MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15870, 9 April 1917, Page 8

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

THE LABOUB PLATFORM.

OPENING OF CAMPAIGN

The Labour Representation. Committeo officiallv opened its municipal elections campaign in Victoria square on Saturday night, when Mr C. TV. Webber presided. ' In introducing Mr H. "\\ orrall, the chairman denied that the Labour Representation Committee was a nondescript body, and said that those who would speak that nighc wer© men and; a woman thoroughly representative oi" Labour opinion in this city. Just because Labour intended to fight the Government as well as challenge the local governmental authorities m a. policy whicli they were* prepared to adopt, they were scandalised throughout the Press of this city. The L.R.C. accepted the challenge, and they were prepared 'to make a big fight. The modern Labour movement had brought a new vitality. into municipal government which was never there before—-n had. in fact, been the making of local government. They wanted to make this an opportunity 'to express longstanding grievances, and also, to bnng before the people a constructive policy an Mr P B? r WorralL said that the fight they were now entering upon had every appearance of being a bitter one._ lhey had the whole of the Press of Chnstrchurch howling against.them, and when anyone got hysterical it was usual for them to make statements that were both wild, and woolly—statements that, would mot bear the keen searching into that the statements of the newspaper Press ought to bear. Labour proposed to give them an opportunity "to enter their protest against the maladministration of the National Government, which, had practically disfranchised them, and denied them the opportunity of expressing a political opinion nationally on its induct while, in office. The members of Parliament had handed over to a small group of men the power "ha was placed in their hands by the at the last elections, and small eroun of men, acting autocratically, had issued regulations of a libertydestroying nature, bad given them the power of an Act of Par liament, and were ruining this oountry under those regulations. The people should havo an opthat they should take advantage 9fthja coming municipal election campaign, to their protest agatttho £tjoa of the National Government. If tho L.R.O secured a majority in el °? tions if they returned their friend Mr iffimbs ■/M» ? or, thm they have given the Government an expresSl °Counciffor I l>. G. Sullivan characterisedtho "citizens' Assoc ation as a "Tory" association, and said that th Hnn Mr Masscy was the head or ?hf and Aectioimr domenU m describing the policy of the dtizens Association as one of nothing moro than tho most pronounced hypocrisy and p tencc The speaker went on to vigor ouslT defend the Labour Party from tbo accusation that it was. responsible for bringing into the municipal elections the quMtion of the. Military Act alleging that it was introduced into municipal politics by members of the Citizens' Association, and quoting incidents which lie said had occurredjn the Council Chamber to prove his contention, but saying that the Labour Party was not opposed to the discussion of national questions. Mrs Wells delivered a lengthy address, in which sho vigorously denounced Imperialism, and stated that since the ereat Press Conference held a few years itr o , which was attended by representatives of New Zealand papers, tie Press had been practically closed to the voice ofprogress in New Zealand. She concluded by saying that she was no Imperialist; but an internationalist, for she belonged to the brotherhood of the W< Mr S King, representative of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers, said

that ho was against tb© Military Servic# c Act, for practically speaking this little country was not needed to win the •war . lor the Allies, and tho Government was " now going to take away tho accessary workers who would provide foodstuffs, ; for tho people, and in this they wero making a' mg mistake. Ho added that freo people aid not believe in being conscripted. Mr Hiram Hunter said that tho . L.It.C. candidates had been dubbed by 1 - tho newspapers as "Nondescripts," and ' every term which they thought would put tho electors against tho Labour . nominees had been used, and tho newspapers were up against them because they had dared to announce 'their determination to give tho peoplo an opportunity of expressing their opinion on tho Military Service Act. Ho wanted them to absolutely ignore tho scum- « jous articles, that wero appearing in tho daily Press. If tho Labour people ' would sufficiently support their ova >; party, they could run a Pre6S in Christchurch and givo tho truth, which they •wero denied at present. < y; Mr G. Manning, president of tho v I Grocers' Union, also spoke adversi ly of the Press of the city, and contended that as tho Council haa dealt with such > a national question as the cost of living.-, it should also deal with the question of ••■i, conscription. Ho 6aid that tho pcoplo ,v had been chloroformed by the leading r > articles of the daily Press of Now Zealand and Britain. Mr E. J. Howard said that ho could .£■ understand 'the man who was making -V' war nroflts being against Labour. He J" said Labour would have to put its shoul- /.»•] der to the wheel if it was going to win > tho campaign. Before the campaign was finished mud was going to be slung, :®, but not by his party. Referring 'to tho | | Russian revolution, he 6aid that men Jy had been gaoled for saying that tho Russian Government was had, but now that it had been turned out, every ! gager in Now Zealpnd said 'that it was *