THE ELECTIONS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2298, 4 November 1914, Page 6

THE ELECTIONS

MR. R. A. WRIGHT AT WADESTOWN. " Mr. Wright addressed the electors at the clubroom, Wadestown, last evening. The attendance was good, and 51r. Wylie was voted to the chair. In his opening remarks the chairman referred eulogistically to Mr. Wright, expressing .the opinion, that whether one agreed with him or not, he was a man who thoroughly believed what he said. On rising to speak, Mr. Wright was well received, and throughout had an excellent hearing. Mr. Little proposed a hearty vote of thanks, which was carried. ■'. Mr. Wright will speak to-night at the Town Hall, Miramar. Mr. F. Townsend (Mayor of Miramar) will preside.

MR. FITZGERALD AT MAKARA. Mr. J. E. Fitzgerald addressed a meeting of about forty-five electors at Makara last evening. Mr. H. Healey occupied the chair. ' The candidate criticised the Government for what he termed broken pledges and shirking its responsibility by appointing Commissioners and setting up boards on any pretence whatever. The policy of the Government and its administration had, he claimed, assisted to scare investors, had hampered industries, and betrayed the confidence of the peopled Dealing with-the land question Mr. Fitzgerald said the Liberal Party had succeeded in bursting up.many large estates,.and were responsible .; for , placing many thousands of settlers upon the land, by making the land available and providing'cheap money. Dealing with finance Mr. Fitzgerald stated that when the Liberals took office in 1891 the hot debt of the Dominion was £37,000,000; of this amount 49 per cent, was revenue producing. When the Liberals went out of office in 1911, the.net debt of-New Zealand ( 'was £79,000,00 p, of which sum nearly'seventy,per cent, was reproductive. ' The Liberal Party had spent over. £11,000,000 on railways, over £3,000,000 on public buildings, £6,000,000 on lands for settlement, £7,000,000 on advances to settlers, and £1,000,000 on advances to' • workers. Was not this expenditure justified? The candidate denounced the Government as antagonistic to Labour, and asked who was responsible for the non-prosecution of mine-owners for. flagrant breaches of the Mining Act, causing loss of life, and for setting up bogus unions of incompetent workmen. Mr. Fitzgerald was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence, and a committee of seventeen was appointed to further his interests in the district. .',.-'•

OTAGO CENTRAL SEAT. ( , (By Tolenraph-Prbse. .Aesocio-tlon.) Dunedin, November 3 Mr. W. A. Bodkin, Liberal candidate for Otago Central, addressed a good meeting at Alexandra ,011 Mqridav. night.. ''Tho speech almost entirely, consisted of, adverse criticism of tho Massey Government and a eulogy of the' Liberal Administration of 'the past twenty years. Ho dealt-with Mr. Massey's Land Bill, and alleged that it was intended to benefit the capitalist. The speaker condemned the actions of the Government, at the outbreak of the war,, stating that the failure to put 041 a. war tax at once was due to a desire to got as much as possible from the people by subscription, and, save the pockets of ,the wealthy. A vote of thanks and • confidence . was carried unanimously. •./ . .THE WAITAKI SEAT. ; } Dunedin, November 3. Mr. Dennehy, Liberal organiser, announces that Mr. Wm.. Skinner, who was announced as a candidate'for Waitaki in. the Liberal interest, has de-. cided to retire in favour of Mr. Anstoy. PAHIATUA LIBERAL CANDIDATE. ' , Woodirille, November 3. '' Councillor J. D. Mathews, a farmer at.Mangahao, and'chairman of the Ballaiice Dairy Company, has been .selected as the Liberal candidate for: the Pahiatua. seat.- .'■"..-■' Mrs.. J. P. Luke will meet friends and supporters'of Mr. J. P. Luke's candidature for Wellington; South in the forthcoming Parliamentary election, at her residence, Hiropi Street, at 3 o'clock to-morrow afternoon. '