LIBERAL AND PROGRESSIVE ASSOCIATION.

Waipa Post, Volume VII, Issue 325, 23 June 1914, Page 4

LIBERAL AND PROGRESSIVE ASSOCIATION.

TO RETURN THE LIBERALS TO POWER.

BRANCH FORMED AT TE AWAMUTU.

On Friday evening Messrs. Murphy, Lafferty, H. H. Veates, ! and J. G. Harp, representatives of the Waikato Liberal and Progressive Association, visited Te Awamutu for the purpose of establishing a local branch of the Association. They addressed a public meeting at the Oddfellows Hall in the evening at which 22 persons were present. Mr. J. W. Carson was elected to the chair, and introduced the various speakers. In thanking the meeting for his election to the chair, Mr. Carson expressed the hope that they would all work for their own good and for the benefit of the country (applause). They were assembled there to devise means for the return of the Great Liberal Party to power, and he hoped they would succeed (applause).

A telegram from Mr. T. H. Elliott regretting his unavoidable absence was read.

Mr. H. H. Veats, president of the Waikato Association, briefly explained the purpose of the meeting. The Association is a Dominion organisation, the Waikato Branch having its head quarters at Hamilton. Sub-branches had been established at Cambridge, Kihikihi, Whatawhata, Frankton Junction, and Ohaupo. The work of organising the Waikato branch had only been commenced. The object in forming the sub-branches was to get every part of the electorate interested. It was proposed that each subbranch should send say two delegates to a conference to select a candidate, and by this means the whole of the district' would be given a voice in the selection. It was possible the selection of a member would be difficult as there was already the likelihood of several names going into the ballot They were determined to run a candidate, but organisation was first necessary (applause).

On the motion of Mr E. McVerry, seconded by Mr H.Worthington, it was unanimously resolved that a sub-branch be formed at Te Awamutu. The following officials were elected: President, Mr J. B. Teasdale ; vice-president, Mr J. H. Elliott; committee, Messrs E. McVerry, J. W. Carson, Peter Coyle, P. McVerry, F. B. Tickelpenny, and A. Paul, with power to add to the number; the secretary and treasurer to be elected by the committee.

A question was asked from the meeting : “ What are the objects of the Association ? ” to which the chairman replied 'that the main purpose at present was to form a branch of the Association which would work in the interests of the Liberal party. Ways and means would have to be considered .afterwards, but the organisation of the district had to be pushed ahead. It was not necessary that a member should always remain a member if the Association was not working right. It was also unwise to strive to get back to power if the policy was not sound, and it was for the organisation to promote a sound policy, It was necessary that they bring out an Opposition candidate, and even though they might be fighting a forlorn hope —(cries of No! No ! Not in Hamilton, at anyrate !) Mr Lafferty, who was received with applause, enlarged upon the objects of Association. He went on to remind his hearers, of what the Liberal party had done in the past. By its cheap money scheme the Liberal party had broken the sway of the moneylenders by reducing the rate 'of interest from 10 or 15 per cent to 4 per cent. In five years the same Government had advanced £8,107,000 in the way of settlers’ and workers’ loans. The Liberal land legislation had placed 107,000 souls upon the land, which had hitherto been crowded in the cities under deplorable conditions. The cheap money scheme had. been the means of giving these men placed upon the land a chance in life, and the Advances Department itself had been conducted so as to yield a profit to the country. He read details of the amounts advanced in the several provinces. Waikato had received-'its share, and had benefitted, but it was regrettable to think that some of the men had forgotten the bridge that carried them over, and had gone over to the Conservative party. He went on to refer to the manner in which the prime lands of the country had been gridironed before the Ballance party came to power. In referring to the published report of the political speech delivered by Mr J. A. Young, M.P., on the previous evening, he said that there was very little of it new, and what was not new was no good. What was not new and what was any good had been

stolen from the Liberal party. He (Mr Young) claims to be independent. but he is not. He is the Reform candidate and has been sold body and soul to the Conservatives. .Whatever we do let us see that our candidate at the election comes back with a coat of the same colour as the one he starts off with. In his speech Mr Young never referred to the strike, made very brief mention of the railway management, never to St. Helen’s Hospital, and not to the loans to the Hamilton Borough. He told you of his work to get a tew cows for the settlers, but he did not tell you that the Liberal cheap money scheme had enabled the fanners to buy cows, or that under Reform the money market had tightened so that the auctioneers had closed their doors to the farmers. When the question wa s considered it was really a very poor return for the farmer to have to pay 7 per cent, for what he used to get for 4 per cent. He went on to refer to the circumI stances leading up to the strike, i The men, he said, had been I given better conditions by conference rather than, by the procedure of the Law. It was a careful scheme to thwart the Arbitration Act. When the strike occurred the Government should have stepped in and nationalised the Union Steam Ship Company. (Applause). The profits of this monopoly were outrageous, and the company in fear lest the public would complain at the high dividends, had only recently issued three shares for one so as to in- | crease the capital and reduce the percentage of profit. That was the monopolist’s move to hoodwink the public. The Massey Government did not settle the strike. Far from it. The | strike was shouldered on to the j farmer, and men were encouraged to leave their farms and go to Auckland. When they got there they were horded up like cattle in the Domain, so that they could not meet the public and learn of the true position. _ The farmers were compelled to parade the streets as special constables, and were scorned by members of the citizen’s committee and members of the large mercantile houses, who were really most interested. These very men would pass the farmer specials when going to play cricket, tennis or hockey. The farmer’s wives had been cpmpelled to do all the work of the farm, and, under the conditions, the farmer might well have been allowed to remain at home, and the Government have stepped in and ended the strike. Sir Joseph Ward had promised the support of the whole House in a Bill, to end strike. While all would disagree with any extreme methods adopted, yet they must sympathise rather than kill and shoot down men under the strike conditions.

Referring to the'naval agreement and the gift of the Dreadnaught, he criticised Mr. Young’s remarks. The cost of the Dreadnaught had been met by a death tax, a tax on the racing clubs, and a tax on pound notes. He asked his hearers if pound notes had fallen in value or if a totalisator ticket has in any way been more for Mr. Young to say that it was the masses that paid for the Dreadnaught. Mr. Young did not say that the Government had removed the tax from motor cars and the luxuries of Government house, or that merchants got a 2% per cent, rebate upon certain material, or that packing and casing were allowed entry free. This concession was not taken off the cost of the goods to the public. He went on to quote naval statistics which showed that the danger of trouble arising in the East is more imaginary than real, and also referred to the conditions of barter in the early days, and made a comparison between the prices ot stock then and to-day. The Liberals increased the amount paid on condemned stock by 50 per cent. Mr. Young had said that the taxation was not higher, but in 1911 he had complained that the taxes were too high, and that his heart bled for the poor setilers. Reform had increased taxation by 10s. 3d. per head. Reform had also amended the customs tariff so as to make possible the importation ot shoddy goods against which colonial goods had to compete. He particularly referred to footwear, and quoted examples in support of his contention.- The Ward Government had protected locally manufactured goods-against the importer. It has been said there are no rings in New Zealand but there were really a great many, and the farmers would soon realise that under. Reform their produce was controlled by a ring. As a result of a commission set up by Sir Joseph Ward several firms had been prosecuted for forming, a combine. The good effects ot the Public Trust Office and the State Fire Insurance Office had been wiped out by Reform, but if a farmer gets his money from the State he should be comj pelled to insure' with the State.

The Government was in league with the insurance companies which have fleeced the public long enough. The Liberals had brought the great moneylenders into competition with the State, and had, to some extent, got the opposition of the legal firms by forcing them to accept reduced fees, He dealt with the system of agreements for loans and expressed the opinion that the legal firms had had a good harvest again for 2 or 3 years under Reform. Mr Young had supported the Liberals and Mr Greenslade until the last moment, and then sold him and them like sheep at Sraithfield. He now says that he is an independent, but he is a tabooed Masseyite. He' concluded his address by criticising a cartoon showing the Liberals hatching a policy. That egg, he said, will hatch out a Premier in the person of Sir Joseph Ward, and will make him cock of the walk. (Applause.)

Mr F. Prior made rather humorous reference to the cartoon. He held that it was impolitic to announce a platform until the whole organisation was sound. If the Liberals made an announcement the Conservatives would soon want to steal the policy just as they had done in the past. He urged his hearers to prove the bona fides of every one who claimed to be a Liberal. Mr Young had contested the Tauranga seat and had abused Mr Herries, and said that those who did not vote for the Liberals were traitors to their country. With much gesture he went on to criticise Mr Young’s recent political meeting at Hamilton, and claimed that his utterances on that occasion proved him (Mr Young) to be a twister. He had distorted every question put to him, had answered in a very careless and insulting manner, and had generally disgusted his hearers. When I put- to him a direct question and placed him in difficulties he had said that if I did not like his reply I could leave the hall. That was not the attitude for our Member to take up. Even in prayer meetings they had interjections 'such ’as Hallelujah, and no.pledged “Independent ’’objected. (Laughter). He (Mr Young) claims to-be a man of sufficient intelligence to deal with the fallacies of Sir Joseph Ward, but it was necessary for the electors to remember their “ independents’ attitude a few years ago when contesting the Bay of Plenty seat. It was ea§y for any man to be elected once, but if Mr Young could not do better than he had done in the past it was only natural that the electors should remedy their first mistake. The Liberals were going to first organise and then deal with the twisters. He went on to deal with the question pf defence, and gave a scathing criticism of Mr Young’s attitude, and the Reform methods of dealing with this -imperial question. He criticised the Reform party’s reform of the Upper House as being the greatest fallacy ever : before the country. It will mean that gentlemen of intelligence and breeding would have to give way to the men of means. Our Upper House would be ten times worse than under the old system. He urged that they make their organisation such as would deal with these Reform Liberals and Reform Twisters. They would uphold the sold name, Liberal, which had been stolen by Reform with the Liberal policy. (Applause). Mr J. G. Harp urged the newly formed committee to keep in touch with him as district secretary. They had grounds to look with hope to the future. Sir Joseph Ward had received a great reception at Hamilton. The hall had been filled within ten minutes, and fullv 700 people had been unable to find accommodation, and were consequently turned away. The meeting concluded with a hearty vote of thanks to the speakers, which was carried with applause, and also with a similar vote to the chair.