THE ELECTIONS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2293, 29 October 1914, Page 8

THE ELECTIONS

SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY MR. HOLLAND'S CAMPAIGN WELLINGTON NORTH SEAT Mr. H. E. Holland, the Social Democrat candidate for the Wellington North seat, opened his campaign in tho Sydney Streot Hall laet night. . Mr. W. Maddison presided. ■ Tho hall was nearly full, and Mr. Holland got a cordial reception on ris-. ing to speak. He said that the Social Democratic Party, coming into the political fight for the first time, had nono W the advantages of the other parties, but they came full of virility in the interests of their cause. They had endeavoured to make arrangements with the United Labour Party to prevent clashing of < Labour interests. He explained fully the Labour Representation Committee meetings, and said that to avoid clashing they had decided to withdraw from the Wellington Central and Wellington East seats, and centre (their fight against tho strongest Minister of tho Massey Government. It was fitting 'that the Social Democratic Party should opposo Mr. Hcrdman, for more reason's than one. They were going to win, provided the workers voted for tho Social Democratic Party. (Applause:) If Mr. Hcrdman did win, and in tho future they wcro hit over the head , with a hardwood baton, >t would be because some of the workers had voted against the Social Democratic Party. They were not going to fight tho election with abuse, and their . platform would bo kept clear of personal abuse. (Applause.) Mr.. Holland said that ho wos in the fortunate position that he camo into the fight with tho Social Democratic Party solidly behind him. There was no splitting in thejr ranks, and ho could say hid working committee was over 100 strong. They wero going to place the Massey Government on trial bc-foro the election, and the workers would be the jury. A change was taking place to-day in the minds of the people, and that change would mean that social democracy would prevail in the end. The objective of the party was industrial. democracy, government by the people, for.the people, and oi the people., (Applause.) Their statement of principles clearly described the economic position of .the people. Their opponents charged them wit'i creating a class war. That was stupidity, for they could not create a class war Their object was to oud the causes of class war, and so end the class war. His Party Planus. Dealing with some of tho planks of his party, Mr. Holland said that proportional representation was tho first plank. To-day, minorities had no rei. presentation. • The Second Ballot \vas preferable- to tho present system, but when the Massey Government found that the Second Ballot destroyed i's chance they wiped it out, and loft it i possiblo for a minority to rule. In ex-

plaining tho principle of proportional -reJ presentation, Mr. Holland said that toI day there were loss people on the WolI Imgton North roll' than voted at tho last election. Another plank was a Eight-to-Work Bill. That was one of the most important measures in any I. community, -'because an idle man was a .loss to tho community. To-day they had employers giving £1000 to tho Patriotic Fund and tho next day knocking oft fifty men. Tb<>re was not a single valid reason why one man should bo unemployed in Now Zealand, and thero nuver would be while New Zealand claimed to be a civilised country. Another plank of their party was full civil rights for public employees. Civil Servants were gagged to-day. Policemen wore not oven allowed to form a union, men wore even sacked in connection 'with that. Full political rights for women was one of their proposals. T'ao day had come when women snould have a say in the making of the laws that

affected the women, for those laws were going to have a great deal to do with the welfare of the nation in tho future. Ho spoko against the Legislative Council throwing out a Bill to reduce tho hours of women workers in the woollen mills, and for thai said the workers were some day going to slaughter the Upper House. (Applause.) Referendum Proposals. A further plank in their platform was in favour of the Initiative, the Iteferen. dum, and the Recall. In connection with tho Referendum their attitude was that they did not say that matters of religion and conscience should bo submitted to the referendum, for those were private matters. They favoured a majority of the voters on all matters submitted to the people, including the licensing question. They proposal a State Bank, with the eole right of note issue. When a loan wae raised, he said, the Government did not get cash. They mortgaged the power of the people to work and produce wealth. He traversed the position of the Public Debt, and said that some of the loans were paid over and over again in interest, but the original loans were not paid off. The small sinking fund that had been raised had teen lent back to the country, and interest charged; That was the way the statesmen' were juggling with the finances. The Massey Government, he said, was paying away nearly a quarter of its revenue for- interest. No businoss concern could afford to pay away even 15 per cent, and live. Now the Massey Government, in- their dying spasm, were raising a further loan. Tho 00 millions the country owed would be repaid in the form of jnterest in about 20 years, but the 90 millions would

still bo owing. The Social Democratic Party said that tho State Bank should hayo tho sole right to issue bank-notes, but thoso notes should be legal tender. They were not, in Australia, and therein lay the weakness of the system. ■ Land Taxation. The Social Democratic Party etood for tho principle that the land should belong to the people. They proposed that thoro should be increased taxation of unimproved land values, both in town and country, a graduated income tax, and no further alienation of Crown lands. Ho said that, personally (the Social Democratic Party had not dealt with it), he would favour a war tax if ho was elected to Parliament while the war lasted. It would bo something on tho lines of the West Australian Labour Party's tax, which started at something about a £1 tax on people with £100 to £150 income, and worked up to £400 a year on persons who had an income of £3000. (Applause.) Ho next dealt with tho cost of living, and said that whenever a war started there was a tendency on tho part of some people to hold a pistol at the head ot the others. As soon as the present war etartcd quite a number of things were increased without the least need for it. Ho contended that there was no justification for an increase in the prices of the necessaries of life, while those necessaries existed. It. was the exploiters who had put on those increases. (Applause.) He'contrasted the action of Uie Labour. Government in New.South Wales in fixing tho price of wheat find seizing it for the millers, as against the action of the .Alassey Government, who set up a Commission, and then set aside the price they fixed for flour, and made it £13 15s..per ton, &2 os. higher than the priVe fixed by tho Commission, mid tl /is. higher than tho price fixer! in New South Wales. The Government.

stopped in and saved tho interests of tho people who wore out to exploit tho country just because, thero was a war. Other Planks and Charges. State-owned shipping; right of unions to register or nob, without tho loss of legal standing; Dominion awards; protection against bogus competing organisations of labour: free and secular education from the kindergarten to the University; with compulsory attendance in tho primary grades, free school bookß and stationery; and direct and adequate representation of Labour on all Government boards, were other planks mentioned by Mr. Holland. In concluding, Mr. Holland said ho wished to charge tho Government with having wiped out the Second Ballot for the purpose of saving its own skin by minority representation j with having assisted tho traitors within New Zealand, "those economic bushrangers," especially in the matter of wheat and flour prices; with maladministration of tho Arbitration laws; with blocking the Mining Bill, and therefore having become responsible for tho Huntly disaster; with siispension of the shipping laws in the interests of the shipping owners; and with manipulating tho electoral laws to savo Mr. Fisher. , A vote of confidence was unanimously carried in tho candidature of Mr. Hoiland.

MR, H, A. WRIGHT AT ISLAND

Mr. R. A. Wright spoke at St. Hilda's Churchroom, Island Bay, last pvening. Mr. C. Odlin presided, and briefly introduced the speaker. After dealing with land, finance, the Publio Servict Commissioners, Government ad•iciiising; prison reform, and other matters, Mr. Wright referred to the question of Legislative reform- The Opposition said the Government was not sincere in its desire to reform the Legislative Council. Tho fact remained, however, • that tho Government had proceeded with a Bill to reform the Council and make it elective, according to promise. Notwithstanding all that could be said to the contrary, the Gov-, eminent deserved a further term of oflice. In answer to a question, ho said ho was not in favour of introducing a Stato control issue on the local option ballot paper. On tho motion of Mr. Chisholm, seconded by Mr. Osborne, a vote of thanks and confidence was car-