WELLINGTON EAST.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1294, 24 November 1911, Page 8

WELLINGTON EAST.

MR, M'LAREN AT ST. ifARK'S

schoolroom. ■ Mr. D. M'Laron. Labour candidate fol tiw WcUißßtou East seat, addressed a meeting of about 200 electors, at St. Mark's Schoolroom last oyemn?, Mr. J. T. Brown presiding. Mr. M I r n '? 1 , 1 ,Y n ? given tm excellent hearing. Ue .said that 0110 danger to bo faced in our politics was the crowing predominance of the. personal clement. It was almost a cafe ot every man his own. party, as the old.parties avoided putting forward /nil ofceial programme, and each camlidatc WW ' 1 , ro ; tenting a different platform. . I his led to confusion in the public mind, Iho essential difference. between the party's svstem aiid that ot tho other, parties was "that labour stood ,011 the; democratic foundation of organisation of tho peoplo outside of Parliament. The organisations created the platform to which tho politicians'■'woto pledged, and tho Parliamentary party elected its lenders, in this way Labour Ministers were responsible to their 'whole party, and tho whole partT ill power whs responsible to tho people" outside. Tho other parties followed tho lino of demarcation by this Priino Minister and his Ministerial colleagues. Mr. M'Laron deprecated tho geuera.l Government interfering with tho powers of local authorities, as moiiibers of local bodies wero elected directly, by the peoplo even more directly than Ministers of the Crown . Tho farming interests dominated Parliament to an excessive degree, and ho found that, tlio "Government feared to deal effectually wntli such matters aV shearers'" accommodation, and proper protection of other country workers.. This showed'the necessity for a large measure of direct Labour representation in t'lio Ifoilsb. Fifty years ago the population of New Zealand was 71.503, or 1 less than the populntioh of Wellington and suburbs to-day; 1 The Dominion's population wis now over a million, which indicated expansion, and added, responsibility. His.' purpose was to secure tha distribution 01 wealth amongst' tho mass ol' the people, and tho encouragement of industry, in'bo-operation with the end in view of creating a great nation founded on tho practice of the principles of equity and justice. A vole of; thanks'.'and confidence was carricd unanimously.

MR. 801/ TON AT ROSENEATH. Mr. F. G, Bolton, Government candidate for Wellington East, addressed a meeting of .electors at tho Roseneath Schoolroom last night. The hall was Well filled, and the candidate- received an at> tentivo hearing. II r. C. Mouagliau was io tho chair. Mr. Bo|ton outlined his proposals for reducing-''.the cost of living, and eulogised the,' Advances to Workers Act and the Workers' Dwellings Act, passed-bv the Ward Government, as lienig distinctly in., tho interests of tin worker. He explained the provisions -of the National-Provident Fund Act, ami stated that "he felt sure that this Act would bo largely availwi of in the ue-.it future when,, the: public . understood its effect.' 11l his opinion it was cue of tho very best measures in the direction of promoting soU'-reliiince and thrift anions the. community, no stated that tho criticism of Mr.- M'Laron as to his (Mr, Bolton's) estimate of the cost of flouting tho fivo million loan was absolutely foun-da-tionless, as"befnre stating that .€185,000 (his estimate of the cost) was correct, he verified -the matter by reference' to tho (Secretary of the Treasury, who confirmed his figures in" all respects. Ho had no desire to enteV into. a controversy with Mr. M'l.arcn, "but would advise him, botore criticising other people, to make sure of . his facts. "'lf ho (Mr. Bolton) was guessing, then tho secretary to the Treas.ury v;as also pressing. Mr- Bolton said 'tliat lie dcprcctitcd very mucJi the remark) made by .the Opposition candidate. 110 considered that l the existing system of afl'orestation was distinctly in tho interest of the country',, but should lie developed more fully and systematically. Onlv tunbers having a ftal value should be planted. Ho considered that more attention should bo devoted to stopping the sand dunes, which had made great inroads upon various parts of the New Zealand coasts It ivould',\vcll pay the community, in times of'industrial depression, to givo omplovmcnt in both these directions to men desiring Mk. There was probably 110 better means of increasing the national wealth than by tho carrying out of these two enterprises. A vote of tliank-s and confidence wa» carried unanimously amidst applause.