REFORM CAMPAIGN

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19441, 29 October 1925, Page 6

REFORM CAMPAIGN

MR COULL AT OPERA HOUSE A SPLENDID MEETING VOTE OF THANKS AND CONFIDENCE. There was a very large attendance at jthc Opera House last evening when Mr. ■ John Coull delivered a political address. •. The candidate was in good form and ■ was accorded a splendid hearing. Mr. ■ Chas. Ross presided. ! Mr. Coull expressed great pleasure ;at the reception which had been ac- ; corded that day to Mr. Coates, the leader he was supporting. He was certain that the people of New Zealand i would do the right thing in returning him as Prime Minister of the Dominion. He had prosed his ability, he was ! a born administrator, a man of vision ; and a man who, once he put his hand ; to the plough, would not turn back, i He had infused a new spirit into the Railway Department, a spirit that made ■ the men feel they had to push on. ; A policy for ten years, tat a cost of one million a year, had been mapped out. The lailways wore to be brought up- ; to-date and Now Zealand would have i a system of which it would be proud. The Safe Course. * j Mr. Coull traced the growth of the ' Labour Party from the time of the ! death of Mr. Ballance, and predicted 'that at this election the vote would in crease still further. That was the ex ! perienco in the recent election in Eng , land, and theie middle party, the | Liberals, were practically eliminated. | The Labour w.is growing at the ■expense of the Liberals. And many Liberals were now voting with the ReIform Party. The Nationalist candidates < were split up amongst themselves. ' Some would vote with Mr. Holland ! against Mr. Coates and some would • vote with Mr. Coates. From the dec- , tors’ point of view, the only sale • course to take at this juncture was to i vote for men who were straight uut , supporters of Mr. Coates. The three party system had to be cleared away. |it would be, soon, not by a conference i in Wellington, but by the votes of tho i electors on November 4. After tho • election remnants would run for shelter jinto the most convenient dugout. (Ap i plause). Mr. Coates’ Policy.

Mr. Coates was before the country with an attractive policy and a fine record. (Applause). The party had thirteen years of clean administration to its credit. No party, irrespective of policy, could succeed unless its administration was clean. A Voice: “As a whole.” Mr. Coull: “And down to the minutest detail.” Mr. Massey had challenged any man to bring forth a definite charge regarding the purchase of land, but not one was forthcoming. Mr. Coates would carry on on the same lines as Mr. Massey did. (Applause). Mr. Massey had said before his death that he wont out with clean hands, and that was something to be proud of. To have a policy and a record was better than a policy brought out in the last few weeks with nothing to sup port it. A Voice: “What about lhe slums?” Mr. Coull: “Mr. Coates has said he will clear them up.” The Voice: “He is in the wrong party.” Mr. Coull: “He is in the only party, brother.” (Applause). Mr. Coull dealt with housing, pensions, taxation, the fostering of secondary industries, tho success of the Government’s forestry policy, and education, which ho characterised as the most important work in New Zealand. Freehold. The Reform Party aloud iuur-squaie by the freehold. 1c was not a luytn. “ Usehold” was. This plana, was the must awkward one in the Labour Party’s platform. At the next turner ence it would be changed. A Labour Voice: “L s crude yet. ’ M.r Coull: “You bet youi lilu it L crude.” According to Mr. Holland’s figures, said the candidate, the dilieruncu ue tween the value oi thu laud and the i amount of mortgages was £297,600,966. There was £s67,ubu worth of ireehold laud in New Zealand, Freehold laud with a mortgage un it could be trans ; furred. The laud v\as free to be dealt with. A Voice: “But we want it free from mortgage. ’ ’ Mr. Coull; “Then you will have to do what 1 did: Work away and peg away until you pay it off.” Mr. Coull contended that a mortgage did not hurt anyone if he were mauu of the right sluff and practised thrift and economy. Without those people would not get anywhere. Na Fanciful Promises.

Mr. Coates has made no fanciful promises in his policy. There wus to be less Government in business and more business in Government. Mr. Ccu’i said he felt that on November 4 Wanganui was going to get behind Gordon Coates and return him (Al>. Couli) as local representative. Last time he was defeated. This year he had one of the linest bands of workers there could be behind him. There were no personalities in his campaign, it was said Mr. Veitch was a very good and nice man, but that was not the only reason why a man should go to Parliament. If it were, Mr. Jim Hogan should never have been put out, It was in the interests of the country at tho present time to support Mr. Coates as Prime Minister. That was the most important issue at this election. Several questions were asked and answered, after which a motion of thanks was proposed and seconded. An amendment of thanks and confidence was moved by Mr. Holland, and seconded. The amendment was carried with only one dissenting voice.