POLITICAL ADDRESS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXVI, Issue 13335, 25 March 1911, Page 3

POLITICAL ADDRESS.

BY MR. A. L. HERDMAN, M.P. Last.evcniug, Mr A. L. Herdman, member for Wellington North, gave apolitical address in the Opera House, there hoing a good attendance. His Vvorship the Mayor presided, and introduced tup speaker. Mr HERDMAN, who was given a very cordial reception, prefaced his remarks by thanking Mr Maokay for., presiding, and said he had been invited to deliver an address in Wanganui, which, invitation, he had accepted with much, pleasure.,ln the first place he was a strong believer in coming face to face with the people, which was the way to convince them. He believed the Opposition had not in the past done enough speaking to the public, but had contented themselves with discussions in the House. Then it was, as well that both sides should he submitted to the public. He hoped to show bis audience that though the Opposition waistcoat was perhaps not so ornamental as the Government-waist-coat, it was a much more useful garment, Mr Herdman then went on to say that he wished to deal with one or two which cropped lip last session. There could he no doubt the Dominion, from the.North Cape to the Bluff, had passed through a PERIOD OF PROSPERITY during the last few years. That prosperity ’ had done a vast amount of good to the country, but it was principally confined to the rural districts. The Government had attempted to show that credit was due to them for the way flocks, herds, revenue, and population had increased, hut ha could not admit this claim. The prosperity was really almost entirely due to the high prices obtained for our products in oversea markets. The Government was as much responsible for the prosperity as Bill Adams was for winning the Battle of Waterloo. On the other hand the Government had in many ways acted in a manner calculated to retard the progress of the country, and in this respect he severely criticised the “taihoa” policy of the Native Minister and his colleagues in regard to their:native laud policy and the wav they had kept studiously locked up millions of acres. He said the Hon. .las. Carrol was a very amiable gentleman, but Inhad done nothing since he had been in office. How many years had it taken the Opposition to get him to pass the Native Land Bill ? He had supported this measure, which would do a lot towards making native land accessible to settlers. Had the Native Minister and'the Government been worth their salt, some such measure would have been introduced years ago! Coming t.r the question of ‘

DEFENCE, Mr Herdman said it was a subject which was occupying the attention of the whole of tlie Powers, and Australia and New Zealand were also bestirring themselves. The Government took credit for what they had done in this important matter, but he contended that during their terra of office they had wasted hundreds of thousands of pounds. During the last 10 or 12 years some two and a half millions had been practically thrown away on defence. Such competent Commandants as Colonels Fox, and Pole-Pentoh, also General Babington had been engaged within the last 15 years, and they had tried to cope with the cmestion, but owing to political iuterl'ereiifc they had been burked, and never allowed a free hand. The appointment of officers had been interfered with by the Defence Minister, and the result had been chaos. He referred next to the passing of the Defence Act, and the fact that the advice of Field-Marshal Lord Eitcnener, the greatest military expert in the world, lr«i been obtained, while Major-General Godley had been appointed to put Lord Kitcliiener’s scheme iqto effect. IF would be initerestihg,,- however, to watch how things ' go on. He believed that in Major-General Godley the. Government had succeeded in getting an exceedingly able administrator, and if the Government left him alone they ; would have a good force within three years, but if political interference was per. sisted in they would never have the defences of New Zealand put in a satisfactory condition. Dealing with PRISON DEFORM, ■ Mr Herdman said he had supported the legislation passed last session, and for which the Government deserved some crc dit. He spoke very favourably of the legislation giving power to a judge to sentence certain offenders to prison for an indeterminate period. He stated that he had been more interested in the reform of Ministers of the Crown than in the, reform of Bill Sykes, and he then went on to denounce the p.rtsent constitution of THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. He claimed that the Upper House as al present constituted was neither useful nor ornamental-. He referred to it as consisting of two sections—the men who. were in for life and those'in for seven years. The. former he considered were admirable gentlemen, whilst the seven-year members were he declared; bond ’ slaves-of the Ministry, and made the Legislative Council a silly superfluity. These Councillors did exactly what the Government wanted them to do. A Voice: “Yon do as you are told.” Mr Herdman said he did the bidding of those who elect him. He -went on to say that in . his opinion the Council, as at pro. sent constituted should bo wiped out, and a revising , Chamber appointed somewhat on the following lines:—The Government to elect 10 members and local' bodies 20 members. Mr Herdman next touched on LABOUR/QUESTIONS. He said he desired the attention of the thoughtful worker. There was no subject which was engrossing more careful attention in all British communities at the present time than the Labour question. He contended that while the rural, portion of the country had been flourishing, industries in the cities had been languishing; industrial life had, as it were, been stricken by the plague. Men who had money wmild not invest. He declared the aim should be to build up a sound industrial life as well as to push forward the agricultural life. All classes of the community shoud he interested in this matter. The more industries there: were in a country and the more money invested in such industries the greater the demand for labout. He proceeded to say that they could never hope for improvement in this respect so Tong as they had a Government which interfered with industries—with the man with the money. If an army of inspectors was created to interfere with the man of business, the shopkeper, those who had their capital invested in the frozen meat and other industries, the result would he that the capitalist would withdraw. He contended that capitalists were afraid io invest money: in New Zealand fof ■fear of the Governments penalising Taws, the Arbitration Court, the Labour agita-

tor, the wild fanatic and _ the dreamy -visionary. ..He predicted disaster unless ’these conditions, were altered, industries would languish, thdre would 1 be less--work for the working man, and the country would go back. He Contended that much of the;trouble that existed in the Dominion to-day was caused by class being set against class, and said that the Mr Kecvcs’ Coucoliation and Arbitration Act had resulted in and employees still further, instead of bringing about better relations; it had brought industrial unrest instead of peace and security. Mr Herdman then proceeded to ynot j statistics with the object of showing that there had been a -marked decline in various

MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES, mentioning the fellmongery, iron, boots, and clothing trades as showing a great falling off in production. These tilings should’make ’thoughtful labouring men pause.. The speaker pointed to Japan and China, which would some day be bidding for the world’s trade. How was New Zea-land-going to meet , their aggression if she did not develop self-reliance and independence in her popple. Yet these qualities 'were not being, developed, because everybody had got into the habit of leaning on the Government whenever they wanted anything. v THE LABOUR- AGITATOR was one of the worst, enemies of the ,working man, and it would be a good thing for everybody when ho was stamped out.. Unless that were done, we would soon have our labour agitators in New Zealand speaking in the same violent strains as those in Australia, where one recently advocated no morality except that which led to success, and that the life of a nonunionist should be made a hell upon earth. He wanted to see justice for all classes, and no legislation favouring one class at the expense of another. The State should see- that .the worker was given healthy conditions to work in, and that sweating was surmressed. But it should also sec that the employer was not needlessly harassed; The Arbitration Court wanted reforming. It should have a Supreme Court Judge as president, but the other members should not bo permanent. They should be exports in the' trades in which disputes arose, appointed only to, consider disputes in their own particular trades. The Government should also devise a scheme to deal with unemployment. Mr Herdman then made a few references to

FINANCE,

stating that it was now costing £1,800,000 ■ more per year to run the. country than it did'when Mr Seddon died. Where had the money gone, and what had we got for it? Sir Joseph Ward had admitted that he could save .£250,000 a year without impairing departmental efficiency. Surely that was an admission that he had been needlessly wasting money. When anyone wanted information on the country’s finances, the Government refused to give it. The Government had no, policy, and its land policy was a mixture of everything, designed to pleago all parties. The Premier had said that the only way to settle the land question was to get all parties to agree on a compromise. But he wanted the Opposition to do all the agreeing. The GOVERNMENT’S WORST SIN had been the lowering of the standard of the national life. It would resort to anything iq keep in office. It regarded everyone with the “callous eye of the jockey,” ■wondering how it could buy their support. It had been said there was no difference between the Government and the Opposition. That was not correct. There was all tire difference in the world; as much as ■between, night and day, or between a Jubilee Plunger and a sound, conscientious business man. If the Opposition were returned to power, Mr Herdman claimed that it would institute a cleaner and wholesomer condition of. things -in our public, life, which would make for a nation-whose characteristics would be manliness, courage, and sturdiness. Mr Herdman was loudly applauded ; en concluding his speech, for which he was accorded a hearty vote of thanks, on tne motion of Mr G. Carson, seconded by Mr A. Robinsonb Mr Herdman briefly replied, and brought the meeting to a close by moving the usual compliment.to the chair.