POINTS IN POLITICS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19809, 28 November 1919, Page 6

POINTS IN POLITICS.

EXTRACTS FROM SPEECHES OF CANDIDATES. Ho was a British subject, and as such ho recognised that wc, as units of a great Empire, should do all in our poweer to protect and preserve the many privileges- which we possessed. He regretted to state that the official Labour Party bad displayed a. general antipathy towards the nation right through the war. and ho was right up against it on that account.—Mr E, Kellett, Independent Labour candidate for Dunedin North.

It was often imputed to the Government that they were not giving soldiers good land or. at least, the class of land that they deserved. It had always to bo remembered that a, great deal of what was originally considered firstclass land was not available or had already been subdivided into small areas. There still existed large areas which the Government wore trying to purchase, and with that object lie had circularised all the bier landowners with properties ranging from (300 to 10,000 acres to induce tlicm to make it available at reasonable cost. The replies, wliich had been very satisfactory, were hein? dealt with. Regarding Crown lands, ho would say that most of it was in far too rugged a- state to ask returned soldiers, weakened by active service, to develop it. Similarly, with the large areas of pumice and gum lands, the task far war wearied men would be too ardous—Hon D. H. Guthrie, Reform candidate for Oroua.

He bad no understanding whatever irith the Massey Party, and clnlined absolute freedom as te how he would vote on a motion of no-confidence. The only pledge ho would make was. that he would not sunport any Government, whether led by Mr Massey, Sir Joseph Marti, or anyone else, that depended lor its existence upon the votes of Messrs Semple, Holland, Fraser, and their followers.—Mr C. E. Stratham, Reform candidate for Dunedin Central.

Mr Evan Parry, one of the world’s most famous electrical engineers, left this country in disgust after wasting seven years of his life here, because, as he said, he was afraid of a rata tree growing through his toes before tho Minister allowed him to make a start. Had Parliament had the foresight to have made Mr Parry manager of public works, and given him a free hand, the rail to Gisborne to carry goods for the .soldier settlors and others power and light from AVaikaremonua at 2d a unit, and millions of feet of timber from the Urcwera at 1.2s per 1000 feet lor homes for the people would now he an accomplished fact and tho larger part of the war debt paid off by 'increased settlement and production.Mr V Beamish, Independent candidate for Hawke’s Bay.

He regarded the nationalisation of the coal industry as essential and desirable in order to ensure sufficient and regular supplies. The man who worked in the mines was entitled to receive £'], a day, and he believed that under State ownership, with superannuation and other benefits, there would bo contentment throughout the industry. Mr K Ivellett, Independent Labour" candidate tor Dunedin. North.

There had certainly been a deal of pernicious aggregation in .settlers buying up adjoining estates. The Government had made repeated efforts to prevent it In 1918 they passed a Bill winch it was anticipated would put‘an end to the evil, but land grabbers had evaded its purpose, by buying up portions of adjoining estates. 15 v not buying the whole of an estate they evaded tho penalties contained in the Act. Tin, discrepancy' was soon discovered and this year legislation to effectively put an end to the traffic had’ been introduced. Anyone guilty of undue aggregation could now have tho land taken from him at Government valuation loss ten per cent, lie considered tho measure drastic.—Tho Hon D. 7J. Guthrie, Reform candidate tor Orona.

Was it not a fact that anv man who stomi as an official Labour candidate luul to bind himself to the revolutionary party body and soul, actually leaving j u their hands his signed resignation as a member of_ Parliament, so that if lie. succeeded in gaining a scat in the ■House they could send the resignation on to the Speaker any time he incurred their displeasure? That was another sample of their sense of liberty and freedom. All that lie could do was to ask them with all the earnestness at his command to pause and consider before supporting any candidate of the official Labour Party. Jlis opponent had said that Germany was the best organised country in the world. Yes, that was the. sort of organisation we would get here if. the official Labour Party got into power, and Air If, E. Holland, or one of his kind, would be tho autocratic tyrant who would rule over us.—Mr 0. E. ''Strut-ham, Pofonn candidate for Dunedin Central. « » He admitted that ho at times went into the lobby with his party when be did not agree with them, this had to to bo done, otbatfnvise there would be frequent changes of Government.—Air J. V. Brown. Liberal candidate for Napier. « » * Under the present system, a. Prime Minister gathered round him whatever Ministers ho pleased and the party which kept them in power had no voice in their election. This meant that private members of the House wore being robbed, of a power which was theirs by rigid.. Their powers were absorbed by the Ministers, and the power of the Afiuisiers had in turn become more and more vc.-icl in the Prime Mini.-ler. upon whom i.!icv depended lor election to tho

Cabinet. Alensures were brought down in tlio House by Cabinet without any notice, ail'd members of the parly who bad never been consulted were expected to bo blindly faithful followers, and to vote for these measures whether they thought them right or wrong. Such a state of things was intolerable.—Mr C. It. Stratham, deform candidate for Dunedin Central.

Plio rules of the House did not allow of proper criticism. He. was frightened it tho “dories” got hack into power that they would impose charges through the Customs. Thev always imposed the taxes on the “ under dog.”—Mr J. V. Brown, Liberal candidate for Napier. It was all verv well to say that the cost ol living in New Zealand compared favourably with the cost of living in certain other countries. Certainly tho prices of goods which wo had to import from overseas had increased tremendously at the country of origin, and freights were high, but if we bad had a properly constituted controller he could have at least seen that the public wore not being exploited by moans of undue profit?, and even this was not (lone. But so far as our local products were concerned there was no (ineslioii about it that if the problem had been handled in a bold and statesmanlike manner a great doa.l could have been done to keep prices down and relieve the enormous burden imposed upon the poorer people of tho Dominion.—Mr C. E. Stratham, Reform candidate for Dunedin Central.

♦ Land was changing lauds at 109 per cent over normal prices and a very serious position would arise when the Alortgagos Extension Act was repealed and they were asked to adjust their mortgages. Ato tie y was being cornered by tho profiteers who would sooner or later try and force their hands. This was tried itu Hawke's Bay ten or twelve years ago and very nearly caused a panic.—Air N. Beamish, Independent candidate for Hawke’s Bay.

If tho Government had decided right at the outset—or at least when it camo to realise that tho beating of the Hun was going to be a lengthy job— to as-' sumo direct control of the produce generally right throughout the Dominion, then tho cost of living would have been kept down to a minimum. And to Ids mind it was a. blot on our reputation that, whilst the breadwinners wero away fighting, tho profiteer should have been permitted to extract such unreasonable prices for the. necessaries of life. Tho excess profits which wore created as a result of tho high prices prevailing in tho world's markets should have gono into the coffers of the State, and would undoubtedly have relieved tire burden of taxation.—Air E. Kellott, Independent Labour candidate for Dunedin North.

Never in all the history of New Zealand has a Minister of' Public Works bad the same opportunity of pushing op with the roads and railroad construction and preparing for hydro-electric development, as Sir William Fraser has had during tho past five years. Ho had millions of money, and thousands of men all through the war. but bo would not employ them.—Air N. Beamish, Independent candidate for Hawke’s Bay.