TH LYTTELTON BY-ELI-CTION.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14841, 5 December 1913, Page 9

TH LYTTELTON BY-ELI-CTION.

HB LAURENSON AT OPAWA.

Mr J B Laurenson, candidate in tho Owwritiwt interest, addressed a SUed meeting of Opawa electors in ' STlool schoolroom last night. Mr ' George Scott presided. " Mr Laurenson, who was greeted with .ittsc, prefaced his address with an !_pl-nation of matters that had ap- £_*•_ in the public Press in connexion -'- 'Sth'the Boilermakers Lmon. Ho £*__ that he had had occasion in , Duoeuin to meet delegates from tho Baflflr-akers' Union in connexion with __*__«* they were seeking. Alter the ___rd had been fixed up and boeoino * two officials wrote him a grfffi' letter. He made that letter «AXe and unfortunately made id. np- ' Kurthat the letter emanated horn the ' En. Hto had .used those words -" ST-W© used unintentionally. His SSet'in reaaing that letter was not To at sympathy for himse f, but to <__f-vour to do away with tne irapres-Sa-'that there was no sympatuy be- ?«._"■ employers aud employees. lie Jj* absolutely confident that there was i__ 'greatest sympathy and the greatest Sod feeling esirtine between the emSoyers a-d employees in New Zealand ft the present time. ' Continuin!?, Mr Laurenson dealt •ri*h'the' question of the Parapara iron _ e p o -is, and said that a few years ago fir Joseph Ward had agreed with a syndicate, anxious to develop the demdu, to do his best to get Parliament to enact legislation guaranteeing a royalty, but the people of New Zealand had suggested that bir Joseph was LjHicSnllv-inte:-cstcd in the scheme, and not unnaturally ho had, been disposed to go no further with it. Later, the M-sscv Government had "turned down - a definite offer, and the speaker claimed that in doing so the. Government had , not shown itself, a friend to New Zealand industries. . Answering questions, Mr Laurenson denied ihat he was nresent during tho " formation of the new Lyttelton Watersiders' Union. Ho explained that ho had "been asked to take a certain paper into the Scottish Society's rooms, where the union was being formed, but had left the room immediately on fulfilling his mission. ~.,.,, , After the candidate had answered ' several other questions, Mr J. W. Hunter moved that the chairman leave the c-itir;' because the latter had refused* to gtibmit certain questions to the candidate, as he considered these too personal. Mr J. Cooksley proposed a vote of . thanks and confidence to Mr Laurenson, For some minutes there was a scene of ' confusion, but eventually Mr Scott said -"ho would leave' the chair. Mr A. M. Wilson was then elected chairman. On Mr Laurenson's consentingto answer any questions, he was asked: — '1. want to know whether you, as vice-president of the Canterbury Emplayers' Association, agree . with the "■ Employers' Association of New Zealand in maintaining their own organisation and demanding that ihe organisation for the benefit of the workers be abol- . ished?". . . ".:' X. ■' . 3lr Laurenson: Ido not.

Tlie Chairman declared the vote of , thanks and confidence carried, but it ras never really put to the meeting, •and his action provoked strong opposition from a section of the audience. * One speaker deprerated the action of, the meeting in asking Mr- Scott to' leave the chair, and reminded ' them that Mr.Scott hod been invited by the Government candidate to bo his chairman thrit: evening. Mr Laurenson, after staling that he did not wish for either a vote of thanks or confidence, called for three cheers for Mr Scott, which were given. 'Another cheer was given for 3lr Wilson. *

MR IUPC2JFFE AT WOOLSTON. fe;-;r There was only a small, audience in i Oddfellows', Hall, Woolston, last ' |fe*f»Jg_t-to -.listen"-, to Mr Radcliffe, the fp : ._iberal candidato for- the Lvttelton $l£" 1 ? < * at - The speaker received a fair hear-%|TS:?ya-g-», although those at the back of the l |pi;hall: lrero very. restive at times. - Mr p^Johri'Graham, the Mayor.of Woolston, l|f S«*«pied tho chair- and introduced the :#:g»peakcr.; Mr Radcliffe spoke for about of; an hour. In answor' §§£> "Wiraestions he said he did not think it vrpald Ibo" the; thing for -him to within the he was the pm first; irV'tho field; He thought that the' Aad BoanTdid its lever best spS : -ytoj^lpensions-for' all vwidbws that |vy;s:^eiitoelyideserved.it. Ho' was in / y1?& X candidate \ for his address, an expression of no-cori-S® "*WmfV »n 'hinv as. representative of M^3«°'I i electors, was passed by a ; . ';'•'.•:■;• •*'■'.■■'• :->/ • ■:■' addressed a meettog ,at Sga/tWOddfellows' Hall,:■' Lytelton, last '^sii^'Vight; .:Mr' Torrance presiding. The :;||iiMni_iaate was accorded a vote of :and confidence. He subsequent-|||;M,.jM_ddr-ssed.a meeting at Governor's /■'.. 3. Miller," t_e Etefom candiwill speak, at Teddington to-day, a.m., at Governor's Bay, at 3 at the H.athcote Social Hall; at ,M%7;jp._i., and at the Church corner, Redat B ; p.m.-' ffc^Cr":'•■•.'-Thacker wttl speak; to-night, if lil-'tsW health permits him ot, at the EngSchoolroom, Lyttelton, at OAWCK. ■:-.■■■* .'.'■■:'■..■■-- Lanrensdii irill speak at the Cash-' Mo|S*rb"-HillsV Sunday-school, at 8 this iPtfwshine;-- at Heathcote Valley,: at 2.50 ?p|V|™drrow afternoon, and at 'Sumner .School in the evening. . IfffstW'McCombs' will address the electors |g|M*£Holiday House,. Sumner, at 8 this *"»<* other ; Social Democratic j will be held at the: same §§S-i_OWyat; the Oddfellows' Hall, Woolat'the Opawa State School. Mills is to speak at Little and Okain's Bay to-day. to indisposition Dr. Thacker PiJv : J<|*S U_able to address the electors at (■^ySftnmer -and Rcdcliffs l_»t evening.

,* MRrMcCOMBS AND SUMNER. "O THS EDITOR OP "THB "PBESB." Sir,--] __ould like to ask Mr Mc.vonibs, through tho medium of your «tWlcnt paper, if he.really does inWBa ftddicssing tbe electors-of Sumner. I •**» nigai soaie two hundred electors |fr k ? Wled oot in a howling sou-wester to , « «W him, as advertised, in the garden « * private house. Whilo waiting for ™i to turn up, we had to listen to a **hiee. and then no sign of Mr .acgonibs. Let mc toil Mr McCombs w« we don't want to . hear Mills, v eyce, Webb, or any other highly-paid agistor: we want to hear the candidate. There is a rumour that Mr McUMnbs does not intondaddressing the wctors of Sumner at all, and that "he ?*_ er - even intended coming to Sumner ast night Now, Sir, if Mr McCombs - " _■ {?*» he will oome to Sumner, take , -i ¥*■ let Bs his side of the -v_.l*\ ovm "" ews ( no * other 3nv c ?'» c as every other canWflata has done —Yours, etc.. ONE OP HIS DISGUSTED '_."""'" SUPPORTERS, wanner, December 4th. .

" * THE ONLY ISSUE. j \ *. 'J lO SDITOR 0*? "THE FR_SB." | I .*2* r-Tha closer to the time of the ? ittfT 0 ?' *he more evident is' the fact I ' ZHZ t fight K » pure and fiimple, a fc. . -S™? 1 between the general public and t -SV- la,ir " a '» dl a_ classes versus Red i - Jodunn and the power of disorder. No V t __fi_ at to who is blind can fail to * - rflT tj_ w ho are not in favour of 'ine Red .Fed party are looked upon 4_„ ■» deadly enemies, bo they Gover_t-» *£*. »eot, Ogposition, or Independents. i*£ v look -with, a _c__ of sneaking

regard towards the Opposition' party because taey are _ga._at tlie Government, anu may _.oo_io.y be oi soxue service 10 them, but in t_e event ot the Lyttelton uiecioa being lina_iy iougiit out between the lied. iod. and Libeial candidate, the pent-up tuel of anger and rage will bo launched against the Opposition side, irrespective of the present apparent veneer of friendship. This is a time to act, if not to strike, and to rally to the side of Mr M. j! Miller. The real contest is between ' McCombs and Miller, whether the country shall be ruled by the mob in the shape of the Red Fed. dictators, or by the Government of the country in a constitutional way. The other candidates, Laurenson, Thacker, or It-dcliffe. ought not to be considered, and votes given to them will only dou 1 tho issue. The powers of evil are let loose, and it behoves every well-wisher of the Dominion to see to it that tho present industrial upheaval is ken; within bounds. They, the Red Feds., appear to want a state of chaos, out of which they think a new industrial condifon will arise, in which workers will work for themselves. They would all bo equal—with' Red Fed. bosses— with an equality of the kind they had in France years ago—when a man or woman's neck was never safo from the embrace of Madame la Guillotine. I appeal to all lovers of "this fair land to a--.ist to destroy the power of this meddling foreign element in our'midst. who?e business it is to stir un strife. These agitators are well paid, and the more pnv the moro force and coercion they will pursue.. This is a time of danger to our country, and calls for giod men and women to. stand true to their duty to law and order. The position is n« T sen it:—Miner for law and order. MrOimb* for strife i*nd disorder. Thc o*\r>r ennd*f'.i*«-j are onlr side issues. Choose yr>!—"7.-ii-a. o*_., TRUE BLUE.