CAMPAIGN POINTS.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2307, 14 November 1914, Page 8

CAMPAIGN POINTS.

NEWS NOTES AND ADDRESSES

AND PRESS COMMENTS.

MINISTER FOR RAILWAYS AT TE AROHA.

In reply to an inquiry by. a Dominion reporter - yesterday the Prime Minister said he could not yet say on what date tho elections would be held.

The rolls will be found to.be cleaner and heavier than in any previous year. Such was the opinion expressed by the Chief Electoral Officer in conversation with a Dominion reporter yesterdaw He stated that lie hoped to have the house-to-house canvass, which has been made in every electorate, completed in every district by this evening.

Mr. J. C. Free (formerly of Kanieri), who is contesting the Ellesmere seat as an Oppositionist against the Hon. R.. H. Rhodes, Postmaster-General, in an address" to the electors last week, declared that as soon as the war was over wa must drop- the military system like a hot potato.

At his meeting last night Mr. J. P. Luke was asked how he would vote, if elected, on a direct issue, Bible-in-scliools or no 'Bible-in-schools? He replied: "I am not in favour of any disturbance of our present system ot education. This is -no new matter to- mo.

I have said, ever since I had anything to do with political questions, 'that I am in favour, of our present 6ystem of education, and I would not vote in favour of the Referendum or tho, Biblo-'in-scliools question." He was a_sked whether he favoured the bare majority on the licensing question.

Mr. Luke: I am going to voto bare majority., Local and national?

"Yes, both local and national."

"Are you in favour of candidates for Parliament having to pass-an examination in tho elements of political economy'instead of having to pay . a £10 deposit?" was a question put to Mr.. Murdoch M'Lean, Reform candidate for Grey Lynn, at his first, political address on Wednesday night (says the Auckland "Star"). The candidate evidently considered'this proposal to substitute a brain qualification for a cash qualification set' too high a standard, for political aspirants. "If such a condition was made," he said, "we would never have any members of Parliament at all." ' : ' '

Mr. JR.. A. Wright, Reform candidate for the suburbs, made some interesting points in his speech at Seatoun last evening. He was emphasising the fact that the Massey Government had placed on the Statute Book numerous Acts for tho benefit of tho workers. Among other things he re-, minded tho audience that by passing the Iron and Steel Industry Bill the Government had opened-the way for a large and important industry, which must-bo beneficial to the artisans; -the Shearers' - and Agricultufal : Labourers Bill provided better conditions for the workers; while a very useful measure was that of Crown Defenders. With tho advent of the Massey Government the six-day week for cooks and waiters was a reform that was promptly accomplished."

"With reference-to local industry, it is about time you sent me back -to the House again to let me vote for it," said Mr. J. P. Luke, the Reform candidate for Wellington South, speaking at Newtown last night. "I did good service for the manufacturers of tho Dominion when I was there, and members on both sides of the House gave mo credit for the way I stood up for local!industries. l ean assure: you that many thousands of pounds would have gone- away from the country if it had not been for my advocacy of local industries." (Applause.)

At a meeting of delegates representing the Liberal League in-the Chalmers electorate last night, (says a. Press Association telegram from Dunedin) it was announced that Mr. Moller, Liberal candidate, had been compelled through illness to retire from the contest. Mr. W. D. Mason, of ; Middlemarch,' was chosen as the Liberal candidate.

For business reasons, Mr. R . S. Briggs, whjo has been contesting; the J'arnell electorate as the selected' Opposition candidate, has decided to retire. Mr. J."J. Sullivan is announced as the Opposition candidate. .He was until recently in the Lands and Deeds Department, and left it to read for ilio law.— l'ress Association.

It is not perhap3 • generally known (says a fymdon paper), but the whole of the air squadrons which- are now in action with the-Expeditionary. • Force flew from Dover to their field base and from their field base to the front, and every aeroplane now in action ■ went there from its original station-in England by air, and not in packing-case.

The best evidence of the efficient way in which the finances have been managed by the Government is afforded by tlie fact, that though the. Empire has been at war for three months there is little unemployment in New Zealand, and the'financial - effects of war have scarcely yet been felt, by the community.—Timaru • "Herald."

"What matters is the two parties as they stand to-day. What they are prepared to do for the people of New Zealand. Tho Reform Party, as its name ■implies, was brought into existence to introduce a better type of Liberalism. It succeeded because the old party had outlived its usefulness, because it-en-deavoured to live on the achievements of the past instead of dealing with the present."—Exhange. •

One of' tlie chief pknks in the political Tjlntform of Oppositionists seems to be constructed of extracts from "Hansard"' of words spoken nearly 20 years ago. It, is certainly a feather in the cap of tlio Reform Government that, its opponents have had to go so far back in the past to "obtain ammunition for their big Runs. But unfortunately ' for the member for Nelson, at any rate, some of this ammunition exploded in his hands on Tuesday" evening last. He was working up his heareirs to the best of his ability 011 the grounds that the party now in power had opposed beneficent legislation when, behold, Mr.'Atnioro had to admit that at that very time he was himself supporting candidates standing in tile interests of the party lie is now so vehemently condemning.—Nelson "Evening Mail."

That resolution agreed to at Mt. Flutcher's meeting on Wednesday night is commented 11)1011 by the Christchurch '"Press": —"A new reason why i-he Government should be turned out of office linn been discovered. It is this; that Sir Joseph Ward, in a very 'gentlemanJs' wi, supported the • Government

during the war crisis! This delightful proposition wa-s advanced m a resolution passed by the 'Liberals' of Wellington Central, in which it was also'solemnly suggested that by supporting the Government Sir Joseph Ward rose- to an unprecedented level in the scale of Imperialism I Really,' this claiming of a gold medal, and office, for Sir J; G. Ward because, ho. did what 100,000,000 humbler people have done in this crisis —no less and no more —is . not very complimentary.to the membor for Awarua. He certainly deserves credit for not making a disturbance--his petulant complaints that lio was not in the limelight may be forgiven him-—but that is all. Rewards are hot given usually for mere abstention from wrong-doing. The resolution is apt to ..set people thinking of the 'assistance' Sir J. G. Ward gave the' Government during the •strike." ,; , .

Mr. TV. H. Field, Reform candidate for Otaki, addressed a very large meeting at Otaki on Thursday night, and explained his reasons for supporting the Government. At the conclusion he ivas accorded a very hearty voto of thanks,, after satisfactorily answering several 1 questions. ' .

"The. Progressives may profess,.to point' the finger of ridicule at the aggregate amount collected as compared with tile aggregate wealth from which it lias come," 6ays the "Hawke's Bay Tribune," concerning the graduated land tfix. "But Mr. Massey has, at least sljown his sincerity as the Liberal Government never did, and has, put up the graduated tax to a point far beyond that to which' his predecessors timidly ventured, and he ha 6 also said-that, if it is not effective for the purpose, another turn of the screw is inevitable. It is, therefore, as much what is in prospect, as what they already have to bear, j that_ operates in the big landholders' minds, 'for tliey feel well assured that Mr. Massey will not'belie his word should necessity call for further 'action, There'are not a few of them, we are very much inclined to think, who would very much sooner have Sir .Joseph Ward to deal with than Mr. Massey. He did so like to oblige everybody."

, Mr. Wm. Hobbs writes: —"Kindly allow me to correct an expression that appears in your report of Mr. Samuel's meeting at the Hutt, to the effect that I had stood down in Mr. Samuel's favour That is not so. I am, in the running as an Independent Reform candidate for good reasons/ which I hope to bring before the notice of the electors at an early date." . . „

"There is no ear-marking of special taxation, to pay for the Dreadnought. Interest and sinking fund on this two million pound gift are' paid , out of tho' Consolidated Fund and into the Consolidated Fund goes the revenue from bank notes, racing club taxation, and death duties. ' Into the Consolidated. Fund 'also go Customs duties' and the whole of the general revenue of the State. Therefore each man and ,woman in the Dominion has the honour of contributing to the upkeep of the Dreadnought."—The "Dannevirke News" reply to the Opposition contention that, the Dreadnought- is being paid for by taxation on racing clubs and bank notes, and by death duties.

A section 'of the ivorkers had not yet realised that Mr. Massey had been a better friend to.them in the past Wo years than some of the politicians who talked a great deal about the rights of Labour, but did little or nothing to help Labour.—Mr. Murdoch'M'Lean.at Grey Lyim.

"It is very doubtful if, according "to practical miners, legislation .could have saved the Huntly disaster, but if fault is to be found with the party responsible for the Coal Mines Bill not passing into law last Bession, blame lies not on the Government, but on the Opposition. The public have not forgotten that in the session of 1913 the' Government had to face a succession of pitiless stonewalls in which the whole busi-. ness of Parliament was disorganised. One of the most shameless of these attempts to block. the business of the country was made during the course of. ;tho industrial strike, but before this the Opposition had resorted to persistent obstruction ih. an attempt to prevent the Government getting through its-legislation. Now the obstructionists coolly turn round and charge the Government with responsibility for the Huntly disaster."—The "Dannovirke News. , •

• "Mr. Mehaffey is under the spell of the • old- party names 'Liberal' and 'Conservative' (says the Mataura "Ensign," concerning the Opposition candidate for. the Mataura seat). They have 'become meaningless in this country. It is absurd for any candidate to claim that his party is the only one that stands for progress; Though lie does not realise it, Mr. Mehaffey is .by his temperament and training a greater Conservative than many to whom he applies that title. Ono of the stalwarts of Liberalism, Sir John Findlay, has dfr; liberately'stated that the Liberal Party as at present constituted' has lost its driving force, and is false to the traditions of the past. Wo have frequently contended, that the. true Liberals of Now Zealand are the members of the Reform Party, and this is amply evidenced by the progressive and humanitarian legislation it lias placed in the Statute Book since its accession, to power. It has passed into law that democratic measure providing : for the election of members of the Legislative Assembly. • Tho Liberal Government was in pQwer for nineteen years, and would not concede the people the right to elect all the members, of Parliament."

The strike of November last , was dealt with at some length by Mr. Parr, the Reform candidate for Eden, who is also Mayor of Auckland. Mr. Parr said in regard to his own attitude, that as Chief Magistrate; when he found the wharves of the city held up for a fortnight,' witli produce rotting on them, and when he found I.W.W, agitators from America actually issuing permits to 'the carriers of the city to carry on their business—a function of tho City Council—he felt that ho would have been false to, Ins trust if . 110 had .not dono his best to restore constitutional methods and orderly government iu the city. Because lawlessness had been put down with-a strong hand, the Government was criticised. Personally, he would rather lose 20 elections than fail in.his duty to the citizens who had placed him iu his high office and looked ■to .him to kcop' order in tho community.. (Loud cheers.)