PATEA ELECTORATE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19444, 2 November 1925, Page 3

PATEA ELECTORATE

MR. DICKIE’S CAMPAIGN REFORM CANDIDATE AT SANDY HOOK. ADDRESS TO RECORD AIEETING. The Reform candidate for the Patea seat, Air 11. G. Dickie, addressed a record meeting at Sandy Hook on Friday evening. Air Darcy Preston presided, and introduced the speaker. At the outset, Air Dickie referred to the fact that he had served his apprenticeship in local bodies in his particular portion of the district, while he had an intimate knowledge of marketing conditions at Home. In dealing with the financial position, he said that the net debt, was £214,000,000, while the gross debt was £228,000,000 —£115,000,000 of this amount being held in England. In order to prevent increased taxation it Yvas necessary to maintain an excess of exports over imports. The debt per head of the population amounted to £164, while that of Australia was £169. They could therefore boasts of a better financial position than Australia, and thrift was only required to improve tho position. It behoved them to practice economy in order to prevent tho balance of imports over exports that they had in 1921. They were paying their way, and were in as stable a condition as any part of the worl 1, while their credit on the London market was as good as that of Home local bodies.

Land Policy. In discussing the land policy, the speaker said he favoured the extension of leases until the lessees were able to purchase. The right of freehold should be given to everyone in the city. There had been an outcry concerning land aggregation, but this had been brought about in the majority of cases by reason of bush being felled and population sh. *ing elsewhere. The losses in regard to repatriating returned soldiers amounted to £2,300,000, and, in this connection, the Government had been subjected to a good deal of criticism. However, New Zealand had clone as much for its returned men as any part of the Empire. In the Old Country they had spent £G per head of the population to get their soldiers back into civil life, but they still had one and a-half million unemployed. Australia had lost £5,000,000 in regard to the repatriation of ' its soldiers, and had only put 7000 more men into civil life than the Dominion had.

State Advances. Air Dickie said that £1,500,000 had already been subscribed by the New Zealand lean of £5,000,000 at 54 per cent., for the purpose of making advances to settlers, and this would enable the Advances Department to expedite its work, which had got behind considerably. They had to devolve some scheme to assist the settlers, and he thought that land banks, similar to those in America, might solve the problem, and be given a trial. If the Advances Department could not cope with tho business required of it, it was certainly the best method of financing the farmers.

Helping The Farmers. The speaker proceeded to refer to the successful inauguration of a laboratory at Hawera, and he hoped it would bo the forerunner of other similar institutions. The Meat Board had, no doubt, done a. great deal of good in regard to the registration of shipments, which meant stability of prices, and the same would probably apply to butter. Local Control. The speaker did not agree with the manner in which money was distributed to local bodies under the Highways Act for expenditure. He would rather see a system of subsidies initiated and the county councils control the money. In referring briefly to the Motor Vehicles Act, Mr Dickie said he hoped in future the number plates of motors would be permanent, and also that a tyre tax would be enforced. He considered the tax on tyres was most equitable, as the. logical conclusion was that the man that used the most tyres used the most roads. It was high time, he considered, that the incidence of taxation was inquired into. Customs duties had been increased on luxuries such as spirits, cigarettes and motor cars, while it had been reduced on such things as tea, and many classes of machinery, and taken entirely off children’s boots. Duties by necessity had to be imposed on certain goods for protective purposes. Education, Mr Dickie remarked, had cost the country £3,700,000 during the past year, and the big bill had been occasioned in a large i. ensure by extensive and necessary renewals, and

the improving of the status of teachers, which meant £50,000 for additional salaries. Housing. Mr Coates was, the candidate stated, giving serious consideration to housing. Under the Scddon and Ward Governments 250 houses were erected, as compared with 20,050 under the Reform Administration. In conclusic Mr 'Hckie made mention of other Reform planks, such as the attitude toward naval defence, humanitarian legislation, and immigration, and to certain observations made by the Nationalist candidate. Thanks And Confidence. After answering a number of questions, the speaker was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence, on the motion of Mr D. Preston, seconded by Mr Hughes. _________