THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2286, 21 October 1914, Page 8

THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN

AVON CANDIDATE ON THE GOVERNMENT'S RECORD. (By TelorraDh—Press Association.) Chrlstchurch, October 20. Mr. H. D. Aclaud, the Government candidate for Avon, addressed a largelyattended meeting of doctors at the Fitzgerald Avomie Methodist Schoolroom, and was accorded a good reception. Ho said tliat, tho present Government had put up the grandest record of any Government of late years, and refused to admit that tho Opposition represented Liberalism. Ho emphasised the urgent necessity of closer settlement of the land, and favoured a; limited freehold 'tenure. Ho claimed that tho Jlassey. Government had put up an;excellent record in finance, and had carried out the policy enunciated by the Prime Minister in Auckland. Mr. Acland commended the principle of the Workers' Compensation Act, and said the present Government had liberalised it and widened its scope and effectiveness.. He supported a referendum on tho Bible-in-Schools question, and favoured the 55 per cent, majority on the local option and Bible-in-Schools issues. _ At the close of the meeting Mr. Acland, was accorded a vote of thanks.

REFORM CANDIDATE FOR WALLACE. Invercargill, October 20. At a well-attended and representative meeting of supporters of the Reform Party, held at Riverton, under the auspices of the local branch of the Reform League, Mr. A. W. Rodger, of Birchwood, was selected as tho Reform candidate \for Wallace, in opposition to tho sitting member, Mr. J. C. Thorneon.

LABOUR REPRESENTATION. A meeting of the Labour Representa- : tion Committee was hold in the Trades Hall last night. Air. James M'Kenzie presided oyer ■ ail attendance of about 53 members, representing upwards of thirty unions, and tho United Labour A letter was received from the' Social Democratic I in which tliey stated that they had decided that no good pur- 1 pose could be served by that party taking any further share in the deliberations of the Labour Representation Committee. The letter was received with an'expression of regret that the , writers could not see.their way to fall into line with the decisions of so representative a meeting. It was first dccided that tho only seats to bo contested in Wellington by Labour should be Wellington Wellington East, and Wellington Suburbs. It was eventually decided that in tho event of thoir being any moro than one Labour-candidate nominated for any one of these tlireo seats,, ft postal ballot should be. taken of all the unionists in the City, including those unions who,were not represented on the Labour Representation Committeo. . ... It was decided that nominations from persons who are. prepared to stand as candidates under tlie auspices of the Labour Representation Committee should' be invited by advertisement, nominations to close on Monday next. Committees were set up for tne purpose of drafting ballot papars, appointing scrutineers, etc: THE SOCIAL DEMOCRATS. The Wellington branch of tho Social Democratic Party at first announced an intention of contesting Wellington East, Central, and North, at the coming election, but sine© the recent Trades Hall conference' this intention has been modified. After receiving the report -of its ■ delegates at this conference the Social Democratic Party withdrew its representatives from, the proposed Labour Representation Committee, on the ground that members of Labour organisations would not be permitted to vote upon the -electorates to be contested, but decided to withdraw its candidates • from Wellington East and Central, and to contest Wellington .'North only. A ballot was taken for the selection of the candidate, and it resulted in Mr. H. Holland being chosen, Mr.-P. Fraser, who had previously been selected, signifying his intention of not contesting the first selection ballot. At the meeting of the delegates from bodies held in the Trades Hall last evening, a letter was read from the Social Democratic Party intimating its withdrawal from tho conference, and expressing tho hope that although it was not Becoming a part of the proposed Labour Representation Committee both bodies would be able to mutually assist each other in the forthcoming election campaign, tho Social Democratic' Party being prepared to render whatever assistance it possibly could to any candidates chosen Dy the Labour bodies, and trusting that its decision in this connection would bo reciprocated.

THE SUBURBS SEAT. Mr. R. A. Wright will open his campaign to-night when he will address, a meeting in the Karori Parochial Hall.