WELLINGTON SOUTH.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1302, 4 December 1911, Page 8

WELLINGTON SOUTH.

OPEN-AIR ADDRESS BY DR. COUZENS. Dr. Couzens, Independent Opposition candidate for Wellington South, held a well-attended open-air meeting at the corner of AVr.llace and Howard Streets, Newtown, on Saturday evening, and received an excellent hearing. Me remarked that Sir J. Ward was always talking cant about the will of the people, and pretending to be guided by it, but as a matter of fact, he was the most autocratic Prime Minister that New Zealand had had. The cool manner in which lie pledged the country's credit for two millions sterling was clear'and undisputed evidence of this. If this sort of thing was permitted, where would it lead us to? This was taxation without representation with a vengeance. In referring to the retrenchment scheme, of which we had heard so much, and which actually realised so little, he said that all the talk about saving two millions and a quarter was ir. -e moonshine. It was true that a number of civil servants had been dismissed, but the bulk of these had again Iren reinstated afbr a few weeks, and the actual saving only amounted to ,T v ""t sixty thousand pounds. T'>o candidate dealt with a number of other ma'ters, ind was accorded a nnaniinous vote of thanks and confidence. ADDRESS BY AIR, R. A. WRIGHT. Mr. R. A. Wright addressed the electors on Saturday evening at the corner of Emmctt and Riddiford Streets. " Tlin speaker denied that a change of Government would mean bad times for New Zealand. He believed that a change would act in the opposite direction. The country had lost faith in the Prime Alinister. A new Premier, with his colleagues, would inspire confidence, and, if tho new Government misbehaved itself, it could be ousted. . Tt was unfair to nllwo that the opponents of the present Government, if placed in power, would act in a reactionary manner. He ventured to say that not a singlo member of the seht Opposition was in favour of reducing wages. In reply to interjections that the Opposition was the Tory parfv. Air. Wright pointed out that the great majority of the opponents of the Govern mont iii the late House had been elected since 1890. and some of Ihein later than that. Theso men had as much sympathy with the people as any other section of the House. On many occasions he had noticed Air. W. C. Buchanan Editing vigorously for the rights of the railway men in his district. Questioned as to "his vote on Afr. Alassey's frwhol'l amendment, he repeated !hal his vole had bfen cast not at the crack of the party whip, but to keep the pledge made to his constituents three years ago to vote against the Government on a no-confi-dence motion. On every question involving tho leasehold principle he had voted leasehold. Air. Fisher, who was a leaseholder, had voted for Air. Alassey's amendment. Some time after the division, Air. Fisher telegraphed to the latn Afr. T. E. Taylor, and asked him if he (Air. Fisher) had ever been falso to the leasehold prnciplo. Air. Taylor replied, "Certainly not." This proved that Ah-. Taylor did not regard tho vote given on the no-confidence motion as a vnre against the leasehold. Towards the c'ose.-of the meeting a number of electors frcm another political meeting arrived, and a fusillade of questions resulted. A motion of confidence in Air. Wiight was carried with cheers, and countercheers were given for Afr. Hindmarsh. Am. BARBER AT WILSON STREET. Afr. W. H, P. Barber, Government candidate for Wellington South, addressed a largo meeting at Wilson' Street on Saturday night, He expressed himself in favour of a progressive policy, and said it would bo advantageous to the country to complete tho railway system on the main roads of the Dominion, and said it was necesary to borrow for reproductive work. He believed the country had a very valuable asset in its iron and oil deposits, which should he develoned. The water-power scheme should also be pushed on with vigour. After a number of questions had been answered, the speaker was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence, which was carried with cheers.