MR H. ATMORE AT THE CHORAL HALL.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14980, 29 May 1914, Page 8

MR H. ATMORE AT THE CHORAL HALL.

There was a good attendance of local electors at the Choral Hall last night, when Mr H. Atmore, member for NeLson, delivered a political address. Mr T. S. Dacro presided.

The chairman apologised for tho absence of the flavor, who had been asked to preside. Mr Dacro announced that there was no connexion between the Liberal and Labour Federation and the Socialist Party, or Red Feds. (Laughtor.)

Mr Atmore, who was received with hearty applause, said that personally he did not care what party he belonged to provided it was a progressive party. When Mr Massey was in opposition there were no tactics too low down for him to adopt to disparage the Liberal Party. He went on to denounce tho Government as having failed to fulfil a single one of its pledges. If the Government was doing its duty there would be no need for them to go out to the backblocks and side-step the big places in order to get a hearing. Mr Massey also promised to reform tho Legislative Council, but what ho did was to appoint to tho Council four men who bad been rejected by the electors. He promised to provide a system of .public works expenditure; but had not taken tho first step. The members of the present Government were only politicians, not statesmen, and only mediocre at that. They could not look ahead; the next election was their horizon. Mr-Massey also promised to promote industrial peace, but ho had moro strikes than any other Prime Minister had had in a similar length of time. It was significant how trouble and Conservative rule went together; in 1890 strike and soup kitchens, in 1913 strike and smallpox. '" Turning to the other Bide of the picturo, Mr Atmore said the Liberals during their regime achieved marvellous things, considering what bitter ■ hostility all progressive measures experienced from the party now headed by Mr Massey. After some references to the land question, in the course of which the Government was accused or leaving untouched tho large holdings in Hawke's Bay, Air Atmore proceeded on tho lines of his speeches in other parts. He attacked the Government's handling of the strike, and said the Government should have passed an emergency Act authorising them to j assume control of all the watersides in the country, and to work them until the trouble was settled. In conclusion, Mr Atmore sounded a call to arms. "You will shortly," he said, "havo the opportunity to get rid of these impostors and political hypocrites who now constitute the Government, and to replace them by a clean and progressive set of men." Mr A. M. Lbasby moved: "That this meeting of Christchurch electors oxpresses its cordial thanks to Mr Atmore for his ablo and interesting address, and its unabated confidence in the Liberal Party, and in its Leader, Sir Joseph Ward, and pledges itself to use every endeavour to secure the return of the nominees; of the party at the next general election." Mr . E : . " : Howard - (Social-Democrat) proposed an amendment' that a vote, of thanks only should be accorded. . , .The - was lost, and the motion carried.