MR WEBB AND THE MINERS.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16142, 21 February 1918, Page 6

MR WEBB AND THE MINERS.

THE MEMBER FOR GREY EXPLAINS.

(special to "thz press.") WELLINGTON. Fcbruaiy 20. The "Maoriland Worker" part- evidently docs appreciate the importance of the telegrams published to-day regarding the threat of the miners to strike if Mr P. C. Webb, M.P., is not granted exemption from military service. Mr Webb referred to the matter in an open-air speech to-day. He deplored what he termed the effort of the Government to discredit Mr Holland's candidature for Wellington North through the miners in his (Mr Webb's) electorate. He held that it was nob the miners alone who were asking for-his exemption from military service, but the big majority of the people in his electorate, including the farmers, business people, and workers generally. Three out of five farmers voted solidly for him, and his majority had increased. The boys who had returned from the front, too, were asking for exemption for him, confident that he would look after their interests. So also were the mothers and fathers and relatives of those who were away at the front, and he would be willing to take a vote ol' the soldiers in camp now on the question and abide by the result. When he had been called up he did not seek exemption of any kind; it was the people of his constituency, backed by the minors of New Zealand. Mr Webb went on to detail how he decidcd to resign his scat, and how 30,000 people had urged that ho be retained in the country as their representative in Parliament. In this connexion lie criticised the Government for its neglcct of the Westland electorate, and said he had received many letters of complaint on this score from Mr T. E. Y. Seddon's constituents. Reverting to the question of exemption, ho spoke of the police, and contrasted the exemption of men who enforced the law with the non-exemption of men who helped to make the law. He wished clearly to indicate that tho reflection on the miners was unwarranted and untrue. Every time v/lien ill Parliament lie had had to put up a fight against the National Government, ho had been threatened with the ropo of conscription, and he had vainly challenged any member of the nresent Cabinet to resign his seat, come to Grey, and there contest the issue with him (Mr Webb). Having paid a high tribute to the work of the miners under difficult and hazardous conditions, Mr Webb concluded by saying that it was absolutely cruel of the Government, so far as tho miners were concerned, to endeavour to damage the candidature of Mr Holland for Wellington North.