ON THE PLATFORM.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1308, 11 December 1911, Page 6

ON THE PLATFORM.

WELLINGTON EAST. DR. NEWMAN AT COURTENAY PLACE. Dr. A. K. Newman, tho Reform candidate for Wellington East, resumed his campaign in tho open air at the foot of Majoribatfks Street on Saturday evening. The candidate, who was greeted with three cheers almost as soon as he mounted his box, dwelt on the alteration of- pi:r----1 ties which bad been so splendidly brought about at the poll , on Thursday last. After seeing- how surely tho candidates for reform had'dominated in the'majority of cases no doubt could be left in anyone's mind as to the desire of the people of the Dominion for a change. (Applause.) They had had too much of the present Government with its improvident ways, and tho ever increasing burden of taxation cast upon tho people to pay for them. (A voice: "Out with them!")! The ifsuo was now; a clear-cut one in. Wellington East—it was a fight between' Mr. M'Lnron, who stood for Labour, and the Government, and himself. A voice: "Mac. is not Government." "Oh, yes ho is," said Dr. Nennian, "Ho was put in last time by the Government." A voice: "Who saj-3 so?" "I say so —and everyone knows it was bo. Mr. Atkinson didn't get them, did he? Furthermore, Mr. M'Laren had stated that ho would vote for tho Ward Government on a no-confidence motion, so that tho iisuc is a dean-cut one as I said before. If you want the present Government retained in office you know what to do, but if you want them swept out, and a> clean honest administration substituted, then you must voto for the lieform candidate." (Cheers and applause.) Speaking c-i the land question, Dr. Newman dispelled an illusion. He said that he and his party were against tho aggregation of estates, and were in favour of resuming favourable areas for cutting up and making available for tho small farmer. They were also in favour of bringing about legislation which would release large areas of Native laud for settloment. He was in favour of tho reduction of taxation, and believed that a good deal could be done by observing economy in administration. The cost of government had • increased abnormally under the Ward Administration, and tho public hail to pay all the time. Tho meeting concluded with three cheers for Dr. Newman.

MR. M'LAKBN'S MEETINGS. Mr. D. M'Laren addressed a largo meeting of electors at South Kilbirnie on Saturday evening, and had a friendly reception and an excellent hearing. He thanked the district electors for tho support they had given him in the first ballot. A fear existed in some minds that, if Labour men were elected to public positions, they would piny havoc with the country, drive'out capital, and gener.ally' injure the Dominion's interests, but this fear had been falsified by the experience of Australia. He believed in giving every encouragement to tho local industries of our country, whilst at tho same timo safeguarding the interest of the consumers or users of manufactured articles in the matter of prices. The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks and confidence, moved by Mr. Bourke, which was carried unanimously. Cheers were given for the candidate, for his wife, and for the Labour party.

At Conrtenay Placo Mr. M'Laren again received a good hearing. He submitted that the work lie had already been able to do in Parliament qualified him to still further servo the people. Ho held that it was necessary to further increase the graduated land tax. In his judgment, the Opposition party were appealing too much to the mere negative policy of driving out the Government, and were not presenting to the country sufficient in the way of a definite constructive policy of their own. A motion of thanks and confidence was carried, and the meeting eoneluded with cheers for the candidate and the Labour party.