"REFORM" V. LIBERALISM.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15993, 9 December 1919, Page 4

"REFORM" V. LIBERALISM.

Dealing with beneficial measures in the interests of farmers and small settlers introduced by tho Liberal Party, Mr A. E. Greenslade, Liberal candidate for Waitemata, said it was just a quarter of a century ago this month since the Liberal Government placed upon the Statute Book an Act authorising the advancing of money to settlers at au exceptionally low rate of interest, and credit was due to Sir Joseph Ward, who then filled tho position of Colonial Treasurer in tho Seddon Government, for the successful flotation in London in May, 1895, of the 3 per cent, million and a half loan for the Advances to Settlers Department. 'The raising of the loan was such a wonderful success that it silenced for all time the colony’s detractors who had voiced the opinion that to launch upon a system of borrowing largo sums for advancing money to settlers was a very dangerous undertaking. In the Advances to Workers branch the sum of .63,560,840 had been placed since tho Act was in 1906 placed on the Statute Book. This scheme, like Die older one, was much appreciated by those whom it was designed to assist in procuring homes. In 1896 tho amount bo be advanced to any one borrower under the Advances to Settlers Act was raised to .£3OOO. The Reform Party came into office in 1912, and in the following year (1913) the amount was reduced to J2OOO, which, Mr Greenslade contended, tended to 1 impair the usefulness of the Act to-small settlers, who, in his opinion, were the backbone of the country. Many other topics were touched upon, Mr Greenslade pointing out tho strenuous opposition afforded to the Advances to Settlers Act and similar measures by the Conservative Party of those days, with whom Mr Massey was prominently associated, but which, the "Reform” Party had never had the temerity to repeal when they succeeded to office. ■