DR THACKER IN GOOD FORM.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16908, 6 December 1922, Page 9

DR THACKER IN GOOD FORM.

A BRIGHT MEETING. *' The North Island papers said that Mr Mas.aey had a huge wdcome in Christchurch ” said Dr Thacker last night at th* H.iberaian Hall “They said that pGOpia bowed to chan going into the theatre and congratulated him. You would have thought it was the arrival • i the greatest juggernaut in New land: but you know it was all sauce i nd pickles inside. “ I have said already that Mr Ma«smv’s speech was nothing but scrambled eggs; and you can get rid of eggs of ;• doubtful character by scrambling them. Mr Massey’s speech was a mass of replies to inter jeotor> of one kind and another. ‘ T hope to tell you what a travesty on the great laws passed in this country their modern administration has been. " Unemployment would not have apI*ared in New Zealand if reproductive works had been carried out with the accrued surpluses left in the treasury by the greatest financier New Zealand ha* ever seep. • For ten. or twelve years there has been a wastage of £70.C00 a year in ini erest and sinking fund on the money already spent <.n the Otira tunnel. The tunnel could have been hastened to completion. The South Island Main Trunk line- could have been completed, ;.nd nil the discomforts and dislocation ci our trade by the ferry service being messed up oould have been avoided. Piotoo is said to be the port up there, but 1 have been told that Port Underwood is the place where the harbour should I o made. That will come, without doubt.” A voice: Like the Canal. • That will come too." said Dr Thacker. * hut it will he Port Christchurch. not a canal. That is thrown a me as a kind of gag or bait. People think the Canal is something to throw at Dr Thacker. People who talk ef a Canal don’t know that a canal i i water-way that joins two greater water-ways. such a* the Panama Canal, the Suez Canal and the great German » amds. "In England the waterways are heir g reconstructed . . . and the barges are flying over those waterways just «** tramways arc here in the streets. “ The rock on which the ship of Mas>ey is going to be wrecked is their vicious finance, and that vicious finance was the'spending of those accrued surpluses in London.” Dr Thacker's meeting was filling fast, but the usual vacancies were to bo noted in the front row. while crowds "«re standing at the back. " I often ih»;ik. said the candidate, "that after I have started a meeting like this, I ought to take ray table down to the other end, and get among the people." It was not long, however, lie fore all the seats were packed, and , people were standing three deep at the back. The Minister of Agriculture,” the candidate continued, " spends £30,000 a year on motor-cars and motor bikes ;.»id other forms of transport when the trains ought, to be used. Mr Massey I uts his hand in his pocket and forks «>iit a cheque for £IOOO for Sir James Allen because he wants new furniture. It you and I want new furniture and we are overdrawn, we would have to wait until such time as we could afford to pay for it. " The Right Honorable Colonel Sir James Allen! We never hear of him unless he has been to a garden party ai Windsor. We want business men. Sympathy is the greatest word in tiie world as between the men and women who bare power and those that are serving them. If the Government had dealt sympathetically with the coal problem w« l*' * la / rA bad coal very .’.'ntiv 4 i«r,r L“ >11•• h ;<utoeru »JL ;-V)uwJt-• • The Marf~. <«;'■ upiincnt in 19L3 \\a> wanting*.«t A t»r’The pigeon holes. We w ant tor get W**-\pigcon holes, not that they arc dirty ri'r disreputable, but t., see where the* tiysrjJCi's of the country have gone to. Aim 1 think after next Thursday we are going to do so. (Applause.) •• The value of the sovereign should not l>e determined by calling it a pound or twenty shillings or anything else, but lor the amount of the necessaries of life it will buy, and that factor should determine what wages ought to be

‘ The Arbitration Court must be amended. The workers should have direct representation. At Addington t. day. a man made one of the wisest remarks 1 have heard in this campaign. I w as talking about those engines from the Old Country. and lie said. *''Yes,, and it will cost nearly the price of the engine to trim them up to the work they have to do m this count»y.’ lie is an expert, and we want experts. When you have serious trouble--medical, surgical or otherwise—the people want the best experts they can get. The Arbitration Court should have experts, and should be a just umpire between the employers and the employees. ■ If you leave it to the people they will pick the winner every time, and the dividends will be small, provided you give them a straight run. “ * voted against every cut everv time there was a cut. When the Bill v. ay in committee the Liberals vote I against any cut in any wages under £320 a year. •• Mr Massey and his Ministers • laini that they raised old age pensions. I say they didn’t. The pensions went vjp a‘ the point of th • bayonet : ana the bayonets were held by certain members in the House. In 1916 i questioned and requestioned the Minister of old age pensions (Mr Myers) and by dint of persevering In at last in 1916, through the National Government, raised old age pensions from 10s to 15s. “The working man or woman win H laid aside by accident or disease should still have the same wage as v hen they were working They real 1> want the wage far more then That could be arranged It is only a question fer the employer, the individual and the State. The National Provident Fund does something towards :t, but the Government so far has leaned to-* much ir«'ii the friendly societies. The matter "i- really one for that ro- \ i-« d Arbitration Court t.<> look after. X ' 'bni a hiisoed poultice; it has no

idea of surgery, or of performing a a important operation. It is always putting ou soothing applications, bulldozing. side-tracking. and smokescreening the public. That is no good. 1 want to see the State Advances Department what it used to be. If a worker has got nothing he should still bo ablo to get assistance, as wrs done under the old Liberal principles.

“In regard to such matters the people are generally shy— that is. th'3 best people. There are always some who will encroach on the touch-line, and go on the racecourse while tlio race is in progress: or get in front of raotor-cars. But generally the people are not like that ; and the last thing they want is charity. They want to be able to pay their way and earn it and own it.

“ Mr Coates who has been a Reformer now wants to he a Liberal : hut you must have the mind and the brains of a Liberal to be a Liberal. 1 have seen brains in all their nakedness and have dissected them, and some of the squashed down, cramped concerns of some of those I have seen led me to believe that we want more hulf way houses than we have got to-day. Conservative principles are no good for progress. They have got them in

England at the present moment as a service break ; but the eight million people who arc nojt represented cannot remain unrepresented. There will be a turn-over in England. A voice. Who is going to lead thorn. "No one knew who was going to lead the Children of Israel out of the wilderness until Moses stepped forth,” Dr Thacker replied. ” There is always a man on flic horizon. The past does not hold all the records. There are as bright intellects in the world to-day a« ever there were. " Supposing the whole of the .Massey Government were to have a jo.v ride to the Chatham Islands, and the ship sank, who is jjoing to take their places, lhe country is going to carry on. If Mr Massey and his party slip into oblivion on Thursday the country will carry on. If there is not a big majority against him, proportional representation can bo nut, on the Statute Book, and the people will find leaders. “If Mr Massey says lie could rnje tills .country nitii seven secretaries, why does he want twelve ministers It is ridiculous to say that, anybody is indispensable.

'■ In my term of office,” Dr Thacker concluded. “ I have tried to do mv best, and if I hadn't I would not think 1 had the right to come hack and a*k for your votes. There is no power equal to public opinion-; it will shift mountains, cities, governments, kings, it will shift anything. I leave it to >ou. I have absolute trust in what you will do. I stand for progress by humamtarianism ; all things sectarian j simply cast on one ,-ide. They are no good to me.” (Continued applause). Dr Thacker will vote every time to P u t Mr Massey out " was the candidate’s reply to questions regarding noconfidence motions. t The (questioner persisted: ** If Mr Holland moves a vote of no-confidence V‘ Mr Massey, will Dr Thacker follow -Mr Holland - Dr Thacker never follows anybody” the candidate replied. li He has got such a strong sense of’ responsibility and independence that lie goes iiito the lobby. On every occasion when there has been a want of confidence against Mr Massey. he has voted against Mr Massey, and will continue tu do so until Mr Massey goes out.” utinued applause). t -A vote ot thanks and confidence was being put when late arrivals at the back of the hall started to shout amendment.” The chairman (Mr P. I* .1. Amodeo) told them they could vote .lost as effectively on the motion, and the “.Ayes” were deafening. The die hards at the back continued to shout • amendment and refused to vote. All right.” said the chairman, ‘ carried unanimously.” Three hearty cheers sped “ the doctor ' homeward as lie left the hall