IN DEFENCE OF MR HINDMARSH

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1926, 8 December 1913, Page 9

IN DEFENCE OF MR HINDMARSH

S'l,-1 heartily endorse the letter m Stability, m your cuiiimns of December 5. How you' can by possible stretch o£ iniiUfination say that Mr. A. H. limdmarsh lacks stability is bevond inMr. llindmarsh is practically the leader in JVellingtou of that, sane body of workers, called "Tho United Labour tarty,-' who are neither tiio advocates <Jt your friends the monopolists nor your opponents, the lied Feds. • As a member of the United Labour Partv I am proud of Mr. Hindmarsh. Uniiko yourself 1 will not make assertions without being able to back them up. When the history of the present industrial crisis is written—if ever it is written—Air. Hindmarsh will stand out as one of tho lairest and sanest of our public men. The following arc facts undeniable:—!. That Mr. Hindmarsh, weeks before tho strike, brought forward a proposal to prevent strikes on the watcrfixjnt, 11 aniclv, by proposing that the Harbour Hoard take over tlm loading and unloading of vessels, and employ tho hands as n permanent staff, bringing them under an equitable agreement with a superannuation schcme. I his was turned down bv tho employers' representatives. 2. That air.. Jtindniarsh, weeks before the strike, warned the men to bo very careful not to bring about a stijike, as it was what tho employers desired in order that thev mmfit break up the Labour organisations. "'3. That at tho beginning, after the strike had been declared, lie implored the Federation to accept Sir Joshua "Williams as arbitrator. 4ln all things tho United Labour Party are satisfied that, in air. lliiidniarsh, t'liey have ono of the ablest and sanest thinkers in New Zealand as their representative, ~>. That' all your attempts to belittle liim and misreport his utterances have jiot deceived us —-wo read Hansard. 6. In his position as member of Parliament ho has carried many useful reforms, such as the' amendment to the Magistrate's Court Act, giving aingistrates jurisdiction up to £50 ■ to give judgment on equity and good conscience; the amendment to tho Shipping Act, to make owners liable for liegligcnco; tho Distress for Pent Limitation,'which tho Prime Minister has taken over, and hns promised to bring down next session. These' and many other reforms can bo placed to his credit.

Now, I think, Mr. Editor, I have justified my assertions. Kindly lot us liavo something to support yours, otherwise play tho man, and retract, and apologise. There is just another matter. In the issuo of your paper of tho abovementioned date, you have a report gloating over tho ill-treatment dealt out; to ono Recvo at Auckland by the "specials." Why are yon not as kc.ilons in maintaining the law against those breakers of tho peace ns you nro against tho law-breaking Red Redh. Tho United Labour Party stands for law and order, and the punishment of all pcaee-lircakers, without ltar or favour.—l am, etc., A MEJIHKR OF . THE UNITED LAUOIUt PARTY. THAT BRIDGE OF SIGHS.. Sir,—As tho 'question of the cost of forming tho road between tho two bridges is ono of urgent necessity, 1 shall feel very much obliged if you will be kind enough to find space in your valuable columns to givo your readers my view of this question'— both as a Lower Jlutt ratepayer and also as one of tho privato subscribers, or contributors—lowards tho cost of tho abovementioned works. The attitude of the present Lower llutt Council, including tho present Mayor, as well as the pastcouncils and Mayors of the borough, sinco the work of constructing and providing for tho cost of samo \<as started, have, all been on the same lines; that is, they have all acted on tho dog-in-the-inanger principle, i.e., they could see that as soon as this work was completed it would diverttiallie from tho llutt and send it through l'etone. Therefore, if it vero, possible, these narrow-minded gentlemen would block all facilities for shortening the journey to and from Wellington to the eastern side oi the harbour, as welt us to this portion of th«. llutt borough.

AYlien olio considers that the Lower llutt llorough has got enctetL.two •splendid bridges within its boundary, giving much better access to at leas!; ono quarter id' tho area within the borough, so far at a cost to itsoif of soma £32,1, can you really wonder, Mr. Kdilor, at its clioel; when it also wants these same local bodies to spend another £KOU or .CfltlO to construct tho road connecting the above bridges, when tin; only local body that will benefit by this work, in iho way cf rates through Iho enhanced value rf the laud in the vicinity of this (fork, is this same Lower Unit llorough Council? The plain fact, in my opinion, is ihnt if [ were a member of o'lher Urn City or I'efone Councils I. would strongly oppose any further expenditure upru this work. As the Lower Unit Borough Council is tile only one that will directly reap any benefit in the way of increased rates, il is that council's duty towards this portion o r its own borough to finish ibis road .if its own cost, except in so far as 'I should receive ils fair proportion of that sim subscribed by private poop!" and landowners towards iho cost of 'ho '.(ork, i.e., bridges and tho r.nd betwren. As to tho altitude of I lis Worship Iho Mayor oT f,nicer Unit and his council towards this portion of the borough. I would ask him. or any member of Ike present council, lo answer the following questions, and then try and justify

iiieir present actions i.r. l anls the car.'.v* il'Si out o) ! his much-needed work: (U "What amount of loan money has been spent on the eastern side of flie river south of White'.-; Line since the i'liu loan was raised for improvements, in the shape of street improvements, sewerage, waterworks. etc.. I'.vivpi in the direct line of the .septic tank!-' (-) M li.-it anumiil ol iv.lt s has ii'.vii <oiit'cfed during the same period over tin* area aboyo-incmionici. and also what has hecv! the cost'ol upkeep of I'm" reaiis V,ithin this same ar'a tin the liiiiol-' The fact is, tiiat tiie'oiilv reason tor this portion of the horoi!L;h ooiliff within the council's jurisdiction is to keep jt within its clutches, fur the sell' purpose of drawing the rates from this area, hut as to co:i->id-.'r'ii|; us any lurther. well, to ail iiuciils r.m! ]-nrpeses, we are ;jot there. In conclusion, I would surest Iwo ecurscs oi action f.<r JI is Worship th Mayor of Wclliusle.ii. viz.: j''irst, I would silliest lie should ark the L.iv.v 11uf-t C'qiincil to undertake this v.ork on th.e lines above mentioned. if they refuse, then. Mr. !aike should :n:)V!> tiie (lovomment- to proclaim ant! this road between the li'.o liitl'»\s, just on the Kamo lines as (lit* Sc-'ldmi-Wanl Government did with the roads and streets, when only partly farmed, in the Kpuni Hamlet, ami part of one of these streets was, and is, within the Unit BotoukSi. Tlio council would then ho liable to keep this road reasonably passable. The other suggestion is that if the Unit- Council u.'II not un-:lcrt:dco tins work, then 'er, portion r.f the Unit south of White's Line bo r,ri;> Keitod as within the IVone IVriA'Ji. nnd I think-wo siioukl ilirn act- it done. Thanking yon,—l am, etc., JOHN W:U!I>, December 5, 1013.