1918-17 . £8,674,279 £4,037,623 I Increase . 1(12.4 per cent. 13.6 per cent ■ 3917-18 . £3,739,470 . £3,601,337 Increase . 242.7 per cent. . 1.3 per cent 1018-19 . £9,607,627 ■ £4,104,016 i Increase . 281,2 per cent. . 15.4 pet cent Taxation had risen tremendously on : laud and income. Conscription of ; wealth had been going on all tho time. It had been admitted that -tne jnmouo J incidence of taxation was unfair. The graduations on tho income tax were : distinctly unfair. A great deal of the • accumulated surplus of £15,000,000 was taken out of the people by taxing nob ■ only their legitimate interests but also ! •.money received) on their properties The present Government, therefore, if returned would revise the whole system, of taxation. He would not tax a man on his debts but on what ho owned. Sympathetic and generous treatment of soldiers was another plank in Hie Government policy. Tho country’s shipping facilities should be developed, and there should bo better transport arrangements to the Old Country and , other, lands. Railway and road construction should bo developed. The Government rightly had paid back to the dairy people the difference between the price fixed and the price to the Imperial Govdtnment, ( Ho ns a farmer realised , the gravity of the position in regard ..to tho growing of wheat. His opinion jwas that the Government should support tho farmers by a definite policy ‘over a certain period. Ho proposed, if lie was Minister for Agriculture after tho election, to call a meeting of farmers and discuss the question with them. State help in marketing produce was another item in the policy. “ Now, I wish to say a word to tho “ Lyttelton Times,” Mr Nosworthy continued. “That paper from one end , of the week to tho other has been howling about tho great land monopolists in New Zealand. I’m not a supporter of land monopoly. I supported a clause that dealt with land aggregation in very severe terms, last session. That olause is retrospective. It enables tho Government to take away hind aggregated during a certain ‘ time in 'the past. That paper is continually howling against us, an 3 it says that every member of tho Massey Government is a; land grabber and ai monopolist. I have no time for tho land monopolists in New Zealand. I have no time for men who will go on buying land and selling it again. People should buy farms to live on them and to employ other people on them, and not to try to sell them again in order to gel more money than they paid. They should stock their farms and" work them. The men on tho land havo to boar under the present taxation a vary heavy load, and yot -Sir Joseph "Ward talks about inflreasing the taxation on land. I might Say that in 1915 I moved for a return allowing tho values of all road boards and counties in order that they might be all on_a parity, and when that" is done taxation on tho present basis will got an enormous sum out of the land, •and unless lb is equally distributed it will he a very unjust and unfair burden on a fob of people. That paper is always criticising the Reform Party and everybody who constitutes it. It even went as far as to say that there was hardfr'a loading man in the party who did not vote against old age pensions, and it implied that the members of the party would abolish the scheme. That surely 7a stretching the thing beyond the limit, liver since tho Reform Fatly came into power something was ilono to make tho scheme more liberal, limb sorb of criticism is unfair; it is misleading. There is not a grain of Truth to substantiate this paper that’s attacking monopolies. Will it help me as a Minister to crush the Moat 'trust, one of the biggest octopi the world has ever seen;'' 1 A voice: “Armour and Co.” Mr Nosworthy; “It has been refused a license to export from this country, and I Want to see the Credentials of. other companies. Will this paper assist me to deal with other commercial and trade combines P No, it spends its lime hurlims epithets at only one monopoly. Why will it not hurl them against every monopolyP Prominent politicians in Christchurch and in other .New' Zealand cities hare tied houses. Do you hoar the ‘ Lvttclton Times’ cay anything about that? T ask it to as-r.-.sk to crush the commercial trusts that ore bleeding thd.people of this country. The, meat trusts and the brewing trusts n e mulcting the people of hundreds ot ihousnnds of pounds, nod I intend to try to make them dub urw”

Continuing, the Minister said that ho favoured strengthening the bonds of Imperial unity. Ho favoured an efficient but mild system of military training in order to impose as little hardship os possible on the people. He quoted incidents which, he said, showed collusion between the Liberal party and Messrs Semple and Co., and said that it would bo bettor if .Sir Joseph Ward and other prominent Liberals were on the scrap-heap, and if the decks were, cleared.

In reply to questions, ho said that ho was in favour of the Imperial Government's naval proposals, vessels in Now Zealand waters, to come under Imperial control in the event of war. The Reform party' was contesting every scat where it could get a proper candidate to represent it. He did not support Sir James Allen’s military training scheme as placed before the country. He would oppose four mouths' military training, it hud not been decided on by the Government. On the whole he thought that tho purchases of lands for soldiers would be all right.

The chairman said that the Minister asked for only a vote of thanks. I'his was passed with acclamation.

MR WITTY AT RJCCARTON.

Mr G. Witty addressed a well-at-tended meeting at the Ricearten Odd- i fellows’ Hall last evening. Mr T. 0- ( Newnham occupied the chair. Mr Willy, who was received with applause, said that it was five yeara since the last election but if ho could have had his way the election would have taken place at the ordinary time. However, he had not changed ids politics, and he had clone his best for tho people as a whole. The two other candidates who were standing had just as much right to do so as he had, but it seemed strange that Riccarton should have to go to the North Island for one ] candidate. In regard to remarks made by one of his opponents concerning a speech he made at Addington five years ago, a speech of which lie felt proud, lie would like to say that from tho ashes of tho old Liberal Party a party would arise that would outdo its predecessors—a party that would be a blessing and a benefit to this country'. One .statement lie did object to was that when the party whip cracked he always came to heel. There was no more independent man in the House than ho was, and lie was no self-seeker. He had never broken a pledge while he had been in Parliament and ho had never gone away for an hour or a week to escape voting on a question. Mr Witty explained his votes on various Bills in the House- and referring to the Police Offences Act said that he would do anything to prevent lawlessness in this country or disloyalty. In regard to his vote on the Mining Act he said ho wanted to stop strikes. Ho would do everything he could to eliminate the miners’ grievances, but he was dead against the go-slow policy. Tho people did not want anyone to dictate to them whether they should have coal or not. There were a lew hot-headed leaders, but there were some decent Labour men in the House—men who would try to quell tho passions. Referring to the I Undesirable Immigrants Bill, Mr Witty said what they wanted were good decent immigrants. If they were going to allow the scallywags to come in God help the country. As far as he was concerned ho would not join the extreme Labour Party—the Bolshevik party—on any consideration whatever. He would sooner go out of the House. Ho was standing as a Liberal in sympathy with Labour, because the Liberals were the best party in Now Zealand. Coming to the Reform Party, five years ago everybody said—“ Give Massey a chance-” Ho was given a, chance and ho had failed most miserably, As a man and a personal friend, Mr Massey was a real white man, but ho had not the foresight or the ability to do the best for tho people. The Reform Party was now trying to imitate what had been done by the Liberals. A great deal had been said about the Leader of the Opposition leaving the Coalition Cabinet, hut in this matter Mr Massey had said he was neither | surprised nor disappointed. It was hj: ; party who had told Sir Joseph Ward to leave Mr Massey. Mr Witty said he was the last man to join the coalition, and that il there had been no coalition tho prices of commodities would never have risen to the heights they did. After referring to the prices of butter and meat, the speaker said they had been playing into the hands in this country which had been making money right away from the first. Millions of pounds would have been saved if they had had party. Exploitation had been rampant. Boards had been set up, but the boards had no power. Ho quoted an instance, and remarked that for the man who would rob the soldiers or the children gaol was too good. New Zealand had been practically starved, and yet they had so much in tho stores. Various industries had made thousands of pounds out ot tbe people in this country. Take some of tho woollen mills and meat companies which were buying land and building factories out of earnings, and watering capital. Thank God, the war was over and their boys were back. In some things they had treated them fairly and m other things they had not. He had voted for an increase of the gratuity to ‘is. Tho Labour Party had proposed 4s, , but the country could not stand that. They could not do enough for those men and women who had gone away. Mr ' Witty commented on the prices soldiers ' were being asked to pay tor land, and ’ instanced a case in the North Island. [ When a man offered his land at too ' high a figure, he would not allow him , to sell it, but would tax him for it on tho price ho had asked. Speaking of tho unrest prevailing, Mr Witty said that 1 if ever there was a time in New ZeaJ; land when cool heads were required to ’ control affairs, it was to-day. As they kept increasing wages so did the cost . of Jiving increase, but they should say [ to thq men earning wages that they [ were going to reduce the cost of living, ‘ and it could he. done. 1 In March next this country would ; owe nearly £200,000,000, and this ' meant raising nearly £10,000,000 in- " tercst. Ho had not tho slightest obk jeetion to borrowing money if that 1 money was going to he interest bear-

iug. To his way of thinking on the very large estates in this country there had got to he a heavy tax. Those large estates had got to be Ipmit up. Ho v.'oujd nob mind putting a little more on the totalisator tax—to the man who lost it would nob matter, and the man tv ho won did not care. Any amount of the big companies could be taxed and it would not hurt them. It was a disgrace in this country to allow the price of knitting wool to rise to the price it did- Mr Witty said that there were eighteen estates in the Dominion valued at ,C!),OtJO.OOO, and these he would tax very heavily indeed. In regard to profiteering, those who had made undue xxrolits should be. taxed Not only in the large things was profiteering going on but also in smaller articles. This must bo prevented. The wealth of this country lay in its population, and in regard to mothers of the ■children the country should pay for the doctors and the nursing. In the children was a great asset of the .State, and the parents instead of being penalised should he given every assistance. As for the children they should be given free education, free books, and free dental and medical attention. Instead of giving a lot of medals to men and women who had practically done nothing he would decorate the mothers of the country. They had to look after the men and women in this country, and a problem existed in the dearth of houses. Hr Witty eulogised Sir Joseph Ward’s proposals in this regard. As to the railways, to his mind they had only been fooiiim with them, and they were not run to pay. One thing he would support was greater concessions in the matter of fan's for children up to fourteen years of age. Education should be. tree, secular ami compulsory. Tim teachers were being

starved and the school committees also. Regarding naval and military matters, he said he was dead against a local navy. They must pay to the Old Country. In the matter of military training he believed in the Cadet system, but was right against Sir James Allen’s four mouths period of training. They should give every encouragement to the volunteers, but they did hot want a standing army in this country. He favoured proportional voting. Land aggregation had to be stopped, and no transfer should take place where a man was holding a large tract of land already. It should bo a case of one man one run- Land was going up to such an enormous price that conditions would bo terrible. They were getting near the brink of the precipice. Ho was in favour of nationalising some of the coal mines, hut some of them were not worth nationalising. Mr Witty had a very good hearing throughout and concluded amid applause. Mr C. Ackerby moved, and Mr A. Hunter seconded, a hearty vote of thanks to Mr Witty, adding that the meeting had every confidence in him ns the member for the district.

Mr 0. White moved an amendment that the meeting heartily thanked Mr Witty for his address, hut had no further confidence in tho Liberal Party under .Sir Joseph Ward. Mr 13. Wilson seconded the amendment.

Tho amendment was lost, eight voting in its favour', and the motion was carried on the voices.

COLONEL R. H. RHODES AT SQUTHBRIDGE.

Colonel the Hon R. H. Rhodes opened his political campaign -at Southbridge last night. There was a good attendance, presided over by Mr J. S. Chapman, chairman of the Southbridge 'town Board.

Colonel Rhodes sold that it was five years since he stood on the platform facing the electors. He detailed the causes of Ids withdrawal from ministerial office, and the work which lie had been engaged in during • his absence from New Zealand, saying that he felt sure lie had his constituents’ approval of the course which he took.

Speaking with regard to soldiers’ i gratuities, ho said that the gratuity i to be paid had been submitted to the Returned Soldiers’ Association, which approved of it. Sir Joseph "Ward made a higher bid when the proposals were submitted, and the Labour Party went still higher. The bulk of the soldiers thought the Government was doing a fair thing. Some of the other proposals were mere bids for votes, fie would not say that this was so m Sir .Joseph Ward’s case, but Sir Joseph should have met Mr Massey in private witli regard to the matter. Coming to the question of Samoan Inborn-; Mr Rhodes said tliSt nobody liked indentured labour, but that it must be slavery was ail nonsense. The very labourers in Samoa, who had fimsaed their term asked to be taken on for another term. 'The question vas to come up again next session, in the meantime the Government was to charter a steamer and invite members to visit Samoa, and those who professed to be interested in the subject could get first-hand knowledge of it. The cry had been raised that laud aggregation had been going on. The Tear Book furnished no information that, aggregation had been going on. Possibly aggregation had come from above. Estates of over oO,COO acres had decreased. However, they must take the evidence of those who said that aggregation was going on- Mr Massey had said, “ Wo must stop it,” and he was the first Minister who had made provision r.o check aggregation, by, his two Acts of 1912 and 1913 respectively. He believed th.it under the recent Hand Laws Amendment Act they would stop aggregation. There was one thing to stop it, and that was to make residence compulsory. This could not always be enforced, of course- If the Act referred to did pel -'.op aggregation another more drastic o;a* would be brought down. Ho had always advocated the compulsory faking of estates for settlemint purposes. If they could not find land for returned soldiers then they must take that land. Both sides of the House were, he believed, at one on this question. The country of small farmers was likely to be the rich country. The Government and the Opposition were in earnest in desiring to do what they could to help the returned soldier. Dealing with education. Mr Rhodes said that a comprehensive Education Bill was to he looked for next session. He was emphatically in favour of the present education system. He had never expressed himself in favour of Bible reading in schools, and he would not vote for anything that would wreck the present system. He would have as many university scholarships as would enable all those who were fitted for and anxious of having a university course to get it free, and so that the advantages would be open to country and town dwellers alike. It looked a.s though it would be a very difficult matter to provide workers’ homes. Ho would advocate stopping all non-essen-tial building in order to set labour free so that it would be available for building workers’ houses. Admiral Jellicoe’s report upon naval defence hud, he thought, met with general approval. Personally, he did not think that they should just now launch out to any great extent in aerial defence, but they must keep it' going not only for defence but for commerce. As to land defence, it was duo to Sir Joseph Ward’s Territorial Defence Act that onr men had been ready as they were for war. Militarism was, of course, undesirable; but the Government must make proper provision for military training. From experience ho knew of the weakness of the volunteer system. Ho believed that next session an idea which he had conceived before the present Military Training Act was passed would bo introduced, providing that men could take their training whenever they liked—a week or fortnight at a time in winter or summer, if they liked—so that their ordinary occupation would not he inten-ered with. Sir James Allen had not proposed the four months’ training camps.

It might have been suggested that i j man could take four mouths and have 1 done with it. That was far better than i training spread over a period of years i He saw'no harm in the re-introduction , of tho junior cadet system, if it was 1 the wish of the parents. They must J congratulate Mr Massey on the Nauru ' Island arrangement. ( After announcing that he was in i favour of an increase of honorarium to j members of Parliament, Colonel Rhodes * said that tho National Government i had served a useful purpose. It had raised for war purposes no less than , seventy-six millions—forty-four millions i in the Dominion. It had’controlled tho .] price of commodities, and ended up ; with a surplus of £3,700,000. No less , than fifteen millions remained as ac- , cumulate surplus. Sir Joseph Ward j proposed placing it to the credit of the ! sinking fund, but it did not matter whether it was so placed , and money borrowed for carrying on Government work, ■ or , whether the fifteen millions was itself , used. The Government had every right . to utilise the fifteen millions which bad accumulated for settlement of soldiers on the land and other purposes. The. ' country’s debt was accumulating, but . lie was no pessimist. New Zealand had weathered the storm. They wore now ( practically in calm waters so far as prosperity was concerned. The great j agricultural resources of this country ( were going to pull them through. Ho was an optimist as regards the future j of New Zealand. However, they should use all cautious means to check expenditure in order to pay off debts. They . must pull together, not only in industry, but where possible in politics. He was opposed to extreme Labour, be- ( cause ho believed the extremists in the \ House did not represent Hie bulk of , Labour in this country. He did not believe that sane labour should “go to Porirua,” as had been suggested- The * Semples, Frasers and Hollands were all 1 leaders of the Labour Party. They * might split into two parties if tho La- * hour Party became a strong party. ! Referring to a paragraph in the “ Lyt- J telton Times.” stating that every mem- 1 her at the Reform Party in tho House 1 bad voted against the Advances to ' Settlers’ Rill, and that the Conserva- 1 Fives bad hated the liberals over 1 since that Act was passed, lie said that it was getting back to ' tho old cry that the present party in powoi had voted against every pro- 1 gressivo measure. How many members 1 of tlie present Reform party had been in office when the Advances to Settlors 1 Bill was brought down.- oiuoe men 1 the party had supported all sorts of 1 amendments to improve tho Acts. Another paragraph in the “Lyttelton Times” was with regard to the Post Office Savings Bank, and the increase in the rate of interest paid to depositors It was stated that Sir Joseph Ward had advised the Reform Government to raise tho rate of interest. That was altogether wrong. _ The, speaker was responsible for raising tho rate of interest, and it was certainly not on tho advice of Sir Joseph Ward. Touching upon other subjects, Colonel'■ Rhodes said that the Government should let the farmer know what he was going to get for his wheat by fix- j ing the price. It would be quite consistent for the Government to run a ferry service, but he would like this step delayed until tho South Island Main Trunk line had been completed. He hoped that the. electors would return a man who would work earnestly for his country, and not from motives of self-intcresb —one who would work from the point of view of the whole eountrv, and not only of his constituency. Mr A. Jong moved a hearty vote of thanks to Colonel Rhodes, which was carried by applause, as also was a vote of thanks to tho chairman, moved bv Colonel Rhodes. MR D. JONES AT RANGIORA. ■ Mr David Jones, Reform candidate, for the Kaiapoi constituency, delivered the initial address of his campaign at the Institute Hall. Rangiora, last night before a burgo attendance of electors. Mr C. I. Jennings (Mayor of Rangiora) presided. Tho candidate was given a fair hearing, though interjections wore numerous. Mr Jones, who was received with applause, said it was very gratifying to see so large an attendance, as there never was a time iu the history of New Zealand when its best men were so needed in Parliament to guide the destinies of the country aright. Ho would not contend that the Reform Party’s legislation was perfect—no party’s was —but the Reform Party had a very good record. Tho work of the Coalition Government had been difficult and it was easy to criticise; but what he wished to say was that the legislation of the last five years had been the work of both Reformers and Liberals and, therefore, it was no use anyone objecting to this or that. Referring to Mr . Massey’s visits to the Horne Land, tho speaker said that the Prime Minister was responsible for securing about ■ £10,000,000 as the Doiiiinion’s share of tho German indemnity. Anyone aci qnainted with tho Germans would say ; that they’ would ultimately pay the ini demnity. Mr Massey had done great ■ work at the Peace Conference on behalf s of New Zealand, and the money secured • as indemnity—would practically all reach tho soldiers of the country. Air ! Jones referred iu detail to work that • tho Prime Minister had done, with special reference to his efforts on behalf i of producers and exportersReferring to the retirement of Sir ; Joseph Ward, Air Jones said that there i' remained many problems to he cleared • i up when the leaders returned, and he : I considered the Liberal leaders who had ’ retired should have stuck to the Na- , i'tional Government until the way was : ; clear for tackling the election caiti- '' paign which had just opened. The Rc- ‘ i form party was prepared to make sac- ■ rilices to keep the National Government i | together, but the opposite party would J not agree. Sir Joseph Ward had said i I that ho had not lieeu invited to stay, 5! but Sir Joseph was not correct in that ; j statement. , Sir Joseph Ward had said recently Jin Christchurch Labour must not -■ 1 lie unrepresented in the next I’arlia--1 i incut and tho next Government. That • j meant that the Labour leaders must . hold places - . Those leaders wore Air Holland and Air Semple. Tho pre- : sent Government did not stand for the Bolshevik element, but Mr .Jones claimed that it did stand for the host interests of the. sane portion of Labour and Democracy. Sir Joseph bad also said when leaving the National Government that Sir James .Vilen wuiild have a surplus at the end of the financial year of about £3,000,060, which, after making allowances for rates on ) tho Supplementary Estimates, would drop to about £2,000,000. But Sir Joseph had gone south and stated to his constituency there that Sir Jaimv, Allen would have a deficit. Which Sir Joseph was the people to believe"r Mr Jones went on to refer.to other aspects of finance, and asserted that Sir James Allen’s proposals for settling the returned soldiers were better than Si’.' Joseph Ward’s. New Zealand had done more for its soldiers than any other country in the world. 1 Air Jones went on to discuss the matter of soldier settlement business, j and submitted a statement showing the I position at the end of October 31, 1919, i as follows; Discharged soldiers who had , acquired holdings of settlement laud, 917; area, 219,603 acres. Discharged soldiers who liad acquired holdings of Grown and national endowment land, 581; area, 594,266 acres. Discharged » soldiers who had been assisted to purchase laud in terms of section 2 of tho Discharged Soldiers Settlement Amend- - ; ment Act, 1917. 2246; area, 495,381 I acres. Applications from discharged • i soldiers for financial assistance to ac--1 quire and erect dwellings, 3028. Dis- ! charged soldiers who have received nd- • vances for stocking and improving their own freehold lands (estimated), 100. Under tho Soldiers’ Settlement Act £3,971,727 had been authorised for ; purchase of private and native lands, I Crown leaseholds and discharge of mort-

gages; £1,017 ; 886 for purchase of chattels, general improveihents and stock; and £1,881,588 for purchase of dwellings. Under the Land for Settlements Act, £3,638,711 had been authorised to purchase 219 properties, comprising 317,154 acres. Average advances made were:—For purchase of private lands, discharge of mortgages, etc., £1760; for stock and improvements, £630; for purchase of dwellings, £624; average •cost per acre of private estates purchased by tlio Crown for soldier settiers, £ll. The subdivision of 162 estates for settlement by discharged .soldiers had assisted closer settlement ■by providing 1061 holdings. On October 31 last the area available for immediate selection was 100,633 acres, while the area available and suitable for selection nob ready for offering was 552,44!) acres, and purchased estates being prepared ior selection by soldiers totalled 07 and comprised 147,384 acres. THirning to the problem of the cost of living, Mr Jones said.that the increased cost was lower in New Zealand than in any other country in tho world where figures were taken. The increase in New Zealand was less than 44 per cent. In Australia the cost was higher, the increase in Queensland being 62 per cent. The Government which had enabled its people to live at a lower rate of increase than any other country must bo given credit for what it hud done.

The Government had no control over imported goods, but it could control affairs inside the country, and to this end tho Government lind introduced legislation giving protection against profiteering. Reference was made to taxation and Sir Joseph 'Ward’s proposals for nationalisation of the coal mines, which the speaker did not agree with. Rut ho wished to say that there was a great difference between Sir Joseph’s proposals lor nationalisation and those ol the Labour Party, wliieli were to gain complete control and the working of the mines as Labour thought fit. It would, however, bo frittering money away to buy the mines. .Instead the money should lip spent on electrical development. Electricity must displace coal and money spent 'in buying coal mines would be wasted.

On the subject, ol' education, Mr Jones (led need that under ■(■ lie Reform Government touchers had experienced much hotter treatment than under any other Government; school committees had had a better run and greater encouragement had boon given to technical school education. Ho would not part with the present education system on any account, but would extend the power of the boards, so that there would bo no need to appeal so often to Wellington. The military system should be wiped out and a reversion made to the old school Cadet system. In regard to shipping he would do his best to secure freedom from the shipping monopoly. If the monopoly could not bo broken by ordinary means it would pay the country to pledge its credit and establish its own shipping lino- Canterbury had not in the past had its fair share of Government expenditure, and if returned ho would do his best to prevent the North Island getting so much and secure a fair deal for Canterbury.

Mr Jones was warmly applauded at the close of his address. Subsequently he answered a number of questions, and on the motion of Mr W. A. Banks was accorded a very hearty vote of thanks, which was carried by acclamation. A vote of, thanks to the chairman closed the. meeting.

HON A. M. MYERS AT AUCKLAND,

[Per Press Association. J AUCKLAND, November 17The Hon A A! . divers opened his election campaign to-mglu- He bad a goad reception, and was accorded a vote of thanks and een lid mice- Mr Myers dealt at length with Hie question 01 Ids nationality. " .During louru-e i years of my public life,'’ lie san., “never before has the question of my religion and the birthplace of my parents been raised. 1 regret, however, that some half-dozen ladies, headed by one whose parents were born in Hanover, have endeavoured to damage my political career and hurt, my most sacred feelings.’’ Hr Myers then went on to say that, his fat her’si family had resided in England for over two hundred years. His grandfather was sent as rabbi to Russian Poland, whei e his father was born. The city of Ids Idrtb, Thorn, wa-s at the. time of his lerlh technically in Prussia, having been annexed bv that country. As was known, this city had again been restored to Poland by last year’s Peace Treaty. His father returned to England until he emigrated- to Australia, where Mr Myers was bom.

' HON J. T. PAUL AT DUNEDIN.

[Per Press Association.] DENUDIN', November 17. The Hon J. T. Paul, Labour candidate lor Dunedin South, addressed a large meeting: of electors this evening. He explained many of the planks of the Labour party’s; platform, and asked for a trial for a Labour Government, as Deform and Liberal had both failed to give satisfaction to the people. In reply to an interjection, he said that the Labour party might not cot into power this time, but it would be returned in such numbers as to show it was a constructive party, which understood the people’s requirements. He also expressed the belief that next election would not take place three years lienee, but perhaps one year hence. He was accorded a unanimous vote of confidence. WELLINGTON SUBURBS. ’ [Per Pnv.ss Association.] WELLINGTON. November 17. Mr B- A. Wright. Reform candidate for Wellington Suburbs, opened bis campaign to-night at Karori, and v.as unanimously accorded a. vote of thanks and confidence. DA'fE WANTED FOR POLLING DAY. [Per Press Association.] AUCKLAND, November 17. The Auckland Provincial Employers’ Association is requesting the Government to fix the date of tlie cit'd ions as December 10. if possible, it beiin.r considered that if the elections are held later (here would he groat dislocation of bolide v business.