THE GENERAL ELECTION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16907, 5 December 1922, Page 9

THE GENERAL ELECTION.

Extracts From Speeches of Candidates. SPECIAL KEFORTS FOR THE “STAR.”

THE ISSUE IN AVON. MASSEY OR LIBERALISM. ‘‘ The* one* and only question that has to b© solved at this ©lection,” said Mi* Russell last night, “is not the question ot prohibition, nor is it the piestion of Labour, but whether Mr Massev, who has been Premier of this i-ountry lor ten years, is to continue my longer in that position, or whether * Liberal Government ought to bo iornicd; and wo are going to try and ret thi' beautiful little country as it us under Richard Seddon and Sir losepih Ward. (Applause.) “ It Air Massey has hail the confi irnce of this country, all I can say is be has lost it. (Hear, hear.; “I can see some good stonewalls in ront of us if Air Alassey retains office, •or instance, that gentleman wants to >ive the Crown tenants the freehold these bi million acres re served by the Liberal Governm exits for national endowments. It will be a disaster to this jountry if we. after setting aside that rase area for a heritage for all time, illow Air to part with the freehold and do thoso coming after us out ji their heritage. The man who sold his birthright it*r a mess of pottage is written down is one of the fools of history. I don’t vant to see the birthright of the poo tie for 100 or 200 years sold so that Massey can get the votes of the Crown tenants. “ With all due respect to the ladies. 1 tell them this, that ever since the female franchise was raised in Parlianent in 1893 the women hare been as veil represented in Parliament as the ** As Minister of Health in two Govtraments, the responsibility has been ihrown on me of dealing with questions iirectiv affecting the home. “It “was l who placed epidemic pen lions on a higher level, because I wanted to lift the other pensions to that evel : and as a private member in Parliament I moved that ail pensions ihould Ik* so raised. “ If there were too or three ladiemth as Aliss Alclville and a few others in the Legislative Council they would 50 able to air all their views regarding lumamtanaiiii and hospital boards. It wouldn't do to put them into the light lug arena of the Legislature. Colonel Loach, represents an impossible party. Regarding the lady candidate I have one remark to make: I ion’t know on which side Airs Herbert. ;l returned to Parliament, would tote -> n a no-confidence motion. She has made it quite clear that she will not rote with Mr Holland. I would ask uer one question. If Airs Herbert is returned, and Mr AVilford, as leader of the Liberal Party, moves a vote of no-eonfidence in All - Massey, on which side would that lady vote? J am anxious about it because I don't, know the strength of the v.*uen’s rote in Avon, and Avon has never relumed a Conservative candidate yet. “As for the Labour Party” Mr Russell commenced “ They are loyal ” said a Red. Incredulous laughter greeted his interjection. “Are they?” said Air Russell. “T itii not going to discuss that, point, hut : will say this, that when that fine ioung man, the Princo of AAalo>, came lere. the official Labour Party in Christchurch issued orders that no member of their Parsy was to take any jart whatever in anr honour that was 3one the Prince of Wales and they iidn’t. A*ou are quite entitled to say ;hev are loyal but. your idea, ol what :.s loyal may be different from mine. “ I have* stood always for Labour throughout the whole of my political career. I hav© never been charged vitli saying one word against genuine Labour or given one vote against it. “ Air Alassey is now putting up the greatest political blufF ever attempted >ii the people of New Zealand. He ilaims to he the farmers’ representnive and he has lx-eii telling the farmers he has put live millions into the (state Advan ccs department in order to kelp distressed farmers by making advances to them on Chattel Securities. have looked into this matter carefully. and you will lx* surprised at the lumbug Air Massey is putting into this ampaign—it is nothing hut pure Muff. “ This afternoon T found the amendment m the State Advances Act dcalng with this very matter. .No loan •an be given under this Act lor a arger sum than £SOO. . . No loan can be longer than five years, the interest s to he 7 per cent, the highest rate >f hank interest charged, reducible to H per cent if the money is repaid promptly. “At the end of the first year the nan who borrows the money has to pay 10 per cent off the capital, and his 0* aer cent interest, that makes 161 per rent. My word, ho will get out of lifficulties at that rate. At the end of 'he second year he has to pay 15 per ent off the principal and (>t per cent—hat is 21.\ per rent at the end of. the .hird year he has to pay the 6.J per rent and 20 per cent—that makes 261 >er cent ; and for the fourth year he »as to pay 25 per cent off the principal »ncl 61 per cent interest, lienig 31* per root that poor distressed farmer has to >ay to meet Mr Massey’s demands. At lie end of four years the man has paid *is interest at 6* per cent and 70 per *ent of the principle. T venture to ray there is not a single hanker, (manner. stock uni station agent or farin»rs* union that understands the principles of finance that will regard this as: my thing hut a piece of electioneering :ant and humbug utterly unworthy of i Prime A fillister. All I can suv in a •haritabl© way is that Afr ATassey foesn’t understand what he is doing vhen he attempts to deal with finance. “I think the Government ought to >boy the law.” Mr Russell said. “ 1 aad delivered at my house to-day a nunifesto of tlx l Reform candidates for .he Christchurch seats. They are a landsomo lot (exhibiting the circular) ; j 1 hev entered for a beauty show thev could take the cake. Davy Jones is noking quit© happy-—hut I am not >erp to make personal remarks about ihem. “ Tins came to mv house to day. The hw says there shall not he printed, de ivered or circulated within three days •f the poll anv document that 7s in •Tided to influence any error in his |[W at the poll.

A youth: How could they deliver it on Sunday? “ l want to know why the Government breaks the law by issuing this through the post to-day,” Air Russell continued. The youth : It was posted on Saturday. “ I tell you it is not to be circulated or delivered within three days of the poll. This is a distinct breach of the law', and it- is not the first time this thing has been done by the Reform Party.” A bush lawyer suggested that Air Russell was breaking the law' by reading the manifesto. ‘A on must he the postmaster or something like that." said Air Russell. J see you’re no lawyer.” “ 1 have never been mixed up with any sectarian or religious bigotry either for or against any man in the politics of this country. Tf I have to win a seat by adopting a tone of religous bigotry I will walk out.” At question time the honours were decidedly with the candidate in meeting hostile questions, and in replying to sympathetic questions. A vote of confidence in the faberal party was seconded in two places and carried by quite a substantial majoritv on a show of hands.

MR ISITT THREATENED. WRIT MAY RE ISSUED. “If I were at all a nervous man 1 might I*> so afflicted with palpitation of the heart as not to be able to speak to you,” said Air I. A!. Jsitt. Liberal candidate for ( hristchurch North who addressed a large meeting of electors at St Luke’s Schoolroom last night. Air AV. E. Simes presided. ■' Air Andrews has sent me a lawyer’s letter that unless I apologise for the shocking statements 1 made about him lie will issue a writ against me,” continued Air Isitt. A voice : That’s the stuff. Air Isitt: If 1 v.-ai eight instead sixtv-eight that little piece of bluff might go. .Vs it is well I am surprised that any man who has come to mature age in his despair should try a little trick as futile as that. The onl.' statement J made about .Mr Andrews was in an address when alluding to the fact that Air Archer stated he regard-

ed not myself but Air Andrews as his : most clangorous opponent, f have never | consciously made an incorrect state ment about any man. If Air Andrews 1 says he. i- not only not receiving official support from the P.P.A. as an off.- j cial organisation, but also not receiv- j iog financial .support from prominent > members of the P.P.A. I will withdraw j the statement as to his position. “ It is simply childish,” said Air Isitt. continuing his reference l<> the ; charge against him. It had been al- ! lege cl that he had said Air Andrews : was not in any sense a Reform candi ; date. What he said was that Mr An drews was not in any sense the Re | form candidate “ The next state- j inent- which 1 am prepared to stand j to- is that in a definite sense he is not merely the candidate for the P.P.A.. but ho is the candidate who has been induced very largely in this election by the P.P.A. to tome forward. Thev j told him not that they did not want j a Liberal, but that thev did not want i* ! Red Fed.” (Interruption.) Voices: Better than a lialf-and-hah. Not a rail-sitter. All- Isitt: These are the champions of free speech. They are the moat contemptible cowards that you can fin i m this city. They are afraid of what 7 have to sav being heard and th© same crowd from different quarters oi the electorate follow me round from place to place trying to drown what i | say. They haven’t the pluck to get up j at the end of the meeting and put their j questions. And these are the chain- | pious of free speech. (Applause.) ! When Air Andrews was turned down by the Reform executive (said Air Isitt) lie said he would abide by the decision of the executive. Then the P.P.A. got to work, and the representatives of th-2 • P.P.A. not only did their best to induce j Air Andrews to come forward, but they J interviewed various members of the Reform executive and then they threatened definitely that if the Reform executive would not run Air Andrews thev would run him themselves. The P.P.A., with a few dissatisfied Reformers, got to work to induce him to come forward. “ I am not a baby in a perambulate or." said Mr Isitt. If he thinks this sort of business is going to help him, he is mistaken. In the first- place, from his entrance on the political platform he stated that his loader, the Right Hon W. F. Alassey, had taken up a certain attitude towards liis candidut ure, and Air Massey immediately, very courteously but very firmly, wrote denying the statement. Air Andrews also stated that I hail entered into a pledge with him, through my chairman. that J would not contest the seat You have got your knife into me through certain of my views, but 1 think you will accept my statement that it was a pure fabrication. (Applause.) I he chairman of my committee says that Air Andrews’s statement is a pure fabrication. The next thing Mr Andrews discovered is that there is an extraordinary leakage in my committee. He says that, while 4 1 tell the public that Archer

is going to poll a certain number oi votes, I tell my committee I am afraid of him. So Air ATassey contradicts him. J contradict him, my chairman contradicts him, all the members of my committee contradict him, and some of the members of the Reform executive contradict him. Why, he is a little George Washington with the hatchet and all the rest of the people are prevaricators. (Laughter.) “ Now I have done with Air Andrews, hut T am waiting in joyous expectation for that- writ to come along, and there will he some fun if it does come along.” After Mr Isitt answered numerous questions, he was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence.

ELLESMERE. MR J. C. FREE GAINING GROUND. Mr J. C. Free, Liberal candidate for Kilesmere, was accorded splendid receptions at meetings in Higlibank and Methven last evening. The evidence oi‘ a friendly attitude towards the Liberal candidate was given emphasis by the attention which Mr Free received and the heartiness ol’ the applause which punctuated liis remarks. At Highbank Mr Free spoke to in audience that crowded the schoolroom. Mr .J. Miller, chairman of the School Committee, presided. Mr Free said that Mr Massey was fond of telling the people that they must choose between Reform and Labour. Between Reform and Labour stood the Liberals, so that Mr Massey himself was telling them which was the proper way to vote. The Massey party had promised the people reforms, and hail stated that when they got a chance to get to the pigeon-holes they would make revelations of the bad administration ot the Liberals. Well, they had had plenty of time, and if there had been anything discreditable to divulge the people would have heard all about it be fora now. What reforms had there been ? The people had only to use their eyes to see evidence of vested interests everywhere, and these vested interests were playing havoc with the welfare of the country. The Liberal Government had a record that all Liberals were proud of. Xo other Government line! such a record. The country at present was drifting very rapidly, and the greatest amount of care was needed. What would be needed to set things right again must come from the land, for. though others might be able to pass on increased charges, the farmer could not do so. They could pass every thing on till they came to the laud, and then there was a sudden stop. Mr Free recalled the existence of the soup kitchens in the old Conservative days, and said that the Country only needed Mr Masse v in power n few more years to have them back again. Mr Massey was the right man for the wealthy classes. They had put him where he was. They said he was a very good man because lie did what they told him. Electors had olily to look at the people thi Massey Government got its support from to realise that it was of no use the small man looking to the present. Government for help. Mr Free was accorded a unanimous

vote of thanks. At Aiethven Air Free was greeted by a large audience, over which Air AY. I .Morgan presided. ■ On rising to speak, the candidate was i loudly applauded. He said that he went before the people with every confidence. He hoped they would take Air Alassey’s advice and. by choosing between the two extremes. put the Liberals in. (Loud applause.) The Liberal Party had given Labour every chance, and he regretted that some of the workers had broken away to form a separate Labour -Party. The Liberals resented the aspersions cast on their loyalty by Air Massey. The Alassey party had no monopoly of loyalty. (Applause.) The Liberals had given every aid to the Government during the war. The Government was not I working within its income, and ever i since it had been in power there had . been a stead}' drift. Nobody would | object if the money the Governj inent was borrowing was revenue j producing, but it was not revenue pro- { during. Air Alassey claimed to be i I true Liberal. If that was so why did 1 he stonewall the Old Age Pensions Bill I and oppose the Land for Settlements i Act and cheap money. Air Free dealt at some length with the railway ad : ministration and declared that the position would not be improved until 1 they went hack to Liberal methods of ; control. Aim were now saying—men j who had supported the Conservative-, j for years—that thev had had quite I sufficient of the Alassey Government, which had failed to keep its promises. The Alassey Government had admitte 1 j that the soldiers’ lands would have t . • be re-valued, but they were too slirewu to have that done before the elections. (Laughter and applause.) I The policy and the aim of the Liberi als was precisely thi* same to-day as in i Air Seddon*s day. It Mas time somej thing,was done to come- into competii lion with the banking ring. In reducing salaries the Massey Government had started off’ at the wrong end. | and the biggest paid man got off i lightest. The Liberals would have ! done it differently. (Applause.) It was ; untrue that there was work for all the j emigrants coming to this country. Air Free quoted from a letter he had received from a farmer on the main line near Burnham. The letter stated that as many as eleven and twelve men wer - going past his place nearly every day anil on the previous day three of the men who had tramped by had been in New Zealand nine, eleven and seven months respectively. Air Free deelar- , cd that this went to bear out his asserj lion that immigrant© were being brought out here by moans of promises I that were not fulfilled. In many easeextreme Conservatism was responsible for making Rod Feds. (Applause.) Tt was not so much the Rod Foils as extreme Conservatism that was causing ! the trouble in many rases. (Applause ) | As regarded the meat pool, if the Gov i eminent handled it no better than it ! did the wheat pool ho doubted if the farmers would get much benefit from il (Applause.) Ho had no faith it* the chairman of the pool. A man who boasted that he had got more for his district in three years than others had got in twenty years was no fit chair man for the meat pool.( Applause.) Afr Alassey represented the vested interests and he did it verv well. (Laughtennd applause.) He hoped that after December 7 the Liberals would have the opportunity to lift the country on! of the mire. (Applause.) A vote of thanks to Air Free was carried with enthusiasm.

HURUNUI. MR FORBES AT CHEVIOT. Mr G. W. Forbes, candidate for Hurunni, addressed the elector® at the Cheviot Town Hall on Saturday night. Mr John Rentoul was chairman, and there was a good attendance. Mr Forbes dealt with some of the Prime Minister’s statements in his

Christchurch speech in regard to tho Liberal Party and the extreme Labour Party, and characterised them as tho puiest political bluff. The number comprised in the Holland party was j only nine out of a House of eighty, and j the call for tho remaining seventy-one members to unite to defend the country from the nine showed very clearly that tho country’s interests were not u danger, but Air Alassey*s motive in advocating it was to bolster up his minority Government. By his refusal to give the people of the Dominion an electoral system which would enable majority i rule t-o be re-established he was doing j more harm to constitutional govorn.me nt than all the Red Feds, put toJ get her. His pretended alarm at what he termed the Red Fed. menace reminded the speaker of the biblical quo : tation. “ The wicked flee when no man pursuetb.”

Air Forbes said that the Prime Minister's strong language about candidates taking him to task for hi® at tempt at Foxton and Levin to drag the question of the Union Jack and loyalty into the present contest for party purposes was the anger of man who had been bowled out. The “Do minion ” reports of his speeches on those occasions showed the attempt in the clearest manner. The speaker said that-, if the English language meant

anything, those speeches on the flag arid loyalty claimed them as the especial property of the Reform Party. Air Forbes referred in scathing terms to the soldier settlement blundering of tho Government, quoting the Prime Alinister’s statement in 1920 that he ■ believed they could sell the land purchased by the Government and make a profit of several millions, and the Hon D. H. Guthrie on the same occasion said that there was scarcely a soldier who could not, if he wished, sell his section and make a big goodwill on it. and that there were some cases where as much as £6OOO goodwill could be obtained. The speaker said that it was those sort of statements and the spending of thirteen millions in purchasing land that were responsible to a large extent for the recent land boom, the effects of which will he in evidence in this country for many years to come. In the speaker’s opinion, there was scarcely a soldier in the Dominion today on tho land who had a reasonable chance of making a success of it. Immediate revaluation was required. Mr Forbes then dealt with the posij tioii of public finances, and considered that the enormous increase in public ] expenditure from 11 millions in 1913 ! legacy for the present Government to I leave to its successors, and bo ridiculed J Air Jones’s statement to a recent Re- | form ladies’ gathering that AD- AY i lford j in giving the public debt as 219 millions I misled his Christchurch audience, as j he did not- deduct 10 millions of sinking ! funds. Ali- Forbes pointed out that Air • Wilford’s figures were quite correct, as | the 10 millions of sinking funds should not bo deducted until they were actually paid over, as it was very doubtful if they ever would be. Air Jones’s finance might pass muster with Reformers of the gentler sex, but the Dominion’s creditors would not be put off with anything Jess than the amount borrowed, which was 219 millions. The railway policy of the Government next catr.o in for criticism The dubbin©: of tho General Afanager. the Chief -Mechanical Engineer, the Chief Engineer and the Chief Traffic Afanager a Railway Board seemed to be the only solution that presented itself to the Government’s mind of the problem of preventing the huge daily loss on the service. Mr Forbes said that the lack of commercial knowledge in the Cabinet was responsible for the Government’s helplessness to improve matters in connection with the rail wav service. ’ Tn a comparison of the platform of the Liberal Party and that recently issued by tli > Prim© Arinister the speaker said that his party made economy in the public finance the first consideration, and in view of that had kept its proposals within reasonable hounds, as far as increased expenditure j was concerned. On the other hand the I Prime Alinister’s twenty-nine plonk* ignored the cost to tho country, and proposed expenditure right and left. It was a vote buying platform. In conclusion Air Forbes said that he had entered public life as a Liberal, j and hoped to continue one until he left it. He was amused with Air Afassev’s claim to be a Liberal, as no supporter of minorifv rule could claim that title. A vote of thanks to Llv* speaker, on the motion of Air A. T). Anderson, seconded by Air S. Hatighev. was carried with applause.